“I swear to God, Parker, if you say in and out one more time, I’m going to break your balls so you can never do this to me again!”
Kelly, the nurse, laughed. “It’s okay, Mr. Parker. I’ve heard it all. I’m going to call your doctor, Emerson. I think he’s already here at the hospital delivering another baby.”
The contraction subsided and I could finally breathe.
“Adam and Renee are on their way. I’m afraid to ask how you are.”
“I’m sorry, Alex. OH MY GOD, I HATE YOU RIGHT NOW!” I screamed as another contraction hit and I squeezed the living hell out of his hand.
Dr. Williams walked in and looked at me. “Breathe through it, Emerson. In and out.”
“Oh, he can say that to you, but I can’t,” Alex spoke.
“We aren’t discussing this now,” I spoke through gritted teeth.
Dr. Williams examined me and then told me that if I wanted an epidural, now was the time to have it.
“We agreed that she wasn’t going to have an epidural,” Alex spoke.
Another contraction was starting and I couldn’t hold back. “I want the epidural,” I panted.
“But, baby, we talked about this and you said no drugs. It wasn’t good for the baby.”
“I WANT THE DRUGS!” I yelled. “Are you the one lying here while your insides are being ripped to pieces?”
Alex took a step back. “She’ll take the epidural,” he spoke.
A few moments later, the anesthesiologist walked in and gave me the epidural. It was painful but nothing compared to the contractions I was having. Relief finally settled throughout me and I felt as if I could relax.
“Alex.” I softly stroked his arm. “I’m sorry.” I pouted.
He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “It’s okay, baby. Soon we’ll be holding our daughter in our arms.”
I smiled at him as Dr. Williams walked back in to examine me again.
“It’s time, Emerson. You are fully dilated and it’s time to start pushing. Are you ready?”
“Yes. I am more than ready to get this child out of me.”
“She didn’t really mean that,” Alex spoke to the doctor.
“Yes I did. Why are you saying that I didn’t really mean it? Did you carry this child for the last nine months? Did you feel the uncontrollable need to pee every second of the day? Did your feet swell up like balloons? Did you have constant heartburn? Were you exhausted before you even woke up in the mornings?”
“Baby, you need to be quiet now and start pushing,” he said as he grabbed my hand.
“Don’t tell me to be quiet.”
“On the count of three, Emerson,” Dr. Williams said. “One, two, three, push.”
I strained and pushed as hard as I could. After the third push, I was so exhausted that I couldn’t do it anymore. I lay back and tried to catch my breath.
“Emerson, you have to push again,” Dr. Williams spoke.
“I can’t. I just can’t do it anymore. I’m so tired.”
Alex leaned over and kissed me. “Yes you can. You can do this, Em, and I’m going to help you. Now sit up and push. Do it for me, baby. I can’t wait to meet our daughter.”
I sat up as he held my hand and gave it everything I had.
“That’s it. I see her head. One more big push and she’ll be out,” Dr. Williams spoke.
“Come on, Emerson. One more time. Just one more time for us. For our daughter.”
I screamed as I pushed as hard as I could, my insides tearing apart and, suddenly, she was out and I heard her first cry.
“You did it, baby. You did it. Look at her. She’s beautiful.” Alex smiled as tears streamed down his face.
I fell back with relief as Dr. Williams laid my baby girl on me. I reached up and touched her hand as she cried her little lungs out. Alex cut the cord and Kelly took her to clean her up and weigh her. After wrapping her tightly in a blanket, she laid her in my arms.
“Hi, Lia Emily Parker.” I smiled as I kissed her tiny head.
“She has your beautiful lips.” Alex smiled as he kissed her. “I can’t wait to introduce her to the penguins.”
I looked over at him in confusion. “What?”
“You know, the penguins. From Madagascar?”
****
It had been a couple of weeks since we brought Lia home from the hospital. I was recovering quickly and Alex was the best daddy in the world. Seeing him with her always left me breathless. As much as I wanted to breast feed, it just wasn’t working out, so her pediatrician put her on formula. Alex would get up most nights and feed her because he couldn’t stand to be away from her for too long. Every whimper she made, he’d run to her side. He took a three-month leave from the office and worked from home, only attending meetings when necessary. As for Parker, he was getting used to the cries that now infiltrated his once quiet home.
We were already planning our next trip as a family. It was no longer just me traveling around the world and it was no longer just the two of us. Now, it was the three of us traveling together and we couldn’t wait to show our daughter the beauty the world had to offer. I never thought when I stepped through the doors of this house for the very first time that Alex Parker would be the man who would change my life forever.
****
Alex
Three Months Later
Emerson had some errands to run and left Lia home with me. It was just the two of us and I had big plans for our day. After preparing a bottle for her, I carried her into the living room and turned on Madagascar.
“You’re going to love this movie, Lia.” I smiled at her as I held her up and kissed her cheek. She cooed and my heart melted just like it did every time she made a sound.
After feeding her, I sat her up and held her against me while we watched the movie. As soon as the penguins came on, she laughed. I swear to God, she laughed for the very first time. Oh shit. Emerson was going to kill me if I told her. While we were sitting there enjoying the movie, Emerson walked in.
“What’s going on here?” She smiled as she sat down next to us.
“I have introduced our daughter to King Julian.” I smirked.
“Liar! You introduced her to the penguins,” she laughed.
“So what if I did? She happens to like the penguins.”
She leaned over, kissed Lia on the head and then brought her lips up to mine.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“And I love you, baby.”
The penguins appeared on the screen and Lia let out a laugh. Emerson’s eyes widened.
“Did she just laugh?”
I had to fake a surprise reaction. “I think so. Our little girl just laughed for the first time, Em.”
She took her from my arms and held her up. “Did you just laugh at the penguins?”
Lia cooed and then began to cry. Emerson looked at me and frowned.
“See, Em. She wants to see the penguins. You better turn her around before she goes into a fit of rage.” I smiled.
Emerson rolled her eyes as she held Lia facing the TV. I put my arm around her and pulled them close to me.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come over to the penguin side?” I asked.
“Never. It’s King Julian forever!” She grinned.
Being a husband and a father to the most incredible girls in the world was every man’s dream and I was living it. Life was perfect and my family was perfect. The day Emerson James walked through the front doors of my home, my life changed forever. A change that made me the man I was today.
About the Author
Sandi Lynn is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who spends all of her days writing. She published her first novel, Forever Black, in February 2013 and hasn’t stopped writing since. Her addictions are shopping, going to the gym, romance novels, coffee, chocolate, margaritas, and giving readers an escape to another world.
Please come connect with her at:
www.facebook.com/Sandi.Lynn.Author
www.twitter.com/SandilynnWriter
www.authorsandilynn.com
www.pinterest.com/sandilynnWriter
www.instagram.com/sandilynnauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6089757.Sandi_Lynn