Page 81 of Hell Yes

Jesse stood in the doorway, hesitating for a split second. “It can’t be worse than delivering puppies, right?”

Val rolled her eyes at him.

“Let’s see how far along you are,” Val replied and removed the sheet that was covering Rochelle’s lower body. Val quickly assessed her. “Oh my God. You’re fully dilated. It’s time. Let’s get you into the water.”

Nate and Sage helped Rochelle get up and into the bath. Thankfully, it was only a few steps. Val got in too, along with Jesse.

“Take a deep breath and push.”

Nate held onto one of Rochelle’s hands, Sage the other, while Rochelle took a long, deep breath and pushed.

Val reached down and smiled up at Rochelle and Nate. “I can feel the baby’s head.”

“Already?” Nate asked. “I thought first babies took hours and hours.”

“Not your baby,” Jesse replied.

“Another deep breath, another push,” Val encouraged Rochelle. “You’re doing great.”

“I’m never doing this again,” Rochelle screamed as she pushed, her face red with exertion.

“He’s coming,” Jesse announced. “Holy fuck, he’s huge!”

“No shit,” Rochelle bit out and everyone laughed.

“One more push, Rochelle. You can do it.”

Another push and that was it. Val pulled the baby out of the water, and handed him to Jesse, who quickly cleared his nose and mouth and started checking him over. A few seconds went by, and Val held her breath.

Until a loud, piercing cry filled the room. The sweet sound of new life.

Val looked over and Nate and Rochelle were both in tears, anxiously waiting to hold their son.

“He’s perfect,” Val murmured as she wiped away her own tears on her shirtsleeve. “You did good, Rochelle.”

Jesse and Val got to work, cutting the umbilical cord and finishing up a health check for the baby and Rochelle. Once the baby was cleaned and wrapped in a blanket, Val gently placed him in Rochelle’s arms.

“He’s so beautiful,” Rochelle whispered. “And thank God he’s got my nose.”

Everyone laughed at that.

Nate leaned down and kissed her, then kissed his son’s head. “Welcome to the world, Axel James Wallace.”

“He’s already got the coolest name in the club,” Jesse teased as he stretched and made to leave the room.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Val asked.

“Um, I thought we were done.”

Val shook her head. “Oh no. Not yet.”

Two hours later, with Rochelle given one last check up and everything cleaned up, Val and Jesse left the house.

“Call us if you need anything,” Jesse reminded Nate on the way out. “If Rochelle suddenly spikes a fever or has sudden pain, or if the baby?—”

“I will,” Nate interrupted with a grateful nod. “Thank you both. For everything.”

“Can I give the guys the good news?”

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