A Beautiful Forever

chapter 35

Paige

“Elliot,” I whisper, rocking him by the shoulder to wake him, “Elliot; it's time.”

Lifting his sleep laden head from the pillow, he looks over at the clock on the bedside table and scrunches up his face, “No it’s not, I’

ve got hours before I have to be at work,” he complains, rolling onto his back and closing his eyes again. I watch him as he runs his

hands over the top of his head, over the short clipped hair that I cut only yesterday.

Suddenly, his eyes pop open, and he sits bolt upright in bed, “Wait! What?! It’s time? It’s time time?” he rambles, throwing the quilt

off him and jumping out of bed. He places his hands on either side of my enormous belly and looks at me intently, “Are you sure?”

“My waters broke and I’m having contractions. I've called the hospital, and they’re expecting us.”

“Oh my god! This is really happening isn’t it?” he says, freaking out a little as he pulls on the pants and shirt I’m holding out to him. “

Why are you so calm?” he asks me.

“I’m not calm Elliot. I'm about to have a giant baby come out of my vagina. I’m about as far from calm as I can be right now,” I answer

tonelessly. I actually think I’m in shock a little.





Elliot


I carry Paige’s bag and hold her hand as we walk carefully down the two flights of stairs to get to the car. A contraction hits her when

we’re only a few steps away, I have no idea what to do right now except rub her back and talk softly to her until the pain ebbs away,

and her face softens again.

“Ok?” I ask, checking that she’s fine to continue to the car. She nods quickly and I guide her to the passenger side, dropping her bag

on the back seat before getting in and driving us to the hospital.

She has another contraction on the way to the hospital, and I ask if she wants me to pull over but she shakes her head no, so I keep

going, my heart beating in my chest so hard that it’s echoing out through my ears.





Paige


Wave after wave of contractions are taking over my body as I’m ushered into the delivery suite. The midwife informs me that the

doctor should be in shortly to check on my progress, but she wants to check me over first to make sure everything is fine.

She presses her hands over my stomach, trying to feel which way the baby is lying.

“Are you getting a lot of back pain?” she asks me.

I nod, “Yes, it feels like my contraction pain is radiating out of my spine,” I tell her grimacing as I feel the start of another one.

“The baby’s posterior,” she starts.

“What? What does that even mean?” Elliot interrupts to ask, worry etched in his face.

“Everything’s fine, it just means her pain is more concentrated. I’d offer you something for the pain Paige, but I don’t think we’ll have

time – you’re already grunting so the baby is probably coming soon ok?”

I nod my head quickly, trying desperately to breathe through the pain that is overwhelming my body right now. I roll onto my knees

trying to ease the pain in my back and start crying.

Elliot, rubs my back and coos at me softly, telling me I’m doing great. “It just hurts so much Elliot, where are the endorphins your body

is supposed to produce? The books said there’d be endorphins to take the pain away!” I cry as a contraction starts again, “Oh God!

” I call out as my body bears down of its own accord.

“Breathe Paige, breathe as you push, we’re not far now,” the midwife coaches me.

Panting I try to catch my breath before another contraction comes, I can’t believe how fast this is all happening.

“She’s pushing?! Shouldn’t she be on her back or something? She can’t give birth on all fours can she?” Elliot asks the midwife

frantically.

“It’s fine, dad, just let nature take its course,” she soothes him. “Now Paige, when the baby’s head is just about out, you will feel a

burn. I want you to try not to push when that's happening, give your body time to stretch, so you don’t tear ok?”

I nod my head, feeling like I'm a torture recipient – I’m so angry at nature right now, why does this have to hurt so much!?





Elliot


My eyes grow wide as Paige bears down, and I see the baby’s head crowning, “Oh my god Paige! I can see the baby! You’re doing

it!”

She screams out loudly, and I’m torn between rushing back to hold her hand and watching our baby as it emerges from her body

and into the world. I settle for resting my hand on her back and cheering her on so I can still see.

“Try not to push Paige, the baby’s coming out quickly, breathe through the burn,” the midwife coaches, preparing herself for the birth

of our child.

“I can’t stop pushing!” yells Paige, grunting and yelling as she bears down again, and I witness our baby’s head pop out of her,

closely following by its body.

I can hardly breathe, watching that little scrunched up face as it gurgles out a loud cry that seems to reverberate around the room. “It’

s a girl Paige, we made a baby girl!”

I help her roll over so the midwife can place the baby on her stomach. “Oh Elliot!” she breathes, “She’s beautiful, look at our

daughter!” I touch the face of our screaming little bundle and kiss Paige happily.

“Would you like to cut the cord?” The midwife asks me, holding out a pair of surgical scissors. I nod, taking them from her and work

them to cut the cord that connected mother and baby for nearly nine months.

The door to the delivery suite opens, and the doctor walks in. He takes a couple of steps and freezes, “Oh, I guess I’m a bit late,” he

comments.

“Yes, this one couldn’t wait to meet her parents,” the midwife says.

“Well congratulations,” he says, moving over to the midwife to talk quietly with her for a moment about the delivery before

congratulating us again and leaving.

“I’m sorry,” I say to the midwife, “I never caught your name.”

“Victoria,” she informs me.

“Well, thank you Victoria, for bringing our baby into the world.” I say.

“You’re very welcome.”





Paige


Staring down at the child in my arms, I’m so overwhelmed with love, that the pain of the delivery seems like a distant memory now.

Victoria is helping me as I try to latch the baby onto my breast for her first feeding. It’s a lot harder than I thought I would be and hurts

a little when the baby starts suckling before she has her mouth open properly.

“So do you have a name for her?” asks Victoria when she’s sure the baby is attached properly.

Elliot and I look at each other and smile. We had thought long and hard about what our baby’s name will be, “Grace,” I tell her. “Her

name is Grace.”

“Yes, Grace Roberts,” Elliot puts in.

I look at him and laugh, “Who says she gets your last name?”

“It will be your last name too,” he informs me.

“Really?”

“Yes Paige,” he says, wrapping his arms gently around both me, and our daughter as she feeds from me, contentedly in my arms.

He lowers his head and looks me in the eyes, a serious expression on his face. “Paige Larsen, will you do me the honour of

becoming my wife?” he asks.

Tears begin to pour out of my eyes as I nod my head frantically. “Of course I will Elliot,” I say through my tears. “Of course I will!”

He steps away from the bed and searches through my bag for a moment, returning with a small black ring box. He sits beside me

and opens it, revealing a beautiful ring with a gold band that overlaps itself in two swirls around a single diamond suspended

between the metal. I hold my shaking hand out as he places it on my finger, admiring it as it catches the light.

He leans in and kisses me, resting his other hand gently on our daughter’s tiny head, “I love you Paige. Thank you so much for giving

me a daughter.”

“I love you too. But we made her together, she's a gift for the both of us. ”