Cafe September

Dedicated to every mother out there.

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Café September

Prologue: Iris

You've been so kind and generous!
I don't know how you keep on giving.
For you kindness, I'm in debt to you...
And I never could have gone, this far without you...
Kind & Generous
Natalie Merchant

The sound of the heart monitor was the only thing audible in the sterile white room. It was connected to the sleeping body of Hermione Blanchett, her sleek ruby hair spread over the pale pink pillow in a matted heap. Her arms rested in a V shape above the thin wool blanket, tubes and wires protruding out at all angles.

The auburn haired nurse walked silently to the bed, placing her hand gently on Hermione's shoulder. "Miss Blanchett," she whispered softly, timidly.

The cloudy figure of a woman swam in to Hermione's field of vision. She blinked a few times, but everything stayed hazy. Licking her lips, she opened her mouth, trying to say something, but all that escaped was a faint squeak.

The nurse smiled with perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth." Far cry from earlier today," she said.

Hermione swallowed hard, ignoring the burning in her throat. "What happened?" she said.

The nurse grew sober and closed her eyes momentarily, as if she were in thought. "You were in a car crash and..."

"Car crash?" Her voice sounded raspy and dry. "I don't even own a car."

"Yes, we know. You were hit, but you only suffered mild injuries." The nurse smiled warmly, already reading the question in Hermione's eyes. "She's fine. The spitting image of her mother, too."

Hermione felt her eyes become moist, but she quickly fought back the tears. I will not cry. "Can I see her?"

"Of course. They should be done cleaning her up...let me go and get her."

Hermione nodded dully as the nurse left. She tried to remember the crash, but for the life of her she couldn't trace a single shred of memory after locking her door and heading off to work.

The nurse was back now though, with a bundle of blankets in her arms. She was looking down at them, whispering something. "...here's your Mommy, love," was the only thing Hermione caught. It made her chest tighten.

With all the books she had read and classes she had taken, Hermione would never have thought that a tiny baby could spark such emotion in a person. But it did. For what seemed liked ages, she held her daughter-her daughter! The car crash, pain, and shock melted away like butter as she looked in the baby's watery blue eyes. The color of them had a soothing, familiar effect.

The nurse, wanting to give Hermione time alone with the baby, had busied herself cleaning up from earlier that morning. As she picked up a stray tissue, however, she couldn't help but ask what Hermione was going to name the child.

Hermione answered without hesitating, or looking up. "Iris. Iris Gr-Blanchett."

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Iris was asleep in Hermione's arms when the doctor entered. He was an average looking man with graying brown hair and deep-set eyes. Not exactly handsome, not exactly not.

"Sleeping like a...well, a baby," he said, chuckling.

Hermione looked at Iris, and couldn't help but smile.

"You should be free to go home by tomorrow." The doctor said as he walked over to the window, his brow furrowed. "The rate at which you healed was amazing!" He exclaimed, turning to face her. "I've never, in all my years, seen anything like it. Guess some people are just lucky."

"Yeah," Hermione said, blushing. Contrary to what the doctor thought, however, Hermione knew the real reason she was able to heal so swiftly.

"Nurse Carter said you named her Iris."

"After my Great-Grandmother."

The doctor smiled kindly, then took his leave. It began to rain outside. Hermione snuggled in to the sheets with Iris, feeling for the first time in a long time, complete.