I crouched down once more fascinated to find Lee nursing our baby.
“She latched on,” she said amazed. “Oh, Kyle, I need to push the rest out,” Lee whispered suddenly. “And we need to clamp the cord.”
I stared at her dumbfounded, as reality slowly dawned on me.
It was one thing to deliver a baby; I had no fucking clue what to do with anything else.
The sound of a siren coming closer, was my saving grace.
Thank you Cam.
*****
Lee
“Lee, baby, the paramedics are here. They’re gonna get you all cleaned up and take us to the hospital,” I heard Kyle say from behind me, as he wrapped his arms around me, but I couldn’t turn my face to look at him.
My attention was entirely focused on my baby, lying in my arms.
I felt so many emotions in that moment, that I thought I might burst.
The unconditional love, the raw, undiluted purity and strength of my feelings for this tiny person in my arms, was almost too much to bear.
I loved her so much in that instant, and it was effortless and unequivocal.
She was so beautiful, so tiny and perfect, with wisps of dark curls, eyes the color of the ocean, just like her daddy.
I knew babies eyes changed color, but I hoped hers, would stay the same.
I didn’t want to change a hair on her head. She was perfect.
Giving birth on the back seat of Kyle’s new Mercedes, on the side of the road, had to top the list of most terrifying experiences of my life.
The fear I’d felt in those moments, had been crushing. But Kyle…Kyle had been amazing.
I had been sure, absolutely certain, that something terrible was going to happen to my baby.
Even when I’d heard her cry, I’d been petrified that the overwhelming sense of euphoria flooding through my heart, would be snatched away.
“Say cheese.”
I looked up at Derek, just as a bright light flashed in my face.
“Perfect, now how about one with a smile, Kyle?” Derek coaxed, before blinding us again with another flash.
I was extremely thankful, that Kyle had covered me with a blanket, now that it was apparently picture time.
“Jesus,” Kyle muttered as he nuzzled my neck. “He’s worse than a woman.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I heard that,” Derek retorted, snapping away like a mad man.
“You were supposed to. Now, stop flashing that damn thing in my daughter’s face. You’ll blind her before she’s an hour old.”
I looked down at her, alarmed.
Her little face was scrunched up in distaste. I discreetly covered her face from Derek’s harassing camera.
“Oh, my god, Oh, my god,” Cam cooed, from outside the door.
Pushing Derek out of her way, Cam leaned over my legs, gazing lovingly at my baby.
“She’s so perfect,” she fussed, stroking her head, and cheeks.
“And so beautiful,” she gushed. “Oh hey, look Kyle, she has your nose. But we won’t hold that against you, will we, gorgeous? No, we won’t. Cause you’re just too pretty. Who’s a pretty girl? Yes, you are. I told them that you were a girl. Derek, give me the damn camera, she’s opening her eyes.”
I leaned further into Kyle’s chest, as little, tremors of aftershocks rippled through me.
“Hey ya’ll, I came to deliver a baby, but I see you guys have had all the fun,” a female paramedic with a southern twang- I couldn’t place said, interrupting Derek and Cam’s photography session.
Her smile was so broad and friendly that I couldn’t help but return the gesture.
Cam reluctantly moved out of the way for the paramedic.
“So, sweetie, it looks like you and your husband have done a great job, so I’m just gonna get you cleaned up, then transfer you both to the hospital. My name’s Sarah, by the way.”
I introduced myself and Kyle, but didn’t correct the husband comment, and neither did he.
Kyle sat behind me patiently, stroking my arm, kissing me repeatedly on the shoulder and the top of my head, whispering words of praise and love.
Sarah proceeded to clamp and cut the cord. She injected me in the thigh, before delivering the after-birth and cleaning me up.
It saddened me that Kyle hadn’t been allowed to cut the cord, but I guessed the circumstances weren’t ideal and I was just so glad that my baby was okay.
I then, rather reluctantly, handed my baby over to be checked over.
“Wow, she’s a stunner, and look at all that hair. I bet you had a lot of heartburn?”
Kyle chuckled against my neck, as I nodded at the paramedic.
It definitely hadn’t been the easiest of pregnancies, but so incredibly worth it.
Every moment; good, bad, and heart breaking, was worth it to hold her in my arms.
“Wait, where are you taking her?” I asked alarmed, as I watched Sarah place my baby in the arms of another paramedic.