Boss of Me

“Oh, God…” She starts to cry more, and I feel her fear.

“It’s okay… You’ve got this. You’re my fighter.”

Renée has her in an inflatable pool of water, and she’s only wearing my old tee. “Time to push, sis.”

Rocky periodically squats like she’s going to the bathroom then cries out. She does it again and again until finally, Renée tells her to lean back against me. Her head is wet, and her teary eyes press against my neck. Her hands shake, hell, my hands shake. I’m shaking from head to toe, but I’m holding onto calm.

“You got this, beautiful. Your body knows what to do.” I’m making it up as I go.

I’m good until she sobs into my neck. “Patton, don’t let me die.”

Then I just about lose my shit. “Renée…” My voice is a warning, and her hazel eyes meet mine.

“Nobody’s going to die here.” Her voice goes high, like a song. “We’re going to welcome a new life to this magical circle of love.”

Rocky shudders, and I wrap my arms around her, just above her stomach. “Come on, baby, you can do this.”

“I’m so tired.” She’s crying, but Renée doesn’t stop urging her.

“Last one. You can do it, Rocky!”

Finding a strength more powerful than any man I’ve ever seen, my beautiful wife rises up and focuses on her sister. She grits her teeth and we all yell as Rocky pushes one last time and like a slippery bar of soap, our beautiful little Rosalyn Rose is with us. We decided to stick with R-names for our girls. She’s waving her fists and screaming her little head off.

“Oh… oh!” Rocky is sobbing.

I help lift her shirt, and Renée puts the baby on her mother’s bare chest. I’m sitting in the tub now, holding my wife in my lap and cradling them both in my arms.

Renée quickly clips the umbilical cord and then wipes Rosie’s little face with a sponge and cotton balls of antibiotic ointment.

“How did you learn how to do this?” I ask, watching in amazement.

She glances up at me sheepishly, and Rocky shakes her head. “Oh, no.”

They both start to laugh when Renée says, “YouTube.”

I don’t want to know any more, and we’re all saved when Martin bursts through the door, a bedraggled looking old man behind him.

“Is this the wonder woman?” The old doctor smiles when he sees Renée with her hair tied up around her head and her skirt looped between her legs like a field worker.

“She’s perfect, doctor. Ten fingers, ten toes… Two powerful lungs.”

Rosie is latched onto her mother’s breast and her round dark eyes study us all with a serious expression I can only recognize as mine.

Pressing my lips together, I shake my head before kissing Rocky on the temple. “I think we’ll have to try again for Peaches. This one’s going to be a ball buster.”

Her mamma only laughs and kisses her little head. “She’s a fighter all right. She’s going to be just like you—a heart of pure gold.”

This woman. I hold her in my arms as she traces her fingers along the ink on my wrist.

Renée and my best friend join us, wrapping us in what my zany sister-in-law calls a circle of love. With Rosie here, I don’t mind.

I might have started out in charge, but Rocky flipped that script. Only she would see through my brokenness and love me in spite of it all. I’m a pretty tough boss, but she’s tougher than the rest. And with this little girl to seal it, she can gladly be the boss of me.

Until Rosie starts walking and talking, of course…

Thanks for reading BOSS OF ME!

I hope you fell for Patton and Rocky as much as I did.