Page 124 of Pieces

The fear doesn’t go away entirely. At this point, I’m sure I’m driven by the adrenaline of fear. But the gentle look on his face, his words, and just him, steady me, make me believe that I can do hard things. I nod, gripping his hand tighter.

The nurse’s voice cuts through the haze. “Alright, Daphne, we’re ready. With the next contraction, I need you to push as hard as you can.”

Push. It seems like such a small word for what I’m about to do. My whole body feels like it’s being ripped apart, and the idea of willingly adding to that is mind-boggling. Almost.

“I can’t,” I whisper again as tears spill over my cheeks.

“Yes, you can,” he says, firmly but gently, his face now inches from mine. “I’m right here with you.”

The sincerity in his eyes melts my last shred of doubt. I nod, wiping at my face with my trembling hand. “Okay. One push at a time.”

“That’s my girl,” he says with a squeeze of my hand.

The contraction builds, and I bear down, every muscle in my body straining. It’s like trying to push a boulder uphill with my bare hands, and I let out a guttural scream that fills the room.

“Good, Daphne!” the nurse encourages. “That’s exactly what we need. Keep going!”

Chest heaving, I collapse back onto the pillows as the contraction subsides. “This is insane,” I mutter, glaring at Hudson. “This is your fault, you know.”

Hudson has the audacity to grin, though there’s a flicker of guilt in his eyes. “I’ll take the blame. You can yell at me all you want later. Right now, let’s focus on getting the baby here.”

The next contraction comes quickly, and the nurse gives me the signal to push again. This time, I grab Hudson’s shirt with my free hand, pulling him closer as I push again, my entire body shaking with the effort. The nurse’s voice breaks through the fog. “I can see the head! You’re so close, Daphne. One more big push should do it.”

One more. Just one more.

“Okay,” I whisper, my voice shaky but determined. “Okay.”

Hudson brushes the hair from my damp forehead. “You’ve got this, baby. One more.”

The final contraction builds, and I dig deep, pulling every ounce of strength I have left. My scream rips through the air as I bear down, the pain reaching a fever pitch, and then, suddenly, it’s over.

And only a few seconds later, the sharp, piercing cry of a newborn has my entire body goes limp. The sound cuts through the exhaustion, replacing it with something overwhelming. Relief. Joy. Disbelief.

“It’s a girl!” the nurse announces, holding up the tiny, squirming baby for a moment before placing her on my chest.

I look down at her, my breath catching in my throat. She’s so small, so perfect, her tiny fists flailing as her cries echo in the room. Her skin covered in things I don’t need to focus on, but she’s so tiny, pink and perfect and all ours. Tears spill down my cheeks as my fingers brush against her soft, wrinkled skin.

“Hi,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “Hi, baby girl.”

Hudson is beside me, his hand still holding mine as he stares at our daughter, his eyes wide and shining. Swallowing hard, a faint, teary laugh escapes his lips. “I knew she’d be a girl, I justknewit.” He glances at me briefly, then back to her, as if he can’t bear to look away for too long. “Daphne…she’s perfect.Absolutely perfect.”

The look on his face almost undoes me. I’ve seen him be playful, funny, sad, and scared, but right now? This is something I’ll treasure forever… He’s falling in love with our daughter, and I get to watch it happen. Okay, now I get the magical part. This…is every bit as magical as I thought it could be.

“Want to hold her?” I ask, my voice still shaky.

His eyes snap to mine, his expression somewhere between excitement and terror. “Can I?”

I nod, smiling through the tears. “Of course. She’s yours too.”

He presses a kiss to my lips, and whispers, “You did so good, princess.”

The nurse helps him position his arms, and he lifts her gently, cradling her like she’s made of glass. His hands dwarf her tiny body, but the way he looks at her makes my heart ache in the best way.

“Hey, little one,” he says softly, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I’m your dad. I’ve been waiting to meet you.”

Hudson glances at me, his eyes wet, and I realize I’m crying too.

“We did it,” he says.

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