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“Sure.”
Kim hands me a pair of scissors and guides me where to cut the fleshy string connecting mother and son. After that, the flurry of the labor fades and we focus on our newborn son, who has fallen asleep. Once the placenta is out and Kim tells us that Amanda is healthy, my nerves settle a bit. However, when Kim does a checkup on our Chase and he lets out a loud wail, I tense up again.
I watch her as she weighs him. “Is he okay? Is he in pain?”
Kim laughs. “Don’t worry. He is fine,” she says while dressing him in a diaper.
“If he is okay, why is he still crying?”
Kim smiles and places Chase back on Amanda’s chest. The second he touches her skin, he stops crying as if someone just pressed mute on a remote control.
“This is the power of skin-to-skin contact. Snuggling your baby close to your body is the best way to help them adjust after emerging from the safe environment of their mother’s womb.”
I look down in amazement as my son peacefully rests against Amanda’s chest.
Kim grabs a large, fluffy blanket and places it over both of them before saying her last congratulations for our birth. “I am downstairs if you need me. I will leave the three of you alone for a few minutes.”
After she leaves the room, I turn to Amanda.
“Are you okay?” she asks, glancing at me.
“You’ve just been through hours of pain and you’re asking me if I’m okay?”
She smirks.
I gently trace my fingertips across her cheek. “I’ll love you forever, Amanda.”
“Take your shirt off,” she mumbles.
My brow furrows in confusion. “What?”
“You heard what Kim said. Chase needs skin-to-skin contact. So do as I say, Mr. Fox.”
She gives me an expectant look and I comply, tugging off my shirt and tossing it away before settling back down onto the bed beside her. When I’m comfortable, Amanda places him in my arms. His little body is so small and delicate. I study his tiny face in awe and gape in shock when he wraps his tiny fist around my index finger. I press a gentle kiss to his knuckles and declare softly, “No worries, little man, from now on Daddy will always be here to keep you safe.”
My breath catches in my throat as he opens his eyes—they are deep brown.
Amanda touches his cheek tenderly and tells him, “You are perfect, Chase Fox.”
It looks like he tries to give a little smirk at the sound of his name and my heart bursts with pride and joy at this incredible being who we created together with love. Is life really this good?
When I spot Amanda next to me with adoration in her eyes, a surge of contentment fills my soul. I’m the luckiest man alive that this extraordinary girl loves me, despite all the hardships I’ve put her through. From not letting her get close for many years, to pushing her away and causing her suffering when I was down. She has been the strong one throughout. And now we have a child together.
Kim knocks before reentering the room. “Oh wow,” she says, gazing at us. This is a moment you want to capture in a photo. “Would you like me to take a few pictures?”
“Yes!” we both say simultaneously. She grabs my phone from the nightstand and positions the camera at us. “Say parents,” she jokes before taking a few photos.
After twelve hours,I brush my fingers against my face, stepping into the bedroom where Amanda is nursing Chase. Our first day as parents has been both tiring and incredible. Learning how to change diapers was a tricky process; I watched Kim do it so effortlessly, but as soon as it was my turn, it was like I was doing battle with an infant. He didn’t like it and peed on himself, screaming in surprise as the pee splashed his face. But when I pulled him close to my chest, he settled down and snuggled against me.
We called our friends and family two hours after his birth, who suggested that we take the day to cherish this moment. Amanda’s mom and dad asked if they could come over right away and greet their grandson, which filled my heart with happiness as they hugged and kissed him.
Just as I walk into the bedroom, my son Chase releases a loud burp and I laugh.
“Right on cue,” she says, handing him over to me. “I need to use the restroom.”
I take him and hold him against my chest before striding out the door. “Time for a tour through your new home, young man.” I make my way through each room of the house, introducing him to them all, but when I come to our photo wall in the living room, I pause. A wave of sadness washes over me as I look up and see my parents’ cheerful faces.
With a quivering voice, I say, “Mom, Dad. This is Chase Alexander Fox. Your first grandchild.”
