Page 39 of Home Is Where the Witch Is
“Just lift your knees up into here for me. That’s it.” Lifting up the hem of Rosie’s gown and placing it over her elevated knees, the woman’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “Okay, I can see the top of the head.”
“Really?” Rosie asked, wanting to sit up on instinct.
“Really.” The midwife smiled. "Do you want to feel it?”
Reaching down tentatively, Rosie placed her hand between her legs. Her fingertips skimmed over what felt like a very slimy but fuzzy grapefruit.
“Oh,” she murmured, feeling tears sting her eyes.
The midwife beamed. “Yep—it’s time. A few good pushes and you’ll be done and dusted.”
“Okay.” Rosie took a deep breath, forcing her emotions to recede as she went into butt-kicking mode. “Let’s do this.”
“Atta girl. We’re gonna wait for the next contraction, and then you’re gonna take a nice deep breath and push. Ready?”
“Ready."
The midwife watched one of the monitors Rosie was connected to, waiting until Rosie could start to feel the contraction building.
“Go!” the midwife urged her as the pain began to hit.
Taking in a huge breath, Rosie focused her energy on pushing.
“Good,” the other woman encouraged her, eyes still on the monitor. “And… go!”
Rosie pushed again. This time the pain was even worse, and a strangled cry escaped her. She wasn’t the type to wail and scream. Each to their own, but Rosie had always figured it didn’t really help any and just served to make you more tired. But this moan just wouldn’t stay in. Declan’s hand tightened on hers, worry flashing in his sea-green gaze.
“Almost there, Rosie,” the midwife soothed her. “You’ve got this. And—go!”
Another deep breath and another push. Rosie could actually feel the baby coming through, and it gave her the encouragement she needed. The midwife looked up at both her and Declan with excitement.
“Here we go, here we go! One more push. It’s almost done!”
The contraction hit before Rosie could make herself take another breath, but she threw herself into pushing all the same. It was hard at first, but then she felt everything go sort of loose. The midwife held the baby, waiting for Declan to scoot around the table to cut the umbilical cord as he had been determined to do.
“A beautiful healthy baby boy,” the midwife smiled, as the baby began to snuffle through his very first breaths.
“A son?” Rosie asked in wonderment, glancing at Declan who was wearing a smile ten miles wide.
“Uhuh,” the midwife said, clamping the end of the cord before wrapping the baby in a blanket. “Meet your mama, little one.” She placed him on Rosie’s chest.
Rosie’s arms automatically folded around him. “Oh, he’s just beautiful,” she sighed, looking down into his perfect little face as Declan joined her.
“That’s because he takes after you,” he said tenderly.
“I actuallyamglad he doesn’t have your nose,” Rosie sassed grinning up at her husband tiredly.
“Me too,” Declan chuckled.
“I’m just gonna go ahead and get you cleaned up,” the midwife said, busying herself while the latest addition to the clan bonded with his parents.
“Thanks,” Rosie said absent-mindedly, totally wrapped up in her new baby. She softly stroked his tiny fingers with hers, smiling when he jerked his arm back away from the strange sensation.
“Uh, Stacey? Can you take him and then help me, please?”
The unusual request from the midwife brought Rosie crashing back to what was happening around her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, a spike of dread coursing through her adrenaline-charged body.
