Ambria opened her eyes and looked around the room, surprised to see she was lying in her own bed at home. She turned her head quickly to look beside her and a sob escaped as she looked at Dustin sleeping beside her. She reached out and lightly touched his hand as multiple questions filled her head, but unless she woke Dustin, she wouldn’t get the answers she needed.

She wondered if she was human again or still some sort of spirit. When she looked down at her body, she was startled to see she was still pregnant and was mystified. What did this mean? Suddenly a bright flash of lighting filled the room, and then an unusually loud clap of thunder was heard overhead, one the loudest thunder boom she’d ever heard in her life. Except for the one, the one she’d heard during that last storm they’d had.

It was then she realized what this thunder represented. There had been a terrible thunderstorm on the morning her headaches had returned and today was that day. Somehow, she’d been given a second chance, but this time she was going to tell her husband about the headaches and she would call her doctor as soon as his office opened to make an appointment.

“Ambria, what’s wrong?” Dustin had been watching Ambria without her knowing it, enjoying just the sight of her, but when he saw her perplexed expression, he became concerned.

Before she could respond to his question, she felt the first twinge of a headache, just as it had happened the first time she’d lived this day. “Dustin, I’m afraid the headaches are back,” she whispered.

Dustin put his arm around her. “Make an appointment and I’ll go with you.”

Ambria started crying. She wished she could tell him what happened the first time she lived this experience, but she didn’t think he would want to know she’d died, leaving him to raise their daughter alone. At least now, she knew what Brooklyn would look like, which caused her to smile.

At breakfast, she was so nervous about calling the doctor that she couldn’t eat any of her breakfast, afraid she was going to be sick.

Dustin’s eyes studied her as she played with her food, trying to figure out what she was hiding. She knew something, but he couldn’t figure out what it could be. “Ambria, why do I get this weird feeling you know something I don’t.”

She looked at him with an expression of guilt as she thought of what had happened to her before, but she wasn’t sure how to explain it to him. “I don’t know if I can explain it.”

“Well, you could at least try,” he commented, his eyes sadly looking at her.

She looked away from his intense glare, fighting to keep her tears from falling. “I don’t know if I had a premonition or just a realistic dream.” She looked at him and saw he was attentively listening to her. “Well, whatever it was, the first time the headaches returned, I didn’t tell anyone about them,” she stopped and grabbed hold of his hand, “and I died shortly after Brooklyn was born.”

“What?” he asked, his voice trembling, as he tightly squeezed her hand.

“After the baby was born, my blood pressure dropped and then my heart stopped. The doctor tried to restart it, but it was no use because I was bleeding heavily. I died and as I floated away, I could see you and the baby, and then I sort of vanished in thin air.”

Dustin just stared at her as he tried to comprehend all what she was telling him. “So you’re saying you’re going to die,” he muttered, his heart filling with despair.

“I don’t know. It depends on if what I had was a premonition or just a dream.”

“What is your best guess?”

“I think it was a warning, letting me know I should tell the doctor about the headaches.”

“And that’s exactly what we’re going to do today.”

At straight up nine o’clock, Ambria called to make an appointment with Dr. Parker and was surprised when she got an appointment to see him that day. When she got off the phone, Dustin called work to say he wouldn’t be in. Ambria tried to tell him he didn’t need to take the entire day off, but he wouldn’t listen.

She explained to Dr. Parker about the headache returning, but left out the part of dreaming she died. He ran several tests for preeclampsia and they all came back negative, but he wasn’t surprised, since she didn’t have any of the symptoms. He did another sonogram and everything showed the baby was doing well. Of course, Ambria already knew the baby was all right, as it was she, who had something wrong, not the baby. The doctor informed them he thought it was best if she went to see Dr. Howard and have him run some tests, maybe he could find what was causing her headaches. She called the other doctor’s office from Dr. Parker’s office and was able to get an appointment for the next morning.

That night in bed, Ambria laid in her husband’s embrace, relieved today’s adventure had ended as well as it had, she let out a sigh. “I’m not going to worry about tomorrow’s appointment.”

