It’s been nearly a week and in that time, the nursery has been finished and my bag is packed and situated on my side of the bed for whenever I start having contractions.

“You want ice cream?” Alex asked at seven that evening.

“Ooh... yes please. Cookie dough, please with extra syrup.”

We stay stocked with ice cream at all times.

“I’ll be back.”

He came back into the living room a few minutes later with two bowls in tow.

“Yay! Thank you.” I said, kissing his cheek.

“My pleasure.” he said turning to kiss me.

I gladly kissed him back before digging into my ice cream. We had just gotten into a movie on Netflix and were comfortable and content.

“Let me take the bowls. I’ll put them in the sink.” I said ten minutes later.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I need to pee anyway. I’ll be right back.”

I took both of them, but when I was about to set them in there, a pain shot through my abdomen and they both fell out of my hands, shattering into a thousand pieces onto the floor. I grasped the edge of the sink with one hand to hold myself up while the other was over my belly and yelled out for Alex, but apparently, he was already dashing to the kitchen.

“Abby!”

I didn’t respond as I was in too much pain.

“Are you having contractions?” he asked kneeling.

“Grab my bag please.”

“You gonna be okay till I get back?”

I nodded with tears in my eyes. It felt like a lifetime till I heard him come back down the steps; I started to walk to the front door so I could grab my shoes. He saw me before I could get to them.

“I need my shoes.” I said reaching for them.

He quickly grabbed them and put them on my feet for me.

“Thank you.”

He picked my bag up, opened the door and helped me outside. Another contraction hit me when we got in the car.

“Godfuckingdamnit.”

I buckled my seatbelt and sat back.

“Are you-“

“Go.”

I didn’t want to be a bitch, but I wasn’t exactly happy right now. I had another contraction before we got to the hospital. Alex went to the front desk and talked to the receptionist while I leaned against him. I felt a little more at ease when in a hospital bed, but I have another month till she’s due, so there's thatcomfort.

"She's not supposed to be here for another four weeks." I said with tears in my eyes.

I knew that most babies born at thirty six weeks are fine, but there's also a possibility of her having to go into the NICU and a list of complications she was going to face.

"Everything's gonna be fine." he said holding my hand.

"How do you even know that?"

"I just do."

"Abby?" my doctor said, knocking on the door.

She had an ultrasound machine with her. I wiped my eyes.

"Hi."

"Alex."

He nodded.

"I was hoping to not see you two for another month, but unfortunately, here we are."

I sighed.

"Luckily, I've delivered babies this early, so this isn't anything new for me. You shouldn't worry."

But, I am.

"Do we know anything yet?"

"You are in active labor, but I need to check on the baby."

I held his hand as she took a look. When she smiled, I felt somewhat relieved.

"She seems to be just fine and very active. I'll check back in an hour."

Once my belly was clear of gel, she left and I laid back.

"I know I said last week that I was sick and tired of my sore joints and the difficulty getting up, but do you think she heard me and-"

"Abby. Relax. She may be smart, there's no doubting that, but you can't think like that."

"Why do I go to those places, especially when this has otherwise been a great pregnancy minus what my father did to me, of course?"

“It’s hard not to after all that’s happened.”

“How are you so calm right now?”

“I’m freaking out a bit, believe it or not, but I’m trying to keep it together. You know how my anxiety can be.”

“I appreciate that. At least one of us needs to keep it together.”

He leaned over and kissed me.

“I love you.” he said.

“I love you, too.”

I didn’t want to let go of his hand.

“Should we call anybody or should we wait?” I asked.

“I think we should wait, but I know we have to call my parents, knowing the time difference.”

I nodded and placed my other hand on my belly.

“I love you, Scarlett.”

“I love you, too.” he said kissing my belly.

An hour later, there was no change and the same two hours later and I was ready for sleep at this point.

“I’m gonna sleep. I can’t stay awake any longer. You mind?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“Goodnight. Love you.”

“Night. Love you, too.”

Sometime while I was sleeping, I felt an overwhelming amount of pressure that I hadn’t felt before causing me to reach out for Alex. I bumped him and he instantly woke up.

“Abby?”

I made a face.

“I’m feeling a lot of pressure.”

