Rusty shifted and peered between her raised knees, then looked up at me. “Oh my God,” he murmured. “Sweetheart, one or two more big pushes.”
“I want Jacques here,” she cried, tears falling down her cheeks.
“I’m coming. I’m coming,” he said.
I could tell he was running. Fuck me, he was cutting it fine. He’d never forgive himself if he missed it. I sent up a prayer to the hockey gods to deliver him here in time and brushed my tears with my shoulders, taking care not to move Peanut’s head.
Carina choked out a cry that turned into a full scream as another contraction gripped her. She sucked in a breath and shouted, “Jacques Gauthier, get your fucking ass in here!”
Everything happened at once. The door slammed open and bounced off the wall. Jacques was holding the biggest teddy bear and bunch of roses I’d ever seen. He dropped them on the floor and dashed forward, moving straight to Carina’s other side where she held the sheets in a white-knuckled grip.
He took her hand and brushed a kiss on her forehead. “I’m here, beautiful. I’m here. You’re so fucking strong. You’ve got this, beautiful.”
Carina pushed, her breath coming out on a sob, and one of Peanut’s shoulders appeared, followed by the beginning of the other.
“You’re almost there, Carina. One last push,” Penny advised.
“I can’t,” she panted.
Jacques wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her temple.
“You can,” Rusty encouraged. “You’re a badass. Not a single one of us could have done this.”
“Suck it up,” Jacques taunted, and Carina stilled. Fire lit in her exhausted eyes, and she bared her teeth at him, a feral growl ripping from her throat.
“What the fuck?” Rusty breathed, anger etched in the set of his jaw and his tense muscles.
Carina clenched her jaw, and her nostrils flared as she sucked in a breath. She gripped Jacques’s hand so hard, I could hear the bones cracking, and she pushed one last time.
Peanut’s second shoulder emerged, and like a slippery seal, the rest of her tiny body slid out. I choked out a cry, looking at the tiniest human I’d ever seen.
Our baby girl.
With shaking hands, Carina tried to unbutton her shirt, but her fingers weren’t working properly. She’d been in labor for most of the day, exhaustion now overwhelming her. Her blood sugar levels were probably dangerously low too. I’d tried to get her to snack between early contractions, but she’d vomited most of it back up and hadn’t had anything except ice chips since.
Rusty held a glass of apple juice with a straw to Carina’s lips, and she took a few long sips while Jacques unbuttoned her damp shirt. The moment her chest was exposed, I passed Peanut over to her. I exhaled slowly and let the magic of the moment wash over me. I’d just delivered our baby girl. We were parents.
I watched as Penny worked around Carina, clipping and cutting the baby’s umbilical cord. I shifted so she could deliver the afterbirth and when she was done, Jacques laid a soft wrap over Carina and Peanut.
Carina cried, and Jacques wrapped them in his arms, rocking them gently. “I’m so fucking proud of you, beautiful. You are incredible. Rusty’s right, none of us could have done that.”
Our baby cried the tiniest little bleat, and my heart escaped my body, depositing itself straight at our little girl’s perfectly formed feet. Rusty reached for her, touching her scrunched up forehead with infinite gentleness, looking in wonder at her open mouth and the increasingly loud cries.
I’d always wanted kids, but they came with a side of terror—what if I turned out like my parents?—but in that moment, my fears were dashed. My entire world would revolve around this little one. I would give anything to protect her. I would move heaven and earth just to see her smile.
My whole future played like a reel in my mind’s eye. A little girl with dark, curly hair bounding into the house with Zeus hot on her heels. Each of us following her around with hearts in our eyes and smiles in our hearts.
Carina pulled back from Jacques’s arms and punched him in the nuts. He yelped and his knees buckled. He grasped the bed before crumpling to the floor and breathed through his nose, his eyes filling with tears.
“That’s for telling me to suck it up,” she muttered, unimpressed.
His voice cracked like a teenaged boy’s, and he gasped, “Motivation. Got you to channel your anger.”
“She’s perfect,” Rusty whispered, ignoring Carina and Jacques. “Hi, Peanut. I’m your daddy.” He brushed his little finger along Peanut’s, and she uncurled her fingers and gripped him. His breath left him in a whoosh, and I cuddled close when he wrapped an arm around my waist. “This is Dad, and your papa is over there, catching his breath. Your mommy did so good bringing you into the world,” he added.
One of the nurses placed the flowers and teddy on the bed before filling up a vase. Everything happening around us was controlled chaos, but we were in a bubble of serenity. We watched in wonder as Peanut latched onto Carina’s nipple and suckled.
“Penny, hi,” Jacques finally said. “Can we send someone out to the waiting room? The whole team is there, and Cara, Monroe, Kamirah, and Chris were already waiting when we arrived.”
