Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78799 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78799 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
EPILOGUE
VAUGHN
Two years later…
“Push, push, push,” Lula chants, and Berkley grits her teeth. “Okay, perfect, take a breath.”
“This is all your fault,” she groans, and I can see on the monitor another contraction is forming. “You couldn’t keep your dick out of me.”
I hear Collins smother a snort from behind me as she comes around the bed with ice chips.
“To be fair, I didn’t do it by myself.” I choke on the last word as her hand reaches out and grabs my forearm and her nails dig into me. “I’m sorry!”
My shout is drowned out by Berkley’s as another contraction hits her.
“This is it, Berk. One more big push and your baby is here,” Lula says from between her legs.
“Come on, sister, you’ve got this.” Collins holds her other hand as she coaches Berkley through the pain and I’m so thankful she’s here.
I wish there was a way for me to take this pain from her, or at least help ease the pain, but she wanted to experience childbirth without drugs. There’s no way I could have done it without being knocked unconscious but my wife is so damn brave.
We’ve been all over the world together and I’ve seen her fearless determination not to let anything stand in her way. I’ve seen a new side of her during this pregnancy that has shown me just how strong she is. When she came to me and said she wanted to try for a natural birth I didn’t try and talk her out of it, even though I was scared shitless.
These past two years we’ve had together have been the best of my life and I can’t wait to meet our baby. We didn’t find out what we were having because Berkley wanted it to be a surprise. Deep down I think she wanted to put off having to admit I was right for as long as possible, because I know she’s giving me my baby girl.
“Okay, the head is through. One more big push, Berk, this is it!” Lula says as she grabs towels and works under the blue cloth.
“You said one more last time!” There’s a sob on the last word and I want to do something to make the pain go away.
“Look at me,” Collins calls out and Berkley’s eyes snap up. “You are going to push one more time and you’re going to do it now.”
They stare at one another for a long moment and that connection they share as sisters passes between them. It’s something I understand because I have it with my brothers, and thank God Berkley listens and nods.
“You got this, sweet thing.” I rub her lower back as she leans forward and pushes one final time.
“That’s it!” Lula calls, and then the room is filled with the sweet sounds of our newborn baby.
Berkley is sobbing as she falls back onto the hospital bed and I’ve got my own tears of joy and relief. I lean down and kiss her as I close my eyes and thank whoever it is above us for watching out for her.
“It’s a girl!” Collins shouts, and Berkley starts to laugh.
“You don’t have to say it,” I whisper against her lips. “At least not right now.”
“If I had the strength I’d smack you,” Berkley whispers back, but there’s no anger behind it. I lean back just in time to see her smile at me and I wink.
“You did it.”
“We did it,” she corrects, and I kiss her again.
“Here she is,” Lula says as she places our brand new baby girl into Berkley’s arms.
Berkley pulls her gown down and places our little one against her breasts and then Collins places a blanket over the two of them like a cocoon.
“She has your nose,” I say, wiping away my tears and crawling into bed beside them. “And your eyes.” I watch in wonder as the tiniest little hand reaches out and wraps around my finger. In that one moment I’m done for and I know that the rest of my life is forever changed. “And your hands.”
“I want to call her Iris after your mother,” Berkley says, and my heart moves to my throat.
I can’t answer her, I can only nod as I lean down and kiss the tiny hand and then my wife. I didn’t think I would be so affected, but seeing a tiny version of our love brought into the world has hit me like a brick wall. Just like the first time I saw Berkley.
“Oh my God, that’s the sweetest thing ever,” Collins cries out and we all turn to look at her. She’s sobbing like she’s the one that just had a baby, and in a way she sort of did. We’re all so close that sometimes their kids feel like our own and I know baby Iris is going to be the same for her. “Now I want Kade to knock me up again.”