A Different Reality (Lasting Love)

Family of Four?

"Do you think she's gonna be okay?" I ask Justin quickly between contractions.  Kayleigh started to freak out after we dropped her off at my parents.  She didn't want to be without us.

"She'll be fine." He reassures me.

My doctor walks in a minute later to get everything set up.  I've already been told that I need to start pushing very soon.  She gets everything set up and takes her place.  Justin stands right next to my head for support.

"Just a few more pushes," Justin holds my hand for comfort "His head is almost out." He leans over me to get a better look "I can see it."

"I can't.  It hurts." I complain.  An hour ago, I was trying to convince my 1 year old that she's going to love her brother, and now I'm stuck in immense pain trying to get him out of me.  My bones feel like they're being crushed and my vagina is tearing into two parts.  All of this makes me wish I had enough time for the epidural.

"You're almost done, Jennifer," my doctor looks up at me sympathetically "I know he's a big baby, but the harder you push the quicker you'll see him."  I look over at Justin for help and he encourages me.

"You'll be holding him soon."

I push again for as long as I can.  The pain gets excruciating and I can finally feel her pulling on him.

"One more," Justin looks at me smiling.  He leans over me to look again before looking back towards me and kissing my forehead "It looks like he has the hair you wanted."

"I don't really care what hair he has right now."  I glare over at him.  He takes the clue and gets quiet.

My next contraction comes and I push as hard as I can.  I keep pushing as I feel him being pulled out.  After the most painful minute of my life he is finally out.  The doctor places him on my chest and I try to fight back tears.  I slouch back onto the bed trying to rest for a moment watching as Justin reacts to our son.  He doesn't take his eyes off of him the whole time the nurses are cleaning him off.

"He's perfect."  Justin looks over at me with tears in his eyes "He seems so happy."

I finally gather the strength to look at him and immediately start to cry as I pick him up.  He looks up at me instantly smiling.

"He is."  I smile as I play with his little fingers.

"I hate to interrupt." The nurse walks over "But do you have a name picked out?"

"Yeah, Bentley John Theroux." I look up at her quickly before going back to Ben.  She gets the birth certificate ready and shows us to make sure it's correct.

"He's amazing."  I stare at him in awe.  He may only be a few minutes old, and I don't know him all too well, but everything about him is incredible to Justin and I.  I never thought I'd be able to love someone as much as Kayleigh.

"Should I call your parents?"  Justin looks up at me.  He's sitting on the chair next to my bed cradling Bentley in his arms.  I don't answer because I'm too busy watching them bond.

"Jennifer!"  He lightly nudges me to get my attention.  I finally answer him.

"Yeah, call them.  I want to see her." I move around in bed to get more comfortable and take Bentley from him.  He starts to cry a little, so I decide to try to feed him.

"I love you, buddy."  I look down at him as he eats.  He looks exactly like Justin. 

"Mommy!"  Kay runs into the hospital room a few minutes later followed by Justin and my parents.  She's holding a bouquet the size of her and throws it on the floor once she sees me. 

"Hey, honey."  I move Bentley and use my free arm to help her onto the bed. 

"This baby?" She asks poking Ben in the face.

"Yeah, this is Bentley."  I help her hold him "Your baby brother."

He starts flailing his arms around, probably not liking Kayleigh poking him much.  I give him my finger to hold and he starts to calm down. 

"He's adorable, Jen."  Sherry leans on the bed next to us to get a better look.  She watches as Kay tries to play with Bentley.

"Yeah,"  My dad adds looking from Bentley to Justin "he looks so much like you.  You guys cloned yourselves."  I laugh at him.  Kayleigh does look like my twin, and Bentley looks like Justin's.

"I guess we did."  Justin laughs.

"I still can't believe he's here so fast."  Sherry says.

"I know." I laugh to myself "He definitely wasn't waiting for anything."

"He was excited to see all of us."  My dad suggests "I'm kinda surprised we didn't scare him while he was in there though.  If I knew us I don't think I'd want out."

"Yeah, but he is part Theroux."  I add "That could be why he still wanted out."

"Are you trying to call us dumb?" Phyllis walks in the room acting offended.  I laugh looking up at her and hand her Bentley.

"Congratulations guys."  She looks from Bentley to Justin, Kayleigh and I "All 3 of you are going to have so much fun."

"He tiny!" Kay blurts out surprising us. 

"No, honey."  I look over at her laughing "He isn't very tiny.  He's smaller than you, but not tiny."  She just looks at me confused while everyone else laughs. 

"He seems like a good baby so far."  Justin comments on his behavior.  All he's really done so far is sleep and cry once because he was hungry. 

"Here,"  Justin hands his mom a camera and sits on the bed putting Kay on his lap "I want a picture of the four of us."

We all smile at the camera.  Happy that we finally have a family of four.