Michelle giggled. “I see what you mean. But I promised they could pretend they were camping in the woods.” She wished she’d hired the servants Erik had suggested.
“They’ll have to wait.” Erik crossed the floor and pressed one of the buttons on a wall. “Yasmine, wake up, Sleepyhead. It’s time.”
“Now?” a drowsy voice came through the intercom. “It’s two o’clock in the morning. Why can’t Michelle have the baby during the day like normal people?”#p#分页标题#e#
“I heard that,” Michelle yelled. “You just wait—Aw…” she wailed as another contraction hit her.
Erik rushed to her side. He held her, and helped her breathe through it. He shook his head, his eyes dulled with worry. “They’re less than five minutes apart. Come here.” He led her over to the double king-size bed, laid her down, and pulled up her skirt.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking to see how much you’re dilated.”
“Right, you’re a doctor.” She smiled, leaned back against the pillows, and let him do his job. She knew he was worried about her delivery, because according to him, her pelvis was too narrow, and her uterus was tilted backward, which would make childbirth difficult. Even though he was quite capable of delivering his child by himself, he was more comfortable at the hospital in case there were any complications.
“Six centimeters,” he said pulling down her skirt and helping her back on her feet.
“What does that mean?”
“That our baby is in a hurry to get here. Your water will probably break soon.” He looked around the room. “What do I do?”
Michelle rolled her eyes and shook her head. He’d just checked her, and now he was at a loss as to what to do next. “I can’t believe how nervous you are. You do this everyday, for crying out loud.”
“It’s different when it’s your own.”
“Whatever,” she murmured. “Just grab my bag.”
“Push, darling, push. I can see his little head.” Erik’s voice hummed with excitement, but his hands were shaking. This was his baby. The child he had fantasized about taking from Michelle’s body time and time again.
“I can’t.” Michelle squeezed one of Yasmine’s hands while her friend dabbed at the beads of sweat on her forehead with the other. She was never going to do this again. There had to be an easier way to bring children into the world.
“You promised me a houseful of babies. So give me my child, Michelle. I want my son,” Erik called from between her legs as he tried to clasp his hand around his child’s slippery head.
“Come on, Michelle, just push, girl. It’ll be over soon,” Yasmine chimed in.
“Okay, Okay. Just one more.” Michelle took a deep breath and pushed with all her strength. She felt a powerful relief between her thighs, as if she’d just pushed all her vital organs out with that bigheaded baby. She fell back weakly against the pillows.
Erik cupped his palms. Tears streamed down his cheeks as the tiny body slid into his hands. “It’s a boy. It’s a boy. I have a son.” His heart swelled with emotion as he gazed into the little irritated face.
The attending nurse held the baby while Erik cleaned out his mouth. Once that task was completed, the baby let out a bloodcurdling scream.
“Sounds like a LaCrosse,” Erik stated on a grin. He walked around to the head of the bed and placed his son into its mother’s waiting arms. “Here’s your firstborn, Michelle.”
Completely exhausted and drenched in sweat, Michelle wept as she cradled her squirmy, red-faced little baby boy in her arms. “Oh, Erik, he’s beautiful.”
“No, Michelle. He is Erik Philippe LaCrosse, the third.”
She chuckled, remembering how Precious had gotten her name.
Yasmine and the attending nurses left after the usual after-birth procedures were done, leaving the happy parents alone in the birthing room to bond with their child.
“You did well, Michelle,” Erik said, as he gazed at his newborn, ten-pound son, cuddled snugly, and sucking hungrily at his mother’s breast. He kissed her lips lingeringly as his hand caressed the soft coat of black hair on their son’s head. His joy was so great, his emotions so overwhelming, tears streamed down his face. He climbed up on the bed and wrapped his arms around them, offering them his protection, his love.#p#分页标题#e#
“We both did well.” Michelle gazed into Erik’s eyes, filled with love and tenderness, so pure and sweet, it left her breathless. “And, you did say it was a boy.” She stroked the baby’s soft cheek. She counted his tiny toes and fingers again, and checked his ears to make sure they were both there.