“I don’t, but I’m not heartless. I don’t want to look like we’re rubbing something lewd in her face.”
I kissed her head. “There.”
“What there?”
“Zoom in and out, capture, focus, video.”
I released Liya, and we sat down.
“So…do you want raw footage or adorable moments?” Liya asked.
“Both,” Shilpa replied.
“Uncensored stuff or social-media-ready material?”
“Both. I want to see the baby come out. But no video.”
We both cringed, and I patted Liya on the back. “She’s your girl.”
She shot me a dry look but asked Shilpa, “Are you sure you want me to see all your business?”
“At this point, I don’t care if my lady parts are televised, but I do want to see him come out. I can always delete the pictures later,” Shilpa replied.
“You don’t want Jahn or his mom to do it?” Liya verified.
“I need Jahn to hold one of my legs and my hand. Ma doesn’t want to look, but she can help support my neck during pushing.”
“Isn’t your family coming?”
Shilpa readjusted herself a bit in bed. “They have tickets to fly in this weekend. The baby is a few days early. Are you okay doing this for me?”
Liya nodded. “Yes, whatever you need me to do.”
“Great,” Shilpa hissed as she curled forward and clamped her teeth around a silent scream. “Because I think it’s time.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Liya
Having a baby was no less disgusting than I’d imagined. But Shilpa didn’t scream until Preeti said, “This is called the Ring of Fire. It’s going to feel like your vagina is on fire, but it’s the baby’s head. He’s past the pelvis, so it won’t be much longer.”
During the next contraction, Shilpa pushed three times, each a count of ten seconds. Her lady parts widened and stayed that way as a head rocked back and forth with each heartbeat. It was the weirdest thing I’d ever seen. Preeti massaged the baby’s head. I stood corrected. That was the weirdest thing I’d ever seen.
“He has so much hair!” I said.
Jahn, half excited and half about to pass out, grinned proudly.
In the next contraction, the head came all the way out and Jahn choked out a laugh as his son slid out in a mess of fluids. Preeti placed the baby on a blanket on top of Shilpa’s stomach as the nurse vigorously dried him and suctioned the gunk out of his nose and mouth.
Shilpa cried. Jahn cried. Jahn’s mom cried. The baby cried. I freaking cried.
Preeti clamped the cord and handed Jahn scissors. I caught every moment. And when the nurse took the baby to the warmer, I photographed the measurements, weight, and Jahn timidly giving his son his first bath and fumbling with the tiny diaper and onesie.
They wrapped the baby up and handed him to Shilpa, who fed him after Preeti repaired her destroyed lady parts. The baby smacked his adorable little mouth, looking for a boob.
After the nurse and tech cleaned the birthing mess, quicker than a few blinks, and Shilpa had nursed and bonded, she let Jahn hold the baby for a minute, then his mom, before Shilpa asked me, “Do you want to hold him?”
She held up the bundle like an offering. I shook my head, blinking back tears. “Not before Jay.”
“Okay, did anyone tell him?”
“I texted. He’s coming,” Jahn responded as Jay hurried in, a giant, cheesy grin on his face.
“Where’s my nephew?” Jay beamed.
Shilpa proudly handed the baby to him. Jay immediately melted. This child had everyone wrapped around his fingers. Jay swayed side to side and cooed to the baby. There was something very, very sexy about this six-foot-four man in his dress clothes, button-down shirt with a few top buttons undone, sleeves rolled to his forearms, biceps bulging against the tightened fabric, holding this tiny, helpless baby.
And damn everything if my ovaries weren’t actually rumbling. Although not quite exploding yet.
I captured him on film, as I had with everyone else, but now that he’d returned, I felt that I should’ve left the family to enjoy themselves.
I placed the camera down and reached for my purse as Jay walked over and asked, “Did you hold him yet?”
“No. I would never do that before you had your chance.”
“Give him to her,” Shilpa encouraged as she devoured her dinner.
“Oh, no, I don’t…” I stuttered over my words.
Jay’s warmth crowded me, and his arm pressed against mine as he slipped the bundle into my arms. “Sit down,” he whispered.
We sat together, and my eyes watered at the sight of this tiny, perfect boy. “You guys made a nice-looking kid,” I said.
They grinned.
I sat against the bench. Jay stretched his arm over the top of the back and rubbed my opposite arm. Was this what it would feel like to hold our baby together? And was I actually thinking of having babies?
“What’s his name?” Jay asked, stroking the baby’s cheek with his free hand.
“In the tradition of the Shah men, his name is Joshil,” Jahn said.
“Josh…” Jay hummed. “Perfect.”
When he glanced at me, his eyes twinkled. Of course they did. He was an uncle. I didn’t notice Jahn taking pictures of us until I rose to hand the baby to Jay’s mom. She gratefully took him as I congratulated all of them.
“Is there anything anyone needs?” I asked.
They shook their heads as Shilpa and Jahn profusely thanked me.
“It was my pleasure. Thank you so much for allowing me to be here. I’ll let you guys bond and gush, and I’ll see you soon?”
“You better see us soon,” Shilpa said as I slinked away.
I hurried once I left the room, hoping to avoid Jay. But the man was fast and agile and was at my side before I hit the lobby.
“Running off so fast?” he asked.
“This is your family time.”
“You’re family.”
I swallowed, a little dizzy from that simple yet profoundly overwhelming statement. I still had to deal with employees, and the interview for the job of my dreams. I wanted to tell Jay about Dallas, I really did, but how could I tell him now? How could I tell him that I had spent this entire morning updating my résumé and filling out a lengthy application? “I have a lot of work, early morning. Who knew closing down would be so busy?”
“Yeah. My firm will send me elsewhere, but what about you? Have you looked for work yet?”
“Yes. Sam is actually trying to help me out in that area with tips and recommendations. I’ll be fine. But you should definitely stay a while longer.”
“I will. Thanks for helping.” He kissed my cheek. “See you at work tomorrow. I’ll be wrapping up my last few days with Reinli BioChem. Oh, and this weekend? Still on for family dinner?”
Did I want to see him so soon? His family had integrated me into their fold with open arms. My ovaries actually tingled, tingled, at the sight of Jay holding a baby. What the crap? I needed to take a step back, clear my head, make sure that I wasn’t losing myself in whatever this was.