Series Starter Firsts in Series Collection - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,221

and help her stand. She braces herself on my shoulders while she steps out of her yoga pants and panties.

My beautiful wife is standing before me, naked, ready to give birth to our son. I place my hands on either side of her belly. “I love you, Walker. Mommy and I cannot wait to meet you.” I kiss her belly one last time before standing. Bringing my hands up, I cup her face. “I love you. Thank you for loving our daughter, for giving me our son.” I kiss her lips and she grimaces. Rubbing her back, I let her lean on me until it passes. “Let’s get you in this gown so we can meet our son.”

We get her changed and in bed. The nurse is hooking up her IV when another contraction hits. “Babe, that was only like three minutes,” I say as soon as it passes.

“Yeah,” she sighs in relief.

“I’m going to go get the doctor.” The nurse scurries out of the room.

What happens next is a flurry of activity. The doctor comes in to check her, which I’m still not a fan of. Funny that it never bothered me with Misty. He says she is fully dilated and tells the nurse to bring in the delivery crew. McKinley and I had already decided we were going to be the only two people in the delivery room. It’s something we want to share together.

Two more nurses enter the room with a small incubator looking contraption. Overhead lights drop out of the ceiling and McKinley’s legs are placed in stirrups that come out of the bottom of the bed. Everything happens so fast, and before I know it, she’s pushing.

“McKinley, you didn’t have time for an epidural. I’m giving you something in your IV to help with the pain, but I’m afraid it’s not near as effective. When you have a contraction, I need you to push as hard as you can and stop when I tell you to stop. It’s going to be painful, but I know you can do this,” the doctor tells her.

“Push,” he says from between her legs. McKinley latches onto my hand and pushes. “Dad, lift her leg and pull it back to her chest,” he instructs me.

“Baby.” I look to McKinley. Her face is flushed and covered in sweat. She’s beautiful.

“Just do what he says, Evan,” she snips. I don’t say a word because, one, she is not getting the good pain meds and, two, I can’t do this for her. If I could take her pain and have our son, I would. Instead, I’ll let her scream, yell, and cut the circulation off in my hands from her grip. Whatever she needs, I’m here.

This goes on for about fifteen minutes. Every time she has a contraction, another nurse and I hold her legs and she pushes.

“You’re doing great, McKinley,” the doctor tells her.

McKinley grabs my hand with an iron grip, so I know it’s another contraction. With each leg pulled to her chest, her hand squeezing mine, she bears down and a scream rips from her throat. My heart breaks. I hate she’s in so much pain. Then a scream altogether different echoes through the room.

“Congratulations, it’s a boy.”

Aaron Walker Chamberlin.

The doctor lays him on her chest and I can’t speak. My beautiful wife and our son, yet another moment I will never forget. Leaning down, I kiss Kinley on the forehead. “He’s perfect, baby. Thank you. You were so strong, so good. I love you.”

Eyes brimming with tears and a wide grin, she looks up at me. “I love you too, Daddy.”

McKinley and I are sitting on her bed, Walker in her arms. My arm is around both of them. “I can’t wait for Lex to meet him.”

“I know. Your mom is on her way. Aaron went to pick my parents up at the airport.”

“Yeah, she texted me. I asked her if she would text us and let us know when they’re here. I want Lex to come back before anyone else. I want her to meet him and know she’s special to us.”

This woman, I fall more in love with her every day.

“Daddy,” I hear Lex say.

I jump for the door and greet her. I give Kinley’s mom a hug. “Thank you. We will just be a few minutes. Kinley wants to give Lex some time with him.”

“No rush. She’s been talking about this for weeks. We will have all the time in the world to spoil both of