Epilogue #2
“Thank fuck I’m here!” I don’t even try to hide my relief. “Hold my hand. We’re ready for this.”
Overnight bag is in my new Rover, the car seat is properly installed, I texted Dr. Barry, and we’re heading up the 5 on our way to Pasadena.
“Oh, shit!” Haddy is in the passenger’s seat, doing her best to breathe. “It hurts so bad!”
My chest tightens, and I reach over to hold her hand. “What’s your mantra, babe?”
“I don’t remember.” She turns wide eyes at me. “All that practice… it was relax… oh, Gavin! It hurts so much!”
“Take it easy, hang on.” I tap on the screen on my dash, searching for the number of her Aunt Liv who is the hypnobirthing pro. “I’ll call your Aunt Liv to talk you through it.”
At that exact moment, we meet up with Highway 134 and come to a complete stop. “What the fuck?”
My forehead is tight. It’s after ten, and it’s brake lights everywhere. Changing course, I tap in her mother’s number.
“What’s happening?” Raven’s voice is tense. “Is Haddy okay?”
“As a matter of fact, we’re in labor.” My tone is equally tense. “What’s happening on 134? We’re trying to get to the birthing center.”
“Where the hell is it?” I hear fingers tapping keys.
“Pasadena.”
“Gavin! What the hell? Why is your birthing center in Pasadena?”
“Mom!” Haddy groans from the passenger’s seat. “I found this place when we were hiding from the paparazzi. Then we met Dr. Barry.”
“Well, you can’t get there tonight. A semi carrying cheese turned over and both lanes are closed.”
My throat closes, and I jerk the wheel to the right, garnering a ton of honks as I manage to catch the next exit off the freeway.
“What do we do?” My tone is even, and I’m doing my best not to freak the fuck out. “What’s the closest hospital?”
“Gavin, no!” Haddy cries before she leans forward, her eyes squinted in pain.
“Let me see…” Raven’s tone turns to calm, and I see in this moment how my girl is just like her mother. “Yes, there’s Glendale Memorial!”
I quickly type the name into my GPS, and sure enough, we’re minutes away. “That’s where we’re going.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can get to you!”
We disconnect, and in under five minutes, I’m pulling into the circle drive. The emergency guys hustle out to tell me I can’t park here, but as soon as I open the door and they see Haddy, everything changes. A wheelchair is brought out, and two large male nurses help Haddy into it.
“I’ll be right back,” I yell as they shut the doors.
It feels like an eternity, but it’s actually less than ten minutes. I’m in the hallway, and they’re showing me to the room. I can hear Haddy groaning in the hall, and my heart beats faster. She doesn’t remember her mantra.
“This way, Mr. Knight.” The nurse holds out a hand, but I’m taking out my phone and hitting Liv’s contact information.
“Hello? Gavin?”
“Liv, we’re at a different hospital.” I rush into the room where Haddy is on the bed, face red. “Haddy needs you. She forgot her mantra.”
“If I had a dollar for every time I heard that.”
I don’t waste time. “Haddy?” I put my hand on her shoulder. “I’ve got your aunt Liv here. She’s ready to talk you through it.”
Haddy’s blue eyes meet mine, and it’s a punch to the gut. I’ve never seen my girl afraid before. Swallowing my own fear, I force a reassuring face. “Talk to her, babe.”
Digging in my coat pocket, I grab a pair of Air Pods to slip in her ears. Holding her hands, I look into her eyes as the doctor pulls up her information on the computer.
“I see her doctor is Mandy Barry?” I nod, and she continues typing. “I have her birth plan here…”
Sitting on the stool beside her, I hold her hands, doing my best to help her through. I’d been there for the water birth classes, but I missed the hypnobirthing. Haddy changed it on us. Something about pooping in the water freaked her out.
“Soften…” Haddy’s voice trembles, and I see her doing her best to focus. “Settle…” Her face tenses, and she leans into the contraction. The last word is somewhere between a whisper and a scream. “Relax…”
“You’ve got this, Princess.” I hold her shoulders. “I’m here.”
