Page 71 of Capitally Unexpected

“Okay, Michelle, I can see her head after the last one. A few more big pushes and we’re going to have ourselves a baby.”

Michelle nods, too exhausted to comment, but the determined look returns, stronger than before.

“Okay, the heads out, big push for the shoulders.” Michelle screams again. “A little bit more.”

The next noise that joins the room is the loud, screaming cry of our daughter. Michelle flops back against the bed, tears streaming freely down her face. I blink rapidly, finding tears spilling down my own face. They bring our daughter up to lay on Michelle’s chest.

After a few minutes, someone says, “Dad, it’s time to cut the cord.”

I press a kiss to Michelle’s forehead, and she squeezes my hand once more, with affection this time, as I step to where Dr. Barber holds my little girl, one half of my entire world. I follow the doctor’s instructions and then watch as they take baby girl away to do the initial exam and clean her.

I take this brief moment to stroke my hand down Michelle’s face, putting all the love and affection I can into my look.

“You were amazing. That’s her, that’s our daughter.”

She nods. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” We both laugh wetly at the undersell of the past eighteen hours.

“Mom, Dad, here’s baby girl Lewis.” One of the nurses helps lift up Michelle’s gown so they can lay our daughter on her bare skin once again.

“Hi there, baby,” Michelle coos at the infant cuddled on her chest. My heart stutters with the effort to absorb all the lovecoursing through me while I gaze at the two most important people in my life. Michelle looks at me for a moment, and whatever she sees in my face helps her make a decision.

“It’s baby girl Brandt,” she says with finality, causing my heart to leap again. I already know they’re my forever, but never assumed our daughter would share my last name from birth.

“We’ll leave you three alone for a few minutes. You’ll be able to start bringing family in within an hour or so.” Michelle and I look at each other, confused, before looking at the nurse.

“Snowstorm or not, seems like you have some people determined to be here for you.” She walks out of the room, smiling.

“Sounds like them to not wait for us to call like we said we would,” I say, turning to Michelle.

She shrugs the shoulder our daughter isn’t laying on. “I think your family isn’t very good at showing they care from the sidelines. I’m not surprised they’re here.”

I laugh. “When you put it like that, I guess I’m not either.”

We sit in silence for a moment, staring at the little human we created, changing our lives forever.

“I know we had our favorites list, and I’ll call her baby girl for as long as we need to. But, any gut feelings?” I ask Michelle softly.

She gazes down at the tiny head with a smattering of red hair covering it before looking up and meeting my gaze. “I’m going to call an audible and throw out a Hail Mary,” she says, biting her lip.

I roll my eyes. “Fucking Duncan for getting you hooked on those fantasy football podcasts. What’s the name, babe?”

“Hope.” She says the word simply, and in the second it takes for my synapses to fire and comprehend, I know it’s perfect. Before Michelle, before that one night in March, my life coasted along perfectly fine. Because I didn’t know what I was missing, what I could have once I found the perfect woman. And even when I didn’t believe I deserved them, Michelle never lost hope I’d be the perfect man for her, the best father for our daughter.

“It’s perfect,” I breathe, scooting closer so I’m able to wrap my arms, however awkwardly, around them both.

“I thought so.”

Another beat passes before I ask, “And the middle name we talked about?”

Michelle nods. “I think they go together perfectly.”

“Me too,” I say, and we lapse into silence, watching Hope breathe.

It’s around an hour later, after the nurses have come and gone again, when another knock sounds at the door. Michelle and I look at each other and smile, before she says, “Come in.”

Preston, Duncan, Hayden, Charlotte and Jax file in. “Look at her, she’s so gorgeous,” Charlotte says quietly, bringing her hands to her mouth.

“She amazing, guys,” Hayden says. Preston and Duncan offering their agreement.

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