Epilogue
EPILOGUE
ELLIE
I completed another semester yesterday, and all I have left is student teaching in order to get my degree. The last few months have been perfect, and I don’t know how many times I’ve thought about that day that Gray proposed we get married. I’m so glad I said yes.
I started having contractions earlier this morning. I didn’t mention it to Gray because I’ve read up on it, and I know that it could take a while. Plus, I wanted to spend time with just the two of us. I know our lives are about to completely change, and I wanted to enjoy just us.
Then I had the bright idea that I wanted a cinnamon roll.
Of course, my doting husband offered to walk downtown and grab one from Sugar Glaze Bakery.
The minute he left, I had the most intense contraction yet. I tried breathing through it, knuckles white and keeping my groans to a minimum. I made it through and lay back to rest on the couch. When another contraction starts just minutes later, I know I have to call Gray.
As soon as he answers, a calm comes over me. “Hey, honey, did you decide you wanted something else?”
I try to keep my voice as calm as possible. “Gray, you need to come home.”
He pauses for an instant. “I’m coming back now.” His breathing is heavy, and I know he’s running. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m having contractions.”
“Shit. I’ll be right there. I love you, Ellie.”
The phone goes silent, and I lay it next to me. I look at the suitcase next to the front door. We’re ready for this. Hell, we’ve been ready.
The front door bursts open just moments later, and a frantic Gray comes in. “I have the doctor on the phone.”
I hear Doc’s voice on the speakerphone. “When did contractions start?”
Gray looks at me, and I avert my eyes. “Early this morning. Around five.”
Gray almost drops the phone. “Five this morning? You didn’t say anything.”
Doc ignores Gray. “And how far apart are they, Ellie?”
I scrunch up my nose. “The last ones were three minutes apart.”
“Uhhhhh,” the doctor stutters. “Okay, so look, I’m in Whiskey Run this morning and was about to head to Jasper Hospital, but I’m going to stop by there, okay? Just do a quick examination and then we’ll go from there.”
I nod. “Sounds good, Doc.”
I’m smiling, and Gray looks as if he’s on the edge of freaking out.
The doctor says, “Gray, take me off speaker phone.”
He takes the phone off speaker, and I watch as he paces back and forth, nodding his head. “Okay, okay, got it.”
When Gray hangs up, he looks at me and forces a smile to his face. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be okay.”
I shrug my shoulders and rub my hand over my belly. “I know it is.”
That stops his pacing. “You know it is?”
I nod. “Yep, because you’re here with me. This baby is meant to be just like you and me are meant to be. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Just as I say it, another contraction rips through my body. Gray sits next to me, telling me to breathe. I squeeze his hand as hard as I can, but he doesn’t complain a bit. This one lasts longer, and by the time it’s over, I’m panting and sweating.
The whole time, Gray is telling me that everything is okay and I’m doing great. “You’re a rock star, Ellie. I love you. I love you so much.”
The roar of motorcycles sounds outside, and Gray looks at me. “You call the Guardians?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m supposed to call Tara when I get to the hospital, but no, I haven’t called anyone.”
There’s a banging on the door, and Gray opens it. It doesn’t take long for our living room and kitchen to get filled by bikers. “What’s going on, guys? Everything okay?”
Reaper speaks first. “Someone saw you running down Main Street like your ass was on fire, we figured we’d check it out... maybe give you an escort to the hospital.”
I just sit here, calmly rubbing my belly. I know I look a mess and am sweaty. “See, Gray? What do I have to be worried about? We’re getting an escort to the hospital.”
I hear the doc before I see him. “Excuse me, can I get through?”
Another one of the guys says, “Hey, Doc.”
Gray starts shoving people out of the way to let the doctor through. When he gets to me, he smiles. “You doing okay, Ellie?”
“I’m doing great, Doc.” I answer him just as another contraction wracks through my body.
Gray sits down next to me, coaching me through the pain. The doctor is looking at his watch, pointing directions to the bikers all standing around watching me. I tune it all out and focus on Gray. He’s smiling at me. “You’re doing great, honey.”
Someone gives him a cool washcloth, and he wipes it across my face. As soon as the contraction is over, the Doc yells, “All right, everyone wait outside.”
All the bikers leave, hollering good wishes on their way out the door.
Once it’s just Gray, the doc and me, everything starts to happen fast. “I wasn’t planning on a home birth.”
The doctor just laughs. “People never do. It’s fine, but this baby wants out now.”
After he examines me, he looks at Gray. “You ready to be a daddy?”
Gray doesn’t even hesitate. “Hell, yeah.”
The doc nods. “Well, that’s good because it’s happening. Ellie, you’re dilated to ten already. On the next contraction I’m going to need you to push, okay?”
The door flies open, and it’s a nurse I recognize from my many visits to the office. She is dragging Reaper back inside, both their arms full of things. She’s completely no nonsense as she starts setting up supplies. She gives orders to Reaper, and he’s gone down the hall, coming back shortly with towels and then gone again.
The contraction hits out of nowhere, and it’s a pain I’ve never felt before. Voices sound off all around me, and I hear them telling me to push and to breathe, but it all happens too fast.
The baby comes fast and hard. The doctor is holding him while the nurse assists. It’s like I’m holding my breath until I hear the cry of our baby, James Dawson.
They put him on my chest while Gray hovers over the two of us. He’s taking turns kissing the both of us, and I’ve never felt as whole as I do in this moment right here.
It’s not until much later after a trip to the hospital to make sure everything is okay with me and the baby before we’re back home and I’m tucked into bed with a sleeping James in his bassinet next to us.
“You okay?” Gray asks me for the umpteenth time.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m perfect.”
Gray pulls me into his arms. “Okay, next time we do this, let’s try to do it at a hospital, okay? You should have told me you were having contractions this morning.”
I lean my head on his chest. “This was actually kind of perfect this way. The Guardians all got to be a part of it.”
“I’m glad you like them.”
I shrug. “They’re family. Speaking of family, did you call Dawson’s parents to let them know about James Dawson?” Around the seventh month, I told them about the baby. They were happy and made a regular occurrence of calling and checking in on us, which is more than I can say about my mom and dad. I declined their offer to let me move back in, and they sort of wrote me and the baby off after that.
He rubs my back. “I did. They’re coming into town next week to meet their grandson.”
We lie there in each other’s arms, and I turn my head to look up at him. “Are you happy, Gray?”
“I have you, we have a healthy baby boy... yeah, I’m happy, Ellie.”
I lie content in Gray’s arms. Yeah, life couldn’t be any better.