Chapter Twenty-Eight
Eight Months Later
Chase
I paced the hospital room, already sporting the operating gown.
“Could you stop? You’re making me antsy.” Erica was turned to the side in the hospital bed, rubbing the side of her belly. She had barely been having contractions, but when they came, she started screaming. I didn’t know what else to do but bring her to the hospital. She wasn’t due for yet another week, but here we were on Christmas day, waiting for baby Charlotte to arrive.
“I’ll stop once Doctor Malcom comes in here to give you an epidural.” I shot back at her, but then moved swiftly to the bed. “I’m sorry, peaches. I just don’t want you in any more pain and I know that it will help.”
“She’s going to have to breathe through the pain. No epidural.”
Doctor Malcom walked through the doors of the room, popping up the stirrups attached to the bed.
“What do you mean, no epidural?” Erica’s eyes grew wide with panic and I’m pretty sure my facial expression matched hers.
“Feet here.” He helped place Erica’s feet on the holders and pulled up her dressing gown. She looked up at me and I placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. Another contraction was coming and the wailing that came from her next made me think she was about to push out the baby any second.
“You’re at eight centimeters dilated, Erica, and it’s not slowing down. The baby is coming any second now.”
“She just went into labor, though.” I tried to challenge, but then Erica reached for my hand and squeezed.
“The baby is coming now. Nine centimeters.” Doctor Malcom looked at me as a nurse rolled in a cart, followed by another nurse. He pulled Erica down to the edge of the bed. “I need you to take deep breaths, Erica. Chase, you’re going to have to talk her through this. The pain is a lot for her right now and it’s only going to get worse.”
“Peaches.” I directed all my attention back to Erica. I leaned close to her, where my forehead pressed against her temple. It was only me and her right now. “I need you to take deep breaths.”
“What do you think I’m doing?” She seethed at me through gritted teeth.
“Peaches.” I started breathing with her.
In and out.
In and out.
“Good job, babe. You got this. Think of the little bundle of joy we are going to have.” Tears formed in my eyes of being able to hold my daughter so soon. It had been months of belly rubs and late night reading sessions that I couldn’t wait to make a regular thing for our little girl.
We had gotten a wealth full of knowledge from Max and Alexa as they closed the adoption with Apollo. Learning all about taking care of a child, even if they were starting at three. He was a rambunctious child, but full of heart and a killer smile.
I leaned up to kiss Erica’s forehead as another scream escaped her lips.
“We need you to start pushing now, Erica.” Doctor Malcom encouraged.
“Come on, Erica. You can do this.”
“Chase.” She looked up at me, hair matted to her forehead with sweat, and pushed. She never looked so perfect in her life that she did here delivering our baby. “Thank you for keeping me.”
She closed her eyes and let out another big push. Instead of her cry filling the room this time, another set of cries hit my ears. Doctor Malcom was holding our little bundle before handing her off to a nurse, who started immediately cleaning her off.
I watched Erica’s eyes travel with every move the nurse made until she brought Charlotte over to us. Erica reached with eager hands to hold her daughter, bringing her to her chest. She fit perfectly there, right under her chin, in between her breasts, like she was meant to lie there her entire life.
“Charlotte.” Erica cooed at our girl and kissed her forehead. She pulled down the front of her gown, releasing one of her breasts, giving Charlotte a nipple to grasp onto. I watched as Erica fed our daughter and my heart swelled with love. Watching these two together, knowing that I helped create this happiness was more than I could have ever wanted in life.
“Let’s get you finished up here, Erica.” Doctor Malcom had still been working on Erica while we spent time with the baby, but now was her final stages of cleanup and getting re-dressed before finishing up here at the hospital over the next day.
“I’ll take her.”
Erica held out Charlotte to me, a soft cry escaping her after having to let go of her mother, but the moment she was in my arms, everything in the world stopped. I thought seeing our baby was one thing, but holding her, now that was something else.
