"I’m sorry, love." He rubbed my arm lightly.
"Lilli, another one is coming, baby. Get ready." My mother was watching the monitor.
I took a deep breath and panted through the pain.
"Someone get me drugs!" I whined, loudly.
"Let’s check you out first and see how you are progressing." The doctor stood next to the bed and pushed back one leg, earning a death glare from me. Then he did the very last thing I had wanted him to do. He lightly pushed on my stomach and internally checked me. I groaned. "I know it’s uncomfortable, I’m almost finished." He looked down at me with genuine pity.
He pulled away.
"Well?" I asked with anticipation.
"Mrs. Iverson, we are going to have to hold off on the anesthesia."
"What?" Another pain hit and I panted.
"I want you to breathe through this one. With the next contraction, I want you to push.” My eyes widened. "This baby is ready to get out." He smiled brightly. "Everyone in their positions?"
The nurses came in and started setting up for delivery. Aidan grabbed my hand and kissed my head as my mother grabbed my other hand. Viola stood with her hands clasped together.
The next pain hit and I did as the doctor has asked. "Good, very good. Push into your bottom." the Doctor coached. Aidan helped me sit up a little and cheered me on.
"Oh my god, I see hair!" Viola yelled. "Oh, wait…that just might be Lilli’s…no, it’s baby hair!"
"One more push, Lilli, then I want you to hold it." I followed the doctor’s instructions.
"It’s a head! A tiny, little head! Oh, Aidan, look!" Viola had moved closer to the end of the bed.
Aidan turned his head and looked down. The expression on his face was of mixed feelings and I was way too distracted with the pain to figure all of them out.
"Hold, Lilli, don’t push yet."
"But the pressure…" I whined, trying to hold from pushing. "I have to get it out!"
"Okay…one small, easy, controlled push."
I nodded and slowly pushed at the pressure between my legs. Then I heard the cry.
"We have a baby boy." the doctor announced as he laid the baby out on the cotton blanket lying across my chest. My eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, baby, he is beautiful!" My mother squeezed my hand tightly.
I felt Aidan’s lips against the side of my head.
"Lilli, that was amazing." He said in a hushed tone. "Thank you so much." He kissed me again. "I love you so fucking much." His head rested against mine as we both looked down on our son.
Aidan’s fingers caressed the babies round pink cheek as he wailed. I began trying to calm him, but a nurse appeared, taking him to do their routine checks.
Another wave of pressure came over me and I looked quickly to the doctor.
He smiled up at me.
"It’s just the placenta." He paused and moved around a bit before looking back up at me. "You did great."
"What about the other baby?" Viola questioned.
"It seems that baby number two isn’t ready just yet." He chuckled and then looked up at me. "Get some rest and we will see each other soon." He smiled as he stood to leave.
"I don’t think that I can do that again." I whined to my mother as I looked up at her.
"Yes you can, baby." She smiled and kissed my forehead. "I’m going to go call your father and get some pictures with my cell phone to send to him." I nodded and she left the room.
The nurse brought my son to me and placed him in my arms again. He had calmed down and was wrapped up tightly in a light blue blanket. Aidan hovered over us with a large smile on his face.
Viola had moved to the side of the bed where my mother had been standing. She had her cell phone out, taking pictures.
"I’m going to go out to the waiting room and tell everyone." I nodded and she left Aidan and me alone.
"He is absolutely perfect." Aidan breathed out.
I smiled brightly.
"Lilli, you are so amazing. Do you know that?" His lips were on the side of my head again. "I couldn’t even imagine what that pain was like." I felt him shudder.
"Don’t remind me." I groaned. "I have to go through it again." I sighed and put my head back.
~
Aidan
I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her and our son. He was perfect and she was amazing. I fought to keep back the tears that were threatening to spill over my cheeks.
"I love you so much." I couldn’t stop telling her and kissing her.
When I looked down and watched my son being born, I had felt so much love, fear, excitement and amazement. This tiny human was Lilli and I joined together. We shared a common bond. We were this tiny person’s parents. We made him.
"Do you want to hold your son?" Lilli’s beautiful hazel eyes looked up to me, she was exhausted.
I nodded and took him from her arms. "He’s beautiful, just like his mother." I smiled to her.