Page 16 of Blake Marshall Says He Needs Me

Missy let out a roar and gave one final push.

“Holy shit!” Charlie called.

“Here comes the head,” I called. “Keep going!”

“I can’t!” Missy screamed.

But she did.

Missy did it.

I guided the baby out, and she instantly started crying. “You just have a beautiful baby girl, Missy,” I called. “You did it, sweetie.”

The nurses took the baby from me to quickly wipe her off, and I clamped the umbilical cord. “Were you wanting to cut the cord?” I asked Charlie.

He nodded eagerly and moved to the foot of the bed. He shakily cut the cord, and tears glistened in his eyes. “She’s beautiful,” he whispered. The nurses put her in his arms, and then Charlie placed her on Missy’s chest.

“Oh my god,” Missy sighed. “Charlie,” she sobbed. “Look at her.”

She was a beautiful little girl.

I had seen many babies in my time, and each time I delivered, it was like the first time. There was nothing like helping bring a baby into the world.

“You did it, Missy,” Charlie whispered. “You made out beautiful little girl.”

And this was the other part I loved.

The parents falling in love with their little baby.

Twenty minutes later, everyone was cleaned up, the delivery was done, and this was normal. I stepped out and went back to my life.

This was different, though.

Missy, Charlie, and their little baby had become part of my life.

“Knock, knock!” Shelby peeked her head in and beamed brightly. “I’m just here to see my amazing best friend and her beautiful baby,” she called.

“Get in here, Shelby Lyn,” Missy laughed. “Are you done freaking out now?”

Shelby stepped in and smiled sheepishly. “I had no idea that's how I react in emergency situations,” she confessed. “I promise I’ll be much better for the next one.”

Missy smiled. “Let’s just focus on this little nugget for now.”

Wilder slipped into the room and put his arm around Shelby’s shoulders. “Are we still calling her Nugget?” he asked.

Blake was the last one to step into the room. “Nugz,” he laughed. “She’ll always be Nugz.” He looked around happily, and his eyes fell on me.

His bright eyes turned dark and stormy, and I could feel his pain at the site of seeing me.

The room suddenly felt crowded.

I cleared my throat and tucked my hair behind my ear. “I, uh, need to check in with the nurses. I’ll be back in in a couple of hours, okay? If you need anything, press that button.”

Shelby and Wilder were excited to see the baby and moved to the bed.

Blake’s eyes stayed on me as I walked closer to him.

He opened the door and held it open for me.

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