went to the kitchen and I asked her if she was hungry.
“Not at three in the morning.”
The front door opened as the alarm dinged. Sheridan was here. I went to greet her. “Thanks for coming.”
All she did was grin and hug me. “Call me when the event happens.”
“We will.”
I took English’s bag and we went out through the garage entrance. My inclination was to drive like a maniac, but I was hauling precious cargo so I stayed under the speed limit. Then I heard a giggle. I glanced over at my wife, only she was looking out the passenger door window.
We got to the hospital and I went to the emergency room entrance.
“Where are you going?”
“To the emergency room.”
“Honey, we need to check in at the regular entrance. This isn’t an emergency.”
I kept on driving until we got to the front of the hospital.
“Tristian, I’m capable of walking. Go find a parking spot.”
I wasn’t too comfortable with that, but I wasn’t going to argue with her either.
We made it inside and checked in. A nurse came to take her to her room and settled her in. I was helpless and it was awful. This was my fault. I’d put her in this position. Wait, why was I thinking this? She was as excited about another baby as me.
“Tristian, can you rub my feet?’
I flew out of my chair and tripped over the leg of that tray next to her bed. I went sprawling across the floor.
“Oh, my God. Are you okay?”
I leaped to my feet. “I’m good. See?” I held out my arms.
“Um, your elbow is bleeding.”
I looked down to see I had cut the damn thing. “Shit.” I rinsed it off in the sink, and that was when the nurse came in.
“What happened?”
I explained about my graceful moves.
“Let me look at that.” The nurse did and announced I should have it sutured up.
“Why?”
“The elbow has thin skin and you’ll be bending it and tearing that wound open. It will heal faster. Go on.”
“Go on where?”
“Down to the ER. They’ll sew you up.”
“I can’t leave my wife!” My hands plowed through my hair as blood ran down my arm.
“Tristian, it’s fine. I have plenty of time.” English nodded at me. “You can’t stand there and keep bleeding like that.”
Funny thing, I hadn’t noticed. “I’ll go, but if they can’t do it quickly, I’m coming right back.”
The nurse was kind enough to call down and give them a heads up I was coming. It didn’t take long at all. I was pretty sure they felt sorry for me.
When I walked back into the room, the doctor was with English. When I’d left things had been fine, but now there were lines on her forehead and her expression was pinched. Something was up.
“What’s wrong?”
English held out her hand. “The doctor says I need a C-section. The baby’s in distress.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
Tears rolled down my wife’s cheeks until they formed rivers.
“It’s going to be fine, babe.”
The doctor patted her leg and agreed. “If we wait, we could have issues, but if we do this now, you and the baby will be fine.”
The nurses came in and wheeled her to the room for the procedure. A different doctor, the anesthesiologist, came in and injected something into her spine. Then he asked her questions about feeling numb. Even I was numb and I hadn’t gotten that injection.
A screen was put up over her waist and her doctor was ready. She talked to us the whole time and before I even knew what was happening, she said, “Congratulations, you have a healthy baby boy.” Then we both heard a loud squawk, which turned into a solid cry.
English turned to me and smiled. “You didn’t get your wish. It’s a boy.”
“All I wanted was for you and the baby to be healthy, so I did get my wish. Thank you, my beautiful wife.” I kissed her lips.
The screen was removed and they handed her our baby, who was laid on her chest.
“He’s a stout little thing, isn’t he?” she asked.
The doctor said, “His weight is seven pounds twelve ounces.”
“Is that big?” I asked.
“It’s just right,” she answered.
English rubbed his body. “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”
“Yeah.” He actually was. I’d always thought babies were sort of squishy-looking but this one was pretty. Maybe it was because he was ours, but it didn’t matter. “Are we still going to go with Jameson?”
“Yep. I love it. Jameson Tristian Baines, but only if you’re good with it.”
“My