for her mother and grandmother. The assurances they’d gotten from top doctors before her pregnancy didn’t matter much now that she was in the throes of labor.
He wished for a magic wand to make it over, with mom and baby healthy and fine. That was all he cared about.
They’d been at the hospital for only a short time when Patrick and Mary had arrived, followed an hour later by his own parents and grandfather. They were in the waiting room now, close by if needed, which Will appreciated.
“Will, honey, stop pacing.”
He hadn’t realized he’d been pacing.
Cameron held out her hand to him. “Come here.”
Will went to her and took her hand.
“Will you hold me?”
“Nothing I’d rather do.” He crawled onto the bed and gathered her into his arms. “Are you comfortable?”
“I am for the next four minutes.”
“Is it worse than you thought it would be?”
“Little bit.”
“You’re a trouper. I can’t wait for this to be over for you.”
“I can’t wait for it to be over for you.”
“Huh? It’s not about me.”
“Sure, it is. My family history has us both spooked right now, and that has to be extra awful for you.”
“What’s awful for me is that you were in labor for hours and didn’t tell me. We’re going to have a great big fight about that later.”
“Thanks for the warning,” she said on a chuckle that turned to a grimace when another contraction started.
“Breathe through it. That’s it. Nice and easy.”
Her fingers dug into his arm as she rode the wave of the contraction, panting and gasping from the pain. By the time it was over, her face was red and tears were flowing.
Will used tissues to dry her face. “You want me to ask the nurse about the epidural?”
“Would you?”
“Absolutely.”
“Come right back?”
“I will. Try to rest before the next one.” He got up and went to the nurses’ station, looking for their nurse, Dana.
“How’s she doing?” Dana asked.
“She’s in a lot of pain. Is the epidural coming?”
“I just checked, and she’s on the way. Any minute now.”
“Okay, thanks.” While he was out of the room, Will took one second to check in with the parents.
“How’s she doing?” Molly asked.
His dad and Elmer were dozing, but perked up when Will came into the room.
Mary was asleep on Patrick’s shoulder, but he was wide awake and looked as stressed as Will felt.
“She’s doing great. The epidural is happening soon, and we’re both ready for that. Her more than me, of course.”
Molly stood to hug Will. “Hang in there, honey. He or she will be here very soon, and this will become a distant memory.”
“I’ll have to take your word on that. I’m going back in with her. I’ll be out as soon as we have news.”
“We love you both.”
“Love you, too.” Will went back to the room and found Cameron asleep, so he stood by the bed and let his head hang down to roll out the tension in his neck.
She came to with a gasp, and he moved quickly to return to his post on the bed to coach her through another contraction. In the birthing classes they’d taken, the dads had been told to expect their wives to want nothing to do with them during labor. Will was glad that Cameron not only wanted him, she wanted him to hold her through the worst of the pain.
The anesthesiologist came in a few minutes after the contraction ended and moved quickly to administer the epidural. She positioned Will in front of Cameron to hold her hands while she worked on her back.
“A quick pinch and then all kinds of relief,” the doctor said in a cheerful tone that buoyed Will’s spirits.
As long as everyone was upbeat, he had nothing to worry about. Living through this momentous event with Cameron gave new meaning to what Patrick had gone through losing Cameron’s mother, Ali, shortly after their daughter’s birth. It was unimaginable. The very thought of it was enough to bring Will to his knees.
Cameron stared into his eyes. “What’re you thinking about?”
Because he couldn’t very well tell her the truth, he said, “I’m thinking of the night we met and how even when you had two black eyes, a fat lip and a smashed-up car, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.”
“That’s so sweet,” the doctor said.
“He’s the sweetest,” Cameron said, smiling at him.
She already seemed better than she’d been for hours. Thank God for modern medicine.