Save the Date (Modern Arrangements, #1)

She shook her head. "I don’t think so. That fuzzy tuft around his head looks awfully auburn to me."

That was when I pulled the blue cotton cap from his head. Sure enough, there was my hair in a wild tuft on his head. I couldn’t help but smile as I sat down next to Lilli’s bed. I looked over to say something to Lilli, but her eyes were closed and her breathing was starting to even out.

Placing my son down into my lap, I unwrapped him from his blanket and examined his body. From his fuzzy head to his small fingers, down to his small curled and wrinkled toes. I sat back in the reclining chair, staring down on him in complete awe.

"Aidan?" I looked up to see Liam enter the room.

I put my finger in front of my lips and then pointed to Lilli. He smiled and nodded.

"Here he is." I whispered as Liam came around the bed toward me.

"He is very handsome." Liam whispered.

"He is perfect." I smiled down on him. "It was amazing, Liam. I don’t know how women do it."

Liam shook his head and placed his index finger into my son’s hand.

"They are amazing creatures; beautiful, soft, compassionate and capable of so much."

I smiled at his words. He was so right.

After about thirty minutes of baby watching, Liam handed the baby back to me and excused himself from the room. I greedily held onto the baby until Dixon came bounding in. Surprisingly, he was very quiet.

"Hi." I whispered.

"Hey there, Daddy." He whispered back.

I held up the baby for him to take a look. Dixon smiled largely and lightly ran his hand over the baby’s cap-covered head.

"Perfect." He whispered. I nodded.

One by one, each person came back to see the baby while Lilli slept. She had been asleep for around three hours. Suddenly, she started to stir.

I heard her whimper and quickly stood, cradling the sleeping baby securely.

"Lilli?" I whispered.

She groaned and her breathing started to pick up. I turned to the monitor and saw that she was having contractions again. I pushed the call nurse button on her bed. The nurse arrived quickly and started to move around Lilli’s bed.

Lilli opened her eyes and gripped the railing tightly.

"Here we go again." She groaned.

I placed the baby in the hospital bassinet and returned to Lilli. Quickly, I picked up her hand, intertwining our fingers.

"Here comes another one." I told her while watching the monitor. This time I was going to help her more. She started panting and breathing through the contraction.

"I can’t do this." She whimpered into her arm as she lay on her side facing me.

"Yes, you can." I looked into her eyes. "You already did it." I motioned to our son. "Squeeze my hand, okay?"

She nodded and then grimaced with pain. My head shot up and I realized that she was having another contraction.

The doctor arrived about thirty minutes after her contractions had started again.

"Let’s see where we are." He performed his check between her legs and then furrowed his brow. "Hmmm…the sack hasn’t broken but she has moved down and into position. We are going to break your water and watch for progression.” He looked over at the nurse who was busily going through drawers.

She handed him a long, plastic stick with a hook on the end. He pushed Lilli’s legs apart further and went to work.

"There we go." He smiled lightly and the nurse brought towels over and started placing them under Lilli. "It’s clear, a good sign." He patted her knee. "I’ll be back in a little bit to check on you again."

For the next seven hours we went through breathing and panting. It was nine at night and dark outside. Lilli was getting tired.

Finally, she had progressed well and far enough that the doctor allowed her to get the epidural injection. Once she got it, she felt much better and was able to sleep again.

A nurse had taken the baby to the nursery for feedings and to be looked over by the pediatrician on duty. I decided to try to get some sleep in the recliner.

Being shaken awake was not a fun way to be woken up. But, when I heard Lilli groaning, I got up quickly. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and realized that Viola had woken me. I stood next to Lilli and Sarah was on the other side of the bed.

"Okay, Lilli, we are going to need another good push from you." The doctor instructed just as he had before.

Lilli’s face turned red as she pushed down.

"Good, good…take another deep breath and, with the next contraction, push again."

She did as he asked, collapsing back onto the bed when it was over.

"I can’t do this anymore." She exclaimed with labored breathing.

"Yes you can." the doctor said firmly. "Come on, we are almost there."

"You can do this." I looked directly into her eyes. "Come on!" I pulled her up and watched her push with all the strength she had left in her.

"Okay, we have her head. Control your push, Lilli."

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