Natalie & King

Ch.34

Natalie

My water broke four, almost five days after mom was admitted to the hospital. Almost two weeks early. But my attention wasn't on having a baby; my attention was on my mom who was in the same hospital as me, dying. Beth stayed with King and Zariah in the waiting room and Bay stood next to me, holding my hand while Kohle paced back and forth nervously. It was cute.

Bay was excited enough for the both of us. With every contraction, I prayed it was time to push but every time the nurse came to check me, I wasn't dilated enough. Before I got the epidural, my back felt like it was breaking. Even Bay rubbing my knuckles didn't take away the pain I felt but the epidural did. The nurse came in one last time before the doctor. When I saw the smile on his face, I knew it was time for her to come out. I couldn't wait.

"Push on three. One. Two. Three." I pushed as hard as I could with my eyes closed. Behind my eyelids, I saw King as a baby again. I saw how he grew with time and how beautiful he was and got emotional. After another push, I imagined our baby girl with new memories to come. My head was spinning as I felt my body stretching but I gave another push and suddenly felt relief flood over my body. My ears waited for a cry that felt like it would never come.

I heard so much going on around me but my babies cry wasn't one of them. As loud as the machines were beeping in my ear and Bay trying to keep me from noticing the amount of blood I was losing, I still strained my ears to hear her. I heard the words "hemorrhaging" and "get help" and then I started seeing double. King's laugh played in my head as images of him holding Zariah flashed behind my eyes. More doctors filled the room but there were too many to focus on. All I wanted to do was hear my baby cry...

When I woke up, it was dark outside and Bay was standing by the window with a distant look in her eyes. Her arms were folded and I could see tears falling down her cheeks. My chest ached seeing her cry. She looked so sad and...incomplete.

"Bay?"

"You're awake? Oh my God...baby, you scared the fuck out of us..." Bay sat on the edge of the bed and pulled my sore body into her arms. Her body trembled as I wrapped my arms around her with confusion. When she pulled away, she wiped her tears.

"You were asleep for two days straight."

"Where's the baby? Is she okay?" I felt panic wash over me in an instant as I remembered not hearing her cry for the first time. Bay's face expression didn't give anything away. For a second, I thought I saw her smile.

"She took her first breath at 10:05 pm, November 9th. She's so cute, babe. She looks just like King." Bay's words made my chest swell. She was alive and breathing and that's all that mattered to me. If she looked anything like King, I was already in love with her.

An hour after the nurses checked on me, they brought my baby in the room and put her in my arms for the first time. She was wearing a white, pink and gold onesie with a big pink bow on her head. Bay was right; she did look a lot like King. She had chunky cheeks, blonde peach fuzz and the cutest little nose. When she opened her eyes and revealed dark blue eyes, my skin covered itself in goosebumps. With Bay's eyes on us and my daughter in my arms, the amount of love flowing thru my body was unreal.

"She's so beautiful," Bay kissed my forehead with a tender smile. She looked exhausted but still so beautiful. I was about to agree with her when the doctor I remembered seeing two days ago walked inside the small room with a clipboard. He cleared his throat and nodded at me.