Casey ran her fingers through my hair, warming me with her loving gaze and gentle touch. “Ready forwhat,babe?”
“For him. My son. I’m ready to be afather.”
24
Casey:Epilogue
Cold,bright, sterile. My hand was locked in Jake’s, and fear and excitement kept my body in a constant state of shivers. In just a few minutes, this would all be over, and I would be holding my baby. I closed my eyes and made a silent plea for a healthy child and a safe surgery. It was a scheduled C-section, but that didn’t rule out complications. Apparently, the baby was too big to pass through my average-sized pelvis. Damn the McKallisters and their perfectly robustbabies.
“I’m just about to cut the bag,” the doctorannounced.
I glanced at Jake, who seemed a bit paler thannormal.
“You’re not going to pass out on me, are you?” Iasked.
“No, I’m fine,” he answered, making a show of standing up straighter. He was staying strong for me, but I could imagine that seeing my stomach opened up wouldn’t be the most pleasant sightforhim.
“You’re a trouper,” Icomplimentedhim.
“Me?” He chuckled, nervously shifting from side to side. “I’m not the one with hands in mystomach.”
The doctor interrupted. “All right, Casey, you’re going to feel some tugging now as I pull thebabyout.”
Looking to my husband for support, I found comfort in the intensity of his stare. Jake tightened the grip on my hand. He was my protector, and I felt safe with him bymyside.
“We’re almost there,” hewhispered.
I bit down on my lower lip and nodded. This was it. Every struggle we’d been through culminated here, in this room… with our baby. Jake broke eye contact with me the minute a hollow scream emanated from behind the sterilescreen.
“Listen to that talker,” the doctor marveled. “Already screaming and not evenbornyet.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Jake said, his voice sounding full of both amusement andpride.
And then a real shriek, loud and insistent, echoed throughtheroom.
Mesmerized by the birth of his child, Jake completely forgot about me, but I wasn’t the least bit offended. In fact, nothing made me happier than to see my husband fully vested in our baby. Once fearful he wouldn’t be a good father, Jake had bravely worked through his issues and, in the process, had come to embrace his new role as adaddy.
I studied his face for reaction. It was my only guide to what was happening on the sterile side of my body, and when I saw the smile light up his face, all my worriesfellaway.
“He’s here,” Jake said with nothing but awe in those simple words. “And he’sperfect.”
Tears of joy flooded my eyes as I waited for a glimpse of my new little man. Squeezing Jake’s hand tighter, I felt the force of our connection. Every shared milestone became a memory we could look back on with love and pride – and this, the birth of our son, was a triumph that would last us alifetime.
A nurse carried the baby to me, rubbing his cheek up against mine. With his red, swollen eyes, splotchy skin, and screams so loud they ricocheted off the walls, our baby boy was pissed off and he wanted the world to know. I could only assume his current mood was the result of being kicked out of his nice, warm apartment only to be manhandled by the landlord’shiredhelp.
“It’s okay, sweetie, you’re all right,” I soothed. He instantly reacted to the sound of myvoice.
“He knows you,” Jake said, marveling at the connection we’d already made. But I wasn’t surprised at all. This wasn’t our first meeting; not really. I’d been talking to him non-stop since the day I found out I was pregnant. And mine wasn’t the only voice he’d beenhearing.
“Sing the song for him,” I urged. “Helovesit.”
And so Jake softly crooned the chorus of a ballad he’d written specifically for his son – a song that had instantly pacified the rising soccer star who’d lived and kicked in my belly for the last nine months. And just as he’d done countless times before, our baby listened. The screaming subsided, and both Jake and I gazed at his gorgeous face. He was a miracle created from our love, and the reason for the joy that filled our hearts on thismomentousday.
“Okay, mom and dad, I’ll bring him back soon. We just need to warm the little guy up.” The nurse smiled affectionately, looking between us, before whisking oursonaway.
“Casey, you’ve got a little more work to do,” the doctor said. “Jake will follow the baby to the warmer while I deliver theplacenta.”
“Okay.” I nodded, feeling a sudden chill race overmyskin.
