Page 69 of Be My Baby

“Millie!”

Millie rubbed Darby’s thigh. “It’s going to be fine. We’re right here.” She looked at the closed doors and took a deep breath. “Somebody!Help!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. Both Darby and Finn winced and she let out a scared laugh. “At least having a loud voice is good for something.”

She called out again as Darby cried out, her thighs shaking with effort. Her breathless, “I have to…” caught the edge of a loud moan, and Darby’s entire body stiffened.

The doors to their right burst open with hospital staff running toward them just as another car pulled in beside Darby’s car, sliding a little in the gravel.

Chaos erupted as a nurse fell to her knees beside Millie as the baby crowned, and Ryan, Gabe, and Max ran toward them from her left.

“Darby!”

Ryan’s terrified voice hit her ears as the doctor pulled Millie out of the way, the nurse leaning over Darby’s thigh to cradle the baby’s head. Gentle hands took hold of Millie’s shoulders and she looked up into Max’s face, filled with wonder as he stared at the event taking place on the hospital lawn.

Ryan took Finn’s place and Gabe kneeled next to him, taking Darby’s spare hand.

“You got this, Darb. It’s just like birthing a calf. You’ve been there with me heaps.”

Darby sucked in rapid breaths and glared at her twin, batting his hand away then grabbing it again. “Don’t youdarecompare me to a fuckingcow!”

Ryan started laughing behind her, a choked, laboured sound that Millie wasn’t quite sure reallywasa laugh. “Baby, we would never.”

“One more push, Darby,” the doctor said, his gaze intent on the baby. “Almost there.”

“I can’t,” she cried, pain lacing her words, tears streaking her cheeks.

Millie grabbed Max’s hands that were wrapped around her middle, resting on her own tiny bump. “You can, Darby. You’re strong. Come on. Everyone’s here.” She glanced to her left as another car engine caught her attention. Simon was behind the wheel with Darby’s mother, father, Emma, and Amy bundling out of the car as fast as they could.

Everyone reallywasthere.

“You can. I’ve never known anyone stronger than you. You’ve got this, babe,” Ryan said. He cradled her body from behind and kissed her sweat-drenched temple. “This baby has the best mother on the planet.”

Darby stiffened again and bore down, an almighty shriek of defiance and pain ripping from her lips as the baby slipped into the doctor’s hands. She handed it off to the waiting nurse, who wrapped a blanket around it and did something to its face.

A high-pitched squeal of indignation rent the air, fast turning into a wail.

An involuntary smile burst across Millie’s face, then she burst into tears at the healthy newborn cry.

Max pulled her tight and grinned at his sister. “You did it, Darb. You really did it.”

Awe flooded his voice as they all stared at the nurse holding the littlest Jameson. Millie stared between her tears. She couldn’t take her eyes from it, not even long enough to wipe her face.

She looked over to see tears streaking Ryan’s face, dripping from his jaw unheeded. Millie’s stomach clenched at the pure love radiating from him as he stared at his child as the nurse brought it to Darby’s waiting hands.

Mary and Ed stood beside her and Max, Amy and Emma kneeling on the other side of Ryan, out of the way but close to Darby’s shoulder. No single face was without tears.

The doctor grinned and sat back on her heels, wiping her forehead with the back of a hand. “You don’t do anything by halves, do you Darby? How about we all say hello to little baby boy Jameson?”

A boy.

Millie’s heart threatened to give out at the intensity of the love flooding her veins.

Max laughed behind her. “Jameson?”

Ryan’s grin encompassed his face as the baby was laid onto Darby’s stomach, his cries immediately settling as his mother’s arms cradled him.

“At this point I don’t care what you call him. Jameson is fine.”

Darby glanced at Finn standing off to her left, out of the immediacy of the action. She sent him a watery smile. “Finn. The baby’s name is Finn.”

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