We make it to his vehicle in no time. Jake practically lifts me up and buckles me in.
“Jake, Jake!” I grab his attention. “I promise I’m okay. We’re going to get through this,” I tell him.
“We are. I know we are, I’d just feel better if we were at the hospital already,” he states as he shuts the door and hops in the driver’s seat. He reaches for my hand and holds it the entire way. Through every contraction and every light we get stuck at.
We make it to the hospital in minutes, Jake throws the truck im park and flies around to me. I guess he called ahead because there are nurses waiting for us at the entrance with a wheelchair. I grumble, “I can walk.”
“The hell you will, Larissa. Please, listen to them,” he whispers into my ear.
“Fine, but did you call your parents? I promised we’d call them as soon as we were here,” I relay the information I may have forgotten.
“I’ll call them while I go park the truck. Go inside, I’ll be by your side in three minutes,” he states and gives me a quick kiss. The tightening in my stomach has me nodding to the nurses.
I hate seeing Jake leave, but I know he has to move the truck. I look back one more time as they wheel me in and all I see are Jake’s tail lights.
Chapter Fifteen
Jake
It was a grueling four hours. That’s how long it took from start to finish. The nurses said it’s rare for it to be this short of time. I thought it was too damn long. To see Larissa in pain and then push with all her strength. She did it though and delivered an eight-pound ten ounce and twenty-two-inch, handsome baby boy. It took us a bit, but we both agreed on the name Elijah Michael Price.
The way she held him in her arms, and how he quieted down as soon as he was in her arms, caused tears to hit my cheeks and I didn’t bother removing them.
Larissa and Elijah are my whole world, and I’m the lucky one to have them both.
“Daddy, do you want to hold him?” Larissa asks, and God do I love that name slipping off her tongue.
“You okay with letting him go?” I joke.
“He’s done nursing for now,” she says with a wink. She saw me watch her the entire time. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of them.
“Yeah, I’ll take my boy. We have man stuff to talk about,” I reply. She rolls her eyes but settles down in bed as I take a seat in the hospital chair.
I unwrap his blanket, wanting to count all of his fingers and toes. To see his eyes open, only to flutter shut. If this is what fatherhood is about, I’m thankful as fuck I get to share it with the two that mean the most to me. I wrap him back up and hold him to my chest.
Mom and Mack will be here in a little bit and I know as much as I want to hoard my son for just me and Larissa, I’ll have to share him.
I lean back in the chair and close my eyes, soaking in the day.
I must have dozed off for a while. I hear hushed tones and Larissa’s voice.
“He just fell asleep a little bit ago. Look how adorable they are. Can someone find my phone so I can take a picture?” she asks.
I hear the snapping of the camera and slowly open my eyes, trying not to jostle Eli. The way Larissa is looking at me with warmth in her eyes, it melts my heart.
“Morning, sleepy head,” she whispers out with a sparkle in her eye. She doesn’t look like she just gave birth. No, she looks happy and as if it’s just a normal day.
“Morning, Baby. I guess it’s time I let the grandparent thieves have Eli, huh?” I don’t want to give him up but the faster I do, hopefully they’ll leave, and I can go back to spoiling him rotten.
“You do have to share. Just because you’re an only child doesn’t mean you get to act like one,” she snickers.
“Always taking the fun out of everything,” I tsk as I get up and lay him on the bed to change his diaper before giving him over to my mom.
“Hey, Jake,” Larissa says getting my attention. I place a hand on Eli’s belly so he can’t move. I don’t care if he’s an infant, I’d never let any harm come to him.
“Larissa, you can’t talk to me like that and expect me not to kiss you senseless,” she’s flush with color, from her cheeks all the way to her chest.
“I..uh, just wanted to say, thank you,” she mumbles.
“I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else. You’re it for me, baby,” I reply, as she hands me a diaper and the wipe box. We navigate changing Eli’s diaper and then Grammie swoops down, taking my boy from me. I grunt and take a seat next to Larissa, holding her in my arms. She snuggles in and closes her eyes. Even with the baby hoarders, this right here. It’s my bliss.