by Red Phoenix
Turning around, Rytsar asked Sir, “What do you need, comrade?”
“We were going to ask you to watch her.”
Rytsar suddenly frowned. “What’s wrong, moy droog?”
Sir lowered his voice. “Kylie has been rushed to the hospital because of the baby and asked for Brie to join her. I thought Faelan might appreciate some company as well.”
The Russian’s eyes flashed with pain as he looked down at Hope. “I remember the fear I suffered during this babe’s delivery. I would not wish that on the Wolf Pup.”
Rytsar turned to face his guests. “Gentlemen, unfortunately, I must ask you to leave. We will continue this discussion tomorrow.”
“There’s no nee—” Brie sputtered.
Rytsar held his hand up to stop her. “Moye solntse is safe with me. Go comfort your friend.”
Brie handed Titov the diaper bag and smiled at Rytsar with tears in her eyes, mouthing the words, Thank you.
As soon as Sir pulled out of the driveway, he hit the gas. Brie was thrown against the back of the seat as the car took off. Skilled behind the wheel, Sir got them to the hospital safely and in record time. Pulling up to the entrance, he told her, “I’ll park the car. You find out the room number and text me. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”
Brie gave him a quick peck on the cheek before getting out of the car. She walked into the hospital, heading straight to the front desk. After getting Kylie’s room number, she texted Sir and walked to the elevator.
An unsettling feeling washed over her as she waited for the elevator, so she decided to skip the elevator and take the stairs instead. Running up them, she burst onto the third floor, attracting the attention of the staff at the nurses’ station.
One of them stood up, asking with concern, “May I help you?”
Brie panted. “I’m here to see Kylie. She asked me to come.”
“Do you mean Mrs. Wallace?”
Brie’s eyes widened.
Did Faelan and Kylie secretly get married?
The idea of it was incredibly romantic.
“Yes, Kylie Wallace. I’m her friend, Brianna Davis.”
The nurse nodded. “I’ll let her know you’re here.”
A few minutes later, Faelan came walking down the hallway to greet her. “Thanks for coming so quickly. Kylie isn’t doing well.”
Fear gripped Brie’s heart. “What’s going on?”
He shook his head. “Other than our little boy coming earlier than expected, everything seems to be going well. But Kylie can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong.”
Brie was relieved to hear the baby was okay and smiled. “I remember how terrified I felt with Hope, so I understand what she is going through. Everything is going to be okay.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Let’s hope she’ll listen to you.”
Faelan led her down the corridor to the hospital room and forced a relaxed smile when he entered. “Look what I brought. Your favorite food.”
“Brie!” Kylie cried.
Brie nudged Faelan in the ribs before walking to Kylie’s bed. “I hear the baby is doing well.”
Kylie nodded, sighing nervously. “That’s what they keep telling me.”
She took her friend’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m honored you asked me to come. After having Hope, it made me really want to see a birth myself. Thank you.”
“No, thank you!” The worried look in Kylie’s eyes momentarily disappeared. “I feel so much better now that you’re here.”
Glancing at Faelan, Kylie added, “Not that you aren’t enough, my love.”
He walked to the other side of the bed to take her hand. “You are about to give birth to my child. There is nothing you could say to offend me.”
Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “That almost sounds like a challenge.”
Brie’s phone suddenly pinged. She glanced down to read her text and told them, “It looks like Sir made it to the waiting room.”
Faelan looked at Brie in surprise. “He came?”
“Sir insisted.”
He seemed touched and replied, “I better go and say hello.” Then he immediately turned to Kylie, adding, “Unless you need me to stay, of course.”
Kylie laughed. “You can go now that Brie’s here, and please thank Sir Davis for me.”
“I certainly will, my wife.” Leaning down, Faelan kissed her on the forehead. “Don’t have too much fun without me.”
After he left, Brie turned to Kylie. “Did I hear right? Did Faelan just call you ‘wife?’”
