With my husband whispering words of encouragement beside my head, I give everything I have for one final push. Despite my inability to feel a thing from the waist down, I know the instant the baby slides out.
I feel so full and yet so empty all at once. This little person, who’s been a part of me for all these months, is no longer filling me up. It’s a hollow ache that won’t be satisfied until I hold my baby in my arms.
Falling back on the bed, I openly sob while Liam is called to cut the cord.
My heart is racing a million beats a minute.
“It’s a girl,” Liam announces, his voice shaking with emotion. “She’s so beautiful, Nya.” He can’t take his eyes off of her. “Perfect.” I hear the tremor in his voice as he sniffs to hide his emotion. “She’s hairy.”
I’m laughing and crying over his assessment when they deposit her on top of a blue sheet on my chest. The nurse is still wiping her down, but I can already see she’s the most beautiful baby. I vaguely notice Doctor Bing delivering the placenta as I trail a finger along the side of her face. She has a tiny button nose and the most perfect little heart-shaped lips. The sound of her cry is music to my soul. “So, you’re the one who’s been tormenting me all these months,” I whisper, leaning forward to place a kiss on her little forehead.
Liam’s hovering by my side. Leaning over the rail, he brushes my sweaty hair back from my face and spreads kisses across my forehead. “You amaze me.” I feel a tear from his eye land on my cheek.
“You’re not upset?”
He tenses. “Why would I be upset?”
“Because you really wanted a boy.”
He shrugs. “Nah. Just means we get to keep trying.”
“Surprise!”
“It’s beautiful.” I walk into the nursery, finding the antique gold crib with custom rosebud bedding all set up on the far wall, just the way I envisioned it. The ornate chandelier I picked out months ago is hanging in the center of the room. “I can’t believe you guys did all of this in two days.”
Liam walks in behind me to see what all the fuss is about, a pink bundle tucked neatly in his arm—where I have a feeling she’ll spend most of her days. “She knew?” His eyes grow large as he looks around the completely transformed room before settling on my best friend with a menacing glare.
Hannah laughs. “You didn’t honestly think she could keep that to herself for four whole months, did you?”
Liam shrugs, walking over to open the closet. “It’s fully stocked!” The baby jerks at his raised voice.
My ovaries explode as he shushes her, rocking side to side to settle her back into sleep. I’m not yet recovered from the birth of this one and already he’s making me want him to put another baby inside me. “There are enough clothes in this closet for three newborns,” he whispers.
“As if I’d have our princess wearing unisex onesies.” I cringe at the mere thought. “I’ve been shipping things to Hannah’s.”
“Of course you have.”
I walk over to my pouty husband, rubbing a hand over his back to soothe his ego. “Did you know too?” he glares at Ellie, who ducks behind her Uncle Chance for protection.
“I plead the fifth!”
“Hold this for a minute?” Liam hands the baby off gently before turning on our firstborn. “I’ll give you a three second head start, traitor.”
Ellie shrieks, taking off down the hall, her father following not far behind.
“Welcome home, Lyla Rose,” I whisper, placing a kiss on her forehead.
Yep, I let him win that one. Figured after putting him through hell the past few months, the least I could do was let him be the one to name our baby girl.
Liam
Five years later
“Is it time to open presents yet?” Ellie whines, following me around like a lost puppy while I chase her sisters through the yard, shoveling bites of food into their mouths to appease my wife.
Yep, you read that right—two sisters now. Lyla is five and just started kindergarten. And little Harper just turned three.
“Honey,” I shout to Nya, who’s helping the little ones in and out of the bounce house. “Squirt wants to know if she can have her present…”
She nods, holding up a finger as she shoves the rest of a chocolate chip cookie into her mouth. “Just let me grab my camera!” Briefly she disappears inside, returning with her GoPro. “Guys, follow us around to the front if you want to see them get their presents!”
“Around front?” Ellie repeats. “Like in the driveway?” She rubs her hands together in anticipation.
With a shrug, I snatch the two little ones up into my arms. “Follow your mother.”
“Seriously?” she groans when she sees the little red and yellow plastic Cozy Coupe from Little Tikes parked in front of the house.
“Look, Diego,” Nya coos, setting our two-year-old son to his feet. “Who do you think that’s for?”
So, we’ve been a bit busy. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was gonna keep this woman barefoot and pregnant. We welcomed Diego into the world on his big sister’s fourteenth birthday. October eleventh is apparently our lucky day.
“Gogo cawah!” he says, toddling over to his new ride and climbing right in. “Vroom. Vroom.”
“Happy Birthday, cowboy!” I set the girls down and they rush toward their brother—Harper immediately attempting to climb inside with him and Lyla pushing it around with her sister’s body still hanging half out the back window.
“This is just cruel,” our now sixteen-year-old groans with a pouty lip that’s damn near dragging the floor.
“Heads up,” I warn before tossing the garage door opener at her.
Her eyes widen, and instantly that frown turns upside down. She pushes the button, shifting her weight from foot to foot while the door slowly raises.
Her hands lift to cover a scream when she finds my black Hummer wrapped in a big red bow. “You’re giving me your truck?”
With a nod, I swallow a huge lump. It’s just a truck. It’s just a truck, I repeat in my subconscious. “All yours.”
“But you love this thing!” My God with each passing year, she looks more and more like her mother.
“I do. But I love you just a little bit more.” I pinch my fingers together for affect. “If my baby girl is gonna be out on the road, there’s nothing safer than this tank.”
Not to mention, I’m in the market for something much bigger.
With a squeal, she throws her arms around my neck. “Thank you so much, Dad.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Thank you, Mom.” Nya’s face floods with tears when our first-born launches herself at her.
“You’re welcome, mija.” She peppers kisses across her cheeks before handing her the keys. “We love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
Nya’s hands cup the sides of her face. “There is a GPS tracker installed on that thing. I can see your whereabouts and how fast you are going.”
El’s eyes roll. “I would ask if you were serious, but I already know you are.”