Epilogue Levi
Epilogue
Levi
Six years later . . .
Sitting on the porch with my laptop resting on my thighs, I’m supposed to be writing, but my eyes are locked on my wife as she comes walking back from the lake after feeding the ducks.
Starburst and Skittles, our two mini–Highland cows, follow behind Kelcie, stopping every few feet to graze on some grass.
Lick lifts her head and barks, which has Rocket leaving Kelcie’s side and running ahead. His tongue is lolling out of the side of his mouth, and as he lies down beside Lick, he pants from all the exercise.
“How’s the writing coming along?” Kelcie asks as she climbs the steps to the porch.
I set the laptop aside and get up from the chair. Brushing my palm over her heavily pregnant belly, I lean in to give her a kiss. “It’s not.”
Suddenly, there’s a dripping sound, and both our heads snap down to the floor.
“Oh crap,” Kelcie gasps. “My water just broke.”
“We’ve got this,” I say, instantly jumping into action.
I’ve done so many practice runs with Kelcie, we’re well prepared for this moment.
Placing my arm around her to make sure she doesn’t slip and fall, I guide her into the house and to the restroom. I grab a washcloth, and while Kelcie takes off her wet dress and underwear, I wipe off her legs and feet.
She hands me her clean panties, and I help her put them on before I grab the dress she’s chosen to wear to the hospital.
Once we’re done, I pause to press a kiss to her lips, then I take in her flushed cheeks and a panicked look in her eyes.
“I’m going to be with you every step of the way. You can do this, baby,” I say to encourage her.
She nods, but a second later, her features tighten, and she lets out a gasp as her arm cradles her belly. “Oh God.”
I move to her side and rub her lower back and hips as I wait for the contraction to pass, keeping my mouth shut while she deals with the pain. The last thing I want today is to annoy or upset her.
“Okay.” She sucks in deep breaths of air as she begins to walk. “Let’s move.”
I shoot into the living room and grab my set of keys and Kelcie’s hospital bag.
As we step out onto the porch, I look at Lick and Rocket. “Stay.” I add a hand signal to make sure they understand, then I go to open the passenger door. I place the bag inside and turn to help my wife onto the seat.
“I’m just rinsing off the porch real fast,” I tell her before jogging to where the hose is. It takes me a minute, then I’m climbing in behind the steering wheel.
Stay calm. Panicking won’t help shit. Focus on the road and get your wife and unborn child safely to the hospital.
After giving myself a quick talking-to, I start the engine and steer the truck away from the house and in the direction of Madison.
During the thirty-minute drive, Kelcie’s contractions start coming faster, and each time she digs her nails into my thigh while doing her best to breathe through the pain.
Jesus, and this is only the beginning?
When I pull up to the hospital, there’s a fine layer of sweat on my forehead. I wipe it off on my sleeve while getting out, then run around the front to help Kelcie out of the truck.
Grabbing the bag, I keep an arm around her as we head inside. Seeing as we made all the arrangements ahead of time, we’re quickly shown to our private room. I made it clear to our doctor that I’m willing to pay whatever it takes to make sure Kelcie gets the best care.
They already gave us a tour of the room, so I know where everything is. I set the bag down on the table by the window that overlooks the gardens situated on the side of the hospital. There’s also a couch and a private restroom. Honestly, it’s like a hotel room.
Kelcie sits down on the side of the bed so Amanda, our nurse, can take her vitals. While they’re busy, I walk closer to the bedside stand and pour ice water into a glass so it’s ready for Kelcie should she get thirsty.
“You can take off your clothes and change into the hospital gown,” Amanda tells her. “I’m going to get you ice chips and make sure they’ve notified Dr. Carnick that you’re here.”
“Okay. Thank you,” Kelcie replies, and as Amanda leaves, my wife says, “Call Jordan.”
“Right!”
While she changes, I quickly dial Jordan’s number, and when he answers, I say, “Hey, it’s me. Kelcie’s in labor.”
“Man, you sound just as nervous as I was when we had Brady,” my brother-in-law chuckles. “Deep breaths, buddy. You can’t pass out on her. I did, and Natalie will never let me live it down.”
A smile curves my lips. “Yeah, there’s no way I’m passing out. Don’t worry about that.” I notice Kelcie is done and say, “I’m putting you on speaker. Talk to your sister.”
Kelcie places her hand on her side as pain tightens her features. “Hold on. Contraction.”
“You’ve got this, Kelcie,” Jordan’s voice comes over the line.
“Tell them to give you something for the pain,” Natalie joins in. “Trust me. It helps a lot.”
Standing beside my wife, I rub her lower back again until the contraction passes.
“I’m good,” Kelcie gasps. “I think.”
“We’re leaving as soon as we hang up,” Jordan says.
“Hang up already and get your butts over here,” Kelcie grumbles. “But drive safely.”
