The doctors timed the pushes while Grace groaned through each one. Her grip on my hand was tight enough to almost break bones, but I didn’t care. I kept hoping that each one would be the last.
“This should be the last one!” the doctor called. “Gimme one last push!”
I heard cries only seconds later. It felt like time slowed down as the doctor handed our baby off to a nurse and then theywere placed on Grace’s chest. It felt like a dream as I reached out to stroke their tiny little hand.
They formed a fist, wrapping their fingers around mine. I knew they would be my world when they were born, but this cemented it. This wasmybaby, born from the woman I loved, and I would do anything for either of them.
“A beautiful baby boy,” the doctor said. “Congratulations, you two.”
A boy. A son. God, we had akid.
“Dean?” Grace asked through her tears.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Did we pick out a name?”
I was a mess of emotions, both from the last day and from witnessing my child being born. I didn’t know how Grace was having any thoughts at all.
But her question was fair because we hadn’t picked out a name.
“Uh . . . oops?”
“All this time and we didn’t talk about that?” She shook her head. “I don’t even know what to call him!”
I had no idea why this was the first thing on her mind after giving birth, but she could think of whatever she wanted to after going through that.
“We’ll figure it out just like everything else.” I put a hand on her head. “But you did it.”
Her head rested against the back of the hospital bed. “I did. That sucked, though.” She looked down at our baby, whose cries had finally slowed. He would need to be cleaned up, but I could see that he had Grace’s nose and my chin. I wanted to study his features and know what he’d gotten from each of us. “I think I want more.”
I let out a shocked laugh. “Let’s figure out what the hell to do with thefirst one.”
She nodded, and nurses came around to get his weight and length. Both of our gazes followed him the whole time.
I’d once said that being in love sometimes felt like my heart was walking outside of my body. Now, it was split in two. Half with Grace, and half with the little boy we’d be raising.
And I couldn’t be happier.
51
GRACE
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Dean Briggs:Grace invited me to the group to say the baby is here. He’s nine pounds and doesn’t have a name. Please DON’T drop suggestions. This is hard enough.
Comments:
Tammy Jane:Where are the pictures?? Come on, you can’t leave us hanging like this!!!
Hu Gh:The baby’s probably ugly.
Kerry Winsor:HUGH! Don’t say that!
Hu Gh:What??? It swims around in juice for nine months and then gets squeezed out like toothpaste! None of us looked good when we were first born!
Jade Clark:Didn’t need that visual, but thanks. (The baby is very cute.)