Fate || BENNIFER

Perfect

Jennifer's P.O.V

The room was quiet except for the occasional beep of the monitor, adding to the tension already filling the air.

"Okay, Jennifer, push." The doctor's voice was resolute.

I nodded, shutting my eyes tightly. My body trembled with the sensation of that first push, but Ben's voice in my ear grounded me and brought back the steadiness to my body.

"Good." He said. "But I know you can do better."

My eyes were fixed on Ben's face. With every breath I took, my gaze remained locked on his eyes, as if they contained all I needed to push through anything.

I took a deep breath and gritted my teeth, bracing myself for the next push. Ben's hand tightened in mine.

"1...2...3...4...5... keep pushing... 6...7...8...9...10." The doctor counted. "That was great."

"You're doing amazing." Ben stroked my hair gently.

He leaned further in, making it easier for me to focus on him while I awaited the next contraction. As I looked up at him, providing a comforting presence, he wiped my forehead softly with a damp cloth.

"That's it, keep going." The doctor continued to encourage me, his voice calm and steady. "You're doing really well."

"Marry me." Ben said in a low voice.

My eyes flew open in surprise.

"What?" I gasped.

"Marry me." He repeated.

I paused, my body tensing as another contraction started. I squeezed his hand tightly as I pushed, then collapsed back onto the pillows.

"I'm pushing a baby out of my body." I said breathlessly. "Can we talk about it later?"

"Okay." He said softly.

"Okay." I replied, panting heavily.

Ben held onto one of my legs imitating the nurse and making it easier for me. Suddenly, all eyes were on him. His eyes widened in amazement when he saw the head of our baby slowly coming out.

The moment our baby was born, everything seemed to slow down. My heart was racing. The room felt silent as we anxiously waited for the sound of our baby's cry. With one last push, the baby was out.

For endless hours, I thought I couldn't get to this point, but suddenly, a sharp cry shattered the silence of the room, and the pain and exhaustion faded away. The sound of our baby's cry filled the air, and nothing else mattered. It was a sound I had been waiting to hear for so long. I laughed weakly, and tears filled my eyes.

"Congratulations, you have a healthy girl." He said as he cleared her airway.

"A girl." I repeated to myself, still in disbelief.

With gentle hands, he placed her on my chest. Her face was pink and covered in a little blood.

My teary eyes turned into a soft cry as I eventually got to touch her for the first time. Her cry softened into a gentle whimper, as if sensing me. I stroked her back as I looked at every little feature on her face. She was small, delicate, and perfect in every way, with a head full of soft hair and tiny fingers and toes. And that's all my tears allowed me to see.

As I glanced at Ben, I saw that he too was overcome with emotion. Tears glistened in his eyes. I could see him trembling a little, but he snipped the umbilical cord with a steady hand.

"She's perfect." He whispered.

As he leaned in and our eyes met, I reached out to caress his face.

"I love you." I whispered, my voice shaky as my lower lip trembled.

His lips met mine in a gentle embrace, soft but deep. It conveyed everything that words could not. His hand brushed my cheek, wiping away a tear that had escaped from the corner of my eye, and we shared another look.

I wanted to hold onto that moment for as long as possible, to cherish the precious first moments with our baby, to etch every detail into my memory. I wanted to freeze time and make the moment last forever.

The nurses moved around the room, checking on me and the baby, but we paid no attention. We were lost in our own little world, mesmerized by the tiny miracle in our arms.