Love, Doctor (Inner Harbor 1)

She tenses and the contractions are close now.

“Milo!” Piper returns to pregnant volitility. I know my wife loves me. I love her equally as much.

“I love you. I don’t care how many babies we have. This can be our only and last, it doesn’t matter because I have you sweetheart.” I’m man enough to say we both tear up and kiss tasting salt and gratitude on our lips.

The doctor appears completely oblivious to our exchange snapping purple gloves on his hands. “Alright, let’s see how far dilated you are now, Mrs. Lazare.”

Piper’s face pinches and I rub her back easing her into position so the doctor can check her out. In the beginning I foolishly thought I’d be right in there doing this for her, but I’m not. I’m her support, her rock and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Although I can’t say the house wasn’t properly stocked incase this baby was born during a Nor’easter. I like to be prepared unlike the stack of mail in my office collecting dust since I got my residency status approved. Piper will have a field day when she’s up to organizing.

“Dr. Lazare when was your wife’s last ultrasound.”

“About two weeks ago. She was having an episode of low blood sugar and put on bed rest until the conclusion of the pregnancy.”

“Gestational Diabetes?” He asks and I nod. We had gotten pretty practiced and checking her blood.

“I’m right here Milo.” Piper grumbles through another contraction. She’s muttering about blood sugar and vampires and I pat her hand reassuring. This is doctor talk between colleagues and I don’t want to worry her as vulnerable as she might feel in the moment waiting for our baby.

“Are you concerned about fetal distress?” I know I am having been here twenty hours and counting with no talk of c-section just yet.

“Hmm.” The doctor feels her belly and then takes a gander between her legs which has me feeling protective and growly.

“How’s our baby?” Piper bites her lip and I kiss her reassuringly.

“Our baby is fine sweetheart.” I believe it but I won’t dismiss the reality of worry that gnaws at my stomach. In all of our ultrasounds the technitions couldn’t see the sex of our baby. Piper smiled each time happy to see an active heartbeat and healthy growth measuments and I felt guilt because I hadn’t realized how much I wanted to know. Disappointment filled me at first because I wanted to decorate the nursery like crazy. We finally stopped asking and prayed for a healthy happy baby. The lack of control bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

“I think there’s two.” The doctor replies.

“Two what?” Confused, I keep massaging Piper’s neck watching her focused breaths. Her beautiful breasts have plumped nicely during her pregnancy and my hand slips down the side of her rib cage grazing them tenderly. He cheek turns to my arm and her lips kiss me while lines of exhaustion grace her face.

“Milo.” She whines desperately paying neither of us any attention.

“Shhh, you got this sweetheart. You’re doing great. I love you.” I coach her through the pain.

“Of course you love me, you got me to agree to push out a watermelon from a peach pit.” She grunts and I kiss her quickly.

The doctor wisely holds back a chuckle.

“Mrs. Lazare.” Piper squeezes her eyes shut and we have to nudge her to pay attention. My poor wife can’t do this forever but I want her to be the decision maker what we do next within reason.

The doctor speaks again, “I want you to bear down as hard as you can through this next contraction.”

The next ten minutes are life altering, and amazing all at once. I would never grow tired of hearing Piper’s married name as our doctor directs her through the pushes. Diana returns in time to play catcher for our squalling son Dmitri. His dark head of matted hair and squalling lungs made my chest hitch with pride.

My boy.

My son.

We are far from done. As luck would have it, I had a backup name for a baby girl. Who knew we would have to use them both on the first try. A nearly identical face to match her brother senior by only a few minutes and equally as pink and loud.

My little princess.

My daughter.

I have a feeling Danika will be just like her mother wrapping me around her little finger and leaving me hopelessly in love.

The End.