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Trace was pacing nervously back and forth across the room as he called our family. When he hung up, he continued pacing. I was tempted to shuck something at him to get him to stop. He was making me more nervous than I already was.
“Please, for the sake of my sanity, sit down,” I begged.
“Sorry,” he took the chair beside me. I reached my hand out to him and he took it. With his long fingers, he spun the hospital band around my wrist. He stopped, focusing on something. “Is that little man’s heartbeat?”
“Yeah, it is,” I smiled at the sweet sound. Nothing was as precious to me as our baby’s heartbeat.
“It’s beautiful.” Tears welled in his eyes and I reached out to cup his cheek.
“You’ve heard it before,” I stated.
“I know,” he bit his lip. “But it gets to me every time…it’s our baby.”
I knew what he meant. When I’d found out I was pregnant, I couldn’t even begin to describe how elated I was. When I saw the baby on a sonogram for the first I cried for ten minutes. Hearing the heartbeat…there was nothing else like it.
“I never could have imagined that a year ago that we’d be here,” he looked around the room. “It seems so surreal that we’re here…that you’re having my baby.”
“Believe it,” I rubbed my stomach, grimacing as a contraction rolled through my body. “I hate you for this,” I hissed, so overcome by the pain that I forgot how happy I’d been a few moments ago.
“I’m sorry,” he sat up to kiss my forehead. “If I could switch places with you, I would.”
I evened out my breathing as the pain faded away.
From that moment on the contractions quickly escalated. Apparently little man had decided it was time for him to make his grand entrance. I begged for drugs but there was no time. Trace brushed my hair away from my face, murmuring sweet words.
Gripping Trace’s hand, I pushed our baby into the world. Tears leaked out of both our eyes as we saw our son for the first time. Even covered in goo he was the cutest thing I had ever seen.
“I love you so much,” Trace murmured and kissed me deeply.
“I love you too,” I sobbed, watching as they cleaned my son. I held my arms out weakly, desperate to hold the small bundle they were wrapping. He was a part of me, of us, and I needed him.
The nurse placed him in my arms. “Congratulations you two,” she smiled.
My breath left me as I gazed down into the eyes of my son. Dark hair poked out beneath the knit blue cap they’d stuck on his head, and his eyes, although the blue babies were born with, held a hint of green. His nose was rounded on the end, exactly like Trace’s, and he even had his dad’s pouty lips. I think I’d given birth to Trace’s clone. Little man would be breaking hearts all over the place.
“He’s real,” Trace gasped, reaching out to rub the baby’s head.
“Of course he’s real,” I laughed. ?
?What did you think had been growing inside me the last nine months?”
He chuckled. “It doesn’t seem like this should be possible…that he’s ours.”
“He is one-hundred percent ours. Crying, screaming, and dirty diapers included,” I smiled up at him.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“Thank you? For what?” My brows furrowed together in puzzlement.
“For giving me this gift,” he ran a finger over the curve of the baby’s cheek. “He’s perfect.”
“I have to agree with you there,” I smiled as the baby yawned. I was sure there had never been a cuter baby. His eyes closed and he opened his mouth in a small yawn. I didn’t want to let go of the baby, but I knew Trace deserved to hold his son. “Here, take him,” I held my arms out so he could take the baby. Family would be arriving soon to meet the baby and I wanted Trace to have time with him first.
The baby looked so small in Trace’s large hands. He stood, rocking the baby in his arms. Slowly, he lifted the baby up and leaned his forehead against our newborn son’s.
“Hey buddy, I’m your daddy,” he whispered to the sleeping baby. “I’m new at all this so you’ll have to bear with me,” he continued. “But I want you to know I love you and I’ll always protect you. No one will ever hurt you.” He kissed the baby’s nose and murmured, “I love you, Dean.”
Tears welled in my eyes once more as I watched Trace with Dean. My son had the best dad in the world, I was sure of that.
