“Where is Millie?” I asked as I glanced around.
“She’s with her grandfathers and great granddad. They took her to see the gift shop since all the Christmas items are out,” Emmie said.
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, great. She’s going to come out of there with bags of goodies knowing those three. If Hugo buys another ornament with her name on it, we’re going to need a tree just for them.”
Emmie laughed. “At least her birthday didn’t fall on the Christmas due date. Can you imagine what he would be like every Christmas morning?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Millie had decided to come a couple of weeks early and give us all the best Christmas gift we could have ever asked for.
“Anson, you might want to step back in.”
Mindy’s voice caused me to spin around.
“Why? Is she okay?”
She grinned. “The nurse just called for the doctor. It’s time to push.”
I nodded and quickly made my way down the hall to Bristol’s room. I had stepped out so that she and Mindy could chat, and I could check up on Millie.
When I walked into the room and Bristol’s eyes met mine, I saw the mix of excitement and fear in her gaze.
I rushed over to the bed. “Hey, I’m here. Millie is with all her granddads. Down at the gift shop.”
“Oh, Lord,” Bristol said with an eye roll.
I chuckled. “I said pretty much the same thing.”
“Does she have her big sister T-shirt on?”
“Your mom brought it.”
Bristol drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
“Another contraction coming?”
She placed her hand on her stomach and nodded. “All I can say is thank God for modern medicine. Those contractions were hardcore.”
I leaned down and kissed her sweat-dampened forehead. “I love you.”
With a smile and a squeeze of my hand, she replied, “I love you more.”
Slowly, I shook my head. “Impossible.”
A bit of fear moved into her eyes, and then she smiled. “Me and you?”
I nodded. “Always, Bri.”
The door opened, and the doctor walked in along with two nurses.
“I hear it’s time to push! Shall we see if we have a boy or a girl today?”
Bristol nodded. “Yes. Let’s do that right now, please!”
Everyone laughed, and the doctor sat down. Her eyes went wide and she looked up at Bristol and said, “Well, this little one is ready. Give me a good push, Bristol.”
After pushing for ten minutes, the sounds of our baby’s cry filled the air. Bristol instantly broke into tears, as did I when the doctor held up our son.
A son.
The nurse took him from the doctor and placed him directly on Bristol. I could hardly see him through the tears in my eyes. Bristol whispered and kissed him as I leaned over and kissed my wife and then my son.
“He’s beautiful, Bri.”
She nodded and let out a sob. “He is, just like his big sister.”
I reached over and wiped her tears away then looked down at another beautiful child my wife had gifted me with. Leaning over, I placed a gentle kiss on him. His deep sea-blue eyes pierced mine, and the most overwhelming sense of love hit me in the chest.
“Welcome to the world, Brax Meyer. I have to warn you now, your mama is going to be taking a dozen pictures of you a day, and I’m most likely going to write a song about you.”
Bristol laughed. “I won’t take that many pictures, sweet boy. Maybe one or two.”
She turned and our eyes met.
“Thank you for loving me like you do,” she whispered as more tears slipped free and rolled down her face.
I was overcome with emotion and unable to talk.
With a smile, Bristol said, “You’re totally thinking that would make a good song title, aren’t you?”
“Like you weren’t thinking the same thing for your Instagram post!”
Brax let out a little cry to let us know he wanted in on the conversation.
The door opened, and Mindy let go of Millie’s hand as my daughter gasped at the sight before her.
I bent down and scooped her up, putting her next to Bristol and Brax.
“Meet your baby brother,” Bristol said.
Our 3-year-old daughter looked down at Brax, then up at Bristol, then over to me. Then the most amazing thing I’d ever seen happened. A single tear slipped free and trailed down her sweet little face as she looked back down at her brother.
Millie kissed her brother lightly on the cheek and looked at Bristol. “When can we take him home to Zeus?”
The end.