“Oh my God…” I breathed out, my fingers shakin’ a lil’ as I touched her cheek. “She got your eyes…”
Kay’Lo was still behind me, his chest pressed against my back and his arms around both of us like he wasn’t lettin’ neitherone of us go no time soon. I could feel his hands movin’ slow over her back, caressin’ her. I knew he was deep in his feelin’s ’cause he was too quiet.
“That’s my baby…” he finally murmured low, his voice different now. It was softer but still him, but just… heavier, like this moment was sittin’ on him the same way it was sittin’ on me.
I leaned back into him a lil’ more without even thinkin’, lettin’ my body rest against his while I held our daughter, and tears slid down my face again, but it wasn’t like before. This wasn’t pain. This was somethin’ else.
“I really did it…” I whispered, my voice breakin’ a lil’. “I really had her…”
“You did that shit,” he said low, pressin’ his lips to the side of my head. “You brought my baby here…”
That made me cry harder, but I smiled at the same time, shakin’ my head ’cause I still couldn’t believe this was my life. I had been through so much shit, seen so much shit, lived a whole different kind of life before this, and now I was sittin’ here in a birthing pool, holdin’ me and my husband’s baby while he held me.
I never thought I’d be here.
I never thought I’d be somebody’s wife like this… hell, somebody’s mother.
Treasure moved around us, handlin’ what needed to be handled, her presence calm but emotional at the same time. I could see it in her eyes when she looked at My’Love. She was in love already.
“My sweet ‘Lo’Lo…” she murmured, her hand comin’ up to touch her gently. “Look at you… you made your grand entrance all on your own.”
I let out a small laugh through my tears. “She really did, though.”
Kay’Lo stayed right where he was while Treasure worked, his hands never leavin’ our baby with his chin rested light against my shoulder. He kept lookin’ at our baby like he couldn’t get enough.
After a while, everything got handled, and I got cleaned up and moved into the bed in our personal delivery room.
I was dressed in black, with My’Love still right here in my arms, as I breastfed her, not ready to let her go just yet.
Kay’Lo had been on his phone nonstop, walkin’ around the room talkin’ loud, tellin’ everybody what happened and relayin’ messages back to me ’cause my phone was upstairs.
“Pluto said she cryin’,” he said, smirkin’ while he looked at me. “Sha’Nelle keep askin’ for pictures… she blowin’ my shit up.”
I laughed soft, shakin’ my head, ’cause his ass was a mess.
“They excited,” ‘Lo said. Then he glanced down at the baby again. “Everybody been waitin’ on her.”
He got cleaned up quick after that and climbed into the bed with me, settin’ himself up close so we was both right here with My’Love, and for a second, it felt like the whole world shut down just for us.
Treasure stayed for a lil’ while longer, talkin’ to My’Love, holdin’ her, kissin’ her. I watched her with a soft smile on my face ’cause it meant somethin’ seein’ her like that. It was beautiful seein’ how much love was already pourin’ into my baby from every direction.
Eventually, she stepped back and looked at us. “I’m going to give you both some time,” she said real gentle. “I love you.”
“Thank you. We love you too,” I told her, my voice still soft.
She kissed my forehead, then Kay’Lo’s, and then she left the room, closin’ the door behind her.
I looked down at My’Love again, and right on cue, she tried to open her eyes, slow and lazy, like she was still figurin’ out this whole world thing, and I felt myself fall all over again.
“She so beautiful…” I whispered.
Kay’Lo looked down at her, noddin’ slowly. “Hell yeah, she is.”
“She look just like you,” I added, smilin’ a lil’ as I glanced up at him.
That made him smirk, but it wasn’t cocky like usual. It was softer, and prouder.
“That’s ’cause she mine,” he replied as his hand came up to brush over her head.
