Epilogue—Nina
34 weeks later…
“Ahhhh!” I screamed at the top of my lungs as a searing pain rocketed through my entire body from my lower abdomen. It was getting more frequent with each passing hour, and I was about to faint from how intense the feeling was. “I’m never having sex with you again!”
“Whatever you want, Princess,” Knox murmured, wincing like he could feel the pain as I clenched the sides of the hospital bed in a death grip. “Let’s just get through this first.” He looked at the middle-aged doctor who had her fingers inside me. “Is she supposed to be in this much pain? She’s about to pass out! Do something!”
“She’s only eight centimeters dilated. She’s not ready.” The doctor withdrew her gloved fingers and replied calmly, as though she was used to distressed soon-to-be-fathers breathing down her neck while their wives were in labor.
“Then make her ready,” he barked at the doctor, pacing the room like a caged animal. “She’s been like this for over five hours.”
The doctor looked at him. “Labor takes time, Mr. Coleman. I’m doing the best I can to make sure your wife and child are healthy. Why don’t you worry about helping her breathe through the pain while I focus on doing my job?”
I exhaled heavily through my mouth as I watched him visibly scowl at the woman. If I truly didn’t feel like I was about to pass out, I might have asked him to calm down. The doctor looked irritable, and I couldn’t blame her. Knox was being very annoying.
A scream tore out of me again as my lower abdomen contracted painfully. All the blood drained from Knox’s face. “Do something, please.” He whispered, sinking into the chair next to my bed. “Seeing you like this, Nina — it’s killing me.”
My heart softened despite the pain. “I know,” I whispered, reaching for his hand. “But I need you to pull it together. For me. And for her.” I placed his hand over my stomach, where our daughter was determined to make her dramatic debut into the world.
Knox exhaled shakily and nodded, his thumb brushing against my knuckles. “I’ll try,” he said softly, though the tension in his jaw suggested otherwise.
We’d been married for about six months. That day I’d decided to go back to my parents' house, Knox went with me. Together we broke the news of pregnancy to my parents. After which, Knox informed my father that he loved me and wanted to marry me.
I was shocked to my bones; I’d been worried too—I was young, in my early twenties, with a baby on the way and a man who’d only just confessed how he really felt about me.
But deep down in my heart, there was a part of me that wanted to take the risk, that knew this was what I wanted. I’d always believed that I didn’t have a place in this world, despite my family’s affluence and my love for art. It’d only taken Knox proposing to me that day to understand that sometimes a person’s place can lie with someone else.
Knox was my happy place, and loving him was something I did very well. And now our baby was about to come into this world as a symbol of our love.
The hours dragged on like years. Each contraction felt like a battle I wasn’t sure I could win, but Knox stayed by my side, his hand firm in mine even when I nearly crushed it during a particularly brutal wave of pain. Fuck. A lot of women would become nuns if they knew what awaited them during labor.
“You’re doing so good, babe,” he murmured, brushing damp hair out of my face. His voice was softer now, a far cry from the frantic, overbearing man from earlier. “I’m so proud of you.”
I wanted to tell him to stop being so sweet because it only made me cry harder, but before I could, another contraction hit, and I let out a guttural groan. My entire body felt like it was being pulled apart, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could take this.
When the doctor re-entered the room, checked my progress and informed me that I was fully dilated, the tears that flowed down my face were pure joy. Nurses filed into the room as machines beeped and the atmosphere tensed.
Knox shot up from his chair, looking pale. “What does she need to do? What do I need to do? Should I—”
“Knox,” I hissed through clenched teeth, “shut the fuck up and hold my leg.”
He scrambled into position, brushing his long hair away from his face, his hands trembling slightly as he followed the nurse’s instructions. “Okay, I’ve got you,” he said, his voice cracking. “You’re amazing, Princess. You’ve got this.”
I didn’t have the energy to respond, not when the doctor was telling me to push, and every muscle in my body was screaming in protest. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced—pain, fear, exhaustion, and yet this overwhelming determination to meet the tiny person who had turned my world upside down before even arriving.
By the time I’d swallowed all the air in the room and my whole body was drenched in sweat, the distinct sound of a baby’s cry echoed in the room. Spent, I fell back against the pillows, trying to catch my breath.
Just then, a nurse placed a tiny sticky bundle on my chest. I stared down at my newborn, my vision blurring because of the tears that were gathering in my eyes. I couldn’t describe the joy I felt just looking at her.
“Oh, God,” Knox breathed as he pressed his head against mine to look at our baby. “She’s marvelous, just like her mother.”
I half-laughed, half-cried, meeting Knox’s eyes. The awe and absolute reverence in them no doubt mirrored mine, and I knew then that he would love our little girl with everything in him until the day he died.
“You did good, princess,” he murmured, placing a kiss on my lips. “You’re such a good girl. Thank you for this gift.”
“Mr. Coleman?” The doctor called. “Would you like to cut the umbilical cord?”
“Fuck yes,” Knox grinned, changing positions.
