“I haven’t had my epidural yet.”
“It’s too late for that I’m afraid. Your daughter’s coming and she’s leaving you no option but to do this old fashioned way.”
“The what?” Darius barks out.
“All natural.”
His face pales and when he looks down at me, I can see the apology in his eyes.
“I…”
I have no idea what to say. My head falls back on the pillow and my back arches as another pain tries to snap me half. I was braced for it to hurt more than anything I could try to imagine but this is too much.
Darius clasps onto my hand but it does little to help me.
“When the next contraction comes, I want you to push hard, okay, Amelia?”
“Yeah.”
I dread the pain, but I tell myself that every push is closer to the end and meeting my daughter. And she’s who I focus on in my mind and every time the doctor urges me to push, I use all my might and follow his order.
“Come on, babe, you’ve got this,” Darius urges but I can barely hear him.
“That’s it, Amelia…” all voices fade as an almighty stinging between my legs takes my breath away.
“One last big push and you get to hold your daughter.”
I dig deep and give it everything I have left and collapse on the bed as he pulls the baby from me and lifts her for me to see. Her scratchy cries fill the room and I forget everything that’s come before her.
Covered in gunk and blood, she’s the most beautiful little thing I’ve ever seen. She’s cleaned up and checked over before she’s passed to me. It’s so weird to think she was nestled inside me and now she’s curled up on my chest. Pressing my lips to the top of her head, I promise that it’s the first of many. Darius slides his arm around me and leans in so close, I can almost feel like we’re a real family.
“I don’t want to miss out on anything,” Darius murmurs once we’re alone.
“I don’t want you to.”
He presses his lips to mine and backs off when the door opens, and dad pops his head in.
Staying close, he leans in and whispers, “You did me real proud, she’s perfect, just like you.”
Dad places the huge bouquet of flowers he’s managed to find and the camera.
“I can’t believe she came this quick,” he beams, and I stare at the bundle in my arms. I don’t have the energy to sit up to pass her over and Darius catches on and takes her from me and passes her over to my dad.
“Amelia, she’s beautiful… she looks just like you did when you were born.”
He sways her gently in his arms while wearing the biggest grin I’ve seen on him.
“Can you take a picture of them, please?” I ask Darius.
He picks up the camera and I listen to the shutter clicking away as I close my eyes. I just need a little sleep.
25
Darius
Ican’t bring myself to lay her in the cot. Amelia sleeps soundly and her dad left, promising to return in the morning. My adrenaline is hanging on by a thread and as I stare into the tiny eyes of my daughter, she’s got me captured. Mr. Haynes was right, she looks just like her mom, fucking perfectly beautiful.
“She needs a name.”
