Life Still Goes On

Chapter 10: Safe and Sound

December 1992

I don't really remember that much, my head was so dizzy. Just riding in the car to the hospital, a short drive that seemed like an eternity. Then waiting in the lobby for a few minutes until I was escorted to a room and told to lie down on a white bed after changing into a loose pale pink garment.

Doctors tried to calm my nerves, but I was sweating like mad and my heart was racing. I asked to be injected with painkillers as my body started convulsing. As the medicine took effect, the lower half of my body went numb, as though I were paralyzed. Shit, I should have chosen to go under full anesthesia, where I'd be cut open as I was sleeping. I didn't want to die...

The next seven hours were very hard. My green eyes welled up with tears of pain. I had never felt like this before in my life, screaming the entire time. Blood rushed to my head in anxiety, and my upper body muscles felt tense and sore. I looked over at Nathan as he sat on a chair, terrified, wide-eyed, and concerned as he made the sign of the cross. I couldn't stop screaming, but I tried to stay calm...

Then I wasn't the only one screaming. One of the doctors picked up a little figure covered in blood, it's eyes closed. I sighed deeply as the doctor wiped the baby with a towel and then wrapped her in a blanket, then handed her to me.

"She's... She's beautiful," I whispered, cradling Regina in my arms, still nervous.

"Do you know what you want to name her yet?" asked another doctor.

I smiled for the first time in what seemed like weeks. "Regina Lily Miller." After I was able to hold her for a few minutes, the doctors took her to examine her health and give her vaccinations. That's when I heard the good news, after months of worry.

"She's almost perfectly healthy. We did an X-ray and found out that her stomach and esophagus connected. She will be alright." My face lit up. Even though it had occurred late in the womb, Regina's body was finally alright. She outgrew the defect, and it was nothing short of a miracle.

The next day, I was still in my hospital bed, the pain relatively gone, and Regina was in a bassinet at the side of the bed. A knock came on the door.

"Come in,' I announced.

Nathan, Brian, Elizabeth, John, Stephanie, and Roger entered the room, immediately flocking toward the baby. My husband picked her up and handed her to me.

"This is our daughter," I said, holding her up. She had been dressed in a pink onesie and little white socks. Everyone crowded to get a better look.

"Congratulations Ella darling," commented Roger, an unlit cigarette between his fingers. "It's a beautiful baby."

I blushed. He was right. Regina's head was covered in light, thin brown hair, and her eyes were dazzling blue. "She looks like Nathan, that's why she's so pretty."

"Quite a compliment," joked Nathan. "But she has your nose, El."

Deaky giggled. "Her eyes look like Roger's, that same clear blue. She could be a Taylor."

"What's her name?" asked Elizabeth.

"Her name is Regina Lily Miller. Do you know why?"

Roger smiled. He already knew, but he teased: "Because Regina sounds a lot like Roger."

The room burst out laughing. "No, because it means Queen," I clarified. "It is a beautiful, perfect name, and it's so meaningful to me because of you fellows. For as long as I can remember, Queen's music has been a big part of my life. I cannot thank you enough for everything you've done for me, whether you realize it or not."

"Thanks," said Brian. "That's so sweet. It's an honor."

It was an incredible experience, sharing my joy with my closest friends. I let everyone have a chance to hold Regina that afternoon, but I doubt anyone was happier than me. The fact that I was a mother was hard to believe, but as I looked at my baby, I knew it was true. I'd carried her inside of me for nine long months, and now she was safe in my arms.

I asked John and Stephanie if they would like to be the godparents of my child, and they graciously accepted. I set the date of her baptism to mid-January. After giving birth, I stayed in the hospital for five days. Nathan took me home just two days before Christmas. I loved the magic of the season, the joy that surrounded Christmas. Perhaps the greatest gift was a husband and daughter.

The morning after Christmas, I sat by the tree, holding my week-old daughter in my lap as Nathan read the daily newspaper then got up to answer the door.

A smiling Roger walked in, carrying a red book. "Hey, I brought you something, Nathan and Ella." I stood to greet him, still carrying the baby.

"Oh Rog, a scrapbook," I said, opening the cover as Roger held the book for me. In neat handwriting was a message-

Dear Ella and Nathan (and Regina) Miller, we found a beautiful scrapbook and thought you might enjoy it if we filled it with photographs of Queen, from 1971 up until now. Please accept this as a Christmas present, and have a happy holiday.

Roger Brian John

Underneath the message was a beautiful black-and-white photo of them, with Freddie Mercury, dated 1979. I flipped through the book and skimmed the pages, each of which had a photograph. "Thank you, Roggie," I said.

"No problem, Ella," he replied, embracing me tightly as I giggled and tried to escape.

"You'll suffocate the baby!" I exclaimed, and Roger let go, still laughing.

"Would you care for some eggnog?" asked Nathan, gesturing to the kitchen and taking Regina from my arms.

"Definitely," Roger responded.

That morning, we sat together in the living room, absorbing the happiness of the season and sipping eggnog, ready to face the future together.