“Okay. See you soon,” Jordan replies. “Levi, keep me updated.”
“I will.”
I end the call and set my phone on the bedside stand, then pick up the glass and hand it to Kelcie. “You need to stay hydrated, my muse.”
She drinks some, then leans forward and presses her face against my shirt, whispering, “It’s really happening.”
I brush my palm over her hair, and the loose strands catch my attention. “Let me get your hair up.” I pull away and dig a hair tie out of her bag, and gathering all the strands, I secure them in a messy bun.
With her face sweaty and flushed, she glances up at me. “Do I look as pretty as when you fell in love with me?”
I lean down and give her a kiss. “You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
She lets out a chuckle. “Liar.”
“Be right back,” I say before I go to the restroom to get a washcloth. I wet it beneath cold water and squeeze the excess out, then head back to Kelcie and gently wipe her face and behind her neck.
When I’m done, I grab one of the chairs by the table and set it beside the bed. I sit down and rest my hands on either side of Kelcie’s hips.
Locking eyes with my wife, I say, “I know I fought you on having a child, and this whole process started rocky, but thank you for wanting to have our baby.”
When she first brought up the subject, I wasn’t keen at all because crying babies give me anxiety. But seeing how much she wanted children had me agreeing. I still can’t refuse her anything.
Over the past nine months, things have changed, and I’ve found myself getting excited to meet our baby. I now know with Kelcie by my side, I can face anything.
She places her palm on my jaw, but before she can reply, another contraction starts, and she grabs hold of my arm, her nails digging into me.
Amanda comes back with Dr. Carnick. Our nurse places the ice chips on the bedside stand, then seeing the washcloth, she says, “I’ll get a bowl of cold water so you can keep rinsing it.”
“How’re my favorite parents-to-be doing today?” Dr. Carnick asks. “Ready to meet your baby?”
Kelcie nods while breathing through the pain, and I reply, “As ready as we’ll ever be.”
As soon as the contraction fades, Dr. Carnick says, “Lie down so we can see how far along you are, Kelcie.”
I help my wife move onto her back and stay near her head when Dr. Carnick pushes her hospital gown out of the way.
Just like every other time he’s been down there, I keep my eyes locked on Kelcie’s face, trying not to lose my shit because another man is touching her.
That’s been the hardest part about this whole process. I still can’t stand it if anyone else touches my wife.
You can’t do his job, so just suck it up.
“What time did the contractions begin?” he asks.
I check my wristwatch. “At eight forty-three, her water broke, and she had the first one about ten minutes later.”
He glances at me from between her knees. “How far apart are the contractions now?”
“Five to seven minutes.”
Just then, a contraction starts, and my attention is torn between Kelcie and Dr. Carnick, who is adjusting the gown around her before stepping away from the bed.
“Your baby is coming sooner than I expected and should be here in, give or take, four hours,” he says. “I’m going to do my rounds, then I’ll be back. Amanda will take care of you until then.”
“Thanks, Doc,” I say, then I focus on my wife, holding her hand and wishing I could take the pain on her behalf.
For the next few hours, we fall into a routine, and Kelcie dozes off as she grows tired from all the contractions. Jordan and his family arrived two hours ago and have made themselves comfortable in the waiting room.
When Dr. Carnick returns, things get really rough, and there are quite a few times I regret agreeing to having a baby. Seeing Kelcie in so much pain just doesn’t seem worth it to me.
I remain by her side, and my hand loses all feeling at some point from how hard she’s gripping it.
“Almost there,” Dr. Carnick says. “Just one more push, Kelcie.”
Already feeling overemotional, I keep quiet and wipe the cool washcloth over Kelcie’s forehead and neck. Her face is torn with agony as she gives it her all while letting out a feral growl.
My eyes are locked on my wife when Dr. Carnick says, “You’re the proud parents of a baby girl.”
The next moment, I hear a cry, and my head snaps to where Amanda is tending to our baby. I have zero brain activity as I watch the nurse come toward us.
Then she places the tiny bundle in Kelcie’s arms, and my entire world shifts on its axis. I’m hit with such a strong emotion as I look at my wife holding my daughter that tears begin to flow.
“Look, Levi,” Kelcie says, still breathless from giving birth. “Look at our beautiful baby girl.”
“I am,” I whisper. Slowly, I move my hand toward the bundle, and when I touch her tiny fist, she takes hold of my fingertip.
A different kind of love I’ve never experienced before floods my entire being. It’s instant and intense, knocking the air from my lungs.
As I take in every inch of our perfect daughter and she lets out a cry, there’s no anxiety and only the need to hold and cherish her.
To protect her.
To give her everything I am.
I press a kiss to Kelcie’s forehead, my eyes never leaving our daughter. “Thank you for giving me another miracle.”