Page 30 of Dirty Doctor
“I love you,” I sob.
I hear him chuckle. “I love you too, Langley. You’re doing so well.”
The onslaught of emotions is overwhelming. I think of our story—how we moved in after three months of dating. How my mom and Howard were nervous at first, but quickly accepted us as a couple. How Luke proposed, and then we eloped in Vegas. How we made a life in his house. How I recently started my own successful interior design company after being with Kellan Smith for nearly five years. How Luke is respected here at the hospital as one of the head doctors.
Our life is beautiful, and this baby was a beautiful surprise—the icing on the cake.
“Oh my god, I forgot to tell our parents,” I say quickly, just as another contraction hits.
“Don’t worry. I think they’ll understand.” He laughs.
I scream as another wave cleaves through me.
“Push for ten seconds,” the nurse says, so I do. “That’s it. I can see the head, Langley.” She’s kneeling now, and I can’t even think about what kind of view she has of me from down there.
“You’re doing great.” Luke dabs my sweaty forehead with a cool cloth. “We’re so close to meeting our baby.”
Baby.
We have no idea if it’s a girl or a boy, because we wanted to be surprised. His words are motivating, because during the next contraction, I push even harder.
“It burns!” I scream, feeling like I’m about to split in two.
“Keep going, you’re almost there,” the nurse soothes. “Dr. Hastings, do you want to catch your baby?”
I want to scream at him not to look down there, but I know he really wants to do this. He’s already told me he wants to be the first person to touch our baby. I mean, heisqualified to deliver babies, though he chose to specialize in emergency medicine. I see him quickly change into delivery gear and gloves.
Luke kneels next to me, and I know he’s in doctor mode now. “Langley, the baby’s head is crowning. Push slowly now—that’s it,” he says gently, and I see him raise his hands.
I can feel the baby’s head as it pops through. “Oh my god,” I cry out, my legs shaking.
“One more push,” Luke instructs. I grit my teeth and bear down. “Good. Keep going—”
I push with all my might, and the baby explodes from my body in one fell swoop. It cries immediately, and the nurse helps me as I collapse against the bed, panting.
“Tell me,” I say, looking over my shoulder. I see Luke clamp the cord, and his eyes find mine—happy tears streaming down his cheeks.
“It’s a girl,” he whispers, holding her up.
I begin to sob, and they both help me into the bed. I still have to deliver the placenta, but after they cut the cord, I don’t care—I just want to cradle my daughter.
My daughter.
Her hands are so small, and she has Luke’s dark hair and dark eyes. But her face reminds me of my father. My birth father. And that fact alone makes me begin to cry.
My heart fills with a kind of love I’ve never felt before—like I was one person a minute ago, and now my soul is split in two. Crying, I look down at her, and Luke stands next to us, gazing down at her.
She flicks her tongue in and out of her mouth. “What is she doing?” I ask, my voice panicked.
“She’s hungry,” Luke says, helping me to latch her onto my nipple. I see her begin to suck, and motherly pride fills me.
I look up at Luke, and he’s still crying. The nurse leaves, giving us some time alone as a family. I nurse my baby on both sides, and then she falls asleep on my chest. Neither Luke nor I say a word for several minutes—we just stare down at her in awe. Finally, he clears his throat.
“I don’t think I’ve ever loved you more than I do right now,” he says softly.
I feel my eyes prick with tears.Damn these hormones!
The next few hours fly by. They weigh her—seven pounds, nine ounces—and everything checks out.
