Part 11

"You're alright, honey. I'm right here," you repeat over and over as you watch your love writhing in agony. Her labor started four grueling hours ago. The two of you were caught by surprise when her water suddenly broke two weeks before the expected date. In that moment it became clear to you how much you had faith you had in that date being correct, and how unprepared you were for any other scenario. All you could do from the first cry that left her lips was quickly pick her up, put her in your car, and head to the hospital. You spent the entire drive trying to reassure her, despite being completely terrified yourself "You and the baby are going to be okay, Honey," was all you could repeat as her first contractions began in earnest. Once you arrived at the hospital the true weight of the situation began to hit you. At first she was talkative and excited to be having the baby, undeterred by her obvious pain made only more obvious by her squeezing your hand. As her contractions grew closer together and the time for her to become a mother drew nearer, she became silent except for the occasional groan. You watched as her face went from a smile befitting an expectant mother to the terrified face of a lost child. Her face began to sweat profusely and her hair had become disheveled from twisting her body in some vain attempt to escape her discomfort. Her struggle had hardly begun and she looked like she had run a marathon. All you could do was continue to hold her hand, gently stroke her head, and offer whatever words of comfort you could find. Helpless, the only word you could come up with to describe how you felt watching her. Seven hours have passed since her first contraction. Occasionally over the last few hours a Doctor or Nurse would come in and check on her, with every visit they seemed increasingly concerned about you. You had not left her side even for a moment, terrified of what may happen if you left. When the Doctor entered for the fifth time to check on her and said, "The baby should be coming very soon," you felt swell of relief both for you and for her. The moment that the two of you had waited for and that would define the rest of your lives was about to begin. Your relief was very short-lived as your wife cried out in pain once more. "I can see the head," says the doctor, as he positions himself. The nurse getting very close to your ear whispers to you, "Are you going to be okay to watch this? You don't look very good." "There is no way I can leave her alone during this," you reply in a voice as forceful as you can muster. As your wife yells in agony once again the feeling of helplessness overtakes you. "I'm sitting here watching the love of my life suffering like this and there is nothing I can to help," you think as you look at your wife's face. Her face twisted, red, and flooded with tears. The feelings of helplessness, worry, fear, and guilt. These sights and feelings are your share of the pain to bear. Your beloved's cries go on for what seems to be an eternity, until suddenly silence filled the room. The Doctor pulled away from your wife, and for the first time you see your child. You look towards your love. The stress of the birth took its toll on her. You watch her chest rise and fall as she sleeps. Your babies' cries pull your view back towards the doctor and nurse. The nurse looks you in the eyes with a smile and says, "Congratulations, Daddy. It's a ..." "Well I guess I don't have to tell you the rest, huh?" you say, as you stare down at the miracle in your arms. "I can only hope that your life turns out to be as blessed as the first story I ever told you," you add. As you hold your child for the first time your heart swells with pride. "No matter how it turns out, no matter what you become, your Mom and I will always be there for you. In the good times, and the bad. We'll treasure you as much as we do one another. We'll make mistakes, all three of us, but we'll always be a family. Isn't that right, Mom?" you declare, staring at your wife. With a smile she looks at you and replies, "That's right, Dad." The two of you have finally done it. You've created the one thing only the two of you could: Your child. You stand up, walk over to your wife, hand her your baby, kiss her on her head, and say "Happy Mother's Day, Darling."