Chapter Eighteen
Desmond
After parking my car on the cold, wet street and grabbing the umbrella from the back seat, I darted out into the November rain.
Just as quickly, I dashed inside Good Neighbor House.
I refused to let my very pregnant mate take the bus home when he was already three days overdue, regardless of the weather.
Kane got pregnant the day I claimed him as mine.
Not planned but a welcome surprise. The only problem was that his due date happened to fall the week before the Harvest Celebration.
With all the work still to do for the upcoming Christmas Food and Toy drive at the charity, Kane refused to take leave until the actual holiday.
Rechie had hired two part-timers and a co-op student to fill his shoes while he was on parental leave.
Still, he had a hard time leaving it all to them, not wanting anyone to go without over the Christmas season.
I waved to Cynthia and Rechie, along with the co-op student, Marshall. “Hi. Happy Harvest Season! Where’s Kane?”
“In the bathroom.” Cynthia pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “He was standing here waiting for you then suddenly rushed in there.”
Rechie chuckled. “Baby must have kicked his bladder. I remember those days.”
Marshall held his stomach and winced.
“What are you all doing for the Harvest Celebration?” I decided to make small talk while waiting for my mate. “Any big plans?”
“Going to my sister’s,” Rechie said. “The family knows I don’t have time to do holiday dinners, so they all take turns hosting.”
Marshall shrugged. “I think we’re hosting my father’s family. Both my dads have been busy cleaning the house. Makes me glad I’m here and not there.”
Cynthia ruffled his hair. “Just wait until you have a mate and you get to host your families.”
With wide eyes, he shook his head. “Nope. I’m staying single forever.”
As I chuckled, I glanced down the hall to see if Kane was coming out yet. No sign of him. Something didn’t feel right. I headed toward the bathroom. “How long ago did he go in there?”
“Ten minutes,” Rechie answered. “I think.”
At first, I knocked on the door. “Kane?” When I heard a groan in response, I pushed it open. “Where are you?”
“Over here.”
I found him sitting in the corner, holding his stomach. “What’s wrong?”
“My water broke.” He nodded toward a puddle covered in paper towels in front of the stall. “And I think I’m having a contraction.”
My heart clenched in a moment of panic. I quickly pushed it away, lifting him into my arms and carrying him out of the bathroom. “Sorry for the mess in the bathroom. Kane’s in labor and I’ve got to get him to the hospital.”
“Go.” Rechie shooed me out as Marshall held the door.
I don’t remember much of the drive to Breaker General, wasn’t even sure if I stopped at all the streetlights. I was focused on getting my mate to the hospital so someone could relieve the pain that made him whimper and cry out.
Finding a spot in the temporary parking out front, I grabbed the closest wheelchair and wheeled him inside.
The man at the information desk took one look at my mate and pointed down the hallway. “The west elevators are down there. Head up to labor and delivery on the third floor. I’ll let them know you’re on your way.”
“Thank you.” I pushed Kane down the hall, and it seemed to take forever for the elevator car to arrive.
Kane breathed through another contraction, gripping the arms of the chair. “Hurry, please.”
When we finally arrived at the labor and delivery unit, the usually locked doors from our tour the month before were open, and two nurses waited for us.
They took Kane into a triage room and had him change into a gown to assess how far along he was. Just over three inches dilated already. Then I learned he’d been having contractions all day but didn’t tell anyone because he still had work to finish up.
I was glad I’d shown up at his work when I did. If I hadn’t, he might have delivered our baby on the bathroom floor. Trying to hold in my worry and frustration, I clenched my fists. My mate had a big heart, but he was stubborn.
Once I helped him back into the wheelchair, the nurse guided us to a delivery room.
I tried to stay out of the way with so many other people in the room with us.
Kane was hooked up to all kinds of monitors, and his bed was converted into something that looked torturous.
Then everyone left again, one nurse saying she’d be back in a few minutes after letting Kane’s OB/GYN know he was in labor.
Holding one of his hands, I brushed wet strands of hair away from Kane’s face and kissed his forehead. “I wish I could relieve all the pain you’re in. I hate seeing you in so much distress.”
He glared at me. “It’s a good thing one of the nurse’s gave me a shot of something already. You obviously weren’t paying attention. But this is what happens when you don’t wear a condom.”
My breath caught in my throat. “I thought you wanted kids. We’d talked about it.”
Wincing, he squeezed my hand. “I do. But it’s not a walk in the park when this baby is coming out. It fucking hurts.”
His strangled cry turned into a long, low groan. The nurse and doctor walked in at that moment. After Dr. Starr greeted Kane, he flipped up the sheet covering his spread legs to examine him and the baby, reaching his hands inside my mate’s opening.
Part of me wanted to lash out at him, but I had to remind myself Dr. Starr was going to keep our baby and Kane safe and healthy during the process.
“Already up to four inches, and the baby is lined up perfectly.” The doctor stood and talked over Kane’s spread legs.
“I think you’re ready to go. I want you to push with the next contraction.
When I tell you to stop, stop. I know it will be hard when your body is telling you to do otherwise, but we want to keep you from tearing. ”
Kane glanced up at me, his eyes wet with tears. “Our baby is almost here.”
I nodded, a sudden lump in my throat preventing me from talking. After wiping his eyes, I held his hand in both of mine. “You are the strongest omega I know. I love you so much.”
“I love you.” He sucked in a quick breath. “Too.” Squeezing his eyes shut as well as my hand, he pushed with a pained grunt.
“Good,” the doctor said. “Now, not so hard. Lighten up a bit. That’s it. Good.”
With his tight grip on my hand and the way his forehead creased, I could tell that my mate had a hard time holding back the urge to push.
His resistance made me admire him even more.
I understood it was painful to have a baby, but I didn’t realize how strong omegas and women were to go through the process.
Seeing it happen brought a whole new understanding and appreciation.
“The head is crowning,” the doctor announced after a couple more contractions. “Careful. Control yourself. Not so hard.”
With the sneer Kane made as he bared his teeth, I expected him to tell the doctor off, but he squeezed my hand again instead.
“Okay, good.” The doctor gave a silent nod to the nurse. “We’re almost there. Just a couple more contractions and you’ll be able to hold your baby.”
With the next contraction, our baby’s head came out.
With the one after that, our baby was fully born.
“It’s a boy.” The doctor laid the tiny, slimy body on Kane’s chest. Then he busied himself in between Kane’s legs. I didn’t know whether to keep an eye on him or to watch the nurse as she scrubbed the little wonder and made him cry.
In the days before his due date, Kane had told me to go wherever the baby went and not to worry about him. I followed those instructions and stood by our son as the nurse took him, weighing him and doing other tests that I’d read were all part of the process.
Within an hour, we were left by ourselves with our new baby. A little boy with a wrinkly red face and dark, fuzzy hair, swaddled in a tight blanket.
With a soft smile and tired eyes, Kane held our bundle of joy against his chest. “We did this.”
I ran my fingers across his forehead. “I can only take credit for the beginning. You did all the rest.”
“Yes, but I know you’re going to be a good dad.” He reached for my hand. “Why don’t you hold him for a bit. I think I need a nap.”
I’d never held a baby before, but Janice had brought in a doll to work to teach me how to properly pick up and hold a newborn.
I appreciated the help since my own parents weren’t around to give me guidance.
Once thing I did know was that I wanted to be in our child’s life.
Every part of it. I never wanted to be absent or too busy for him.
I understood some of that came with privilege, but I refused to waste it.
I had a mate and a baby, and they were my life.