Page 83 of Found By You

“Maci,” I pant, rushing to her side.

“Excuse me, sir, you can’t—” a nurse in the room starts.

“He’s the father,” Cassidy states, glaring at the nurse.

Maci peers up at me. “Duke,” she cries, reaching for me.

My chest floods with emotions when I wrap my arms around her—a piece of my heart sliding back into place. “I’m right here, angel,” I say. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Here comes another one,” the nurse announces, watching a monitor off to the side.

Maci squeezes me tight with a hiss of pain. “It hurts.”

I rub her back, feeling how tense she is. “I know, doll. Breathe through it. Remember those classes? All that breathing they told you to do.” She nods against me and takes a deep inhale. “In through your nose, out through your mouth.”

She does her breathing, her arms squeezing my neck, and her forehead pressed against my chest. I rock her from side to side—I saw it in a movie once, and it seems to be doing something because she relaxes into me.

“You’re doing great, Maci,” the nurse tells her. “It’s coming down now.”

Maci blows out a long breath before leaning back to look at me. Her plump bottom lip quivers as her gaze darts over my face. I missed those big, green doe eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

“Shhh.” I push the hair out of her face that’s fallen from her messy bun. “You have nothing to be sorry for, beautiful. This is all my fault. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” I say. “But believe me when I say this—you mean everything to me, Maci. You could never replace anyone. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, angel. I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life proving it to you.”

She takes my scruffy, unkept face in her hands, and kisses me softly in response.

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of her touch, her scent, her kiss—her love. Her.

“I love you, too,” she whispers against my lips, and I feel it…

This is what forever feels like.

“We’ve got another one coming,” the nurse says, and Maci tenses as she works through her breathing.

“How far apart are we, Debbie?” Dr. Sanderson asks as she hurries into the room.

“Contractions are two minutes apart and just shy of a minute long.”

“All right, Maci. I’m going to have you finish this contraction, then I need you to lie back and we’ll check you again,” Dr. Sanderson says.

I help Maci to lie down, holding her hand as Dr. Sanderson checks her. “Eight centimeters dilated. Head is down.” She pushes on her stomach and shakes her head.

“Can I get the epidural now?” Maci pleads, squeezing my hand.

Dr. Sanderson pains a smile. “Oh, we’re long past that, dear.”

Maci whimpers when the nurse announces another contraction. Another nurse arrives to prep the room for delivery. Maci shifts onto her left side, a death grip on both my hands while doing her breathing as best she can. Cassidy’s holding a cool cloth to her forehead, and I’m doing my damnedest to stay strong for her—but I’m freaking out on the inside.

“When did you start having contractions, Maci?” Dr. Sanderson asks, staring at a paper in hand.

Maci hisses. “I-I don’t know. The last few days, I guess? I had a few light ones this morning. I thought they were Braxton Hicks, though.”

Dr. Sanderson walks around to face Maci. “I need you to listen to me as best you can, okay?” she starts, her tone serious in a calming way that only puts me on high alert. “What’s happening now is what we refer to as precipitous or rapid labor. That’s why you’re having such intense contractions. Your body is ready to force this baby out one way or another. Are you feeling the urge to push?”

Maci nods vigorously, her nails digging into my forearm as she blows out a jagged breath.

“You need to work through the contractions. Don’t push until you’re fully dilated. If you try now, you’ll risk tearing or harming the baby. Do you understand?”

“Y-Yes.”

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