Kylie blushed. “It’s true. Although we originally planned to get married in a couple of years, this little one changed things.” She rubbed her large belly. “Faelan thought it would be best to elope because it’s important to him that the baby has his name and knows he was born out of love.”
“Congratulations, Kylie!”
“Thanks,” she said, beaming.
“What a romantic thing to do, but was it hard for you to give up a formal wedding?”
Her eyes twinkled. “Not at all. It wouldn’t have mattered where we said ‘I do.’”
Brie smiled. “You two really are perfect together.”
Kylie looked down at her pregnant belly lovingly. “And soon it will be the three of us…” She shook her head with a bemused look on her face. “He even sold his beloved Mustang and bought a family-friendly SUV.”
Brie smiled, truly shocked. “Wow! He’s really taking this dad thing seriously.”
“He really is.” She grinned, looking up at Brie. “It was kind of Sir Davis to come with you. Faelan is trying hard to hide it but I can tell he’s not handling this well, either.”
Brie smiled at her. “It’s obvious how much he cares about you.”
There was a curt knock on the door.
Dr. Glas peeked in. “Just your friendly obstetrician, come to check your progress, lass.”
Kylie giggled nervously and looked to Brie. “Dr. Glas, you know my friend Brie.”
He smiled warmly. “Ah, yes. My patient who is not a masochist.”
Brie’s face burned with heat. She’d never forget screaming out those words while in the throes of labor. She struggled to keep a straight face when she answered him, “It remains true to this day.”
His chuckle filled the room as he held out his hand to her, shaking it formally. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, Mrs. Davis.” He glanced down at her stomach. “And, I’ll be seeing you and the next wee one for another checkup soon.”
“You certainly will.”
He turned his attention to Kylie. “But right now, it’s all about you, Mrs. Wallace. How are you feeling?”
“Really nervous,” she confessed.
“There’s no reason to be,” he assured her as he scrubbed his hands. Holding up his arms, he grinned. “You’re in good hands with me.”
A reluctant smile broke over Kylie’s face.
“So, let’s see how much you’ve progressed, shall we?” He slipped on a pair of gloves and settled between her legs. Keeping her discreetly covered, he manually checked her cervix. “We’re at a good eight centimeters. It shouldn’t be long now.”
Kylie nodded, but there was no hiding the fear that was still present in her eyes.
Brie squeezed her hand. “You’re going to do great.” Watching the steady heartbeat on the baby’s monitor, she added, “And your little guy isn’t in any distress. That’s a good sign.”
“You promise to stay with me the whole time?” Kylie begged her.
“I won’t leave your side, Brie promised. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
Tears of gratitude filled Kylie’s eyes. “Thank you, Brie. I don’t know what I would do without your moral support right now…along with the epidural.”
Brie chuckled. “I am jealous of you for that.”
“Who knows, Mrs. Davis? If all goes well, you may get the chance to experience one yourself with
this next birth.” Dr. Glas winked at her as he pulled the gloves off.
“As for you, Mrs. Wallace, you’re in the final stretch. Before long, you’ll be holding your wee babe in your arms.”
“I can’t wait,” Kylie murmured, still looking worried.
As Dr. Glas was leaving, Faelan returned with a confident grin on his face. It was obvious his talk with Sir had eased his apprehension. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better now that you’re back,” Kylie admitted, her relief easy to read. “Dr. Glas said it could be anytime now.”
Faelan shook his head in amazement as he placed his hand on her stomach. “It’s hard to believe we’re about to meet the little tyke after waiting so long for this moment.”
He glanced at Brie. “It doesn’t seem real.”
She smiled, understanding. “Nothing can prepare you for it.” Looking down at her own belly, she added, “I feel the same way about this one.”
“I’m so glad our kids will grow up together.” Kylie squeezed her hand.
“We are going to have our hands full on play dates,” Brie laughed. “Between Hope, Jonathan, and our two kiddos, we’ll have a full gang.”
Brie looked at Faelan. “Have you decided on a name yet?”
