“Micah! Get in here,” I yell down the hall. Micah comes running around the corner with towels and a blanket tucked under her chin.
“Move,” she says as she runs past me into my bedroom.
Kathleen is in the bathroom, on the floor. While in the middle of a family dinner here at the house, she started to feel strange, so she got up and waddled (yes, waddled – she is due any day now) to the bathroom. After a couple minutes, I heard her yelling. When I got to the bathroom, there was water all over the place.
After, stupidly, asking her if she peed all over the floor, she informed me her water broke. Micah and Kelly came to her rescue. Thank God they were here because I had no idea what to do.
Kathleen is whimpering on the floor, and my whole body is tense. I want to help her, but I’m useless. Zant and Chance keep telling me to get out of the way, but I don’t listen to them. I need to be near her. I need to make sure she’s ok.
When she screams again, I’m running to the front door to see if the ambulance has made it. She refused to let me pick her up and put her in the truck. She told me to call 9-1-1, and I still don’t think that was the right decision.
“Where are they?” Zant comes up behind me and puts his hand on my shoulder. “Be patient man. She’s ok. It’ll probably be hours still, before the baby is born.”
I don’t want to hear all his advice. That’s not his wife in there on the floor, screaming. “I know what you’re thinking dude, and you are wrong. I know what you’re going through. Mi hadtwoin there. I was a nervous wreck. You were there. You saw what happened. But she’s in there, helping your wife. Kelly and Bone were fine. It will be the same for Katie and your baby. Just watch.”
I slowly calm down as he talks, and I reflect on the delivery of my sisters’ kids. I know Kathleen has this. We’ve been to all the classes and we’ve read all the books. She’s got this. I’ve got this.
We are about to have a baby.
I spin around to Zant, and he has a smirk on his face. “Don’t do it man.”
“I swear, I’m going to pass out.”
“You’re not.”
Right then, lights run across the walls. “Ambulance is here,” I yell. A couple seconds later, my wife is being assisted down the hall by Micah and Kelly. I didn’t think my heart could love her more. It does.
~
“Where’s Aunt Katie?” Nova says, when she sees me. I look at Micah and mouth a thank you to her.
She wasn’t going to bring the kids, but I convinced her to go get just Nova.
She needs to be here. Kathleen has had her involved from the very beginning. Nova has helped in every detail. We don’t know what the baby is, but Nova has done an amazing job in decorating the nursery, so it fits either gender.
I kneel down and she comes to me. Worry is all over her face. “She’s in there. She’s ok and so is the baby. They are just getting her ready.”
She nods, but my words don’t easy her mind any. I know that feeling.
“Do you want to be in there with us?” I’ve thought this through, and I’ve talked to Micah about it. Nova is ten. This may traumatize her, and it may not. I’m willing to take my chances.
“Yes,” she says, without hesitation. “I was hoping you were going to ask.”
I stand up and take Nova’s hand in mine. Together we enter Kathleen’s delivery room.
~
“One more push, Katie,” the doctor says. Nova and I are on either side of her, telling her how great she is doing and to keep it up.
“Here we go,” the doctor says, and my eyes go to his. After what seems like forever, we hear a loud cry coming from the end of the bed. “Alright mom and dad, here is your daughter.”
“A girl!!” Nova screams. “Yes!” She fist bumps the air and we all laugh. Kathleen is laughing and crying at the same time. I move down to the other end of the bed when the doctor shows me my daughter for the first time.
My heart stops for a second. I thought all that talk about instant love for your baby was a lie. Yes, I love Nova, Axel, and Bone, but this is so different. My heart literally swells so big and this little girl puts her stamp all over it.
“Oh my gosh, Levi, bring her to me.” The nurse hands me the scissors to cut the cord. Nova watches everything. I see her out of the corner of my eye, watching me and the baby. I can already tell. She’s going to be the perfect babysitter.
I gently take the baby after the nurse wraps her in a blanket, and I take her to Kathleen.
