Divine

XV

He was finally making his appearance. In this moment these months of suffering were finally about to be worth something. Eric paced the room, hands sweaty and stomach in knots. Khadijah's wails of pain could be heard throughout the birthing facility. Nothing could have prepared him for this moment. Everything was so surreal. The fact that in a matter of minutes he'd be hold his legacy in his hands was mind boggling.

"Ma'am you need to calm down, the baby's heart rate has spiked three times in the last three minutes. You need to push."

"I can't! I'm not ready!"

Khadijah was visibly shaking, she felt as if her body was being ripped apart. Mentally she was kicking herself for all petty shit she had put Eric through, especially now that she needed him most.

Seeing the pain she was in Eric quickly jumped in the tub, trying to recall everything he'd read and from the classes. Pulling her flush against his chest he rockers her, kneading the small of her back to relieve some of the pressure.

"You can do this Khadijah, you were made for this, remember what Dawn said, your body is durable. Just relax and push."

Clasping her hand in his she bears down, thick strands of hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. She screams as she feels his head pass.

"I see his shoulders!" Eric is weeping, he presses a kiss to Khadijahs cheek.

"You're doing amazing, come on he's almost here."

"I'm tired Eric."

"I know but two more big pushes and he'll be here. You can do this. I believe in you."

She nods, he helps pull her knees to her chest. A ear piercing scream rips through her as she pushes with all the strength she had left. He comes shooting out and the nurse guides him through the water before be breaches the surface with a loud cry. She quickly passes the plump infant to his mother. Khadijah cries silent tears of exhaustion and awe looking at the face of her son. Looking back at Eric he seems to be overwhelmed with emotion. Passing the baby to him, he cradled him gently, presses gently kisses on his for head. The nurse passes him scissors and quickly lets clamps the umbilical cord.

"Do we have a name picked?"

The nurses look at between them expectingly. Khadijah nods still looking at the beautiful image before her.

"Yeah, his name is James Jamir Akin White."

She nods helping her out the tub so she can push placenta out and be stitched up.

"That's a beautiful name for a beautiful boy."

They both nod still trying to grasp the facts that they were really parents.

And this was just the beginning.

***

Elle paces the apartment nonstop. Angela watched with a rueful express as she wears marks into the carpet. Both were anxious to hear news about the baby. It had been hours since Eric left the apartment in a rush as his dula told him that Khadijah was in labor.

Angela was thinking of all the things that must be done in preparation for the baby's homecoming. The first bath and the naming ceremony among the most important. Already her daughters and nieces prepared a lavish meal and the baby's room. Although she still did not like Khadijah the traditional post partum care must be bestowed onto her as well. No matter the type of woman she was she was still the vessel from which her grandson came through.

"Sit down girl your making me dizzy." Elle blush taking a seat next to Angela who clasps her hand trying to calm her nerves.

"I'm sorry I'm just really nervous. I know that everything will be different now, he might even want to get his family back together."

Angela didn't comment but prayed that her son wouldn't be that damn dumb.

"Let's not fret about that right now. This is a time of celebration. My first grandchild. My little Ayodele." Elle couldn't help but smile at the Yoruba nickname.

"I think that Eric will come down a bit now that he can physically hold his son and not have to be around Khadijah just to interact with him."

"Honey, I know you think the battle is won and over, but I think that as long as she has a link to him she's try her best to make things hard for you. Just be careful."

The ding of the elevator interrupts has Eric rushed in with a beam on his face. He scoops Elle up peppering her face with kisses. She couldn't help but giggle at his obvious excitement. Putting her down he quickly pulls out his phone to show his family pictures of his sons. as his family gushed and pat him on the back Elle couldn't help but feel proud of him herself. Against all odds he had finally achieved the one thing he truly wanted since the day she met him.

To be a father.

"When is he coming home?" Angela was so excited to get her hands on her grandson, ready to drive downtown just to get a better glimpse of him.

"Well, the doctor said they can come home in two days. Khadijah has some clotting problems so they want to release her into my care so I can watch over her for a couple days."

His tone was cautious as Elle wore an unreadable expression. She had no idea that he would be extending their home to his baby's mother. It wasn't even something that she thought they needed to discuss, seeing all the damage she left in her wake every time she brought her raggedy ass around. Sensing the tension Angela ushers the other women back into the kitchen to give them some privacy. Before they can even round the corner Elle is already yelling.

"That bitch is not setting foot in this house."

Eric sits on the sofa with a deep sigh. He knew that she wouldn't be pleased with the news but he didn't think that she would go off on a tangent with his family present.

'You need to relax; this has nothing to do with my personal feelings toward her. and everything to do with the wellbeing of my son, she is exclusively breastfeeding, and it would be more convenient for everyone if she was her. Please don't make this about you right now."

As soon as the words left his mouth he knew he fucked up. He saw her demeanor completely change as she gathered all her belongs that were in reach. she simply nodded her head as she headed to the front door.

"The majority of our relationship has been me supporting while you let that pathic woman control you. Well, I'm done. You begged me to come back to you just for the same fucked up cycle to start up all over again. I'm not going to sit here and watch her manipulate her may back into my spot again. She can have it."

Grabbing a prepacked suitcase from the closet she is out the door and all Eric can do is sit there stunned, wondering how he managed to go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in a few hours, all because he was trying to do the right thing.

He couldn't win for losing.