Fall'n For The New Guy | | Harrison Reid

Labour

7 Months later.....

Narrators P.O.V

Harrison paced around the room, clutching his phone as if he might have to Google something important about labor—like how to actually help. "You're doing great, love," he said, trying to sound calm, but his voice had the slight tremble of someone who had no idea what was going on. "Like, really great. You're...you're amazing. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I'd be—uh, probably dead by now."

Tessa shot him a look that was a perfect mix of exhaustion and annoyance. "Harrison..."

He winced, realizing that was probably not the thing to say. "Okay, okay, I'll stop with the jokes. Just—hey, don't squeeze my hand too tight, alright?"

"Right, because that's what's important right now," she grunted, grabbing his hand even tighter.

He winced again. "I mean, it's a little important. You've got the whole 'giving birth' thing under control, but my hand could—uh, use a break."

Tessa's glare turned into a smile, despite the pain. "You're ridiculous."

Before Harrison could respond, a nurse entered, smiling. "How are we doing, Tessa? Almost there?"

Tessa groaned, "Oh, I don't know, you tell me!"

The nurse chuckled and gave Harrison a knowing look. "Looks like you're keeping things light in here."

"I try," he muttered, his heart pounding. When he looked back at Tessa, her face softened just a little, and for the first time in what felt like hours, he saw the tiniest flicker of gratitude in her eyes.

The room was starting to feel more like an arena than a hospital room. Tessa's breath came out in short bursts, the intensity of the moment wrapping itself around them. Harrison was pacing again, now standing at the foot of the bed, practically rocking on his heels, his hands twisting in front of him like he couldn't figure out what to do with them.

A doctor entered, her presence steadying the room. "Okay, Tessa, it's time. Are you ready?"

Tessa gave him a look. "Ready? I'm ready for this kid to just get out of me!"

Harrison stepped up beside her, a little too quickly, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. "Right, okay. We're—uh, we're doing this. You're amazing. We got this. You're not alone."

Tessa, her face flushed with effort, gave him a look that combined exhaustion and love. "I know, I know. Just—shut up and hold my hand, Harrison. No more jokes."

"Yeah, no more jokes," he said, sounding like a man who had just realized he wasn't joking anymore. "I can do that."

As the nurse instructed Tessa to push, Harrison watched her face—so focused, determined, the kind of intensity he had never seen in her before. And it made him stop in his tracks. The room, the noise, everything around him faded into the background. All that mattered was Tessa, doing what she had to do to bring their child into the world.

A brief, almost serene silence passed between them, broken only by her heavy breathing and the rhythmic beeping of the monitors. Harrison squeezed her hand, his nerves now replaced by something deeper.

"You're doing so great," he murmured, his voice softer now, full of awe.

Tessa let out a small, tired laugh. "I'm just trying to survive here."

"You're not just surviving. You're—" He caught himself, his usual humor not fitting the weight of the moment. He shifted his stance, clearing his throat. "I mean, you're amazing. Seriously. Look at you. I'm... I'm just glad I'm here with you."

The baby's cries rang out before he could say anything more, and for a moment, Harrison felt his heart stop, his eyes welling up at the sound.

Tessa collapsed back against the bed, a soft smile breaking across her face, exhaustion still evident but mixed with that unmistakable joy. "We did it," she whispered, her voice filled with wonder.

Harrison was frozen for a moment, just staring at the baby in the doctor's arms. Then he looked at Tessa, the flood of emotion overwhelming him. "We did. You did. You're... incredible."

The doctor placed the baby in Tessa's arms, and for the first time in hours, Harrison felt a wave of pure calm wash over him. He crouched beside Tessa, his eyes never leaving the tiny, perfect bundle.

"Hi, little one," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Welcome to the world."

THE END