He glanced at Kylie, answering proudly, “We have.”
“Faelan and I wanted to honor our fathers,” Kylie explained. “So, we’ve chosen Luke Christian Wallace.”
“I love that name!” Brie gushed, looking at the two of them.
“I’m grateful Kylie and I were born into strong families,” Faelan told her. “And we plan to pass that on to our son.”
Brie suddenly noticed Kylie’s grimace. “A tough contraction?”
Kylie placed her hands on her stomach. “It doesn’t hurt exactly. It’s just uncomfortable. But, boy, they make my stomach hard as a rock.”
“Just look at that spike,” Faelan exclaimed, staring at the monitor. “Your body is getting serious about having this baby.”
Brie stated at Kylie in disbelief. “You really aren’t in any pain right now?”
She smiled, nodding.
Brie laughed. “I’m pretty sure I was screaming my head off at this point.”
Faelan’s voice was full of pride. “You’re doing great, baby!”
Kylie gazed up at him and begged, “Please kiss me.”
Without hesitation, he leaned down and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, she sighed in contentment. “I really needed that.”
“Anytime, little wife.”
Brie loved hearing Faelan call Kylie that and asked, “So, what was the wedding like?”
He chuckled. “It was quick and to the point. We toyed with the idea of having a formal wedding after the birth.” He glanced at Kylie. “But it seemed silly to wait when we love each other.”
“You can always throw a big reception when you’re ready,” Brie suggested. “I know all of us would enjoy the chance to celebrate with you two.”
Faelan played with a lock of Kylie’s hair. “We’ll keep that in mind.”
Kylie grimaced again. “Ugh…this one is a lot stronger.”
Seeing the large spike, Faelan announced, “I’m getting Dr. Glas.”
“I’m sure it’s not necessary,” Kylie told him.
“I’ll feel better if I do.”
Brie joked, “And, we know it’s all about you.”
Faelan winked at her before heading out the door.
Looking back at Kylie, she asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Excited…and terrified.”
“That feeling still hasn’t left yet?”
Kylie shook her head. “I know everything is going to be fine.” She glanced at the monitor. “Just look how strong his heartbeat is.”
Dr. Glas entered the room with Faelan right behind him. “Your husband seems to think you’re about to deliver.”
Kylie blushed. “I told him not to bother you.”
“Let me check to determine if he is right.”
Brie noticed a slow smile on his lips as he felt inside her. “I have to say, your husband’s fathering instincts are impeccable. You are fully dilated, Mrs. Wallace.”
Kylie’s eyes widened, but Brie couldn’t tell if it was out of relief or terror. “What happens now?”
“I call the nurse in and we deliver this wee one. If you feel the urge to push, I want you to breathe through it. I can’t have you pushing quite yet.”
She nodded vigorously. “I promise not to push until you give the command.”
While they were waiting for the doctor to return, Brie hugged Kylie. “Your little boy is healthy and strong just like his mother.”
Faelan looked tenderly at his wife. “You are an extraordinary woman.”
“I don’t feel like that right now.” She panted heavily as she breathed through a contraction.
He leaned down and kissed her again once it was over. “But, you are.”
Brie watched as Kylie’s look of fear transformed into one of confidence as she breathed through another powerful contraction.
When Dr. Glas returned with the nurse, he started barking out orders. “Mr. Wallace, take your wife’s left leg and lift it, cupping her heel for support.”
When Brie saw Faelan hesitate, she walked over to Kylie’s right side and lifted her leg the way Sir and Rytsar had done for her when she was delivering Hope.
Faelan immediately followed her example and chuckled at Kylie. “You’ll have to forgive me. I’m new at this.”
“Me, too,” she laughed nervously.
The nurse explained, “They’ll support you by making your pushes more effective.”
Kylie nodded.
Dr, Glas settled between her legs and said in his adorable Scottish accent, “Now, we are going to work with your contractions, lass. When you feel one coming, I want you to push as long and hard as you can.”
