Deep in sleep, JC lay on his side in their bed. There was just enough room for Beth to carefully sit next to him. Lightly shaking his shoulder, she called his name.
“Huh?” He grunted in response, eyes still closed.
“JC, my water broke.”
“Ok, I’ll get you a glass.” Eyes barely cracked open, he managed to slide past her and place his feet on the floor.
“Where are you going?” Beth couldn’t keep the laughter out of her voice.
“To get you a glass of water.” He managed to get to his feet.
With one hand, Beth cupped his cheek in her hand, her thumb sliding over the roughness of his jaw. “No, JC, honey, I don’t want a glass of water, my water broke. I’m in labor.” With her other hand, she grabbed one of his and placed it on her stomach.
Bleary blue eyes looked into nervous and excited blue ones, trying to process what was going on. Understanding jumped into his eyes finally. Beth had to laugh as he rushed around gathering the bags they were taking to the hospital and frantically searching for the phone to call the doctor.
JC tried to rush her to the car, but Beth stopped him. “Jace, you might want to get dressed first, I like seeing you in boxers, but I don’t want the nurses to get jealous. Ohhh…” She paused and closed her eyes for a moment as a contraction overtook her.
In the middle of slipping a leg into his pants, he hopped over on one leg and helped support her through the rest of the contraction.
Inhaling deeply once the pain ended, Beth looked up in JC’s worried eyes. “Let’s go have a baby.”
***
Beth panted as the contraction ended and she relaxed against the bed. Resting her head back on the pillow behind her, she looked up at JC. “I really hate you right now.”
He brushed a few sweat-dampened strands of hair off her forehead. “I know - I’m so sorry. I hate me right now too.”
Before he could say more, another contraction seized her. The doctor made her way into the room to check on the progress Beth was making. After examining Beth, the doctor patted her on the leg after she drew the sheet back over her legs. “It’s not going to be much longer, Beth. You’ll be holding your baby in your arms in the next hour or so. I’ll be back in a few minutes and you can start pushing, okay?”
Beth looked up at JC before the next contraction started with fear in her eyes. “I’m scared, Josh.” Beth only called him Josh in rare and extreme circumstances. JC knew at that moment how scared she was.
Another pain gripped her as her hand tightened painfully on her husbands. On a half sob, she collapsed against the mattress. JC quickly spoke before the next pain came. “Beth, you are amazing and you are doing wonderfully. I can’t imagine how much this hurts, but think of our baby who you will get to hold in just minutes.”
All of a sudden, Beth half rose from the bed and pulled her legs up. JC panicked as she started to push. “No, wait, Beth, just hold on a minute until the doctor gets here.” He pressed the call button on the bed frantically and a nurse and the doctor came running in.
Black spots started to dance before his eyes before he got control of himself. He couldn’t pass out now; Beth needed him.
The doctor and nurse quickly prepared Beth for delivery. “Beth, stop pushing for just a minute, alright? We’re almost ready, then you can push this baby out.”
JC wasn’t sure the words were penetrating through the haze of pain Beth was experiencing, but her grip crushed his as she panted and made an effort to stop pushing.
Ready now, the doctor gave the okay to start pushing and Beth started bearing down. Her face turned red from the effort she was expending. JC was amazed at the strength she was presenting.
He was barely aware of the nurse counting as Beth strained to push his baby out of her body. Looking down, he saw his baby’s head full of dark hair begin to emerge.
“Good job, Beth, just rest for a minute, your baby is almost here!” The doctor suctioned out the baby’s mouth and nose as Beth and JC looked down in amazement. Ecstatic at the imminent birth of his first-born, he pressed his lips quickly to Beth’s forehead before once again straightening to watch his baby enter the world.
“And one more big push, Beth.” The doctor called encouragement as with one last hard push, Beth delivered their baby into the doctor’s waiting arms.
Beth lay there gasping for breath as the nurse began to clean her baby and JC took the opportunity to cut the cord that bonded mother and child. He felt a little lightheaded as they placed his baby girl on Beth’s stomach, crying.
Tears fell freely down their cheeks as they looked at this new life they had created together. Counting their baby’s fingers and toes, they were barely aware of the activity that was going on around them until a nurse came to clean and weigh the newborn.
