Page 33 of Bound by Love
“I do find it amazing that my body is giving her everything she needs right now but, soon, I will be responsible for feeding her, burping her, changing her diaper, making sure she’s warm enough…”
“You’re not the only one responsible for her.”
“Really?”
Sir stroked her cheek. “While I obviously can’t breastfeed the baby, I will be happy to burp her and change my fair share of diapers.”
She couldn’t hide her stunned expression. “You’ll change dirty diapers?”
He seemed surprised by the question. “Naturally.”
“I just assumed….”
“Assumed what?”
Brie shrugged, blushing. “You’re my Master.”
“So you thought, as your Master, I would shy away from taking care of my child? Did I not tell you that I would never expect you to do anything that I wasn’t willing to do myself?”
“I didn’t think you meant inallaspects of our lives, Sir.” She threw her arms around him, leaving trails of kisses down his manly jaw. “How amazing to think our little girl will know the love and care of both parents. That’s more than my dad ever did. My mom said he stayed at least ten feet from any diaper and never once burped me.”
“His loss, then. I remember my dad sharing some of the humorous situations he found himself in while caring for me as an infant. He wanted that extra time with his boy because of his constant traveling, and I am forever grateful for it.”
“Our daughter is a lucky girl.”
“I’m not entirely convinced of that. You’ve felt the wrath of my demons before. How can a child, who knows no better, handle such a thing if it should happen again?”
Brie smiled tenderly. “We’ve become different people since that day you first collared me. You’re working through those demons and are not the same man you were then.”
“True, I am not.”
“And I’m totally convinced every parent struggles. My parents are good examples of that. Sure, bad things happened while I was growing up, but I knew I was loved and cherished even when my dad had to leave us behind. It’s not what happened to you as a kid that defines your childhood, but how our parents handled it. That’s what stays with you and shapes you as an adult.”
Sir looked at Brie, his gazed still haunted with lingering doubt. “I fear my good intentions will not be enough.”
“It will be, Sir.”
Brie laid her head on his chest, watching her stomach jump because of their active child. “In just a few more months, we won’t be talking about how to care for her. We’ll be living it day by day.”
Sir’s voice suddenly became more somber. “There was a time when I didn’t think I would have that chance. So, long nights awake with the baby seems like a small price to pay for such a miracle.”
Tilting her head up, Brie was overwhelmed with love for him.
“I couldn’t agree more, Sir.”
Hello
Brie was jolted back to reality when they lifted her and placed her on the operating table. The nurse reconnected her to all the monitors while Dr. Glas scrubbed up. When he returned, he checked the position of the baby and announced, “Her vitals are back to normal for now. We can try delivering her vaginally if you can push her out in the next few contractions.”
Brie felt a hand on her shoulder and felt a flood of relief when she looked up to see Sir dressed in scrubs. She was not alone, and that gave her the encouragement she needed to face this. She had been uniquely prepared for this moment, and she would not fail.
“I want to try,” she told him.
“Good,” Dr. Glas stated, explaining, “When the next contraction comes, I want you to push with everything you’ve got, and I don’t want you to stop until I tell you.”
Brie braced herself, readying for the greatest challenge of her life.
As soon as the contraction hit and Brie started pushing, the alarm started sounding again, letting her know her baby was in distress. She redoubled her efforts, roaring like a primal animal.
