Rylee laughed, then immediately winced, again.
“Take it easy,” he advised. “Let me fix your pillow.”
Xander was ready to do anything for her. Anything, except relive everything that had happened.
But somehow, he found the words.
He began retelling what happened, starting with the moment she passed out—how he’d held their crying newborn in his arms, still wrapped in the towels and blankets they’d just bought.
He admitted he thoughthemight pass out too, just from the adrenaline.
Xander told her how the call for assistance got through, but the ambulance was delayed due to traffic.
“A police officer saw my truck parked on the shoulder,” Xander said, taking her hand and kissing her fingers. “When he pulled up and stepped out of his cruiser, the color in his face drained to pure white.”
Xander laughed nervously before taking a breath.
“He ran to his car, told me to follow behind him.” Xander shook his head. “I had to get you in the truck while holding the baby—cord still attached. Like a scene out of a scary fucking movie.”
“Oh, my God.” Rylee pressed her hand to her chest.
“Yeah.” He sighed. “I had the baby in one arm, the other gripping the steering wheel, weaving through traffic behind the cop.” He ran a hand over his locs, that were tied back, that same hand then resting gently on their newborn in Rylee’s arms.
“I had the heat blasting, wrapped him in a few of the towels and blankets from the baby store bag. Even with all that, I kept him tight against my chest, not wanting him to feel anything but me. I had no idea how it would turn out, but I just... I knew ithadto work out.”
Xander told Rylee how, once they arrived at the hospital, doctors gave her IV fluids, meds to stop the bleeding, and kept her under observation until she stabilized.
“They said you were hemorrhaging because of uterine atony.”
Rylee looked down at their son, then over at him. “What’s that?”
“Basically, your uterus didn’t contract enough after delivery.”
Rylee blinked, processing.
“So they gave you a fundal massage to stimulate your uterus,” he explained, using his hand to demonstrate, “then Pitocin to help it contract. They wereaboutto give you a blood transfusion, but they decided it wasn’t necessary since you didn’t lose too much blood… because I got you here in time.”
He pressed a hand to her forehead. “But they’re monitoring you. Checking vitals every hour, watching your blood count. But so far, baby, we’re good.You’regood. We gotsolucky tonight. It could’ve endedreallybad if we were out there any longer.”
Rylee’s eyes watered as she shook her head. “My God.”
“You were amazing, Snoop.” Xander smiled, inching his chair even closer. “Amazing. Through it all. I’m so proud of you.”
“Me?” she rasped, her bottom lip trembling. “I’m proud ofyou. You delivered our baby, Xander.Youwere amazing. You saved my life.”
Xander inhaled deeply, her words grounding him, anchoring him in the aftermath of the night.
His adrenaline had been pumping for hours, which was nothing new. He was used to high-pressure situations. The thudding pulse. The narrowed focus.
But never had it been forhimself.
Alwaysfor someone else.
Now, so close to it all, his body still shaking beneath the surface, he was grateful. Unsteady, but here.
Rylee lifted her arm off the baby and gently wiped a tear from Xander’s cheek with her thumb.
“Damn,” he said low, sniffing twice. He leaned into her touch. “I ain’t even know I was crying.”
