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“No! Not in my new car. Wait! You’re still wet from peeing!”
I shook my head. “I didn’t pee! My water broke!”
“I hope that doesn’t stain.”
My eyes were closed. “Are you still bleeding, and are you really worried about that right now, Finn?”
I could hear him open the glove box.
“Nope. I’m good on both counts.”
We somehow made it to the hospital and safely up to the labor and delivery floor. Finn’s nose started to bleed again, and the nurses had to tend to it. It wasn’t lost on me that it took three of them to stop the nosebleed.
Right as I got settled into my bed and asked the nurse for the magical shot that made all the pain go away, Finn walked in with Harmony.
“I found your poor husband practically being raped by a couple of nurses.”
Finn rolled his eyes and walked to the side of the bed. Leaning down, he kissed me gently on the lips. “Have I told you how beautiful you are?”
“You have, but I sure could hear it again.”
“She’s dilated ten centimeters. Page Doctor Tilly now,” the nurse said.
“What?” Finn and I said in unison.
Harmony started for the door. “So this is my cue to take it on back to the waiting room.”
“Harmony!” I yelled out. “You can’t leave. What if he passes out?”
“Hey, I’m not going to pass out.”
Just then the doctor walked in. It hardly made an impact on me. Between all the people rushing in and out of the room, Finn being hit on by nurses, and the pain from the small human trying to rip itself out of my body, I didn’t know which way was up or which way was down.
I glared at Harmony. “You owe me—you’re not leaving.” Focusing in on the doctor, I stated, “I need drugs, Doctor. They’re coming…so fast now. So. Fast.”
He glanced up and made a face that said, Oh shit, sorry but I can’t help you with that request. “Too late, Rory. Your baby wants to make her debut.”
“Or. Him,” I said between pants.
Doctor Tilly chuckled. “Or him. All right. Finn, you ready to do this?”
“I’m ready.”
“Another one is coming,” I said as I squeezed Finn’s hand.
“That’s it, Éan. I’m heeeerrrreee—holy shit, she’s trying to break my hand!”
Harmony stood behind the doctor. “I’m going to stand here. Don’t worry, Rory: I’m a nurse—I’ve seen everything. I’m here for when Finn passes out again.”
I nodded and looked at Finn. He was glaring at Harmony.
“I’m sorry about your hand,” I told him.
With a wink, Finn kissed my lips. “Don’t worry, baby. I’m…ohh…ow!”
Another contraction had hit.
Harmony leaned forward. “Is that…”
“…the head. Yes, she’s crowning.”
“What!” I cried out.
“Give me another push, Rory.”
“Already?” I asked.
“Yep—you’ve got one baby in a serious rush. One more good push and I think we’ve got him or her.”
I sat up and pushed with all my might. The pain was almost too much to bear, but Finn was right there, telling me I could do it, how much he loved me, and how if I needed to break his hand he would understand.
The pressure and pain were unreal, then they were instantly gone. The sounds of our baby’s cries filled the air.
Doctor Tilly looked up and said, “You have one very demanding daughter.”
Finn fist-pumped and turned to me. Tears streamed down his face. “You did it. You were amazing. Baby, I don’t know how you did that. It was so fast!”
I couldn’t talk. The happiness felt as if it were filling my entire body and I would explode if I tried to speak.
Finn cut the cord, and they placed our daughter on my chest.
I silently cried as I stared at her. Her blue eyes met mine, and I knew I’d never experienced such love before in my life.
“Hey, baby girl. We’ve been waiting for you.”
Reaching down, Finn kissed her forehead, then softly stroked her cheek. Turning to me, he said, “I really owe your dad an apology. He was right when he told me that one day, when I had a daughter I’d understand.”
Both of us laughing, our eyes met.
“Thank you,” I said, and he looked taken aback.
“For?”
“Pushing me into that first date. Fighting for our love.”
A tear fell from his eyes and landed on the baby’s blanket. “I’ll always fight for our love, Éan. Always.”
The nurse walked over and gazed down at our daughter. “Do we have a name for baby Ward?”
“Yes,” I whispered as I watched her little hand grasp my finger.
Finn kissed my forehead, then our daughter’s, before looking up at the nurse and answering, “Karleigh Angela Ward.”
“Beautiful name, Mom and Dad.”
Glancing around the room, I looked for Harmony. “Wait. Where’s Harmony?”
The nurse frowned. “She fainted and was removed from the room.”
“She fainted?” I asked with a stunned look on my face.
Finn broke into such a big smile I was sure it would be plastered on his face for good.
