My smile broadened, my heart melting at his words. “I love you too,” I replied with the same tone.
That instant, the baby kicked in my belly, and a sharp pain surged through me. My face contorted in agony as the contractions grew sharper.
Confused and worried, my husband rose to his feet, fear glinting in his eyes. “Are you alright? Should I call the doctor?”
I nodded, groaning as my fingers tugged at the sheets. “The baby’s coming, Nik!”
“Doctor!” he roared, glancing at the door, unsure of whether to go find one or keep standing by my side.
Luckily, before he could call out a second time, the door burst open, and a doctor rushed in with two nurses.
Their hands moved quickly and confidently as they got me ready for labor. Most of the time, I was busy fighting to survive, struggling through unimaginable pain. Nothing could have prepared me for this. It was worse—much worse than I expected.
The doctors and nurses were talking to me, but I could barely make out what they were saying. My heartbeat hadescalated, my eyes were wide with fear, and every joint in my body was aching.
Nik never left my side. He held my hand and spilled words of encouragement. “I’m right here,Dikaya. You can do this.”
I screamed at the top of my voice, unable to bear the pain anymore.
“Ma’am, we’re gonna need you to push now,” the doctor said to me, his voice urgent but steady.
I groaned deeply, feeling the vein throb in my forehead. My fingers tightened around Nik’s hand as I pushed with every ounce of strength remaining. My husband’s presence and his voice steadied me amid the chaos.
“Push!” the nurses encouraged me. “You’re doing great.”
“Breathe with me,Dikaya,” Nik said, his eyes boring into mine. “Breathe with me.”
I held his gaze, fixing all of my attention on him as I followed his instructions. In through my nose, out through my mouth. I repeated the gesture over and over again until I summoned the courage to push harder.
The doctor clapped once. “Almost there, ma’am, almost there!”
“I can see the baby’s head,” said a nurse.
Their words boosted my adrenaline, and with an even louder cry, I pushed with every bit of strength I could muster.
My muscles stiffened, my breath caught, and my whole body shook. It was like time had stood still, and the harder I pushed, the more distant the voices around me became. My vision blurred, and my heartbeat was slowing down as the room began to swirl.
The distinct cry of a baby echoed in my head, my husband’s distant voice drawing nearer by the second. “Dikaya,stay with me—stay with me!” He frantically tapped against my face.
His voice was the anchor between the other side and my reality. I had no idea what was happening at the time, but in a flash, I snapped back to the present with a loud gasp. My head dropped onto the pillow beneath me, my heart pounding like a drum.
My body was coated with sweat, and I was breathing too hard to catch my breath.
“You did it,” Nik said softly, his hand caressing my face. “You actually did it,Dikaya.”
It was then that I clearly heard my baby’s cry, and it warmed my heart. I was so exhausted, but I still had the strength to carry my child. Tears of joy stung my eyes as I watched one of the nurses approach with the baby wrapped in a thick white cloth.
“It’s a boy,” she announced, smiling at me.
My hand covered my mouth as I let tears flow like a river. Gently, she placed the baby in my arms and stepped away. A sound that was somewhere between a chuckle and a sob escaped my lips as I stared down at the adorable little creature.
“Nik, it’s so tiny,” I said, sniffling.
He placed his supportive and protective palm on my shoulder and leaned in to kiss my head. “I’m so proud of you,Dikaya.”
I looked up at him with a radiant smile on my lips. “Thank you.”
He stared at our baby in awe, a proud grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Look at him…” he began, his voice soft and gentle. “…so small and yet so great.”
