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I reach the steps to the house right as another contraction hits. “Put me down!”
I lower Simona’s feet to the ground. She clings to my arms and tries to breathe like we learned.
“Let’s lay you down.”
“No! I don’t want to.” Panting, moaning, she nearly breaks my arms with her grip.
“Sweetheart—”
“Scotch! I swear if you tell me what to do one more time, I’m going to…”
Her mouth suddenly rounds. “Ah!”
I’m not sure how I look on the outside, but on the inside I’m in official freak out mode. “That’s it, babe. Breathe.”
Shifting her grip to one of my arms, I search my pockets for my phone. The call goes right through to 911 dispatch. “This is Dr. Jameson Scott, 487 Valley Place, my wife is in labor—”
Simona’s laugh is crazed. “Home birth! I told you!”
My brows shoot up. I mouth NO, then answer the questions the operator is repeating over and over again. “Yes. Yes, ma’am. The contractions are less than two minutes apart now.”
When Simona’s water breaks, I almost have a full coronary on the spot. Holy hell. This is about to get real. Our son is coming. Now.
Sure, I knew it was going to happen. I just didn’t know it was going to happen on our front porch.
Simona’s expression is one of total shock. She’s laughing and crying all at once. “You’re ready, right? Because this child is coming. Now!”
Fuck. I hope I am. “It’s okay.” I’m not sure who I’m coaching, myself or her.
The operator is squawking on the phone. “Sir! Sir! Tell me what’s happening!”
“I gotta go. I’m about to deliver our son.” And that’s exactly what happens.
Sirens wail as an ambulance and a firetruck turn onto our long driveway. There’s no time for anything. I catch the baby as Simona hangs onto my shoulder. The little guy rushes head first into the world just like his mother does everything.
She’s weeping. I’m crying too. Her voice is a broken whisper. “Oh my god! A baby. We made a baby.”
I tug my shirt off and wrap the little wiggle baby in it. “Let’s get you two down on the floor.”
Gently, we lower her and the baby to the rug on the porch.
With tears spilling over her lashes Simona cradles the baby. She’s laughing, beaming. “They missed the party. But you didn’t, did you, little guy?”
Larson, Carter, and Liam leap out of the firetruck. They run toward us with gear bags as the ambulance crew pulls in beside them.
Liam’s grinning like he’s as proud as I am. “Lord! Look at you two. Just couldn’t wait for us, could you?” He slaps me on the back. “Good job, Dad.”
Wow. Dad. Who would have thought. I clear the tightness in my throat. “I literally did nothing but hold out my hands. She’s the amazing one.”
Liam kneels beside Simona. “Nice job, champ. I should have known you’d do something crazy like this. Let’s get you cleaned up and let the new papa cut that umbilical cord.”
My heart is pounding so hard it could shake the house. “He’s beautiful. He’s big.”
She cuts me a little glare. “You don’t have to tell me he’s big. Try having that come out of your hooha. And yes, he is amazing.”
I can’t stop myself from touching his little fingers as he cries that little newborn cry.
Half of Eden is in the lobby at the hospital when I roll Simona and the baby out of the unit where they were both checked out.