Page 142 of Mine to Worship

It's beyond me how I can still push, I believe it’s my body and Kira helping me too. And then complete emptiness. She’s out and I hear her cries, those high-pitched, piercing sounds of my baby, and my body shivers in the aftermath with relief.

I watch Kian, his eyes glisten and sparkle with utter love. His eyes find me, and he mouths, “thank you.”

They put her on my chest, a rosy, black-haired bundle of love and my heart soaks this moment in, when I fall in love with my baby.

“She is so beautiful,” I say, awed by her tiny fingers and I count all ten, her little button of a nose scrunched up, and those dark, blueish eyes blinking at us.

“She is.” He leans in and kisses the top of my head.

I kiss her cheek before the nurse puts Kira on my chest. Skin on skin, I experience a love so strong and unique it surpasses everything I have experienced. My daughter starts latching and I gaze entrapped at my little wonder. After her feeding, the nurse picks her up and puts her in Kian’s arms.

The pride in his eyes, the happiness etched on his face, the utter love surrounding us will forever trail after me.

“You did great, angel.”

After I birth the placenta, I whisper, “I am tired.”

The last thing I see is Kian rocking back and forth while peppering our daughter’s face with kisses.

Chapter 43

Kian

“Is something wrong?” I ask, panic gripping me as I watch Ellia’s eyelids drop.

“It’s the exhaustion. Your wife and daughter are fine.”

Daughter. I expected her, but now, it’s real as she lays in my arms. Since I saw Kira coming out, the fascination that gripped me with her first cry only increased. I can’t believe I helped create this perfect little being that has stolen my heart just by scrunching up her sweet little nose.

She peers at me with dark blue eyes and my heart might burst with all these feelings assaulting me, love, fierce protectiveness, adoration. Tears escape my eyes, and I let them fall. I promised myself years ago nothing will ever make me cry, but I am overwhelmed with so much love.

“Mr. Reyes, I am sorry, but we have to take the baby to do some checks and the PKU test. We’ll bring her back to you afterwards.”

My hold on Kira tightens. The nurse offers me an understanding smile and adds. “It won’t take long.”

I give the most precious thing in my life to her, pinning her with a serious stare, my eyes following her.

“You’re the protective type.”

She chuckles and I exit while another nurse pushes the bed my wife is on through the doors, and we take her back to her room. I watch Ellia sleep, and caress her face, loving her with even more force than yesterday. What she gave me, her love, and our baby, is the most precious gift.

Aubrey peeks her head inside the room and whispers, “Come outside, we’re dying here.”

I let my wife rest, and they talk over everyone’s questions.

I lift my hand and say, “One at a time.”

Ellia’s parents rush through the elevator’s door.

“What did we miss?”

I smile at them. “Ellia’s asleep and I’m going to see Kira.”

We end up looking at the baby through the window of the nursery.

“They look the same.”

I pierce Jason with a look.

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