Page 36 of Under the Christmas Tree

Maggie laughed, a little hysterical. “Technically, it’s not for another two hours.”

Rea leaned on the counter, shooting a knowing look at her. “Then, technically, shouldn’t you be checking in at the airport, not the hospital?” She nodded at Maggie’s case. “We don’t really provide that service here.”

Maggie shook her head. “A client called me. She’s gone into labor early. I was still in town, so here I am.”

Rea sighed. “Jesus, you and Katie are made for one another. If you’re basically at the airport, you’re allowed to say you’re not in town.”

“I am in town, though. And now I’m here.”

“Mrs. and Mrs. Workaholic, or what,” she muttered to herself, rolling her eyes. “I’m sure you’re going to be absolutely overjoyed together. You, Katie, and your jobs.”

Maggie’s insides tingled, but she had something else she had to attend to first. “My client,” she said, shooting Rea a pointed look. “Timia. Which room?”

Rea tapped at the computer, a speculating, plotting expression taking over her face. “Seven. Leave your case, I’ll take it.”

“Thanks so much,” Maggie said, sliding the suitcase towards Rea before she turned to rush to Timia’s room. “I owe you one.”

“Maybe two,” Rea said, amused as Maggie left her standing there. “She’s early so I’ll be sure to send the doctor in quickly.”

“Thank you,” Maggie called over her shoulder as she reached Timia’s door.

Timia managed a smile through gritted teeth as the tail end of another contraction passed when Maggie entered the room. “You made it.”

“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” Maggie said truthfully as she took Timia’s hand in greeting.

The baby was early, but not dangerously so, and Timia seemed relaxed about it. This was her third time around, so she knew how these things worked, and Maggie’s second time shooting a birth for her. Maggie loved her first time working with a family, but there was something extra special about shooting multiple births for the same family. You knew each other better, you all knew what to expect and how things were going to go. It was shooting friends, instead of just clients.

Maggie set her stuff up in the corner, whipping her camera out, and immediately whirling to start shooting. They weren’t too close to the baby’s arrival yet, but she loved capturing those moments before birth, too. The moments where everything was on the precipice of changing in the blink of an eye. The moments where people prepared, where their laughter gave way to grimacing strength, where people walked and danced and did whatever they could to make the process easier, where they talked to their baby through a stomach for the last time.

Birthing suites were a universe in and of themselves. Tiny places where whole worlds changed. And Maggie loved them all.

As she snapped a picture of Timia’s mom pressing her forehead to Timia’s in support, their hands clasped tight in prayer over the birth and the baby, the door opened, and it was Maggie’s world that felt like it was changing.

Katie, in scrubs and her white coat, stepped into the room. She smiled at Timia before spotting Maggie staring at her over the top of a camera.

She laughed, clearly confused and overwhelmed, before switching back to doctor mode—Maggie had always known how good she was at that. They both really did know how to put everything else aside to be there for their work.

“And how are we doing here?” she asked Timia.

“Pretty good, Doc.”

“Contractions five minutes apart,” Timia’s mom said, looking ridiculously proud of her daughter, and not needing the labor nurse to relay that information to Katie. Maggie had only met her once before, after the birth of Timia’s last child, but, given the early arrival of this one, Maggie wasn’t surprised plans had changed and she was here for the birth this time.

“A baby for Christmas, huh?” Katie asked with a gentle laugh.

Timia laughed through another contraction as Katie moved around her, examining her. “Yeah, this one just couldn’t wait for next year, apparently.”

Katie shot a quick look at Maggie which Maggie’s stomach swoop. “I know the feeling.”

Maggie hid her face behind her camera, taking picture after picture. She knew Timia wanted pictures of the staff helping her through labor, but they were ridiculously easy to take when it was Katie she was shooting. She captured the careful, confident movements of her skilled hands. She captured moments between Katie and Timia. She caught every little moment she could memorialize on film, and, whenever Katie was in the room, she thrilled at the loaded, magical glances they exchanged with one another.

She’d wished to shoot another birth Katie was working on, but she hadn’t imagined it would be like this. She knew she’d have to send Rea a massive box of chocolates. She’d put Katie on Timia’s birth on purpose, Maggie was sure of it.

Before they knew it, the baby was coming, and Timia was strong and beautiful. Concentrated, consumed, and celebrated as she brought her third child into the world, her mom holding her up as she squatted.

Maggie and Katie were both completely absorbed in their own jobs, but Maggie knew she was taking in every minute of the experience, cataloging the incredible doctor Katie was, and every emotion coursing through the room. Something told her Katie was feeling similarly aware of her, a thought confirmed once the baby was delivered and Maggie finally looked up from the camera to see Katie watching her with the warmest, most loving look Maggie had ever been on the receiving end of.

She gestured to Maggie with her head towards the door.

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