“There we go. Now just breathe, Cat,” Carolyn said. “One or two more pushes, and you’ll be able to say hello to the newest member of your family.” She grinned at me. “Do you want to take a peek, Chase?” My throat was suddenly dry, and the panic must have shown in my eyes because she laughed and said, “That’s okay, you don’t have to.”
I wanted to, but I didn’t trust myself not to pass out. As brave and strong as I was pretending to be for Catia’s benefit, the sight of what she was going through to bring our child into the world might have been too much for me to handle. Yeah, I can be tough as nails with three-hundred-pound contractors, but seeing my wife in pain brings me to my knees.
“Okay, Cat. We’re all ready. Give us another push—controlled, not quite so big this time. I’m easing his shoulders out.”
His. She said his. Of course she couldn’t know for sure yet, but my heart hammered at the possibility I might have a son. I would be thrilled the second I heard that cry, but having a son would be… amazing.
Catia followed her midwife’s instructions, digging her heels into the mattress as I used my free hand to dab her forehead with the damp cloth.
“You’re doing great, sweetheart,” I whispered as I kissed away the salty tear streaming down her cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks,” she cried through a sob.
“There we go,” Carolyn said, beaming. “One more little push, and I get to introduce you to your son.”
Son? “It’s a boy?” I asked, my voice weak as I sneaked a peak.
“It sure is.”
“Did you hear that, baby?” I rested my forehead on her shoulder. “It’s a boy. We have a son.”
She laughed through her tears. “I heard.”
After Carolyn guided Catia through the final steps, she invited me to cut the cord, something I’d done with each of my daughters. I gasped as I heard the sweetest sound reach all the way to the sixteen-foot ceiling—my son’s first cry.
“Oh my God,” I said, my eyes filling with tears as I stared at his tiny face.
He was perfect. His body was red and mottled, covered with a slippery film that Carolyn was quickly wiping away with a soft towel. His little face was scrunched up, his arms flailing as he let us all know he wasn’t too happy with the recent turn of events, but he was perfect and healthy and everything I’d ever wanted.
“Is he okay?” Catia asked anxiously.
“He’s perfect,” Carolyn said, swaddling the baby and handing him to me so she could tend to Catia. “You did great, little mama. You should be proud of yourself.”
“She’s right,” I whispered, sitting beside my wife so she could get a better look at the little miracle she’d just brought into the world. “You were amazing.”
She reached for him, gasping when he opened his eyes. They were blue, just like his big sisters’, but I knew that could change. “I want to hold him.”
I settled him in Catia’s arms carefully while Carolyn collected the remnants of the birth.
“I’ll leave you alone for a few minutes to get acquainted,” Carolyn said.
“Carolyn,” I said as she reached the door, “I can’t thank you enough.”
Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at mother and baby. “That right there is why I do what I do. Bringing a new life into the world never gets old. It’s a miracle every single time. Enjoy your little miracle.”
“I intend to,” I said, brushing my hand over his damp hair. “Believe me, I intend to.”
***
As soon as the good news spread, our house was filled with excited family members just as Catia had predicted. But the most excited of all were bouncing outside our bedroom door, begging to come in so they could meet their new baby brother.
“Hey, girls,” Catia said, smiling as she tried to sit up straighter while I adjusted the down pillows behind her back.
She’d insisted on getting cleaned up and slipping into a fresh white cotton nightgown so she wouldn’t “scare” our guests. I’d gladly helped her to ensure she wouldn’t overdo it.
“Come in here,” she said, waving the girls in. “There’s someone who wants to meet you.”
He was sleeping in the hand-carved cradle my father had made for him, wearing one of the white sleepers Catia had bought. She’d insisted on having the nursery finished weeks before his due date just in case he arrived early. I thought it was silly since he would be sleeping in our room for the foreseeable future, but I knew better than to argue with a hormonal woman whose nesting instincts had kicked in.
“Oh my gosh,” Emily said, slapping a hand over her mouth when the baby stirred. “He’s so tiny.”
The girls stood at the end of the cradle, looking at him in awe.
“Were we ever that small, Daddy?” Elsie asked.
I chuckled. “Even smaller.”
“Really?” she asked in wide-eyed wonder.
“What’s his name?” Emily asked Catia.
“Well, we were just talking about that,” Catia said, reaching for my hand. “We wanted you guys to be the first to know.”
“We’ve decided on Alexander James Clement so he’ll have both of his grandfathers’ middle names.”
The girls smiled as Elsie said, “I like that.”
“Can I hold him?” Emily asked tentatively.
“When he wakes up,” Catia promised.
Each of the girls climbed up beside Catia as I cautioned them to be careful. Catia put her arms around them gently and kissed their foreheads.
In the months since we married, they’d grown so close. They helped Catia prepare dinner. She colored with them. They took Pina for walks together, and when I couldn’t make it home from work in time, she read them bedtime stories and tucked them in. Since I’d talked her into taking a leave of absence from work, she claimed her favorite part of the day was picking the girls up from school and hearing all about their days.
We’d agreed to let them spend time alone with Karen again after she’d proved to the court, via our sessions with the therapist, that she was trustworthy. The time would soon come when the girls would spend weekends with her again, and I wanted that for them. A healthy relationship with their mother was important, and since Karen had been so supportive of my relationship with Catia, I knew I had to support her too. To accept and forgive her mistakes just as Catia and I had learned to forgive each other’s.
“Stay right there,” I said quietly, reaching for my phone. “I want a picture of my three favorite girls.” As I pressed the button, Alex let out a wail that made us all smile.
“I think he wants to be in the picture, Daddy,” Emily said, giggling.
“I think you’re right.” I went to the cradle, picked him up, and nestled him between Catia and our girls before I stepped back to take another picture. “Perfect.”
I finally had everything I’d ever wanted, and I wouldn’t waste a single day taking it for granted.
“I love you,” Catia mouthed, looking from me to our son.
And I knew that was something I could always count on.
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Other Books by Cheryl Douglas
Nashville Nights
Shameless
Fearless
Ruthless
Reckless
Relentless
Heartless
Hopeless
Careless
Nashville Nights Next Generation
High Stakes
Trade Off
Holiday Homecoming
Game On
Burn Out
Fast Track
Time Out
Face Value
Blown Away
Breathless
Imagine
Starting Over (Single Title)
Music City Moguls
Stone Cold
Envious
Forbidden
Haunted
Jaded
Hero Worship
Texas Titans
Strike Out
End Zone
First Down
Cheap Shot
Fast Break (Holiday Novella)
Wild Card
Free Agent
Going For It
Possession
Starkis Family
Deacon
Damon
Tiana
Kara
Darius
Catia
Steele Brothers
Ryker
Nex
Seb
Steele Brothers Christmas Novella
Brody (Coming Soon)
Kane (Coming Soon)
Gabe (Coming Soon)
Coming Soon
Catia (Starkis Family #6) Page 20