Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“I didn’t need to.” Did they want me to scream? I suppose I can. “Would you like me to do so next time?” I could fake it. Sure, it hurt, but I can take it.
“No, honey, you do what feels right for you.”
This is actually the least scary part to me about the whole pregnancy and having a baby. I know what my body is capable of, and I will bring my little girl into this world.
Mom laughs, while my father and Paxton keep straight faces, unreadable to everyone else, but I know Paxton is freaking out on the inside. It’s interesting. He never freaks out. I have never known a more calm and calculated person in my life, but that’s the thing; this really can’t be calculated.
Paxton takes my hand into his. I give it a small squeeze each time I have a contraction knowing he wants to be aware of them.
When we get to the hospital, everything is already set up so that we have privacy and security in place. Paxton made sure of this. It might be overkill, but it was what he wanted. From a man that gives me anything I ask for, whenever I get the chance to return that, I do.
The doctor comes in and starts to check me over. “I think it’s time,” I tell her as a contraction hits me again. This one is hard. I grunt and squeeze Paxton’s hand.
“They’re almost on top of each other,” Paxton tells her as I breathe through it.
“Legs up, I’m checking.” I lie back and get into position.
“Wait for me!” I can hear Nix coming down the hallway. A second later, she’s bursting into the room. “I made it! You can have her now,” she tells me. Bonte comes in behind her, rolling her eyes, while Mac is just shaking her head.
“Anyone else that wants to join us?” the doctor jokes as she puts her gloves on.
“The girls are all here,” Paxton tells her. My mom comes to stand on the other side of me.
“We were joking,” the doctor says. “You can push on the next one.”
“Oh, I am.” I barely get the words out as the contraction hits me. I grip Paxton’s hand, and his eyes stay locked on me as I push with everything I’ve got.
“Oh, she’s here,” my mom whispers before a scream rings out through the room.
“Sunshine.” Paxton is still focused on me and making sure I’m okay. I nod, unable to speak because of the emotions squeezing my throat tight. A second later I’m handed our baby girl wrapped in a blanket.
“She’s so tiny.” Her little finger wraps around mine. A love that I never knew was possible fills me in this moment. I feel a tear slip free as I look at our daughter.
“God knows that won’t hold her back,” Paxton says, sounding proud.
Soon the room is filled with family. Everyone is here, from aunts and uncles to cousins with nieces and nephews. I don’t know how we all fit in one room, but we figure it out. We always do.
“Did you decide on a name?” Bonte asks.
“Yes, Paxton picked it. Sunniva,” I tell them. A gift from the sun.
Paxton presses his forehead to mine, our baby girl tucked between us. “Thank you,” I tell him.
“Don’t be thanking me. It was all you.”
He’s wrong, and he’d fight me on that, but the truth is it was all of us.
The Marinos.