Part ten
"I love you," Hayden whispered as he clutched Nora's hand and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you."
Nora, biting down on her bottom lip to keep herself from screaming, nodded her head. Her face was as red as a tomato. Her tears mixed in with her sweat, making her dark hair stick to her face and her neck.
"I love you so much," Hayden repeated. "You're amazing."
"It's not helping," Nora cried. "Stop saying that."
"Hayden, let her breath," Maya placed a gentle hand on her son's shoulder.
"One more push, Nora," the doctor in between Nora's legs said.
"I can't," Nora shook her head, sobbing. "I can't. I can't."
"You can," Hayden pushed in a steady stream of his energy into his wife.
"Hayden, no," Maya frowned as Nora's heartbeat spiked up.
"Sir," the nurse attending to the heart monitor looked up with irritation. "I know you want to help her, but that's not helping."
"It's been twelve hours!" Hayden snapped. "She's exhausted!"
"That's completely normal," the doctor assured both Hayden and Nora. "The baby is almost out. She just needs to push for a little longer."
"Hayden," Nora pulled her husband closer. "I can't. I can't. It hurts. Make it stop."
"Nora, my love," Maya pushed back some of the hair on her face. "You're doing great. Just one more big push."
"No,no,no," Nora shook her head, feeling her body grow limp with just the thought of having to push again.
"Baby, you can do this," Hayden pressed his lips to the side of Nora's head. "Just one more push, yeah?"
"No, no, no," Nora cried.
"Ready? Let's go," the doctor went back under the sheets that were over Nora's knees. "And push. And push, and push. That's it, Nora."
Nora dug her nails into Hayden's palm as she used the last of her strength to push. She started to scream from the pain as Hayden held her tightly and Maya told her how well she was doing.
Suddenly, as Nora began to think she was going to fall into darkness from the way her head throbbed and her vision blurred, the hospital room filled with a piercing little cry.
"Oh my baby," Maya began to cry at once, her eyes filling with tears as the doctor held up a teeny tiny little baby.
Nora fell back against the bed and began to weep. She had no idea what was happening around her as Hayden stepped back and the doctor laid the baby down on her chest.
Instantly, like gunpowder erupting, Nora felt her whole world move into focus. She heard the small cry and felt the little hands against her neck. Her chest began to pound as she lifted her head and looked down at her daughter.
"She's beautiful," Maya fanned her eyes to keep the tears from gushing out.
Too stunned to speak, Nora raised her shaking hands and placed them over her baby. Her silent tears ran down her face and down her neck, mixing in with the blood on the baby's skin.
"Zuri," Nora whispered.
Hearing her mother's voice, the baby's cries began to quiet. Her face relaxed and for the first time her eyes fluttered open.
"Hi, princess," Hayden laughed and cried at the same time as he looked into his daughter's eyes. "Hi, baby. I'm your daddy."
Zuri laid down calmly against Nora's chest, listening to the familiar heartbeat. Hayden leaned forward and placed a small kiss on top of her head as he sat down beside Nora.
