“That’s impossible, I’m her Mother you have to let me in.” Lorraine demands.
“Oh Lorraine, it is so lovely to see you!” Sinclair says, her voice laced with saccharine sweetness. Lorraine and Steven turn to us and while Steven’s expression remains neutral, Lorraine plasters on a fake smile.
“Tatum, sweetheart! Tell the nice man that I need a wristband to go see Darcy.” She walks towards me, arms wide open. Wanting to avoid causing a scene, I let her wrap her arms around me.
“You know I can’t do that, Lorainne. Darcy and I will be in the delivery room and then we will be doing visits in waves, but I do remember her saying you both would be welcome to visit us athome,” I tell her.
“Why is everyone else here then?” Steven’s gruff voice interrupts.
“We were all getting ready to head out. We were together when she went into labor, wanted to make sure they were settled and Tatum had caffeine before we left,” Nik responds, voice just as gruff.
“I don’t remember asking you.” Steven spits.
“And I don’t remember Darcy or Tatum asking you to be here.” Sin keeps her sweet smile in place.
“Mr. Reed, do I need to call security?” Wesley asks from behind the desk.
“I don’t know, does he, Lorraine?” I quirk a brow at her.
“No, no you don’t. We will just walk with everyone else out.” She smiles at me then Wesley.
“I will call you once he comes, and yes, we will send pictures. I know you’re excited,” I assuage because as much as she aggravates me, I won't cause a scene with her parents in the middle of this waiting room. The last thing Darcy needs right now is more stress. Her comfort is my top priority right now. I give Steven a curt nod before saying goodbye to my friends, grabbing a coffee, and heading back into the room with Darcy.
* * *
This woman is a warrior,she’s been in labor for over forty hours. Nurses have been coming and going, manually checking her dilation. We've finally gotten to the point that she can deliver our son vaginally. There was a brief window where Dr. Freyer wanted to consider a c-section, but the little guy decided he was ready to stop tormenting his Mom. Darcy has breathed through every contraction like a champ. I’ve been steadily delivering ice chips and giving her small words of encouragement when she lets me near enough—any semblance of personal space has ebbed and flowed, considering how frequently it has been invaded since our arrival at the hospital.
“Okay, Darcy, are we ready to push this little guy out?” Dr. Freyer enters the room, washing up and getting herself into position to help us deliver. A few others enter as well, get Darcy in position to push, and wheel in a neonatal warmer. We got lucky that by coincidence she was already on the premises when we arrived. She's been here the whole time.
“God, I would love to get him out.” She moans, her forehead is licked with sweat, her hair is disheveled, and deep purple bags reside beneath her eyes.
“Tatum, you’re going to hold one leg and Nurse May is going to hold the other. Talk her through it, encourage her, count with her. Darcy, the next contraction you get, push for ten seconds and then release. We will do that until he comes.” I position myself accordingly with Dr. Freyer’s instructions and we wait for the next contraction to hit. When it does, Darcy braces herself and begins pushing. She cries out in anguish, and it hurts me to see her feeling this way.
“You’ve got this, Darcy, baby.” I tell her when she relaxes back into the bed.
“Looks like another one is coming.” Nurse May says, “You’re going to have to go again, Darcy.”
We repeat this cycle a few more times, Darcy is growing tired. I can see it in her eyes. She cussed out the room a few times, cried that she couldn’t do this but still managed to pull herself back together and brace herself to push again. And again. And again.
“He’s crowning, Tatum can you see?” Dr. Freyer asks, I look down to see the top of a head filled with blonde hair peeking out of Darcy. “Darcy, we’ve got maybe two more and then your little boy will be in your arms.”
“You’re doing so well Mama. I’m so proud of you. He’s almost here.” I smile at her, brushing the hair from her face, and she smiles weakly back.
After one more contraction and a long push to get his body out completely, tiny wails fill the room, and our son is placed on Darcy’s bare chest. I continue to support Darcy’s leg, as they clean her up but lean in to kiss her, whispering and telling her how proud of her I am for what she’s done. We both look at our son and my heart is filled with so much love that it could burst. They take him to clean him up before wrapping him in a tiny burrito blanket and handing him to me. I sit beside the woman I love with our son in my arms and he looks at me like he knows who I am, that I made him and what I think is a smile spreads across his small, chubby face. Who knew that such a tiny soul could change my whole world?
Chapter26
Heissoprecious!
Darcy || 1 day old, February
The first twenty-four hours with our son fly by in a flurry of cries—from all parties—dirty diapers and breastfeeding. It feels like a full-time job but, no job has ever felt so dearly rewarding at the same time. Tatum has been by my side through it all, helping whenever and however he can, even letting me rest in between feeds. I’ve heard him telling our son about the people he will be meeting today, starting with Rose, Walter, and the twins.
A soft knock sounds on the door, followed by Rose peeking her head in, a wide grin spreading across her face when she sees Tatum, baby and I sitting in the bed together.
“Hi, my dears.” She approaches the bed, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder then rounding the bed and pulling Tatum into a hug before looking down at her grandson and immediately bursting into tears, “he’s beautiful.”
“Thanks, Mom. Darcy was a champ and they are both doing so well. If everyone wants to wash their hands, you guys can hold him. He just ate and pooped and he gives the best cuddles so he should be good for a bit, right Mama?” Tatum says before seeking a nod of approval from me, which I give. Tessa and Tinsley eagerly cross the room to the sink, my parents following closely behind them.
