He smiles softly, running his hand over the top ofmy head. Every muscle in my body relaxes at the gesture, a much-needed respite right before another contraction snaps us out of the loving moment. He coaches me through it, reminding me to breathe and telling me how well I’m doing. The pain is more intense, the time between is closer together, and I know without a doubt that it won’t be much longer until our sweet girl is here.
Several excruciating episodes later, my doctor walks through the doorway in a set of bright pink scrubs. She looks chipper, which kind of makes me want to knock her lights out for absolutely no reason at all. She’s only here to help, but I’m in so much pain that intrusive thoughts of fist-fighting everyone in this hospital, like I could even stand on my own, are running rampant in my mind.
“I hear things are progressing in here,” she says. “Why don’t we check your cervix?” I nod, just wanting to get this over with as she pulls on some gloves and sidles up between my open legs.
“You’re right around eight centimeters,” she announces. “Moving along pretty quickly for a first-time mom, but everything looks great. I’d be willing to bet you’ll be ready to push within the hour.”
As soon as she leaves the room, I look up at Theo, my eyes swimming with unshed tears. My bottom lip trembles, a million different emotions battling one another inside me. And as if he knows exactly what I need, he leans in, presses a soft kiss to my forehead, and says the words I so desperately need to hear.
“You, Finley Bolton, are going to be the best motherin the world. You’ve already shown that you’re willing to go to the ends of the earth to protect her. There’s no need to be nervous about any of it, because I’ll be right beside you the whole time. I’ll remind you of how amazing you are, and hold you up when shit gets heavy. It’s you and me, Mama. Always you and me.”
And that’s all it takes to make me feel like I can conquer whatever happens next.
THIRTY-NINE
THEO
“I know it hurts,but you can do it,” I say to Finley, my gaze holding hers as I smooth away the sweat-soaked hair that’s stuck to her forehead. She’s been pushing for nearly an hour, and the poor girl is absolutely exhausted. But we’re almost there, so I’m doing everything I can to pump her up just like I do with my team on the sidelines. Being yelled at and apologized to within the same three seconds is new to me, but if it helps, she can scream as much as she needs to.
“I can’t,” she whimpers, her eyes showing just how tired she is. I wish I could take the pain away and do the rest for her, but unfortunately, I can’t. I can only hold her hand and encourage her to keep going when she feels like she has nothing left.
“Yes, you can,” I reply. “You’re a fucking badass, Mama. Look how far you’ve come already. I’m so goddamn proud of you.” I steel my expression, just like I do with my teammates. “You just have to give a fewmore good pushes, and she’ll be in your arms. You’ve got this, okay?”
She takes a deep breath, her glassy green eyes connecting to mine as she nods her head. I’ve never been so in awe of another human as I am of her right now. I watched her grow an entire life inside her, and now I have the privilege of seeing her bring it into the world. If I thought I loved her before, that was nothing compared to how I feel as she wraps her dainty fingers around mine and prepares to bless me with the greatest gift I’ve ever been given.
“Alright, Finley,” the doctor says from her spot at the bottom of the bed. “I need you to really dig deep for me on this one. If you can give us everything you have during this next contraction, your baby girl will be here.”
She looks up at me, and I give her a tight nod to let her know that I’m right here. A shaky exhale pushes past her lips, her expression twisting in pain as the contraction becomes more intense. The doctors and nurses provide plenty of instruction and words of encouragement, allowing me a second to watch as Finley lifts her shoulders from the mattress, grabs hold of the back of her thighs, and pushes the baby’s head out.
“You’re doing so good, sweetheart,” I praise, unable to look away. Fin takes a quick pause, her hand finding mine and squeezing so tight that I wonder for a moment if she might actually break it. She lets out a loud scream, bearing down hard enough to free a small set of shoulders. I’m speechless as she takes one moredeep gulp of air, tucking her chin to her chest and grunting loudly.
And that’s when it happens.
Our beautiful baby girl is finally here.
Everything after that is a blur, from her sweet cries to me thanking Finley for being so strong and brave. It isn’t until the doctor hands me a pair of scissors that the weight of the moment really settles in.
“Do you want to cut the cord, Dad?” she asks, and just like that, my whole world flips on its side.
I’m a fucking dad.
I can’t hold back the hurricane of emotions that flows through me as I take them from her hand, looking down to where my daughter cries. Her loud wails are like music to my ears as I attempt to listen to the doctor’s instructions and cut right where I’m told to. Tears stream down my cheeks, and I turn my head just in time to see the two most important people in my life meet each other for the first time.
“Hey there, Norah,” Fin says, studying her adorable features like she’s never seen such perfection. From her full head of red hair to her tiny, little fingers, everything about her is absolutely precious. My eyes bounce back and forth between the two of them as they lie skin to skin, heart so full that I feel like it could leap from my chest at any moment.
They’re beautiful.
They’remine.
Several minutes later, a nurse steps in and asks if she can take the baby to be checked over. Not wanting to let her go, but knowing it’s all part of the process, Finleyagrees, her bottom lip wobbling as the little bundle is lifted from her arms and brought across the room. I take the opportunity to give my girl some love, pressing my lips to the crown of her head as she nuzzles into me.
“Everything looks good. You did exceptionally well, Finley,” the doctor says, finishing up between her legs before she moves to the sink to clean up. The whole thing feels so surreal, but here we are with a brand-new life in our midst.
“Seven pounds, two ounces,” the nurse says over her shoulder. “Nineteen inches long. You can come get her now, Dad.”
I move at a speed that rivals the one I display on the football field, my heart pounding in my chest as a much cleaner, swaddled baby girl is placed in my arms. I’m overwhelmed with emotion, so in love with her already, and she’s only twenty minutes old. I make a silent vow to never let her down, and to show her how special she is each and every day. She’s made all my dreams come true by bringing her mother to me, and I’ll be grateful for that until my very last breath.
“Damn, Calloway,” Finley says as I turn around, her tone exhausted but playful. “You look pretty hot holding a newborn.”
