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I waddled around the table, bringing Piper her breakfast before she had to go off to school. She had her earbuds in, so I pulled one out and reminded, “No music at the table.”
She grumbled something as I walked back to the stove.
I whirled around as fast as my pregnant body would let me. “What was that?”
Piper pulled out her other earbud and picked up her fork with a sigh. “Nothing, Mom.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Lord, give me strength. If her teenage attitude was going to be anything like her preteen one, we were in for a tough road ahead of us.
Just then, Lincoln walked into the kitchen. He placed a hand on my belly and pressed a kiss to my lips. “How are my three favorite girls this morning?”
“Fine,” Piper grumbled. She was not a morning person, just like me.
“Hey, you better lose that attitude, missy,” Lincoln warned as he walked to the table. “You’re too pretty to have a scowl on your face.”
A small smile curved our daughter’s lips. She was a total daddy’s girl through and through.
“That’s better.” Lincoln leaned down and kissed the top of Piper’s head. “Don’t give your momma too much trouble.”
I chuckled as Lincoln sat next to Piper at the table. I made him a plate of the scrambled eggs and bacon I’d prepared, then carried it to the table. Halfway there, I stopped as a shooting pain assaulted my abdomen, making me drop the plate. The dish shattered on the floor as I clutched my stomach, clenching my eyes shut in pain.
I heard the legs of the chair screech against the wood as Lincoln’s frantic voice filled my ears. “Liv, are you okay?”
His hands covered mine on my stomach as I took deep breaths. Wet warmth streamed down my legs, and I opened my eyes to look down at the puddle on the floor. I glanced up at Lincoln. “I think my water just broke.”
His eyes widened. “Okay. Okay! Piper, get your mom’s hospital bag and get in the car.”
Piper did as she was told as Lincoln guided me around the broken plate and liquid on the floor. “Everything’s going to be all right.” He smiled down at me. “We’re having a baby.”
Even though I was in excruciating pain, I beamed with happiness inside. I couldn’t wait to hold our daughter and not have to give her away to someone else.
Lincoln led me to the car where Piper was already sitting in the back seat with my bag. A few weeks ago, the doctor advised us to have a bag packed and ready to go just in case I went into labor early. I was so glad we listened.
My husband opened the passenger door for me and helped me get in. As he buckled me in, another jolt of pain ripped through me, making me cry out.
“Is Mom going to be okay, Dad?” Piper’s voice was anxious and full of worry as she placed her hand on my shoulder.
“She’s going to be fine. Just having a baby is all.”
Closing my eyes, I focused on my breathing, just as I’d practiced in our parenting class. I heard the car door close, and a few seconds later, the engine started, and we were backing out of the driveway.
“You … need … to … call … Piper’s … school,” I said between breaths.
Lincoln reached over and grabbed my hand. “I will, sweetheart. Don’t you worry about anything; just focus on your breathing.”
Thankfully, the drive to the hospital was only a few minutes. Everything was a blur as I was admitted and taken to a room. Lincoln was by my side the whole time, and I didn’t know how I’d made it through life without him. He was my backbone, my other half, which only took me ten years to realize.
Several hours later, Penelope Grace Bennett entered the world. Tears filled my eyes as they placed her on my chest. Her cries, the feel of her skin against mine, and her smell all brought me back to the day Piper was born. I almost laughed as the joy of being able to keep her sank in. I didn’t have to sign any papers or hand my daughter over to strangers under the watchful eye of my father. I didn’t have to deal with the emotional loss as my body healed from giving birth to a baby I didn’t get to hold in my arms or nurse.
I glanced up at Lincoln as he pressed a kiss to my sweaty forehead. His stormy blue eyes were glassy as he looked at me with such love and adoration. “I love you, Liv. Thank you for blessing me with our beautiful girls.”
He moved to press a gentle kiss on Penelope’s head. A smile curved my lips as her tiny hand wrapped around his thick finger, and her cries stopped. She stared at her father with wonder, her little eyes blinking as they tried to adjust to the world.
I was the one who was blessed. We would’ve never made it to that point if it weren’t for Lincoln. He never gave up on me, so certain we were meant to be together; that we were meant to be a family.
And he was right. I should’ve believed in him, in us, from the very beginning. We’d lost precious years because of my stubbornness and doubts, but I’d spend the rest of my life making up for it. He and our girls were more than worth it.
* * *
