“You’re gonna do great, Sunny,” I remind her as I brush a strand of hair out of her face. “And I’ll be here every step of the way.”
Dr. Mitchell strolls in and sits on the swivel chair at the foot of the bed. She examines Charley, then explains how she’s to push on the next contraction. It’s go-time a moment later, and Charley is incredible. With each push, I’m holding one of her legs back while a nurse holds the other, and in between, I’m applying a cool washcloth, alternating between her forehead and the back of her neck. The delivery is slow going, and after about an hour, I can tell how exhausted and defeated Charley is.
“You’re doing amazing, Sunny,” I assure her.
“I can’t do this anymore,” she says, her eyes finding mine. Her whole body is trembling, like she’s cold, but I know that’s not the case. “I’m tired, Graham.”
“You cando this,” Dr. Mitchell cuts in. “I know you’re tired and you want to give up, but youcando this, Charley. What you’re doing right now is one of the hardest things a human being can do. But listen to me when I say you’re not alone, and you’re so much stronger than you feel right now. You’ve come this far, and your baby is so close.” Dr. Mitchell continues with an encouraging smile. “Every single push gets you closer to meeting them. I wouldn’t ask you to keep going if I didn’t know you could do this. You are strong, Charley, and you’re doing so good.”
“Sunny, look at me,” I murmur softly, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the washcloth. “I’m so damn proud of you. You’re doing so good. You are the strongest woman I’ve ever known.” My voice cracks, and I clear my throat. “If I could take all of this from you and take your place, I would in a heartbeat. But right now, I’m in awe of you. I know you’re tired, but you have to keep going. We have a baby to meet.”
Charley’s bottom lip quivers as she nods before shifting her gaze to the doctor. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Nodding, Dr. Mitchell says, “That’s it. Take this next contraction one moment at a time; don’t think about how many more you may have to do. You have to do this one, and we’ll do it together, okay?”
“Okay. I need to push.”
“Yes, you do. You’ve got this, Charley. Take a big deep breath, and then push with everything you’ve got. You are so strong, and you’re so close.”
After a couple more pushes, Dr. Mitchell glances at me. “Okay, Dad, you wanna help catch your baby?”
Heart thrashing in my chest, goose bumps blossom all over my skin as I look from Charley to her. “Y-yes. Am I allowed to do that?”
“You absolutely can.” She nods and smiles before a nurse helps me into gloves and a gown. Then Dr. Mitchell positions me at the foot of the bed. “Alright, I’ve got you. Crouch right here between her legs— Yes, just like that. Place your hands right here,” she instructs.
I peer up at Charley, and we share a smile before it’s time for her to push again.
Once the baby crowns, Dr. Mitchell says, “You’re doing great, Charley.” Then she looks at me. “When she pushes during the next contraction, the baby’s head is going to come out a little more. Support it gently with your hands. Don’t pull, just keep your hands there to guide.”
“Okay, got it.” Blood whooshes in my ears as anticipation builds in my chest. When the head emerges, my throat tightens and tears spring to my eyes. “They’ve got your dark hair, Sunny,” I murmur.
“Perfect, you’re doing great, Graham,” Dr. Mitchell offers. “Make sure you support the head. Good, good. There you go.On the next push, the shoulders will come. When you see them, you’ll need to gently lift the baby toward her belly. Ready?”
I nod, swiping my tongue across my lips, trying to bring moisture back to my mouth. “Ready.”
“Okay, Charley, I need you topush. You’ve got this, girl,” she says.
Charley gives it her all. I’m so fucking proud of her. From there, everything happens so fast. Everything except Charley, this baby, and what Dr. Mitchell is saying to me fades away. Their shoulders emerge, the whole thing incredible.
“There it is. Good. Nice and easy, Graham— Yes, like that,” Dr. Mitchell murmurs as Charley pushes one last time. “That’s it, great job. You did it!”
“It’s a boy, Sunny! He’s a boy,” I cry, our baby boy now in my hands. Blinking repeatedly, trying to clear the tears blurring my vision, I gently bring him to Charley’s chest. “You did it, Sunny! You did it! I’m so proud of you.”
Tears cascade down her face as she wraps her arms around the baby, her body relaxing into the bed. “Oh my god,” she cries. “Hi baby, I’m your mom. Look at you, you’re so beautiful.”
Leaning in, I kiss Charley’s forehead before doing the same to our son. “You did it,” I breathe. “I love you, Sunny. I love you so much. I’m so proud of you.”
With tears in her eyes, she peers up at me. “I love you.”
“You want to cut the umbilical cord, Dad?” Dr. Mitchell asks a moment later.
“Absolutely, I do!”
Once that’s done, one of the nurses swaddles our son before handing him to me. “Congratulations,” she says.
“Thank you.” A smile spreads across my face as tears fall hot down my cheeks. “Hi, peanut,” I whisper, taking in his every little feature. “He’s so tiny…and perfect.”
“He’s so perfect,” Charley murmurs, her voice shaky.