Weakly tugging on JC’s shirt to get his attention, he bent down to hear her whispered words. “Go with her please, make sure she’s okay.”
He pressed light kisses on her cheeks and mouth, “I love you , you did beautifully, I don’t know how to ever thank you for going through that.”
Beth’s eyes left his to follow the baby’s bassinet that a nurse was wheeling away. “Go with her.”
“Are you sure?” JC felt torn, not wanting to leave his wife after she had just given birth, but also not wanting to let his newborn out of his sight.
At her nod and with one last kiss, he almost floated out of the room, not feeling the tile beneath his feet as he followed the small bundle that had already captured his heart.
***
JC slowly became aware that someone was staring at him. Lifting his eyes off his sleeping baby, he looked up at his wife. Beth was watching the two of them with a smile on her tired face.
Immediately he stood and came over to the bed, placing their daughter in her arms. There was just enough room on the bed for him to perch on the edge. Beth ran her fingertips lightly over Kelsey Marie’s face, caressing the soft skin. She unwrapped the blankets from around her daughter to view the tiny body and to again count fingers and toes.
“She’s perfect. Thank you so much!” Beth looked up just in time to receive JC’s tender kiss on her lips.
“She is perfect, isn’t she?” Beth agreed with a smile as Kelsey grabbed her finger with her tiny hand. “She’s so tiny. Can you believe we are now responsible for this little person for the rest of our lives?” Both parents were speaking softly as to not awaken their newborn.
JC turned serious for a moment and with one hand on Kelsey’s head, softly caressing the fine dark hair, he placed the other on Beth’s cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear and gaining her attention. “You know Kelsey is only hours old, but I would die for her.” He paused for a second and Beth’s eyes met his. “If any man ever treated her like I’ve treated you, I would kill him without a second thought. How can you ever forgive me for what I’ve put you through?”
Carefully, Beth shifted Kelsey in her arms so she had a free hand. Reaching out for JC’s hand, she gripped it tightly in hers. “Josh, it’s in the past now. We have this new bundle in our lives forever. What happened was a huge misunderstanding that we can now put behind us.”
“I don’t deserve you.” His thumb rubbed gentle circles on the back of her hand.
Smirking, Beth responded, “Not after what I just went through you don’t!”
At JC’s chuckle, Kelsey began to fuss before settling back down. Their attention went back to the baby as she quieted. Just above a whisper, JC said, “I’m not usually at a loss for words, but what you did, I – I am amazed, grateful, excited, I can never thank you enough.”
“Well, I think you may have had something to do with creating this child – a small part.”
“Hmmmm…” JC agreed then a huge grin overtook his face. “You know I can’t wait until we do it again. We make beautiful babies together.”
Beth groaned and leaned back against the pillow. “Let’s at least get this little one older than a couple of hours before we start planning the next one. Unless you want to go through labor and delivery?” Her brow raised in question.
JC paled. “I almost passed out just from watching, I can’t imagine going through that. Although, it may be easier to experience it then to watch someone you love knowing that you caused all that pain.”
“I love you, JC, my Josh. You know I didn’t mean it when I said I hated you right?”
“I hated me at that moment. I thought I had prepared myself for that, but never in a million years did I even come close.”
A knock on the door brought the tender moment between the couple to a close, “Come in,” JC called out softly.
The door cracked open and a familiar head peeked inside. “Where’s my niece, I want to see my niece!”
Chris rushed over to the bed to look down at the bundle held closely in Beth’s arms.
“Oh, she is so beautiful, awww…the poor thing has JC’s nose.”
JC made his way over to stand beside Chris and laughingly gave him a punch in the arm. This was the first time they had actually been in the same room since Chris had flattened JC.
“You have a perfect family here, man.” Turning to face the new father, Chris looked into JC’s eyes for the first time.
“I have you to thank for making me see the light. I don’t know how to ever make it up to you.” The two brothers hugged tightly, pounding each other on the back.
Beth watched with tears in her eyes as they finally broke apart. JC carefully lifted his daughter into his arms before turning and placing her in Chris’ arms.
Beth slid over in her bed to make room for JC to sit next to her. He wrapped one arm behind her back and pulled her into his chest as they watched Chris pace around with their daughter held securely in his arms.
Their love could overcome anything.
