Smokescreen

“Are you okay? Is the baby okay?”

“Yes, but stop questioning me and get here.” She hangs up and I grab the duffle by the door and run to the elevator.

By the time I get to the hospital, I’m a nervous wreck. Every bad scenario has played in my mind. The nurse looks at me kindly as she points me to the right room. Once I get to the door, I open it quietly, not knowing what to expect.

My beautiful Stella is lying in the bed with her hands resting on her rounded stomach laughing at the TV. When her eyes hit mine, I feel a rush of calmness. They are the color of amber and glistening bright.

“Come here, sweetie.” She holds out her arms.

I walk to her and position her body to fit mine on the small bed.

“Before you freak out, we are fine. I had a surprise for you is why I left the office early. I went to get a bikini wax and had a few pieces of lingerie I wanted to buy. Tonight was supposed to be my night of seduction. We’ve been so busy lately, I had a whole plan ready. Well, I was in the store restroom and my water broke.”

My face cringes and I hold her close.

“It wasn’t dramatic or painful. I came straight here and called you. The doctors are monitoring me. The baby is fine. Once I feel the contractions, we’ll get the epidural. Everything is good.”

“When this is over, I’m going to find a way to teach you. Never do that again, babe. I’ve been worried about you all afternoon. And now to know you were alone when your water broke, and then drove yourself to the hospital, it’s killing me.”

“Max, you’re form of punishment is hardly a deterrent. And besides, I’m not teachable, I like my independence. Told you that in the beginning and then again when you moved my office to your building. I’m going to do what I want. And today, I wanted a sexy, see-thru cream-colored nightgown that my husband would appreciate. Too bad our little munchkin decided to intervene.”

“Is it bad that my dick is rock hard hearing you talk about lingerie?” I move her hand to the bulge in my pants. “Maybe you can help me with that.”

She leans into me and kisses me with such passion and heat I forget we’re in a hospital. My hand cups her breast through the hospital gown wanting to feel her writher under me.

“I can see how you two got her in this state,” a nurse walks in and interrupts. “Mrs. McCoy, how are you feeling?”

“Good. My husband just got here.” She giggles beneath me.

“That I see. I need to check you again, do you think Casanova can get off the bed?” She raises an eyebrow at me and I move to the chair.

“Three centimeters, the contractions are showing on the screen. Are you ready for me to call the anesthesiologist?”

“I’ll make the calls,” I say referring to our families.

She nods and leans over to kiss me. “You make the calls.” Then nods at the nurse.

It takes twenty minutes to call everyone I need to and by the time I get back to the bedside, my beautiful wife is smiling goofily.

“Time to be spectacular,” she says.

“Time to be spectacular,” I agree.

Five hours later, my son is born. He’s absolutely perfect and when I cut the cord, Stella sobs. She holds my hand as the nurse cleans him and them brings him to lay on her chest. We both stare at him in amazement, watching him breathe lightly.

“Andrew Marx McCoy.” Stella kisses his head as I kiss hers.

If we had a boy, she’d already decided she wanted to name him Andrew after my dad and me, but I stayed quiet in the subject. Now looking at him, the name fits completely. He stirs a bit and opens his eyes to me, and my world melts again. Stella looks up and holds my stare for a second then nuzzles back into our son.

“I hate to say it, but we may need to unlock the doors. My mom and Sara are probably going crazy.”

“I don’t care, I want another moment with you two alone. This is our family now.”

“I love him, Max, and I love you for giving him to me. Thank you.”

Her eyes spill over with tears and I catch them as they fall with my fingertips. “It’s you who gave him to us. For the rest of my life, I’ll never know how a bastard like me got so fortunate. I swear to you and him, no one will love their family as fiercely as I do.”

“I know.”