“Why would I be? I’m not the one who has to push him out.”
I smiled at the comment. “I’m not worried about that. But raising a son…that’s a big deal.”
He nodded slightly then fell into a quiet composure. His eyes drifted away, and he looked at nothing in particular as he remained deep in his thoughts. Minutes passed before he turned his gaze back to me. “You’re going to be a great mother, Sofia. I have no doubt.”
I lay beside Hades in bed, our naked bodies tangled up like cords in a drawer. Our faces were close together, and my fingers brushed through his hair as I listened to him breathe. I treasured the sight of this beautiful man because I knew I wouldn’t be able to much longer. I loved everything about him, from his strong chest to his soft heart.
One of his hands rested on my stomach, and it remained there when he fell asleep. He’d been spending more time with Andrew in the last week than he had throughout my entire pregnancy. He slept with me every night, made love to me like I was his wife, and kissed my belly like he couldn’t wait to be a father.
Knowing this was nearly over almost made me cry.
I didn’t want to close my eyes because I didn’t want this memory to pass. But my eyelids grew heavy, and I fell asleep with my hand against his chest. I could feel his heartbeat against my palm, strong as a horse.
But then my eyes snapped open when I felt something.
I was in momentary shock. My mind couldn’t process what had just happened, couldn’t determine if it was a dream or if it was real. But then I felt the sheets grow wet underneath me, and I knew the time had come.
“Oh my god…” My hand moved to my stomach so I could feel Andrew at my fingertips. The moment I’d been waiting for had arrived, and I was both excited and absolutely terrified. For a second, I didn’t know what to do because I was paralyzed by the stress.
Hades must’ve noticed the dampness of the sheets or my frantic movements on the mattress because he opened his eyes and looked at me. After a couple of blinks, he was able to focus his gaze. He touched the wet sheets then moved his hand back to my stomach. He was the exact opposite of me, so calm it was annoying. “Let’s get going.” He got out of bed and grabbed my bag from the closet.
“Do you understand I’m having a baby?” I asked, somewhat hysterically.
“I took a health class in college. Give me more credit than that.” He grabbed a dress from the closet and helped me to my feet so I could get ready. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”
“I’m having a baby…”
He pulled the dress over my head and got me ready when he realized I wasn’t going to do it myself. “Everything’s going to be fine, baby.” He grabbed the bag off the bed and then wrapped his arm around my waist.
“How are you so calm right now?”
“Because I know you’ve got this.” He pulled me in close and kissed my forehead. “We’re about to meet our son.”
I looked up at him, and the confidence in his gaze made me relax. I let the moment between us linger, let the joy last a little longer. I couldn’t imagine loving anyone more than Hades, but I had a feeling that was about to change. “I’m so happy you’re here with me.”
His eyes softened, and he pulled me in for a kiss on the mouth. “Me too.”
After twelve hours in the hospital room, it was finally time for me to start pushing. Every contraction I was subjected to was so painful, it brought tears to my eyes. My body was under such supreme stress, I wasn’t sure how I was going to do this.
Hades sat in the chair at my bedside, dressed in scrubs with his hand in mine. He watched me with steady eyes, seeing the way I breathed into my nose and out my mouth. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze and continued to be a rock under my feet. “The doctor said it’s time to push.”
“It hurts…”
He placed his other hand on mine. “I know. You’ve been at this for twelve hours, and you deserve a medal. But you have to keep going. I know you can do this. You’ve always been a