Present Day
"Push"
"I can’t. I’m too tired."
He was whispering in her ear, trying to give her the encouragement she needed, but he was feeling so helpless.
Sweat was pouring off of her. Her eyes were beginning to lose their focus. She was so very tired.
"Didn’t I just do this?" She pleaded. "Didn’t I just give birth less than an hour ago?"
"Yes, we had a healthy baby boy, but his sister is waiting to make her appearance." It shouldn’t be that much longer."
"Easy for you to say", she hissed. "You’re not the one doing this."
"I understand, baby."
"How could you possibly know what I am feeling at this very moment? Have YOU ever given birth?" She had a hold of his shirt and was staring menacingly into his eyes.
"No, it was just a figure of speech. You’re right, I have no idea."
"So now what! You’re patronizing me?"
The doctor interjected that it was just the pain and she didn’t mean what she was saying.
"You want to bet." She said. "I mean every word of it."
Before anyone could say anything more another contraction washed over her like a giant wave.
"Oh God, I think this is it." She screamed. She was squeezing his hand so hard that his fingers were being crushed. He had forgotten how strong she was.
Sure enough, the shoulders were through. A few more pushes and the baby was born. Claudine Marie had made her entrance into the world. One hour after her brother, William Joshua had made his.
Annie was exhausted, exhilarated and her muscles were shaking violently. 24 hours of labor will do that to a person.
JC was just so happy he couldn’t stop smiling. He bent down and gently kissed her parched lips.
"I love you. You are the most beautiful woman in the world and I am the luckiest man. God has been so good to us. I thank Him everyday for bringing you into my life. You complete me."
"JC, that is the sappiest thing I have ever heard."
"Yea, I know."
"And that’s why I love you."
Later, as the little family was settling into their room; JC looked around and was overwhelmed. He didn’t feel like an international superstar. He was just an ordinary, every day guy whose wife had just given birth to twins. William was fast asleep in his arms, while Claudine was nursing at Annie’s breast. Annie had remarked earlier that William was just like his dad, a breast man. JC had gotten a hurt look on his face and then just started laughing. Annie was right. She knew him oh so well.
Claudine was finished and Annie was starting to fall asleep. He put William in his crib and gently took his daughter into his arms. He looked at her and thought how much she looked like Annie while William seemed to favor him. William Joshua was named for Annie’s father and him; while Claudine Marie was named for two dearly departed friends and Annie’s mother. They both had dark hair but he was hoping that at least one of them would have the auburn hair of their mother. He love the way the light played off her hair. Their eyes were, of course; blue, most babies are. Again, he hoped that one of the children would have Annie’s eyes. Those golden brown, hazel pools that changed with her moods. She had the most expressive eyes. They were the feature he loved most about his wife.
He was starting to nod off. He had been with Annie the whole time and it was starting to take its toll on him, too. He placed Claudine in her crib and settled back in the chair to rest. He had pulled it next to bed, so he could hold Annie’s hand. As he slowly drifted off, he started dreaming about Paris.
