Only One Kiss (Only One 1)

“Who let you in?” He looks down the hall and then over his shoulder, smiling at me. “Take off that fucking shirt.”

“Not a chance in hell,” my brother, Evan, says. “What does this say?” He stops in front of him. “I’ll help you since you look like you can’t read. It says Stanley Cup Champions.”

“It also says two thousand and fifteen,” Ralph says, shaking his head, and Evan pushes him by the shoulder, walking in.

“Hey there,” he says, coming into the room. “You are huge,” he says of my big belly. He comes to me and puts a hand on my belly. “It’s your favorite uncle,” he says to the baby and kisses my cheek then sits on the bed next to me.

“Don’t crowd her or my child.” I look over at Ralph, who stands there with his phone in his hands. “She’s having sharp pain.”

“What’s his problem?” Evan asks me, and I’m about to answer him when a stabbing pain hits me right in the stomach, and I yell out.

“Oh my God,” Ralph says, rushing in. “Press the button.” He rushes over and presses the button, and I’m trying to tell him not to, but he does, and she comes in. “She just yelled.”

I wait for the contraction to pass me before I can talk. “It’s normal. All of this is normal.” I look at Evan. “Would you tell him?”

“You know what you should have done.” Evan looks at Ralph. “You should have hired a separate private nurse to sit in the room and make sure she’s okay.” I look at both of them in shock. My husband actually thinking that was a good idea.

“If you don’t stop, I’m kicking you out of here,” I say to my brother and then look at Ralph. “I’m fine.” I wince. “Okay, maybe not fine, but this is my body getting ready for what is to come.” I smile at him and hold my hand out to him. To say I was thrilled to be pregnant was the understatement of the year. We had officially started trying, and by the next month, I was pregnant. I had the easiest pregnancy that you could have. I was not sick, I was only tired at the beginning, and I swear every single time I felt him or her kick, I would cry.

“I don’t know if I can take this,” Ralph says, and for the next five hours, he paces the room every single time I’m done with a contraction.

“Okay,” Dr. Brown says when she comes in. “Let’s see what is going on with the baby.” She sits on the stool and rolls over to me, putting my feet in the stirrups. “How is dad doing?”

“Worse than mom,” Sandy answers for us, and I have to roll my lips but not for long because another contraction comes. “Looks like someone is ready to push.”

“Is that safe?” Ralph says from beside me. “Wouldn’t it be easier to have a c-section?”

“I want to have this baby natural if possible.” I look at Dr. Brown, who looks over at Sandy.

“Get everything ready,” she says. Sandy presses the button, and a nurse comes on the intercom.

“We are getting ready to push in room seven,” she says and then looks at Ralph. “Do you need a chair?”

“No.” He hisses at her and then grabs my hand, bending to kiss it. A tear escapes his eye, and I just look at him.

“I’m going to be okay,” I say. “We are going to be okay.”

He comes to me now, putting his forehead on my temple. “I can’t live without you,” he says softly. “Don’t leave me.” He kisses my cheek, and I want to tell him that I’m not going anywhere. I want to tell him that it’s going to be okay; it’s going to be fine.

“Okay,” Dr. Brown says. “We are going to count to ten, and I want you to bear down and push.”

I nod at her, and she starts counting as I hold my breath and push. At the end of ten, I let out a big breath. “That was good,” she says. “Let’s go again.” I don’t know why I thought it would be right away. I was wrong, so wrong. I push for thirty-nine minutes. Sweat is now forming at my hairline, and I’m exhausted.

“I don’t think I can do this.” I look at the doctor and then back at Ralph. “I’m tired.”

“You can do this,” Ralph says, kissing my lips. “You can do this.”

“Okay, go,” the doctor says, counting, and I close my eyes and push. “Stop pushing. Daddy,” she calls for Ralph, “come and see your baby’s head.” He looks down and then looks up at me with tears welled in his eyes. “Another big push like that one, and you can meet your baby.” It happens so fast when they get to six, I hear Ralph cheer out and then look down when the doctor places the baby on my chest.