“You got it,” Kylie answered.
When the next contraction came, Dr. Glas ordered, “Push, push, push!”
Kylie snarled like a fierce lioness as she braced against Brie and Faelan and began pushing hard.
When it passed she lay back, panting heavily.
“That was very good. This next one, don’t stop until I say so.”
Kylie was about to answer when the next contraction hit. Closing her eyes, her face turned a deep red as she pushed for all she was worth. Brie glanced down, excited to see the crown of the baby’s head as it started to show.
“You’re doing great, Kylie!” she gushed. “It’s like you are a natural at this.”
Kylie let out an exhausted laugh before bearing down again.
Each contraction pushed the head out a little farther. Brie looked across at Faelan and smiled, profoundly touched to be a part of this personal moment.
She noticed tears in his eye.
Focusing on Kylie, Faelan told her proudly, “You’re doing great, baby!”
Kylie screamed with effort as she pushed even harder. Finally, the baby’s head popped out.
“Just one more push to get past the shoulders, lass,” Dr. Glas encouraged her.
Kylie’s gaze never left Faelan as she braced herself. Her face turned a deeper shade of red as she pushed with everything she had left.
As soon as the shoulders were free, the baby slipped easily into the doctor’s waiting hands.
Unlike Hope, this baby started crying immediately, filling the room with the welcomed sound.
Doctor Glas laid the infant on Kylie’s chest and said with a crooked smile, “Meet your daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Wallace.”
“A girl?” Kylie gasped as she stared down at the tiny baby lying on her chest.
The child instantly quieted down as soon as she was in her mother’s arms.
Faelan chuckled. “Well, I didn’t see that one coming…guess we’ll be redecorating the nursery.” Leaning in, he stroked his daughter’s head. “But I’m not complaining. She’s just as beautiful as her mama.”
“Look how alert she is,” Brie commented as the baby stared intently at Kylie.
“A little girl…” Kylie giggled softly.
After giving them several minutes to bond, Dr. Glas clamped the cord and handed Faelan a pair of surgical scissors. “It’s time to cut the umbilical cord, Papa.”
With a look of determination, Faelan took the scissors and cut it cleanly.
“Nicely done,” Dr. Glas praised. “Many first-time fathers aren’t so sure of themselves and hack at the cord, not realizing how dense it actually is.”
Faelan gazed down intently at his daughter. “I wasn’t about to mess it up. I’ll never do anything to endanger our little girl.”
Dr. Glas grinned. “Fortunately, even if you had, it wouldn’t have hurt the babe. However, I appreciate your resolve.”
The nurse picked up the tiny infant to weigh and assess her.
“You did exceptionally well, Mrs. Wallace,” Dr. Glas complimented. “Now what are you going to name her?”
Kylie looked over at Faelan and laughed in disbelief. “We never even discussed girl names.”
Faelan smirked. “Teach us to trust science.”
“You’ve got twenty-four hours to figure it out. No pressure.” Dr. Glas winked as he settled between Kylie’s legs to stitch her perineum.
Once he was finished, the nurse handed Kylie back the tiny baby, now swaddled in a blanket.
“Let’s give the happy family a few minutes of privacy,” Dr. Glas stated.
Brie was still riding on the emotional high of witnessing the birth and stared at Kylie and Faelan, her heart bursting with happiness. Wanting to give them time alone, she excused herself. “I’ll leave you two alone and tell Sir the happy news.”
“Oh no, Brie. Please stay a little longer,” Kylie begged. “You haven’t gotten a chance to say hello yet.”
Brie looked at her and then Faelan. “Are you sure?”
He smiled reassuringly. “Whatever this mama wants is fine with me.”
Brie walked to the bed and leaned in to see their precious daughter. “Hello, you little cutie.”
She glanced at Kylie. “It’s amazing how much she looks like you.”
“You think so?” Kylie smiled, obviously pleased to hear it.
“Yes,” Faelan agreed. “She’s the spitting image of you, my love.”