His family and friends huddled together in the front two pews.
Jared stood beside Sybil, keeping his arm around her for physical and emotional support.
Wearing his Navy uniform, Chaplain Reed opened a small book and read a short passage. Due to the urgent nature, the ceremony was kept short with only a few verses read, then vows exchanged.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The chaplain grinned. “You may now take your wife to have a baby.”
Their small group in attendance clapped, and Jared kissed Sybil. “I love you, Mrs. Scott.”
“I love you, too.” She grimaced. “But I think we better hurry upstairs.”
Thank goodness they’d dropped off their admission paperwork last week. Once they entered the labor and delivery ward, they were taken directly to a room. Rysa came with them as planned, and to his surprise, Sybil also asked for his mom, who gladly obliged.
Cara, Jase, and Hollie stayed behind in one of the waiting rooms, calling the shower guests who thought they’d be attending a party in two hours.
The nurses connected Sybil to several monitors and checked her vitals, along with the baby’s.
Within ten minutes, Dr. Foster arrived. His familiar face visibly relieved Sybil who’d tensed up once she’d been admitted.
The doctor examined her, keeping a professional demeanor with a bedside manner that projected confidence and assurance for a safe birth. “Everything looks good, but we don’t have time for an epidural. Someone is anxious to meet her parents face to face.”
Jared stood by her as she lay on the bed and held her hand. All the breathing exercises they’d practiced flew out the window in the wake of real life. Time blurred for the next half hour as Sybil bravely made it through each contraction that brought their daughter closer to arrival.
When Dr. Foster announced it was time, nurses scurried to set up for the birth. They brought in a cart with the tools that could be needed, another nurse set up an area to the side of the where the baby would be brought to take her first vitals and given an Apgar score.
Between contractions, Jared had decked out in scrubs, and stood at her head, holding her and propping her up through each contraction. Mom stood on the other side of the bed, brushing sweat-soaked hair from Sybil’s forehead and whispering soothing affirmations. Rysa stood beside her, following Mom’s lead and holding Sybil’s hand.
Before he knew it, a crying newborn was laid on Sybil’s chest.
Emotions flooded over him, and he blinked back tears. He was a dad to this teeny tiny little girl with a shock of dark brown hair like her mom.
“She’s beautiful.” He tore his eyes from his daughter to look at Sybil. “You did it, Momma. Our little girl is here, safe and sound.”
“She’s perfect,” Sybil choked out through tears. “Absolutely perfect.”
***
“Are you ready to go home, Brilyn Adele Scott?” Sybil leaned over the hospital bassinet and stroked her daughter’s smooth cheek.
A soft mew answered her.
When she touched her daughter’s translucent hand, Brilyn wrapped it around her mom’s finger.
Sybil’s heart expanded with a love she didn’t know possible. Her daughter was only two days old but had already captured her parent’s hearts. Though she’d burst into this world in a fury, she’d been a docile baby, happily nursing without issue and sleeping as well as a newborn could.
The hospital door opened and Jared entered. “I have the car seat.”
He set the car seat on a chair then walked to the bassinet and cooed at Brilyn. “Did you miss your daddy? I know, ten minutes is too long to be away from you.”
Biting back her laughter, Sybil stood by Jared. Only a baby could turn a stoic, grown man into a babbling mess, but she loved him even more for his devotion to their daughter. “I’ll change her into her going home outfit now. I wanted to wait until the last minute so she wouldn’t spit up on it.”
“Do you need help?” Bending over, he kissed Brilyn’s forehead.
“I’ve got it. She’s not too squirmy yet.” She’d laid out the outfit while Jared was outside, and now she picked up the doll-sized pink fleece dress that came with matching slippers.
Jared had removed her sleeper and stuck it in the small suitcase. “Are you nervous about taking her home?”
“A little,” she confessed. “I’m glad your mom agreed to stay for an extra week.”
