𝓐𝓼 𝓦𝓮 𝓛𝓪𝔂

Ch. 21: Behold

"His head is out!" Dr. Johnson said excitedly after my 5th push. With Nevaeh by the time I made it to the fifth, that was to push the rest of her out. This boy was stubborn! The nurses started prepping more things for the baby's arrival, when I glanced up at Maurice who had a big grin on his face, with tears building in his eyes. He let go of my hand to walk over to one of the nurses, who had his cellphone in her hands recording.

He whispered something to her, she said something back to him to which he nodded. He stopped to look at what was going on down there, a smile spreading across his face. His dimples deepening at the sight of our son. Then he came back by my side & grabbed a hold of my hand again. He kissed it as I prepared to start pushing. Reminiscent of the day Nevaeh was born, he kissed my damp forehead and told me how good I was doing.

"He's almost here, Babe! He's got a head full of hair just like his sister" he exclaimed in pure elation, showering my face with what felt like 1,000 kisses. I steadied my feet & on the doctor's command, I started pushing again. I don't know why counting to ten seemed so slow while you're pushing, but it felt like it was taking forever for him to make his debut. The pressure I felt to push in the beginning was starting to subside & not one wanting to miss a thing, Maurice walked down and held onto my knee as he watched our son come into this world. As I pushed he held his mouth open in shock as the doctor announced that he was out.

They suctioned his mouth, nose and a few seconds after he put those little lungs to good use. He was crying so loud & strong I got emotional. Just in awe that this was even happening again. I had that feeling the entire pregnancy, just pure disbelief but a lot of happiness as well. I was just so grateful that I was blessed to bring another Angel into this world. I didn't hold back my tears & neither did Maurice. He wiped his eyes with his t-shirt so that he could see properly to cut the umbilical cord, before the nurses whisked the baby away to weigh & clean him up a little more.

"Seven pounds, thirteen ounces!" Dr. Johnson announced as he looked at the scale & then the baby, watching the nurse put a hat on him & swaddle him before handing him over to Maurice. He showed his dimples once again as he cradled him, walking over to me in the bed. He sat down next to me, maneuvering our baby towards me.

"I won the battle with this one. I'm talking baby pictures personified" he gloated as he handed him to me. I held him like he was fragile, tracing his almost invisible eyesbrows with my finger & just taking in his appearance. He squirmed at my touch & kept turning his little head towards me & opening his mouth, letting me know that he was hungry. I whipped my boob out, which didn't take much since I had my hospital gown untied in the back. I prayed a silent prayer that he would latch correctly. I didn't want bleeding nipples again like I did with Nevaeh, plus that shit was painful. Thankfully that wasn't the case this go-round.

"Looks familiar huh?" Maurice asked as he nodded down to the baby feeding. I looked up at him, confusion evident in the way my face twisted.

"Of who? Vaeh?"

"Nah, me" he winked with a laugh. I sat up slightly to push his giggling ass away from me, while lightly laughing my damn self. I rolled my eyes as I adjusted in the bed.

"Sooo, you guys have a name?" Dr. Johnson asked and I almost forgot he was even in here still. I chuckled as my attention went to Maurice who was already looking at me.

"Halo Elijah" we said in unison. We came up with the name not long after finding out his gender. Halo because he was our Angel baby. Our rainbow after the storm & Elijah because it meant 'The Lord is my God', and it was nothing but God for him even being here, so it just fit. Dr. Johnson smiled as he wrote something down on his clipboard before placing the pen in his white coat pocket.