Broken Lantern

Epilogue

The room is dark when I wake up, sweating, with severe cramping and pain in my lower back. I lay in bed for a few minutes, counting my contractions, trying to focus on the soft melodic breathing coming from beside me to take my mind off of the pain. We've had this happen more than once, and it turned out to be Braxton Hicks, so waking Kevin up at this point, is last resort.

When the back pain intensifies and the contractions are coming closer and closer together, consistently, I know it's time to wake him and start preparing to leave for the hospital.

The excitement is immediate, beginning with Kevin and spreading with every phone call he makes. Pretty soon our little house is full of sleepy, anxious people, all ready to meet Noah.

"Dad, will you please grab the bag by the door while I go get Dally, please?" Kev asks, pointing toward the little duffle bag by the front door.

"Sure thing, son." He says, nodding and walking away.

Kev races down the hall to Dally's room and wakes her up, telling her it's time to meet baby Noah. She sits up, dazed from being pulled out of her sleep. Rubbing her eyes, she asks, "Is Nate going too?"

"No, baby, he's sleeping, his mommy's mom is with him, but he will be there tomorrow. Promise." Kevin tells her, leaning down to kiss her nose.

She gets up and pulls her robe on over her nightgown and slips her tiny feet into her little lamb bedroom slippers. She's grown quite a bit and though her room has changed some over the past few years, she still holds tightly to her love of lambs.

We leave for the hospital, having quite the impressive caravan following behind us. We ride through town, Kev is going as fast as possible while still trying to maintain a cautious speed, knowing I will flip out if he races through town. But I can tell he's nervous and trying very hard to keep from going as fast as his heart is beating.

I'm trying to focus on my breathing, wanting to do what we learned in Lamaze class, but it's impossible. I know I'm breathing too fast, and it's not really helping how it should, but the pain is intense, and I can't focus how I need to be.

"Mommy, are you ok?" Dally asks from the backseat, concern growing in her little voice as the contractions cause me to groan and shift a lot.

"I'm... fine... baby. Your brother is just very ready to come out and meet everyone." I tell her, trying to reassure her that everything will be ok.

Kevin puts his hand on my knee, turning to look at me, checking on me and maybe checking to make sure there isn't a baby making his way into the car. I can see the tension all over his rigid body, and the anxiety in his stunning green eyes. "I'm ok, Kevin, really. Just focus on the road please", I tell him, reaching up to turn his face forward. He nods and puts his hand back on the wheel.

When we pull up to the door, Kevin comes around and opens the door, helping me out he walks me over to the wheelchairs and sits me down, going back for Dally. My daddy hops into the driver seat of Kevin's truck and parks it for us, so we can get right into the emergency room. I called my midwife before we left the house, so she'd know to be here. I look around, searching faces, looking for her, but she's not there.

Kevin noticing my apprehension, turns away from the nurse's desk and kneels down in front of me, placing both hands on my knees. "She's probably already upstairs, babe, it'll be ok."

I nod, continuing my Lamaze breathing. Dally is with my mom as we all wait for the nurse to find someone to escort us to the labor and delivery floor. Suddenly there's a puddle underneath me and my gown is soaked.

"Um... Kevin?" I say, trying to discreetly bring his attention to my situation.

He looks over and seeing the puddle, his eyes widen with fear and he tells the nurse, "Look, we know where to go, her water's just broke, I'm taking her up now, send security after us if you need to, but I'm not waiting for an escort to get here."

He grabs the wheelchair and turns me around to face the elevators. With everyone following closely behind us, we head upstairs, having to take two elevators to get us all there.

As we come to Labor and Delivery, I see my midwife leaning over the nurse's desk, propped up on her elbows, talking to one of the male nurse's, flirting. I'm about to bring forth life from my body and she's here on my time, trying to find someone to take home. I'm not sure that I'm really ok with this scenario at this moment.

When we get closer to her, she turns and seeing me, her eyes get very big, very quick, and I know in that instance that I must look rough.

"Yeah, ok, let's get ya'll to a room. I don't think we should drag feet by the looks of you, young lady." She tells me, coming around to grab my chair to wheel me into the room directly across from the nurse's station.

My labor is quick and within the hour, we have a healthy, happy baby boy with amazing green eyes and a head full of wavy brown hair.

The nurse hands him to me, and Kevin leans in, kissing his forehead, he whispers, "Welcome to the world, little boy. You are already so dearly loved."

I am one happy momma with one thrilled, proud daddy and a room full of excited grandparents, aunts and uncles, and one completely in love big sister.

I love my family, and I'm so thankful to God for each and every one of them. I couldn't imagine my life any other way.