Infinity and Beyond

50 - Lucky

Ashton

You don't really expect to have to wait five hours before you can hold your newborn child. When the time comes around though, it's all worth it. Every minute and every second spent waiting, I would relive again just to experience that moment.

Calum, still in the NICU with Jasmine and Michael, stayed on FaceTime with us until they got kicked out because Sophie needed to be checked. Only a few minutes later, our midwife walked in with a smile and we knew exactly what she was there for.

"Can I see her?" Emily asked and squealed when the midwife nodded. She immediately started trying to climb out of bed, but I put my hands on her shoulders and held her back.

"Slow down, Em," I chuckled and she pouted at me.

"I want to see her!"

"But you need to take it easy!"

"I'll be fine. Just help me up, I'll walk there, and then I can sit down again!"

"It's a long corridor, Emily," I said, then added for emphasis, "Long."

"Help me then!" She looked at me expectantly and I raised my eyebrows, not backing down, then glanced behind me to where the midwife had brought in a wheelchair.

"We'll get you up and walking as soon as we can, but for now it's best not to strain yourself," she said and I turned back to Emily to see her face had fallen.

"Please, Emily?" I requested and she looked at me uncertainly before nodding. She was quiet as I helped her off the bed and into the wheelchair, but the excitement soon took over again as we made our way towards the intensive care unit and she was babbling away.

"It's a good idea you decided on the wheelchair, because your butt hangs out of that hospital gown," Charlotte told her as she trotted along behind, and Emily's eyes widened and cheeks reddened. "Don't get me wrong - it's a cute butt! But, well, you know."

"Thanks, my first memory of seeing my child is going to be of how I mooned everyone."

"Not everyone, just me and Luke."

"And I really don't mind," Luke teased and I slapped him. He stuck his tongue out at me and I rolled my eyes at how that seemed to be his childish response to everything these days, but then we turned the corner and the NICU came into sight.

"Is that it? Is she in there?" Emily gasped and I could hear the emotion and excitement in her voice.

"It sure is. Are you ready to meet her?" I asked. Butterflies of excitement were forming in my own stomach at the thought of seeing her again. I was already convinced that I would never get enough of seeing Sophie.

"Hey guys!" Calum called out when he saw us approaching, receiving a few shushes from surrounding people. He glanced around in surprised, then the three of them made their way towards us from where they'd been waiting outside. "You owe me money by the way. That FaceTime call used a lot of my data."

"You called our daughter ugly and swore in front of her - you're already pushing your luck. I wouldn't try anything else if I were you," I threatened him and he stood blinking at me.

"Emily, she's adorable, you just have to see her," Jasmine cooed and Emily pushed herself up from the wheelchair.

"That's it, I'm not waiting any longer. Ashton, cover my butt," she said and started determinedly walking towards the doors. I rushed forwards to help her, standing a little behind her as she'd requested. We had to wash our hands before we went in, but as soon as we'd done that we were walking in and over to where our little girl was lying in wait.