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“There you go,” Dr. Griffin says. “Rest up for a moment, then we’re going to go in again. The head is crowning, so we’re almost there, okay?”
Adeline nods, sweat pouring down her face, her robe barely covering her.
“Daddy, support her back when she pushes. Help her crouch forward,” Dr. Griffin says.
I nod, wishing I had eight hands to help her even more. I feel worthless here. She’s doing all the hard work.
The doctor tells her to push again, and Adeline moves up, pushing. I place one hand on her upper back and use my other to hold her leg as I count down with everyone else in the room.
“The head is out. Stop for a moment,” Dr. Griffin says.
My stomach does this weird swooping sensation. Whether it’s excitement or nerves, I don’t know.
“Beautiful,” her mom says, and I want to look, but I’m not sure what to do.
Adeline somehow notices my trepidation because she’s amazing like that. “Go ahead and look if you want.”
I glimpse past her leg, and holy shit, a lot is going on down there. But I see a full head of dark hair, then Dr. Griffin does something and I hear our baby cry. Adeline smiles and lies back on the bed. I squeeze her hand as unshed tears clog my vision.
“Now let’s push and get this baby out so he or she can meet their mama.” Dr. Griffin cradles the head. “Okay, here comes another contraction, let’s go again.”
Adeline pushes, and her face turns red. She appears more determined than before.
“We’ve almost got the shoulders out. Let’s keep going. Push again.”
Barely getting a break, Adeline gets up, her movements slow, her fatigue showing, but she doesn’t complain.
“You’re doing great, baby. You’re so strong,” I whisper in her ear. “You’re going to be the best mom, I just know it.”
Our eyes lock for a moment right before the doctor says, “She’s out! Congratulations, you two, you have a daughter.” Dr. Griffin holds up our daughter for a moment.
“A girl?” Adeline smiles at me, then her mom.
“I’m gonna be a girl dad?” I ask in disbelief, overwhelmed by all the feelings rushing through me.
Adeline turns to me, tears filling her eyes. “And you’ll be amazing.”
A nurse places our daughter in Adeline’s arms, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders, peering down at the most beautiful baby girl who ever existed in the history of the world.
Chapter16
Adeline
Clover Rose Siska loves her daddy.
We came home from the hospital two days ago, and she’s already managed to wrap Damon around her finger.
I lean my shoulder against the nursery door frame, watching Damon pick up our little girl out of her crib and cradle her in his arms. He takes her to where he usually does—the lounger he found at the baby store that he was obsessed with. As he sits, he notices me in the doorway.
“I got this one. Go get some sleep.”
I step in and sit gently on the floor, still a little tender. “I’m already up.” Plus, I love watching him with her, but I won’t say that.
I know I should be tired, but I feel as if I’m wired on some energy drink. My mom swears the exhaustion will come. It probably doesn’t help that Damon’s parents and brother are coming tomorrow to meet Clover. I’m nervous because I never used the interior designer, opting to do it with Damon. We actually make a pretty good team—better than I would have thought.
His eyes never leave Clover’s. He’s mastered the swaddle already, and I worry that maybe he’s a more natural parent than I am. He even managed to figure out how to open that damn stroller with one hand.
“All the other parents think they have a beautiful baby, but that’s just because they haven’t seen ours,” he says in what I’ve come to think of as his baby voice. He’s smirking at Clover. God, I love that smirk.
