Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 122(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 122(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
“Oh, Jesus. It can’t be time, can it?”
“It’s a little early but we aren’t taking any chances. I guess dinner is off.” Jack pulls out my chair and lifts me back into his arms. He brings me inside and sets me down on the sofa. “You stay here. I’ll go get your bag. We’re going to the hospital.”
As I sit here alone in the darkness, I realize I may have been having small contractions for a while now. I just thought I was hungry. I never even considered it could be the baby.
Jack returns with my bag and says, “I told Macy we were going. I’ll bring the car around. Hang on.” He’s so calm and collected that it puts me at ease. This is his first time, too, but the way he moves makes it seem like he’s an old pro at this.
He returns to help me off the sofa and take me to the car. As we take the short drive to the hospital, I feel my contractions getting closer and closer. This is it. These are the last hours of this pregnancy.
“I love you, Daddy,” I whisper.
“I know, baby girl. I love you, too. Everything is going to be alright. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you. You’ve already been such a wonderful mother to my boy. He’s the luckiest kid in the world to have you.”
“Thank you. Thank you for giving me the chance to be his mother. This life that you’ve given me is more than I could have ever dreamed.”
After just three hours of labor and delivery, little Joshua Jameson enters the world and he’s perfect in every way.
Jack is there to see him make his way into the world and take his first breath. He holds my hand the entire time, never leaving my side. He feeds me words of encouragement like candy, and they keep me pushing even when I want to give up.
I can see the look of concern on his face, and I know he’s worried about me, but he doesn’t stop encouraging me until little Joshua comes into the world. Jack smiles so widely that it brightens the room and brings tears to my eyes.
“You did it, baby girl. He’s here. I’m so proud of you. I love you,” he says as he wipes the sweat from my brow.
“I love you too, Daddy. How does he look?”
“He’s an angel just like his mother.”
They wheel me to my room and the exhaustion takes hold. I don’t know how long I’ve been sleeping, but I wake up to the most amazing sight. Jack is seated in the rocking chair beside my bed, holding our son in his arms.
He smiles at me and says, “Good morning, little mama.” He places the baby in my arms and climbs onto the bed beside me. “You look so beautiful right now.”
“I must look like I fought a bear and lost.”
“No. You look amazing. Don’t argue with me, baby girl. I’m the boss, remember?”
We take Joshua home and get him settled into the nursery. With Macy getting older, we’ve moved her into a more adult bedroom. I stand in the doorway and watch as my little boy sleeps. He’s so tiny that he doesn’t even look real. Jack comes up behind me and puts his hands around my waist.
“He isn’t going anywhere, sweetheart. You need to rest, too. Let him sleep. He’ll be here when you both wake up.”
I take one final look and gently slide the door closed.
“Is the monitor set up?”
“Yes, sweetheart. Everything is as it should be. Now, come on. You’re getting into bed.”
He leads me to the bedroom and pulls down the bedding for me. I sit on the edge of the bed and Jack props my legs up, making me groan with how good it feels. He sits down beside me and runs his fingers through my hair.
“I’m so proud of you, baby girl. You did so good.”
“What did I do? He was coming whether I had anything to say about it or not.”
“You’re amazing. Don’t ever forget that.” He kisses my forehead and adds, “Now, it’s time for you to sleep.”
“Will you stay with me, Daddy?”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
He gets on the bed beside me and pulls me to his chest. I fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
JACK
“Is she ready?” I ask Jessie as I survey the grays that have popped up in my hair.
“Finally, yes. I thought we were going to miss it.”
“What about the little ones?”
“Everyone is ready. We’re just waiting for you now. What are you looking at anyway? You know you’re the hottest man in town.”
“With the most gray hair,” I mumble.
“It makes you even sexier. I love running my fingers through it.”
“Alright, let’s round everyone up and go before they give her diploma to someone else.”