“One more push, Cadence,” Jamie insisted, his normally friendly-tone replaced by his not-quite-as-friendly medical professional tone. “One more time, and we’ll have a baby.”
Cadence could feel the sweat dripping off of her forehead and wondered how normal human women did this, especially the ones who refused any sort of pain medication. Even with her superhuman strength and resilience, she was tired. Jamie had gloves on so he wasn’t using any of his healing powers to help her, but she had opted for the epidural, which minimized her pain but did nothing for the exhaustion.
“You ready?” Aaron asked, standing next to her, holding one leg while Ona, a Healer who was acting as Jamie’s nurse, held the other.
“I’m ready,” she nodded. Her husband’s smile hadn’t dimmed since her water broke three hours earlier. It might not have diminished since they’d left Prague eight months ago, for that matter. Seeing him so happy helped her push through the discomfort. Cadence bore down, and Aaron counted to ten for her.
He didn’t get all the way there before she realized there was no more reason to push. “All right! There we go,” Jamie said as Cadence strained to sit up further to see what he was doing. A few seconds later, the sweetest sound she’d ever heard filled the cozy operating room turned birthing center. Jamie and Ona worked to wipe the precious bundle off and make sure the baby was breathing. “This one has a pair of lungs,” he joked, and then wrapping a clean towel around the child, he said, “It’s a boy,” and laid her son on Cadence’s chest.
Through her tears, Cadence looked into the face of her baby boy, who quieted almost immediately as he gazed up into his mother’s smile. “Hi there, Cadon,” she said, crooking her arm beneath him. “Precious boy.”
Aaron hadn’t said anything at all, and when Cadence glanced in his direction, she could see he was trying not to break down. He ran his hand over his son’s cheek and the baby latched onto his finger with his little fist, making both parents laugh. “You’re gonna be a tough guy, aren’t you?”
“Nah, he’ll be sweet. Unlike both of his parents,” Cadence teased, staring at his beautiful face. His eyes were a clear blue, just like his daddy’s, and Cadence hoped they’d stay that way, although it crossed her mind having a lady killer for a son might be trying.
“Wanna cut the cord?” Jamie asked, offering Aaron a pair of medical scissors.
The Guardian Leader didn’t hesitate. Jamie showed him where to position them between two clips he’d attached to the umbilical cord, and Aaron cut through. Cadon wiggled slightly in Cadence’s arms, and she moved him closer to her heart, snuggling him, still not quite able to grasp that she was a mother. She’d always been afraid she wouldn’t be good at that, unlike her own mother, but as she held her son to her chest, there was no doubt in her mind her instincts wouldn’t fail her. Mothering wasn’t something to be feared but an honor to be cherished.
Only a few minutes passed before Hannah knocked on the door. Jamie waved her in. “Congratulations,” she said quietly. “I’ll take Cadon next door and bathe him.”
“Already?” Cadence asked, not wanting to let go of him, not yet. Not ever.
“Yep,” Jamie answered for the counselor. “You’ve got more work to do.”
Cadence grumbled. “I already had a baby. It’s someone else’s turn.”
“Don’t tell your daughter that,” Jamie said, grinning at her. “Come on. She wants out, too.”
“It’s no wonder she’s impatient. She is half-Findley,” Aaron teased, and Cadence wrinkled her nose at him for a second before she returned her attention to the baby on her chest. Discomfort elsewhere told her Josephina would not be delayed.
“We’ll see you soon, sweet baby,” she said, kissing her son’s little head one more time. Aaron patted him lovingly and then picked him up and carried him over to Hannah. She cooed over him and laid him against her shoulder, walking out the door. Cadence heard an uproar in the hallway where her parents, sister, and several of their friends were waiting. She had to trust Hannah not to let too many germy hands touch her bundle of joy.
“Ready?” Jamie asked, his head cocked to the side.
“No,” Cadence said emphatically.
“Well, my future daughter-in-law is,” he countered, making Cadence giggle. She had no choice; she’d have to start pushing again.
As Ona and Aaron got back into position, Cadence took a deep breath and gave her daughter a thorough push, praying she wouldn’t take as long as her brother had.
Once Aaron finished counting to ten, he looked at Jamie and said, “You’ve got my daughter married off before she’s even born?”
Jamie laughed. “Well, it just makes sense. I mean, she’s going to grow up with Scott. They’re practically the same age. We may as well encourage them. She can’t find a better guy.”
Aaron snickered and shook his head. It was difficult to argue with that sort of logic, but Cadence couldn’t think of her children ever growing up, let alone falling in love and getting married. Before Jamie told her to push again, she said, “I still can’t believe you let Ashley name him that. I’m sorry, Jamie, but it’s still amusing to me.”
“Hey, he’s named after his grandfather, Ashley’s dad. It was important to Ash to give him a family name, and she’d never heard of Scott Joplin so....”
“So thank goodness our last name isn’t Stalin or our daughter would be Josephina Stalin,” Aaron pointed out.
Cadence needed to push again, but his comment hit her funny bone, and she struggled to regain her breath and concentrate because she was laughing too hard. “Focus, Cadence,” Jamie said, smirking at her.
“Okay, okay.” She listened, bearing down, as Aaron counted and Jamie encouraged her, telling her she was doing a good job. At ten, her head tipped back, and she took in a deep breath, trying to relax.
