“Our baby,” she echoes, and a soft smile cracks through the pain. “I love you.”
“I love you. So much. You can do this.” Her body goes rigid again, eyes scrunching shut.
“If you feel the urge to push, Harriet, now is the time,” a nurse says.
“You’ve got this. I’m right here.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders, eyes never leaving hers. “Let’s meet Button.”
Harriet nods adamantly, and then it’s go time.
She’s had me awestruck since the night we met, but witnessing her transition into motherhood so gracefully and fearlessly is a moment I’ll remember until the end of my days.
After twenty minutes of pushing, a nurse places a blanket on her chest. I hold her hand and with one final push, a baby is placed on her chest. The nurse on the opposite side of the bed uses the blanket to wipe them down and I hold my breath staring down at the baby—our baby.
Then everything changes when a tiny cry pierces the room.
“Congrats, Mom and Dad. It’s a boy.”
A boy.
A son.
Our son.
Myson.
“Oh my god. Hi, baby. Hi, beautiful boy.” Harriet smiles, crying as the little miracle blinks slowly before staring up at his mama. “Warren. A boy. Look at him.”
I could fall to my knees and praise to every deity written, but to tear my gaze away from these two would be a crime. My heart was already overfilled with love for Harriet, and as Iwatch them both, my chest expands, making room for this baby boy.
I don’t wipe away the tears falling freely as I reach out, hand shaking, and gently stroke his cheek. “He’s beautiful. You’re beautiful. God, Harriet, you’re incredible.”
She beams at me, and I bend down, stealing a kiss before our attention returns to our son.
Our son.
If I needed another reason to be on this Earth, it would be to protect this little life. One look into his big, round eyes, and he owns me, as does his mother, without question. How I can love someone so fiercely after only just meeting them is beyond me.
“Thank you,” I say to them both. “Thank you for choosing me.”
Harriet cradles the baby to her breast. He settles, less startled after his dramatic entry into the world. “We’d choose you in every lifetime. Thank you for trusting us with your heart.”
Our gazes lock, sharing a million words.
We’re about to embark on an endless and beautiful adventure together, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of it.
This isn’t just a team; it’s my family.
SIXTY-FIVE
HARRIET
He’s here.
Everything aches, my mind still races at a hundred miles per minute, and the shock from how quickly everything happened lingers.
But he’s here, and Warren and I are parents.
Hearing him cry for the first time is a sound I’ll never forget. Just yesterday he was inside me, kicking away. Now he’s here breathing air, making tiny sounds, and existing for everyone to fuss over. Nothing could’ve prepared me to watch Warren as a father and fall head over heels in love with our baby boy.
