Page 150 of I Loved You First

She batted her lashes. “I wonder what we should do?”

“Be with me, Fi. Right here at our special place.”

She nodded as his mouth met hers. Because there was nowhere else she wanted to be.

epilogue

Cam slid his hands up and down Fiona’s back as she buried her face against his neck, vocalizing her way through another contraction.

“That’s the way,” he encouraged as she stood on her knees in the warm depths of the birthing pool, wearing only her black sports bra. He’d set them up by the French doors in the master suite—by Fi’s favorite view of the lake—but there wasn’t much to see as midnight approached.

“There’s so much pressure,” she moaned as the latest surge passed. Because the last had barely given her any time to catch her breath.

She’d been all smiles and excitement when her water broke just before dinner. Her happy spirits had continued throughout Brady’s bedtime routine as she rolled with a bit of discomfort. She’d been thrilled when they welcomed his mom, Stella, and Melody as part of their support team just before nine.

But things changed quickly after Fi had taken a shower—when she could no longer speak through her contractions and Mindy, their midwife, suggested that they get the pool filled up if Fiona still planned to give birth in the water.

“There’s so much pressure,” she repeated, lifting her head and holding his gaze in the candlelight.

The vulnerability and pain were there for him to see in her big brown eyes. He hated the helplessness of knowing that there was nothing he could do to make any of this better. “You’ve got this, Fi,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You’re doing such a great job.”

“Another one,” she said, resting her head in the crook of his neck. But this time, she grabbed hold of his hand, gripping his fingers as she grunted.

He clenched his jaw as her wedding band dug into his fingers, but he welcomed the minor discomfort as Fi went through it. “Relax your hands, Fiona. Try to relax your hands.”

Her grunts grew louder—more primal. “I’m pushing,” she said. “I can’t stop pushing.”

“Go with it,” Mindy encouraged as Fi continued to bear down while Melody took pictures of their experience. “Your body knows exactly what to do.”

Fi quieted as her breathing steadied out when the contraction ebbed, lifting her head to look at him again. “Cam.”

He slid her hair back from her sweaty forehead, hearing her plea for help in one simple syllable. “It’s almost over. We’re about to meet our little one.”

She nodded before she bore down again, trembling with her effort to birth their baby.

“That’s it,” he whispered next to her ear. “That’s it, Fi.”

Moments later, she lifted her head when the contraction passed, accepting a sip of the electrolyte water his mother offered her. “The pressure… I can feel him. I can feel him coming.”

“Do you want me to stay here with you, or do you still want me to catch him?”

“I want you to catch him. I want us to be the first ones to touch him.”

Nodding, he stepped into the pool with her, wearing a pair of black athletic shorts, crouching down as Fiona turned to sit on her bottom.

“Give me your hand, sweet girl,” Stella said, taking Cam’s place on the stool as his mom wiped Fi’s brow with a cool cloth.

“You’re so close, mama,” he encouraged, settling his palms on her knees, offering the only support he could from his new position in the water.

She bore down again as Mindy moved closer with a flashlight, showing Fiona’s progress as the baby started to crown. “It’s burning! It’s burning so much!”

“Fiona, I want you to blow,” Mindy instructed. “Pant your baby’s head out.”

Cam panted with Fiona as she stared into his eyes, aware that she was struggling to maintain control through the agony. “Just like that, Fi.”

Then he looked down to see the baby’s head emerging. “Fi, he’s just about here. His head is out.” As they waited for her next contraction, he reached for her trembling hand, remembering all that she wanted to experience during the birth. They had no idea if they would have the opportunity to do this again, so this would be everything Fi had hoped for. “Feel him. Feel our son.”

She touched the top of his head. “Our baby.”