“I’ll get a doctor.”

She came walking in a minute later.

“How bad is it?”

“It’s worse than it’s ever been.”

“First of all, let me see where you’re at.”

She was obviously referring to my cervix.

“You’re at six centimeters, so if you’d like an epidural, now would be the time.”

“I would.”

“You sure?”

“100%.”

I didn’t want to be in any more pain than I had to. I kept a tight hold on his hand while they administered the medicine.

“What time is it?” I asked him after they left.

“2 in the morning.”

“You gotta be kidding me. I’m gonna try and sleep. See what happens.”

Nearly an hour passed when I woke up again.

“Ugh.”

“Can’t sleep?”

I shook my head.

“Not really.”

I was checked again and went up three centimeters.

“Shouldn’t be too long now.”

Once she left again, I opened my mouth.

“I can’t believe this. Probably an hour from now, I’ll have to start pushing.”

Well, that urge came earlier than I expected it to; only a half hour passed when this happened. We got my doctor back in there and apparently, it was time for me to push.

“Ready for this?” Alex asked, holding onto my hand.

“Yeah. Are you?” I said nodding.

“Yes.”

He kissed my cheek right before I started. After two hours of pushing, screaming and nearly crippling his hand, she arrived and I heard loud cries; she sounds healthy.

“She’s got a nice set of lungs.” I said laughing.

“That she does.”

Alex cut the cord and was in tears while doing so. While in tears, I took a quick look and she looked perfect.

“Do Mom and Dad have a name?”

I’m officially a mom.

“Scarlett Aurora Gaskarth.”

“Ready to hold your daughter?”

“Yes.”

She was calm as they handed her to me.

“Hi Scarlett. I’m your mommy.”

She looked up at me with the bluest eyes I had ever seen.

“Well, aren’t you the cutest baby in the world? Don’t tell that to your cousin, Luca.”

Alex laughed.

“I’m gonna hand you off to Daddy and see what you think of him.”

A huge smile appeared on his face as I handed her to him.

“Hey baby girl. You are so beautiful, just like your mommy.”

I blushed. When he touched her cheek, she giggled and I practically melted into a puddle.

"Looks like someone's a hit." I said.

"She's pretty much a spitting image of you. No thick eyebrows to speak of."

I laughed.

"Our son will likely have them and look as handsome as his daddy."

He blushed.

"I love you." I said, going in to kiss him.

"I love you, too."

She whined.

"We didn't forget about you, pumpkin." Alex said.

Pumpkin. I love that.

"Would you like to try breastfeeding now?"

I had to admit I was a bit nervous about that, but it's natural; that's what breasts are the main function for.

"Absolutely."

After adjusting a little, Scarlett was handed to me and I tried each side to see which nipple she would latch onto; it was the right one. I know I had already bonded with her when she was in my womb, but this is different. She’s here and there’s skin-to-skin contact and it’s beautiful.

“How will I know when she’s done?”

“When she pulls away.”

I nodded. And when she did, I knew it was time for me to burp her; I was a little nervous about maneuvering her so I could do so, but turns out I was a natural.

“Oh, you burp like Daddy does.” I said after she was done.

“Would you like her to stay with you while you try to get some sleep?”

“That sounds lovely. Thank you.”

She left her with us and walked out of the room.

“Just you, me and Scarlett.” I said with a sleepy baby in my arms.

“How about we text everyone then try and get some sleep?”

“Ok.”

He took her out of my arms much to the dismay of Scarlett.

“Oh, sweetie. You’ll be fine.”

Once I texted the most important people, I set my phone aside and shut my eyes. Roughly two hours later, I was awoken by loud crying; Alex was wide awake and at her side, checking to see if she had a dirty diaper. He’s such a great dad already which made me feel all kinds of emotions.

“Is it dirty?”

“No. I think she’s just hungry.”

“Hand the princess to me please.”

He handed her to me.

“Is someone hungry? So’s Mommy.”

“Good morning baby girl.”

She didn’t stop crying until my breasts were showing.

“There we go.” I said as she stated to suckle.

I was still so tired, but I couldn’t have been happier in this moment.

Notes

Yay! Scarlett has arrived!