38. Charlie
Well, this is just great.
I’ve been in labor for ten, no, scratch that, eleven hours.
I’ve been awake for that entire time, because every time I close my eyes, another contraction hits. You know, just to keep me honest. They are getting closer together now, and I’m becoming very uncomfortable, to say the least.
And then there’s Simon. Passed out on the couch in the clothes he was wearing when he got here last night. I’m sure if I walked over to him—you know, if I could walk—I could get drunk from the smell of whiskey coming from him. I should wake him up, but not yet. He needs all the energy he can muster for the fact that he’s about to be pushing out a human.
Oh wait. That’s me.
“How we doing?”
I look over to see Amelia walking in with a duffel bag in her hands.
“Still pregnant.”
She stops in front of Simon, just as he lets out a little snore. “How long has he been out?”
“Since you left,” I say. “He told me something about diapers then passed out.”
She tries not to laugh. “At least he’s here. My ex went MIA when Luke was born. He showed up the next morning like he didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Wow.” I look over to Simon, who looks somehow comfortable on what surely is an uncomfortable couch. I mean, I can’t be mad. I told him to go out. I told him to have fun. Who knew I was going to go into labor early? “Oh! Shit, shit, shit!”
Amelia drops the bag and rushes over to me. “You okay?”
“Yeah…contraction…big one…”
Amelia gives me her hand, letting me break a few bones as I let out a primal yell.
“Bug? What? Baby? Here.”
I look over to see Simon shoot up from the couch, and since he’s still probably drunk, he promptly falls to the floor. I’d normally laugh, but I can’t right now. I’m too busy trying to breathe through the longest contraction I’ve had.
“Simon. Go shower.” Amelia’s words are firm and take charge. “I brought you clothes in that bag. You fucking stink. And when you get out, I think we’re going to start having a baby.”
He pops up from the floor. “Really?”
“No. I made everything up. Just go shower.”
He nods. “Yes ma’am.” He turns to go to the shower, but quickly runs back to me, kissing me on the forehead. “I love you. I’ll be right back.”
“I love you. Please shower. You just got me drunk.”
“Got it.”
Simon bolts through the suite to our bathroom, nearly falling again, which I’m now so glad has a shower.
“Is it really time?”
Another contraction hits, and yeah…those two were very close together.
Amelia nods, fixing my pillows. “I think we’re getting there. Let me go get the nurse and I’ll be right back.”
I nod and give her hand a squeeze. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. You’re family. This is what we do.”
Amelia leaves the room, and it hits me just as hard as this next contraction.
Family.
For so many years, I thought my family was going to be small and tight. Just me, Connor, and Lila. That’s all I needed. That’s all I thought I’d ever have.
And somehow, in what feels like a blink of an eye, I have this huge family, and it’s all because I fell in love with the guy I used to hate. I have women who not only have accepted me, but are already caring for me and the baby like I’m their blood. Who cleaned my house for me last week because I felt too pregnant to even move. Men who accepted me without question when it came to being with a man they consider their brother. And who put together our nursery and Simon’s ridiculous stroller. Even their kids got involved, gifting me with books and stuffed animals from their childhood that they wanted Baby Bug to have.
I thought those were only things blood did for each other. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned since moving to Rolling Hills, is that family isn’t always the ones you’re born to. Many times it’s the ones you choose.
“Okay. I’m here.”
Simon comes running out of the bathroom, still putting on his T-shirt. “Did I miss her? Is she here?”
I laugh despite another contraction hitting. “No. She’s not here. You did not miss the birth of our daughter during your five-minute shower.”
“Good,” he breathes a sigh of relief. “How are you feeling?”
He wrings out a wash cloth on one of the tray tables as I’m starting to sweat. “You know…like I’m about to push a kid out.”
“Good. I think that’s how you’re supposed to feel.”
I shoot him a look. The first of what I figure are going to be many today. “I’m going to need you to just stop talking. I know that’s hard. But for the sake of our relationship, and me not killing you, and our baby having a father, I’m going to need you to dial back the Simon today.”
He nods. “Noted.”
Amelia comes back in with my nurse and doctor. “I hear it’s time to start having a baby.”
Simon and I turn to each other and share a moment that I want to remember for the rest of my life. He brings my hands to his mouth, kissing it softly as I brush his wild hair back off his face.
“Yeah,” I say. “Let’s have a baby.”
“I need another push, Charlie. You got this.”
“No I fucking don’t!” I yell, though I do push again. I might break Simon’s hand in the process, but I push.
“Three…two…one…and relax.”
I fall into Simon’s chest, who at some point during labor moved behind me to help me stay up.
“You’re doing great, Bug,” he says, dabbing my neck and forehead with a wet cloth. “You’re so strong.”
“Fuck being strong. Fuck being pregnant. Fuck all of this. And speaking of fuck…we’re never doing that again.”
“Aw man…”
“Okay, Charlie, this is it.” Dr. Monty says. “We have a head, and I need one more.”
“You got this,” Simon whispers, giving me his hand. “Let’s meet our daughter.”
“This is it!” I yell. “If she doesn’t come now, put her back.”
“Sounds good,” Dr. Monty says. “Ready, now!”
“AHHHHHH!!!”
I don’t know how long I push. I don’t know what anything is right now. All I know is that one second all I can hear are my screams and in the next I hear the crying of my daughter.
My daughter…
“Here she is.” I fall against Simon as my breaths do their best to catch up. “We have ten fingers, ten toes, and a good set of lungs.”
I laugh against Simon, who is peppering my cheek and face with kisses.
“Daddy, would you like to cut the cord?”
I look up to Simon, whose face is lighting up with wonder. Excitement. Fear. All rolled into one handsome package.
“Yes. Please.”
He carefully maneuvers away from me to go cut the cord. I do my best to watch, but I’m so tired it’s hard to keep my eyes open. I do see the nurses take her to go clean her up before she’s brought back to me.
“Do we have a name yet?”
Simon and I look at each other, then back to our daughter. She’s stopped crying, and I can’t stop staring at her. Her little nose. Her little lips. Her eyes are closed, but I just know already she has the most beautiful eyes in the world.
How could she not, with Simon as her daddy?
“Lainey,” I say, putting the first of what will be a thousand kisses to her forehead. “Lainey Elizabeth Banks.”
Simon and I share a look of love before our stares turn back to our daughter. “We made a baby.”
I’m not looking at him, but I’m pretty sure he’s crying. “We made a baby. Hey, Lainey. Welcome to the world.”
My entire life, I’ve waited for the other shoe to drop. For the sky to fall.
But not anymore.
Because there isn’t a thing that could happen to ruin this moment—this life—I’ve been blessed with.
And it’s all because of the man I used to hate.