Page 74 of Walker

That gives me a burst of energy. “I’m ready to push again.” Darren holds my hands, helping me lean forward with Walker holding my legs up. “I see the head! She has a lot of hair.”

Oh my God, she is almost here.

“One more push, momma.”

“Come here, dad. Want to catch her?” she asks Darren.

He takes her spot and she stands next to him helping. I take a deep breath, screaming while I push. It feels like I’m dying, the pain is so unreal, but I can’t take my eyes off the scene below me.

“Here she is!” Darren, with the midwife’s help, pulls her out of me. He holds her to his bare chest and she is screaming at the top of her lungs. I cry at the beautiful sight, that very second, seeing her, it’s so worth it.

The assistant sets the blanket on my chest and Darren walks over setting her on my chest. “She is so beautiful, angel.” She has blonde hair just like me, I can’t believe she is here.

“Here dad, cut the cord.” She hands the scissors to Walker, who cuts the cord. I cry, touching her little hand. “Welcome to the world, beautiful.” I kiss her little forehead.

I look at Walker, his eyes are red fighting back the tears. Darren, on the other hand, is full on crying. “You did so amazing, baby.” Walker kisses my cheek, holding me tighter.

“We made a beautiful angel.” I cover her with the blanket and she puts her hand in her mouth suckling on it.

“We did.”

* * *

Summer

Oaklyn

Graduating High School

* * *

We watch her walk across the stage. It seems like yesterday she was born and now she is my spitting image and her dads’ worst nightmare

She is every good part of me and she is absolutely beautiful.

Our baby girl is a champion barrel racer. She saw the racing barrels on TV and she has been obsessed since. We have traveled the country chasing her dreams and now she is doing it full-time.

* * *

“Woohoo! GO baby!” I scream at the top of my lungs along with her dads. She beams over at us and waves. Darren is crying, he has turned into a softy, he is a pile of mush.

The first time she fell, I thought he was going to pass out.

Our love for each other though has just grown, every day I find something to love about them more and more.

At the end of the stage, Rhett, the bronc rider and Micah, the bull rider pull her off the last step into their arms, hugging her between them. They have decided they must take my daughter everywhere for her barrel racing, so tomorrow morning they’re loading her horse up in their trailer and taking her on the rodeo trail.

“Well fuck,” Walker grumbles, sitting back down.

I pat his leg and then Darren's. Both of them are depressed. “You can’t blame her for finding love. She sees every day how much you love me. They remind me of you both.”

They do, they are seriously protective of her. They saw her at a rodeo and parked their trailer right down the road so they can see her every day and help her train.

“Doesn’t make it easier, she is our baby.” Darren sighs. “Want to make another one?” he suggests.

“Oh no, no more babies.” I think of the baby at home that came unexpectedly. After I had Oaklyn, I couldn’t seem to have any more. I thought that I was infertile after having years of IVF and then Oliver came out of nowhere. He is our biggest blessing.

“Oliver is a little crazy,” he agrees.

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