“I wish I could do this instead of you.”
“I know,” she sighs, and her eyes squeeze shut as another contraction hits.
I grab her hand, and she grips mine tight, crying out as the pain really hits.
“Breathe, love.In, in, out, out,” I say, doing the breathing exercises with her.
“I hear that we’re ready to have a baby today,” Doctor Moreno says as she breezes into the room.
“Yep,” I say, brushing Ruby’s hair back from her face.
“Let’s take a look here,” the doctor says, and I smile at Ruby as the doctor and nurses do their thing.
Ruby and I still live in our house, next door to Ford and Cameron.The girls love being close, and they get to have play dates pretty much every day.I’m just happy as long as my Ruby is happy.
Ruby still helps out at Nosh when it’s needed.She likes making her own extra cash, not that either of us needs it.She hasn’t helped out in a while.She didn’t want to be on her feet for hours, especially when she was so far along in her pregnancy.
“Alright, you’re dilated to eight already.”
“How long were you having contractions for before you called me?”I ask my wife, and she gives me a guilty look.
“A little bit,” she admits.
“Why didn’t you call me earlier?”
“You never go out with your friends.I didn’t want to interrupt your fun.”
“Ruby,” I groan, and she squeezes my hand as another contraction hits her.
“We’re here now.”
“Okay, well, it’s almost time to push,” Dr.Moreno tells us.
“No drugs?”Ruby whines, and the doctor shakes her head.
“No, I’m afraid that it’s too late.You’d have the baby before they were able to fully enter your system.You’re progressing well, though.It shouldn’t be long now.”
“I can’t do this,” Ruby blurts out, looking up at me with wide, scared eyes.
“Yes, you can.You’re so strong, Rubes.You can do it.I’ll be right here for you.Just tell me what you need.”
“We’re never having sex again,” she tells me, and I nod dutifully.
“Never.”
“I mean it!”She shouts, and I grab her hand.
“Me too.Whatever you want, Rubes.”
The nurses start to bustle about, and the doctor starts to prepare for labor.My heart is racing, and I’m just as nervous as I was when we had Rollins.
“It’s going to be okay, love,” I whisper, and she nods, busy doing her breathing exercises.
I stay by her side, holding her hand and blotting her forehead for the next two hours.I let her scream at me, swear, try to break my hand, anything that she needs to get through this.
Finally, we hear the sounds of our newborn son’s cries filling the room and Ruby grabs my hand as we both look to the doctor.
“He’s perfect, Rubes.Thank you.”
