“I still would have liked to get married before the baby came,” he said quietly. “But, I want you to be happy more. This baby is going to be loved regardless of his parents’ martial status.”
“Damn straight.” Kat grinned at him and then grimaced as another contraction hit.
“You’re doing great,” the nurse told her. “Next question, would you like to have the chaplain come visit you?”
Kat looked over at AJ. Neither one was terribly religious.
“We’ll let you know,” Kat finally answered.
“No problem,” the nurse replied. “There is always one available here, any time day or night if you change your mind. Next question, any allergies?”
Day slipped into night as the contractions slowly became stronger and more regular. The flower bud opening visualization was no longer working as well as it had been before and the pain wasn’t stopping. Where Kat had originally thought she might be able to do this naturally, the pain of each contraction was quickly become more than she bargained for.
“Seven centimeters,” the nurse informed her. “You’re almost there. Another couple of hours, and you’ll be ready to push.”
Kat wasn’t sure if she could tolerate another couple of hours of visualizing a stupid flower bud opening. That flower was getting old and she was about ready to take some pruning shears to the damn thing.
A new contraction hit and she groaned. AJ’s hand gripped hers as she focused on trying to breath through the pain.
This wasn’t fun. This wasn’t the beautiful, magical experience she’d seen on TV. Those TV shows had lied. This hurt like hell and was taking a lot longer than it ever did for those actors. She had a sneaking suspicion that the baby wouldn’t be nearly as clean as those TV babies, either.
“I’m not sure I can do this,” she whispered.
“You are the strongest woman I know,” AJ whispered back. “I know you can do this. Besides, it’s not like you have much of a choice at this point.”
Kat chuckled just before another contraction hit.
“I want to marry you,” she said as the pain ebbed. “I don’t want to wait. I want this baby to come into this world with you and me legally together.”
A huge grin split AJ’s face. “You got it.” His grin faltered slightly. “Except it’s now one in the morning. It’ll take a little bit to get someone here.”
“The chaplain is available,” the nurse reminded them as she input Kat’s most recent vitals into the computer. “There’s someone here twenty-four hours. Jeff is on tonight. He does a great wedding.”
Kat beamed. “Call him. I want to get married.”
“Are you sure?” AJ asked, taking both her hands. “It’s a hospital gown instead of a wedding dress.”
“I just want to marry you,” she told him, gazing into those blue eyes that she adored. “Besides, we can still have the big wedding later for our families. This one can be just for the three of us.”
AJ’s smile threatened to split his face in half. “Call the chaplain. We’re getting married.”
Ten minutes later, they were having a wedding in Kat’s hospital room in between her contractions. One of the nurses had found a bouquet of roses and Kat gripped them tight. She suspected they were left over from another baby, but she didn’t care. They were beautiful and made the moment feel more real.
“Do you, Andrew Jacobson, take this woman, Ekaterina Ryder, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, until death do you part?” Jeff the Chaplain asked.
“I do,” AJ promised. He smiled at Kat, his eyes so full of love that Kat was sure the room was going to explode with joy.
“Do you, Ekaterina Ryder, take this man, Andrew Jacobson, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, until death do you part?” Jeff the Chaplain asked her. She had to wait for the next contraction to finish before answering.
“I do,” she gasped. The promise fell from her lips without hesitation or fear. She knew that AJ was the love of her life. He was the man she had always dreamed of. She didn’t need his billions of dollars. Just him. With him and their son, she knew they could survive anything.
“Then, by the power vested in me, I proclaim you husband and wife,” Jeff the chaplain told them with a grin. “You may kiss your bride.”
AJ leaned over the bed side-rail and planted a kiss on Kat. She held him close, savoring the moment before another contraction hit.
“This is the happiest day of my life,” she whispered once she could speak again. “Some people say it’s their wedding day. Others say it’s the birth of their children. I get both today.”