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“Good. We need you to push, when I tell you.”
My eyes widen and dart over to Adrian. “What if I end up being a horrible mom?”
Adrian comes to stand next to me and takes my hand in his. He brings it up to his lips for a kiss and lowers the mask.
After pressing a kiss on each one of my knuckles, he gives me a blindingly white smile, the same one that made me fall in love with him.
My stomach gives an odd little dip. “That’s not an answer.”
“I thought it was pretty obvious.” Adrian chuckles and squeezes my hand. “You’re going to be an amazing mom. And you’re not going to do it alone.”
I grip his hand tighter as a wave of pain washes over me. “You better not leave me.”
“I won’t,” Adrian promises, before pressing another kiss to the center of my hand. He smiles and stands up straighter. “Are you ready?”
Another wave of contractions wash over me, and I falter. “I don’t know.”
Doctor Pierce’s head disappears, and I feel her cold fingers between my legs. I release a sharp hiss of pain and try to inch away from her. “Doc, what are you doing?”
“You’re fully dilated.” Doctor Pierce looks back up at me, and her brows are furrowed together. “On the count of three, I’m going to need you to push.”
I prop myself up on my elbow and square my shoulders. “On three or after three?”
“After.” Doctor Pierce glances at Adrian and then at me. “One, two, three. Push.”
I release a deep breath and use every ounce of energy at my disposal. My entire body hurts, my muscles aching and screaming in protest.
I’m panting heavily now, and sweating like crazy. Still, I’m dimly aware of Doctor Pierce’s voice in the background, urging me on.
Adrian still has my hand in his, and he drapes his free arm over my shoulders. Now he is whispering something into my ear, but I can’t make out what he’s saying.
My body is folding in on itself.
It feels like I’ve run a mile.
At Doctor Pierce’s behest, I give another strong push and heave a shaky breath. “Is it over? Can I stop now?”
Doctor Pierce shakes her head. “Not yet, but you’re almost there. Come on, just a few more pushes.”
I collapse against the pillow and shake my head, slowly at first then faster and faster. “I can’t. I can’t. Just get them out of me some other way.”
“Breathe,” Adrian whispers, into my ear. He squeezes my hand tighter. “You can do it, D. Just focus on me.”
I twist my head to look at him and study his handsome face.
It calms the erratic racing of my heart, but the discomfort is still there. I refused epidural at first but at one point I couldn't take the pain anymore.
Doctor Pierce’s hands are on my knees now, cold and urgent. I swallow, keep my gaze on Adrian, and inhale through my nose then out through my mouth.
I do this a few more times until spots dance in my field of vision, and I can barely hold myself up.
Before I collapse against the pillow again, a sharp cry fills the room.
Through my blurry vision, I struggle to sit up. Doctor Pierce’s head emerges again, and even through her mask, I can tell she’s beaming.
“It’s a girl,” Doctor Pierce says, a smile in her voice. “She’s a beautiful and healthy baby girl.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a flash of movement. The nurse put the baby on my chest for a few seconds, and then whisks her away.