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from my daughter long enough to watch him. She stopped crying and immediately the nurse placed her on my body, as if she somehow knew I was her protector. Her eyes were closed, and she had one of her tiny hands pressed against her lips. A fierce affection swelled from my chest to the rest of my body.
If I’d done anything right in life, it was birthing her. I couldn’t believe I’d once contemplated getting an abortion. This moment right about made up my entire life. I had a husband that absolutely adored me and a child that I would adore for as long as I lived. I couldn’t possibly want anything else.
“If you’re my princess, then it’s only fitting she’s my queen. What do you think?” I lifted my eyes to see my husband smiling down at me.
“Queen.” I murmured, turning the word over in my head. “I like that.”
“For a name?”
“Mhm hmm,” I nodded. “What about Queen, but with an ‘I’ instead of ‘e’?”
“Quinn,” he echoed, then chuckled. “Quinn Coleman. I love it.”
A nurse came then to take the baby away so I could rest. I almost didn’t want to give her away, but my body was too weak. I needed my strength if I was going to spend time with her.
Soon, the doctor ordered me to be moved to a different room and assigned a nurse to help clean me up.
Knox had to leave for a bit during the move. My parents were at the airport, and he had to go pick them up. My mother had been beside herself with worry when Knox called to inform them I’d gone into labor. They’d immediately flown privately to New York, even though Knox had assured her that we could do well on our own. My mother disagreed; I was still too young, and it was my first time.
Lindsay thought so too, considering she was on her way to New York as well.
It was nice to be loved, even if my family was breathing down my neck.
After bathing, I slept for a while and when I opened my eyes, my hospital room was full.
“She’s awake,” my mother whispered urgently, perched on one edge of the bed. “Oh, my baby. I’m so proud of you.” She lowered down to hug me, like I was an invalid who couldn’t sit upright. I hugged her back. My mom had always been dramatic. “How are you?”
“My vagina is torn into shreds, but I’m okay.”
“Give her some breathing space, Angel,” my dad huffed next to her. “You’re crushing the poor thing.”
When my mom let me go, I pushed myself up and looked at my dad. “Hi, daddy.”
He smiled softly, and it was then I noticed how red his eyes were. “Pumpkin. You did it, eh?” He grabbed my hand. “Turned a young guy like me into a grandpa. We’re all so proud of you.”
My dad refused to call himself old even at fifty-four. “Thank you, daddy.”
“Knox says you named her Quinn?” My mom asked.
I nodded, looking at my husband who was smiling at me as he held our baby. “We did. She’s our queen.”
The door suddenly opened, and a whirlwind of squeals came through. “Neens!” I was suddenly attacked by eager arms and a breathless laugh flew out of my lips as I hugged her back. “Fucking hell, you amazing woman,” Lindsay cried into my shoulder. “You absolutely amazing woman. You pushed a baby out of your coochie. Jesus.” She pulled back, revealing her tear-streaked face.
“I can’t believe you flew in just because of this. We could’ve FaceTimed.”
She looked at me like I was crazy. “And miss the birth of my niece?”
“You missed it anyway.”
“Yes, but I’m here now. That’s what counts.” She leaned in a bit like she wanted to spill a secret. “Did it hurt?”
“Like a fucking bitch. I would not recommend.”
Just then, I looked behind her to see a woman I’d seen just once since Knox and I got together. She walked straight to where Knox was standing and gestured for him to hand the baby over to her. With a smile, he did, and I watched, heart in my throat as Knox’s mother stared down at our baby. A few moments later, she burst into tears.
No one said anything but we were all thinking the same thing. For someone who never recovered from the grief of her husband’s death, this must have felt like nirvana. Tears welled in my eyes. Knox wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry. And boy, did she weep. It went on for a good five minutes (I counted) before she finally managed to compose herself enough to speak coherently.
“Thank you,” were the only two words she said to me. It felt like I’d healed something inside her and I didn’t know how to tell her that this was only the first of many. She deserved to be happy and if I had to do this again for that to happen, I would.
For the next hour, the six of us talked and laughed about everything and nothing in particular. Quinn was passed around, and the reluctance with which each person let her go did not go unnoticed by me. It gave me confidence that even if Knox and I weren’t here, our baby would be in safe hands, pun intended.
As the conversation progressed, my eyes connected with my husband’s. I’d never and would never love anyone the way I loved him. He was everything to me. He’d religiously kept his promise that he would love me every day of his life and I never had a reason to doubt him.
After everything we had been through in the past one year, we deserved everything good that was coming to us.
***
And a lot did come. After Quinn, we had two more kids, twin boys. Knox’s mom found love again and remarried, and Lindsay started her own advertising agency.
And me? I got into painting full time. My first client was my husband, of course, and through him, many other clients found me. Nina Burton Coleman became a household name. I also did not disparage help from my parents. Becoming a parent myself made me see that parents would do anything for their children, not to make them suffer but to help them grow.
Like I said, a lot happened, and even till now, I’m thankful for how things played out. I somehow ended up marrying the devil’s even worse younger brother and I've spent the best years of my life growing with him and our kids.
And you know what? I would not have it any other way.
I loved Knox and Nina's story so much I didn't want it to end –