“Yeah. How do I pick her up?”
The nurse comes over and helps, tucking the blanket around Ella’s little body. She opens her deep-blue eyes and looks around, taking in the new world. She’s so light in my arms, like a feather. It’s crazy how something so little, something I’ve only seen for mere minutes, can make me feel so much love.
I look down at Ella, then at Lauren. “We did this.”
* * *
I sit in an uncomfortable chair next to a hospital bed, holding a sleeping baby. It’s been four hours since Lauren gave birth. We’re in a different room now, and her parents—and my mother—are all crowded in to see Ella. Everything went as smooth as we could hope, and Ella is perfect.
“It’s my turn to hold that baby,” Mrs. Winters says. I carefully stand and hand her Ella. I move to the bed, sitting on the edge next to Lauren.
“Are you doing okay?” I ask.
“I’m sore,” she says. “The epidural is completely worn off now.”
“Want me to call the nurse? She said you can have pain medicine.”
“Yeah. And I have to pee. Help me up?”
I take her hand and slowly help her to her feet. She winces when she takes a step. She did end up tearing and needing stitches.
“Can you fill this with warm water?” she asks, sitting on the toilet.
“Sure, but, why?” I take a squirt bottle from her and move to the sink.
“I can’t wipe.”
“Oh.” I turn the water on. “Birth is a lot more, uh, messy than I thought.”
“Are you glad you watched it or do you wish you hadn’t?”
“No, I’m glad I did. Yeah, it’s messy but it was kind of amazing.”
She smiles. “I’m glad you were there. I’m gladwewere there.”
I know what she means. We were there together, as a couple. “Wewill always be there.”
“And we just had a moment while I’m on the toilet,” she chuckles.
I fill up the bottle. “I didn’t even realize that. Spoken like a real couple, right?”
“Right.”
I help her back into bed.
“She looks just like you,” my mom tells me. “I’ll find your baby pictures when I get back home and send them over.”
Our parents stay for a while longer, then leave so Lauren can sleep. But right after they leave, the nurse comes in to check on Lauren and Ella, then sticks around to help Lauren with breastfeeding. Ella is sleepy and not wanting to latch.
I thought pushing out the baby was the hard part.
Twenty minutes later, I’m able to take Ella and Lauren lays down. Not five minutes later, someone knocks on the door, asking about insurance. By the time they leave, the nurse has to come back and take vitals.
And now I remember why I hate hospitals.
“You’re never going to get any sleep at this rate,” I say, taking Ella out of Lauren’s arms after a feeding again. “Try to rest now.”
“I know,” she sighs. “I’ll sleep tonight. Well, probably not.” She looks at Ella and smiles.