“You’re good doing so good Maggie,” I heard Toby say to me. “You’re doing so good, you’re already such a great mother. I can’t wait to meet our son.”
I couldn’t wait to meet him either. I pushed, hard. The pressure in my lower body was immense. I couldn’t remember ever feeling anything like it. The sooner I did it, the faster this would be over and I could hold my baby.
Toby yelling next to me told me it was over. I heard the medical staff talking and hustling around the room, and then I heard our son crying. I lay back on the pillow and closed my eyes. He was here. I did it.
“Oh my god, babe, he’s so gorgeous. You did such a good job.” Everything was a blur until a voice asked whether I wanted to hold him.
Sapped of all my energy after days of labor, I didn’t feel it anymore. The nurse told me to relax and how to position my hands so that I could hold the baby.
“Oh my God,” was all I could say looking into his face. He was so small. His eyes were barely open and underneath the little hat they had put on him, was a full head of red wavy hair. I knew it. After nine months I would have been pissed if he came out looking only like his dad.
“Maggie, look at what you did,” Toby said. I looked over at him. He had tears in his eyes. He had maintained his composure pretty well up until this moment it looked like. I guess he never really saw himself having a baby either. I guess in that way, we were perfect for each other.
Up until maybe ten minutes ago, I never thought that I could love anybody as much as I loved Toby, but that wasn’t correct. Our son might have just eclipsed him as the most important person in my life.
The staff gently told us that they were going to take him and make sure everything was okay, as well as give me a chance to rest. I reluctantly handed the baby to Toby and let him hold him for a little while before the medical staff took him away.
“I can’t believe that just happened,” I said to Toby.
“I can. You did such a good job, Maggie. I’m so proud of you. Thank you.”
“Did you just say thank you? For giving birth to my own baby? I mean it’s not like I had a choice. Once it gets to nine months, it kinda fights its way out whether you want it to or not.” He laughed and kissed me on the forhead.
“You know what I mean. Every day with you is better than the last one and now you’ve given me something completely irreplaceable.” Toby never gave me a reason to doubt him, but there were moments when I was a little bit wary about the distance between us. It was such a sharp change from person he used to be, that I wondered when that person from the past might make a reappearance.
That needed to stop. He told me all the time that this was it and he was happy and what he wanted was a family with me. As much as he said it, he showed it too. He supported me throughout the pregnancy, being there for every doctor's appointment, sparing no expense when it came to buying supplies for the baby. One day, I needed to use his computer to look something up and the last page that he had looked up online had been prestigious daycares and kindergartens for when our baby was ready to attend.
He was all in. Everything he said, he backed up with his actions, and now I got to see him transform again into another different person. I was excited to see what he was like
as a father. I almost couldn’t imagine it, but that was what I thought about seeing him as a faithful and steady boyfriend too. Basically, all he did was surprise me. That, and make me the happiest person alive.
“Oh, well okay. You’re welcome I guess,” I said with a shrug. He laughed and kissed me again.
“Everyone is here by the way, are you ready to let them come and see you?”
“No. Not yet. I just need a nap, I’m so exhausted. Give me like half an hour and I think I’ll feel better.” He told me it was no problem and I closed my eyes knowing that he would take care of everything. I never had to worry when it came to him. He delivered results. He was a man of action. He was more resourceful, dedicated, and faithful than almost anybody I had met. Our rocky past completely faded into nonexistence. It might as well not have happened because of how absolutely in love we were now.
I took my nap and was woken up by a nurse who came to check on me. She helped me use the bathroom, because; something else I was prepared for thanks to my friends, peeing for the first time after having a vaginal birth was extremely difficult.
After I got back in bed, she wheeled our baby back in so that everyone could come and see him.
The kids weren’t invited, because that would’ve been a little bit too much chaos, but in came Niall, Eddy, Charlie, Brenna, Easton and Missy. Missy bustled in with helium balloons clutched in one hand and a giant bouquet in her other hand. She squealed when she saw the baby.
Even though she found out she was pregnant before I found out I was pregnant, my conception date was a couple of weeks before hers. Still heavily pregnant, she strutted around in designer clothes like nothing had happened at all.
“Oh my God, look at him! What an angel!” She said looking over the baby. Putting down her gifts, she came over and hugged me. Everyone else did the same, congratulating me and making comments about our son. Brenna, knowing me far too well had brought a huge haul of food from one of our favorite restaurants, knowing that I wouldn’t want to eat the hospital food.
“Did he end up getting your red hair?” Eddy asked. Her own son Riley had ended up inheriting her red hair rather than his father’s blond.
“He sure did,” I said.
“Give it some time. It will all fall out and grow in dark. I was a blonde when I was a baby,” Toby said.
“He kind of has your face shape, Toby,” Eddy said, placating him.
“What’s he called?” Niall asked.
“I don’t know yet.”