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The orderly busts out laughing and lets my husband grab the wheelchair. He shoves him out of the way and then carefully helps me into the chair.
“Let him do it. Get my bag!” When he starts to argue, I nail him with a glare and he groans.
“Fine.”
I shoot the orderly a smile. “Let’s go! While he’s distracted.”
He grins and wheels me quickly.
It seems like forever and yet seconds later that I’m in a room and being hooked up to monitors, trying to calm my racing heart.
“Calm down, honey. You’ve got this. Everything looks good.” He stares at the screens and monitors. The door pushes open and my doctor pops in, smiling.
“That’s what I was going to say, Frederick. Stop taking my job.”
He sits down and she gets things situated. “This is going to take awhile,” she says, checking to see how dilated I am.
Hours and so much pain and struggle later and I’m weakening.
“I can’t do this anymore,” I pant, so tired that I just want to curl up in my bed and go to sleep.
“You can do this, Poppy. You’re the strongest woman I know. I’ve watched you take care of everyone in this town, even while I try to take care of you. You can do this. You’ve got to do this. Our baby needs you. And I know you won’t let them down.”
I feel a surge of power. I can do this. I sit up and Frederick moves behind me, holding me in his arms, letting me rest against his back, giving me his strength.
“Let’s do this, doc!” I grunt, wincing and bearing down with the next burning contraction that rolls over me.
Gritting my teeth, I push and feel my husband straining with me. “Come on, Poppy. You’ve got this!”
And with a last shriek, I hear her cry. Our daughter. I laugh, tears pouring down my face.
“Oh my god, she’s beautiful!” Frederick groans, kissing me lightly. “She looks just like her mama.”
I lie back, waiting, while they clean both of us, ignoring the poking and prodding.
“She is beautiful,” I whisper, tugging Frederick down by his tie. “But she might be the only one. That sucked, Dr. Knight.”
He laughs and kisses me hard and long and I feel that hunger rising in my belly.
“We’ll talk about that later.”
Both of us stare at our daughter, falling in love with the loud, squiggling little girl in those first seconds.
“Okay,” I sigh, holding out my arms for her. She stares up at me, her eyes blank and yet so damn beautiful.
“I love you, baby,” I whisper, kissing her cheek and laughing when she swats me with her hand.
Her red curls barely cover her head in a halo of fire. My husband grins. “She needs a name for all that fury.”
“I like Ember.”
“Perfect. Welcome to the world, Ember.” And I sigh and lean back into Frederick’s chest, letting my eyes close, knowing that no matter what, Ember and I are safe.
Because my husband will probably drive us crazy but as long as he loves us both, I’ll take it all with a smile.
“I love you, Frederick.”
“I love you, too, Poppy.”