He grabbed hold of her hand and gave it a hard squeeze. “I’m glad to hear it.”

One minute they were snuggling and the next, he was making love to her, causing her to think life didn’t get much better than this.

The next morning the two of them went to Dr. Howard office. He ordered several test, then they sat together in the waiting room to wait for the results of the test.

After they sat down, Dustin took hold of her hand. “It’s going to be all right,” he said, giving her had a tight squeeze.

“I wish I could agree, but I have an uneasy feeling there’s going to be another tumor.”

“Just because you’re having headaches again, doesn’t mean you have a brain tumor.”

“I didn’t say it was going to be a brain tumor,” she commented without looking at him.

He turned her face towards him with the tip of his finger. “Do you want to elaborate on that comment?”

“The test they did today was different than the others I’ve had.”

“How do you mean?” Panic filled Dustin at her comment.

“The test included more of my body this time, not just my head.”

“So you think they’re looking for a tumor someplace other than your head.”

She looked at him with tears filling her eyes. “Yes,” she said.

When the outer door opened and Dr. Howard stepped in with an unsmiling face, they knew he had bad news for them.

“No,” Ambria cried out.

Dr. Howard hurried to her and took hold of her hand. “Let go into my office where we can talk.”

She nodded as Dustin took hold of her hand to help her stand, then they left the waiting room.

Dr. Howard waited until Ambria was sitting before speaking. “Your brain was tumor free, but we did find tumors in both of your ovaries.”

“Would those cause me to have headaches?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I think we should take the baby, then remove the tumors.”

Ambria started crying, thinking by his statement he wanted her to abort her child. “No, I refuse to kill my baby to save myself.”

“Ambria, I wasn’t taking about an abortion. I meant we should do a caesarean. You’re almost thirty-six weeks; you’re far enough along that the baby would survive.”

“Why can’t I have the baby naturally?”

“Labor might put too much stress on your body. If the tumors in your ovaries should rupture, you may bleed to death.”

When Ambria’s dream quickly came to her, she remembered all the blood she’d seen on the doctor’s hands, and knew what he suggested would be best. “That will be fine.”

“Are you sure, sweetheart?” Dustin asked her, worried if this was the right decision.

She turned to look at him. “The dream,” she whispered to him.

Dustin turned to the doctor. “Set up the procedure as soon as possible.”

“I’ll call you as soon as I know when it’s going to be. Now you two go out and have a night on the town. Within a few days you are going to have a new baby and won’t be able to go out as easily.”

Ambria took hold of Dr. Howard’s hand. “Thank you.”

He squeezed her hand, nodded, then stood. “I’ll be in touch.”

When the couple arrived home from taking in a movie and eating out, there was a message on their answering machine from Dr. Parker telling them Ambria’s surgery was scheduled for tomorrow morning at ten.

Ambria called her mother to tell her about having a caesarean in the morning, explaining she was having the surgery because there was a problem with her ovaries. Ambria called her father on his cell phone to tell him about the surgery, but when he didn’t seem surprised by her news, she figured he must be sitting in her mother’s living room with her and she’d already told him about the operation. Dustin called his parent and told them that tomorrow they were going to be grandparents, and Sharon told him she and his father would be there for the birth.

The next morning, Ambria and Dustin arrived at the hospital before their parents. She was taken to a room to wait until it was time. Dustin’s parents arrived and the four of them visited until a nurse came for her. Dustin quickly put on scrubs, then followed Ambria’s bed out the door. As Ambria’s bed rolled out into the hall, her parents showed up.

“I had planned to be in the labor room with you,” Melanie cried. “Now I won’t be able to be in there with you.”

“I wanted you with me too, but maybe you can for the next baby,” she said, praying there would be a next time. “Dustin will be with me and he’ll take a lot of pictures. At least I’ll be awake during the procedure. It won’t be too long before I’ll be holding my daughter.”

“That’s good.” Melanie wanted to say more, but couldn’t as her emotions was causing her throat to close up. She fought back her tears, then she gave her daughter’s hand a quick squeeze.

“It’s time to go,” the orderly called out.

