25. Chapter 25
Chapter 25
C HAPTER TWENTY – FIVE
RAPHAEL
MONTHS LATER
"Rory, baby, I'm right here, okay? I'm right here."
My girlfriend groaned loudly as she was wheeled into the delivery room. I walked next to her, clutching her hand and murmuring soothing words in her ear. She was panting and groaning, the sounds guttural.
"Raphael!" she cried. "It hurts so much."
I looked up at the doctor.
"She's going to be fine, Mr. Barlowe," Dr. Anderson said.
Fine? Rory looked like she was going to die soon. Her water broke hours ago and since then, she had been in intense pain. I felt horrible. I didn't want to see her in so much agony, but the doctors said there was nothing they could do.
The baby was coming.
As she was taken inside, I stood outside.
"Daddy's not allowed inside?"
I looked up to see Mason, Xander, Rex, and Axel walking up, their eyes lit up with excitement.
"I'm going to go in soon," I replied. "I just...need a moment to collect myself."
"How is she?" Xander asked.
"In pain," I replied. "I don't think I can see her like that. Is that how it always is? How do women do that multiple times?"
Rex chuckled, patting my shoulder "I'm sure she'll be okay."
I pressed my lips together and sighed heavily. Then I took out my phone and checked the time. "Callie will be here soon. So will my parents. Can you guys wait here for them?"
"Of course," Rex said.
"Thanks," I said, walking past them.
When I got inside, Rory was lying in bed, her chest heaving. She was in a gown, her face and neck drenched in sweat. The doctor and nurses were setting up, checking her vitals.
I went up to her and kneeled by the side of the bed. Her eyes were closed and her lips were trembling. I reached for her hand and squeezed it.
"Raphael," she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Don't leave me, okay?"
"Never," I said, smiling. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
She nodded, her body shaking as a sob tore from her throat.
"Alright, Ms. Quinn," Dr. Anderson said. "I need you to start by pushing on my count, okay?"
Rory nodded.
"I'm here," I said, kissing her hand. "I'm right here. You can do this, Rory. You're the strongest person I know."
"Push," the doctor said.
Rory inhaled, her back arching, her face twisting in pain. She pushed, her fingers tightening around mine. I kissed her knuckles.
"Good job," Dr. Anderson said. "Take deep breaths."
"You're doing great," I said, smiling.
She nodded, her chest rising and falling with every breath. Then she looked up at me. She was so beautiful, it made my heart ache. The past few months had been nothing short of amazing. Rory was the love of my life.
And soon, we would have a child.
"Okay, let's try again," Dr. Anderson said.
Rory closed her eyes. "Fuck, this hurts," she whimpered.
"It's okay, baby," I said.
"Push," the doctor called.
She did. Her screams echoed, and her body tensed. Sweat drenched her face and the back of her neck, and her grip on my hand was almost unbearable.
My head spun as the doctor continued to give out orders. The air was heavy with the scent of blood and sweat, but I didn't look away. Rory's face was flushed and she was breathing hard, but her grip on my hand was still strong.
"Okay, the baby's crowning," the doctor said. "Come on, one more push. Just one more."
"You can do it," I murmured. "One more, Rory. One more.
She groaned, her face twisting in agony. I held her hand, watching her closely. She screamed, her shoulders shaking and soon, the baby's cries filled the air.
I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding as the doctor lifted the baby up. It was small, tiny and screaming loudly.
"You have a baby girl," Dr. Anderson announced.
A girl.
We had a daughter.
I leaned in and kissed Rory's forehead. She was panting heavily, her face bright red. "You did it," I said.
She laughed and the tears spilled from her eyes. The nurse wrapped our daughter up and placed her on Rory's chest. Rory looked down at the baby and cried, pressing her lips to the top of her head. "Oh, look at you," she whispered.
The baby's cries softened and her eyes closed. She looked so tiny. Her fingers were small, her cheeks pudgy. She had a little nose. Her hair was a light shade of blonde and her lips were full, just like Rory's.
I stared down at her, my chest tight. "Wow," I whispered.
"Do you want to hold her?" Rory asked, her gaze on me.
"Can I?" I asked softly.
She smiled.
I carefully scooped her up, holding her gently. My heart raced. She was so warm and soft. She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my life.
"Raphael?" Rory called.
"Hmm?"
She giggled. "Are you crying?"
I hadn't realized that. The tears were rolling down my cheeks and my eyes were stinging. I wiped my eyes, laughing. "Shut up," I replied. "It's just...she's perfect. Just like you."
Rory was crying too, but she was laughing. I moved toward her and kissed her. "Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you so much."
She cupped my face and kissed me back. Then she glanced at our daughter and sighed. "I love you."
"I love you, too," I replied, handing the baby back to her. "I read that newborns should be in their mother's arms for at least an hour after birth. It helps with the bonding."
Rory laughed. "Please don't tell me you looked up baby facts."
"Of course I did. Last night," I said, leaning in and kissing her cheek.
She was gazing down at the baby and it made my heart thud. My mind flashed to the first time I met her. I had no idea then, at that bar that Rory would become one of the most important people in my life. I had no idea that I would want nothing more than to protect her and our child.
Our child.
She had stopped crying and her little fingers were wrapped around one of Rory's.
"Have you both decided on a name?" a nurse asked.
Rory looked up at me. Then she smiled at the nurse. "Her name is Elodie," she said, softly.
"Elodie Barlowe," the nurse repeated. "That's beautiful."
"Welcome to the world, Elodie," Rory whispered.
"I'll be back," I said. "Callie might be here and I'm sure she'll want to see you."
She nodded, looking up at me. I kissed her forehead and left the room, walking back into the hallway. The boys were still there and they were talking to Callie. When she saw me, she grinned. "I heard the baby's cries. Is she okay? How's Rory?"
"She's good," I said. "And I'm going to be a girl dad."
"Fuck yes!" Rex said, slapping his palms together.
"Congratulations man," Mason said, patting me on the shoulder.
"Can I go see her?" Callie asked.
"I think so," I said, glancing at the door. "The nurses will have to clean her up and I'm sure Rory will need her rest soon but for now, yes, I think so."
Callie hurried past me and into the room.
"Are you nervous?" Mason asked as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"Yeah. You should see her. She's so pretty and so small and so...what if I mess things up?"
He chuckled. "We'll straighten you out. She doesn't just have one dad. She has four uncles."
I grinned. "Well, that's one lucky girl."
"Damn right she is," Rex said.
Through a little window parting in the door, I could see Callie bending over Rory, her mouth parted as she fawned over the baby. Rory smiled and it was the most beautiful smile. I made a silent promise right then. I was going to be the best father to our daughter.
And some day, the best husband to her.