The pain wasn’t unexpected.
There was going to be pain, undeniable pain, but this was the price of having a baby.
Edge looked close to killing someone. She didn’t want to take an epidural, so she was going to feel every single twinge, ache, and pulse of pain.
She looked a mess. Perspiration dotted her brow.
Tank and Trick were constantly asking the doctors questions, while Dig was pretty much supervising Edge to make sure he didn’t actually kill someone. She didn’t want any of her men to end up in prison for this birth.
Junior held her hands and kept her attention on him.
He’d been the one to take the course with her, to hold her and to practice all the breathing.
The moment a new contraction came, she started to pant, and she squeezed his hands. Junior didn’t show any sign that she was hurting him, and for that she was grateful.
“You’re doing really good, baby,” he said.
“I just want to see our baby. I can’t handle this anymore. It hurts.” She collapsed against the bed the moment the contraction ended.
“Not long now, sweetheart,” Junior said. “Not long now.”
Gone was the playful man she’d known him to be. He’d stepped up, and now he was coaching her in bringing their child into the world.
She loved her baby already, and now she just wanted to see it.
Boy or girl.
Something changed within her, and as she lifted up, she had this unexpected desire to push.
“I think it’s coming,” she said.
“You’re ready?” Junior asked.
“Yes, yes, I’m ready.” She couldn’t wait anymore.
“Get the doctor,” Junior said. He moved off the bed and climbed behind her. “We’re going to push.”
She was already pushing.
The doctors entered the room, and at Edge’s instruction, began to do their job. Edge couldn’t stand to see her in pain.
“Come on, darling, push,” Junior said.
He still didn’t complain as she held onto his hands, and started to push. It was scary, painful, terrifying.
Her men were all there, each one offering her support as Junior took the lead on this and helped her.
She kept on pushing, stopping to take a breath, and tears fell down her face.
“I don’t think I can do it. This is too painful.”
“You can do anything. Come on, baby, let’s meet our child.”
She held onto his hands and was determined this was going to be the push that would finally bring her face to face with their child.
Leah let out a scream, and when she didn’t think she could take it anymore, she heard the most precious sound in the entire world.
She heard the sound of her baby, of her child, and she gasped, collapsing back against Junior.
“What is it?” she asked.
The nurses did what they needed to do and brought her child toward her.
“Congratulations,” the midwife said. “You have a beautiful baby girl. From the sound of those lungs, I’d say she is going to be a little bossy.”
Leah burst out laughing as the midwife put her child in her arms.
She had done it. She had delivered their baby girl.
Staring down into her daughter’s precious face, Leah felt this overwhelming love wash over her. This was her baby, their child.
The doctors and nurses gave them some space.
Edge, Tank, Trick, and Dig each stepped forward.
“That explains why you were so worried,” she said, looking at Tank, Dig, and Edge. “You knew.”
“Yeah, and I’ve been practicing with my guns.” Tank winked at her.
“She is so beautiful,” she said. “Hello, Anna, I’m your mommy. Here are your daddies.”
They had already explained everything to the doctor, and after giving him and the hospital a small donation, they agreed to let all her men in the hospital.
One look at her precious bundle and everything was more than okay in her world. This was what she’d been wanting for so long.
A daughter, a family, all of it.
Looking up into her men’s eyes, she saw the tears in each of theirs. The love, the beauty, the happiness.
They were all for her and all for this moment. She would remember this day forever.
All of her men stepped around her, staring down at their baby.
She was going to be loved, protected, and taken care of.
“We’re your family, little one.” She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her head.
This was the best happily ever after she could have ever imagined.
The End