Her parents each kissed her good-bye, then they moved back as they watched her bed be wheeled away. When Ambria entered the delivery room, Dr. Parker was waiting for her. They got her ready, then the procedure was started. The baby was delivered, then quickly taken away by a nurse to be cleaned and weighed. Then the surgeon began checking her ovaries.

“Damn,” Dr. Parker said under his breath.

Ambria’s hand tightened on Dustin’s hand. “Dr. Parker, what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry Ambria. Your situation is worse than the test showed. Your ovaries are so full of tumors I won’t be able to save them. Maybe if we had found out about them sooner we could have done something to save them, but now . . .” He felt so terrible this young woman wasn’t going to be able to have any more children, he couldn’t continue speaking.

Ambria gave him a weak smile. “It’s all right Dr. Parker. I have a beautiful daughter, that’s more than some women have.” That and she were going to live.

“Yes, you’re right. I need to put you under before continuing with your surgery. I’m sorry, your husband will have to leave.”

“Okay.” She turned to look at Dustin. “Can I have a kiss before you leave?”

Dustin bent over and gave her a kiss. “I love you. Thank you for my beautiful daughter.”

“Thank you for giving her to me.”

Dustin went to the waiting room to inform their parents about their new granddaughter and about Ambria’s tumors. Melanie cried when she heard her daughter wouldn’t ever have another baby, and Dustin told her Ambria had accepted the news bravely.

After Ambria was returned to her room, Dustin remained at her side, sitting there waiting for her to wake up. When she woke, he called the nurse to bring them their child. The nurse entered the room and laid the infant in her mother’s waiting arms.

Ambria looked at her daughter and smiled, then she looked up at Dustin. “What did the doctor say?”

“This time they’re sure they have gotten all the tumors.”

“I’m glad.”

“They want you to have regular tests to make sure none of the tumors has returned.” He took hold of her hand and looked deeply into her eyes. “I’m sorry you can’t have any more children.”

“Dustin, I’m alive and we have a lovely daughter, that’s all that matters.”

“I know, but I still feel bad.”

“Don’t. There are enough children in this world already. If we decide we want another child, we can take in a foster child or adopt, but for now I just want to enjoy Brooklyn.”

Dustin was proud at how well Ambria was taking the news of her never having another child.

A few days later, Ambria and Brooklyn were able to go home, and after she laid the baby down for a nap, she laid down too. When Martin called to check on Ambria’s health, Dustin told him she was doing well and was resting. When the detective asked to speak with Ambria, Dustin refused let him talk to her, afraid the phone call would upset her.

“You want to explain why I can’t talk to Ambria?” Martin asked coldly.

“I know you’re calling to see if she’s had any dreams. Since she hasn’t, I know if she knew there was a child out there who needed her assistance and she couldn’t help, she would be upset. That’s something she doesn’t need right now.”

“You don’t know that for sure, maybe she has had one but hasn’t told you.”

“No, I know she hasn’t any dreams because she made a point of telling me she hadn’t.”

“So you think her ability to see lost children is gone for good?”

“Yes, we do, but if she should have any kind of a dream about a child, you’ll be the first one we’ll call. I wish you luck in finding the child you’re looking for.”

“Thanks.” Martin disconnected the phone, then sat there frowning as he looked out his window. He hated the thought of not having Ambria’s help anymore to find the missing children, but thankful she had helped with as many children as she had.

When Ambria woke from her nap, she went to find her husband. “Dustin, who was on the phone earlier?”

Dustin looked at her. “It was a wrong number,” he said without batting an eye.

Ambria had the feeling he was lying to her, but couldn’t think why he would, then it dawn on her that Martin must have called. Realizing Dustin was just trying to spare her some pain, she understood why he’d lied to her. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I did what I could when I had the ability to help. Now it’s all in the hands of the police and God.”

“Yes, it is. I’m sorry I lied to you.”

“I understand why you did.”

A baby’s cry was heard from the other room, and Dustin left the room to retrieve their daughter for Ambria. He sat beside Ambria as she nursed their child, smiling at knowing she was with him and would be helping raise their daughter.