“But my baby…” There were tears in my eyes and my voice was cracking but I couldn’t help it. I needed my child, right there and then. But I also knew that what the doctor was saying made sense, and that I needed to get the placenta and all of that other stuff out of me.
So, I focused. I put all of my attention in concentrating on the doctor’s words until I heard more gross noises and then I was finally being lead to my bed.
I sat down, looking blearily up into the face of James. God, he was handsome. I was so lucky to have him in my life. I was going to be terribly upset when we divorced, and he disappeared from my life forever.
A cry sounded behind him and then he was stepping aside so a bundle could be handed to me. I stared, wide eyed and in shock, not really comprehending what it was until the unmistakable warm form of an itty-bitty baby was placed in my arms.
“Congratulations, Miss Arden. You have a beautiful daughter.”
Then it happened, I was hit with that potent mix of chemicals that the internet had told me about. Happiness, euphoria, love, affection. None of those words seemed like enough, however. But what I did know was that nothing in the entire world mattered more than the sweet child inside of my arms.
“Oh my God, James,” I whispered. “We have a little girl.”
“We do,” he said, looking down at me with an expression that I couldn’t describe. We exchanged glances and then the tears were coming in earnest. I sobbed, happier than I had been in my entire life.
I had never thought it possible, but I had everything I could ever need right in my arms.
And her name was Kireina.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
~James~
Nicole having long since fallen asleep, I held my child with a reverence that I had never felt before. She was so perfect, in every way, shape and form that was possible.
I mean, logically I knew that she was a preemie so she was on the smaller side, but that didn’t seem to matter to the rest of my mind. I only saw her soulful almond eyes, and her tiny crop of wispy hair on top of her rounded little head. I saw her impossibly small hands and her little chubby feet and my heart about melted into mush.
I knew without a doubt that my entire world was different now. All the things I loved before, the partying, the jet-setting lifestyle, none of them were important anymore. The only thing that mattered was little Kireina and Nicole.
I looked over to the amazing woman who was passed out in her hospital bed. It had been awful to watch her push herself to the absolute edge to bring our daughter into the world, but I knew that it would be worth it.
And I was right.
I knew it from the moment that the nurse pulled that precious baby from Nicole and rushed it over to one of the small tables at the edge of the room. Even before I heard the slap of her behind and her first cry in the world. And although it was probably shrill to some, to me it was the sweetest sound that I had ever heard.
Now she was here in my arms, and I finally understood, down to the core of my being, why Nicole had done what she had done. If there was ever the most remote chance that anyone could steal this beautiful, perfect baby away from me, I would run as far away from them as physically possible.
“Hey there, Kireina. I’m your Daddy. Did you know that? Did you hear me when I was outside of your mama? I was only there a little bit, but I certainly did like talking to her.”
The baby didn’t look at me, but the nurse had warned me that they didn’t make eye contact for quite a while and that I shouldn’t take it personally. But I didn’t mind. It just gave me one more thing to look forward to.
And there was so much to look forward to. While I had been holding my daughter, I also had been doing even more reading online. I learned about the baby first lifting their head, first attaching to the breast, her first crawl, her first potty training, etc…etc… there was just so much that I knew I couldn’t miss it.
But what did that mean for my business? I couldn’t have the whole office move; the costs would be ridiculous, and we just didn’t have the proper contacts or resources. But maybe I could open another branch? I’d been waiting to expand for a while and if there was ever a reason to, it was the amazing child in my arms.
I would have to look into it later, for now, all of my attention was going to be on taking care of Nicole and Kireina when we went home.