Epilogue - Claire
Three Years Later
"Fuck!" I scream, squeezing Rhett's hand so hard I'm probably breaking bones. "This hurts worse than you said it would!"
"I didn't say it wouldn't hurt," Rhett reminds me, his voice strained. Whether from worry or from my death grip on his hand, I can't tell. "I said it would be worth it."
"Not helpful right now!" Another contraction hits, and I arch off the hospital bed. "Oh god, oh god—"
"You're doing great, Claire," Dr. Patterson says from between my legs, which is not where I ever imagined having a conversation with anyone. "I can see the head. Just a few more pushes."
"A few more?" I gasp, sweat pouring down my face. "How many is a few?"
"However many it takes," the doctor says with infuriating calm. "On the next contraction, I need you to push as hard as you can."
I look at Rhett, whose face is pale but determined. His brown eyes are fixed on mine, and despite the pain, I find strength in his steady presence.
Three years. We've been married for three years now, and every single day has been better than the last. After that first chaotic week where we told everyone the truth, things settled into something beautiful. We got married six months after I arrived—a small ceremony on the ranch with all our family present. Frank's hill, the same spot where he proposed to his wife fifty years ago, became the place where Rhett and I promised forever to each other.
And now we're about to become parents.
"Here comes another one," I warn, feeling the contraction building.
"Push, Claire," Dr. Patterson commands. "Big push, come on!"
I push with everything I have, screaming through the pain. Rhett's hand is shaking in mine, but he doesn't pull away. He never pulls away.
"That's it! I can see more of the head now. One or two more pushes and we'll have a baby."
"One or two?" I sob. "Please let it be one."
"You can do this," Rhett says, leaning close to my ear. "You're the strongest person I know, Claire. You can do anything."
"Even push a human out of my vagina?"
"Especially that."
Despite everything, I laugh. Or maybe I cry. It's hard to tell at this point.
The next contraction builds faster than the others, and this time I don't wait for the doctor's command. I just push, bearing down with every ounce of strength left in my exhausted body.
"Yes! That's it! The head's out!" Dr. Patterson sounds excited now. "One more push for the shoulders, Claire. You're almost there!"
"Almost there," I repeat like a mantra. "Almost there."
Rhett kisses my temple, my cheek, my lips. "I love you. You're amazing. Our baby is almost here."
Our baby. The baby we made together, the baby we've been waiting nine long months to meet. The baby that will complete our family and make this ranch feel even more like home.
The final contraction hits, and I push with everything I have left. There's pressure, then release, and suddenly the room is filled with the sound of crying. Not mine, though I'm definitely crying too, but a baby's cry.
"It's a girl!" Dr. Patterson announces, holding up a tiny, squirming, screaming bundle. "You have a daughter!"
A daughter.
I have a daughter.
Rhett and I have a daughter.