“Release…” She trembles, and the doctor smiles, looking up at us.
“We’re ready to push. Are you ready?”
“It’s time to push…” This part I remember. “Let’s hum together.”
She turns watery blue eyes at me, and my chest is a mixture of heartbreak and admiration. I can’t imagine what she’s going through right now, and all I can do is hum. Still, I remember from the birthing classes I did attend, being here is a lot.
Our hands clasp, and our eyes meet. She inhales, relaxing her shoulders and her jaw. Her face is red, but she’s doing it. I rub her shoulders, doing my best to keep her encouraged. She groans a low hum, and she’s doing it.
“She’s crowning,” the new doctor cries, smiling. “One more push. We’re almost there.”
Haddy’s blue eyes hold mine, and I press my lips to the back of her hands clasped in mine. Another deep groan, another low hum, and she pushes hard.
All at once, the sweetest, strongest cry fills the room. New doctor lifts our daughter quickly from between Haddy’s legs, placing her on her chest, and we’re all fucking crying.
After all this time, all this dreaming, she’s here, and she’s as feisty as her mother. She’s dark and purple and wrinkly and covered in white goo, and she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen… Next to Haddy, of course.
The next several seconds are spent weighing, cleaning, and wrapping baby girl in a blanket. She’s quickly returned to Haddy, where she takes a moment to check us both out. Her dark eyes are round and curious, and I’m officially in love. Big time.
Haddy drops the hospital gown off her shoulder, pulling our baby to her breast, and it takes a minute.
The nurse steps over, reaching in to squeeze Haddy’s nipple in a flat shape.
It takes a bit of teamwork, but Lucy finally latches.
After that, she’s eating like a champ and keeping her eye on these giants surrounding her, smiling like love-struck fools.
“She’s perfect.” My voice is quiet, and I trace my finger lightly over her black hair.
I’m leaning close, and Haddy kisses the top of my head. “She looks just like her daddy.”
Sitting straighter, I kiss Haddy full on the lips. “With your dark hair.” My arms are around her, and while this wasn’t how we planned it, it couldn’t get much better.
Two days later, we’re at our home. Haddy is in bed with Lucy happily having her dinner. I climb onto the bed beside them, holding out the long, light-blue Tiffany’s box for Haddy.
“What’s this?” Her brow furrows, and I kiss the top of our baby girl’s head.
“Just a little something for all your hard work.”
“Gavin Knight, did you get me a push present?”
“It can also be a ‘Congratulations on earning your Master’s degree’ present.” I arch an eyebrow, and she shakes her head.
Lucy finishes, and I take her from her mom, placing her topless little body against my bare chest as I lean back against the pillows and gently pat her tiny back. “Time for some skin to skin with Daddy.”
Haddy’s shoulders drop, and for a second, she only looks at us. “You know how swoony you are right now, right?”
Shaking my head, I kiss my baby girl’s head. “I’m just bonding with my baby.”
Haddy finally opens her present, cooing as she lifts out a silver chain with a floating axolotl on it. “I love it.” She leans toward me, planting a kiss on my lips.
“I love you.”
She holds the necklace in her fingers, turning it side to side. “Gavin Knight. I don’t know what I’d do without you. You said you’d never let me fall, but I’ve been falling since the day you showed up.”
“Except that one time in the bush.” I can’t resist teasing her. “You were pushed.”
She pokes my ribs. “Spanky has always been on your side.”
“He did give me a nice view of your naked body.”
“That dog.” She snuggles down at my side, and I lift my arm to wrap it around her. I’ve got my little princess snoozing on my chest, my queen at my side. How could life be any better than this?
“It’s okay, love. That red string was thrown around my neck the moment you looked at me.”
It’ll stretch and tangle, twist and turn. Regardless of time or place, it will never break.
Thank you for reading Pinch!