Page 60 of Certified Pressure 3 (Certified Pressure #3)

“Nah,” I said quietly. “I couldn’t. I told Kashmere the truth right there in front of everybody.

I told her I love you. I couldn’t lie to myself no more.

I ain’t proud of how I hurt her, but I couldn’t keep hurtin’ both of y’all just to look right to the world.

God ain’t let me go through with it. You callin’ me at that altar, your water breakin’…

that was God, baby. That was Him tellin me where I’m supposed to be. ”

She was cryin’ again, but I could tell it was different this time.

“Pressure,” she said, barely above a whisper.

“I’m on my way to you,” I said. “Ain’t nothin’ gon’ stop me.”

By the time I pulled into the hospital lot, my tie was half off. I parked crooked, jumped out, and ran inside like a man who just found out his whole world was behind those walls.

The front desk nurse looked up fast when she saw me comin’. “Sir, can I help you?”

“I’m the father,” I said breathin’ hard. “Pluto Monroe. She’s in labor. I need to be with her.”

The nurses exchanged looks like they already knew who I was talkin’ about. One of them stood up and said, “We just brought her up. Come with me.”

I followed close behind her through the hallway and into the elevator. My stomach was turnin’. I kept imaginin’ every bad thing that could happen, thinkin’ about what happened with Ka’mari and how I couldn’t go through that shit again.

When the doors opened, I stepped into the Labor and Delivery floor.

The sound of monitors and distant cries hit me all at once.

That’s when I saw Zurie sittin’ outside one of the rooms with her legs swingin’ and her eyes red like she been cryin’.

A nurse was sittin’ with her, handin’ her a juice box.

“Pressure,” she said, her voice light and scared.

My heart broke a lil’ more. I went straight to her and scooped her up in my arms. “You good, lil’ mama?”

She shook her head and held onto me tight. “They took Sissy in there.”

“I know, I know,” I said, kissin’ her forehead. “She gon be okay, you hear me? Omá on the way right now. She gon come get you.”

I pulled my phone out and called my mama. “Ma, you gotta get to the hospital now.”

“I’m already on the way,” she said calmly. “I’m on the freeway.”

I hung up and crouched down so I was eye level with Zurie. “You be brave, okay? Sit right here till Omá gets here. I’mma go help your sister bring your nephew into the world.”

She nodded, still tearin’ up. I kissed her cheek and set her down in the chair. Then I turned and went inside.

The room was chaos. Nurses was movin’ fast, monitors was beepin’ and voices layered over each other.

Pluto was on the bed with her face twisted in pain and her hair stuck to her forehead.

She looked terrified, and when her eyes found mine, she reached for me like she been holdin’ her breath waitin’ on me.

I rushed to her side and grabbed her hand. “I’m here, baby. I’m right here.”

She squeezed my hand tight. “Pressure, it’s happening too fast,” she cried.

“It’s gon’ be alright,” I said, even though my own voice was shakin’. “You just breathe, you hear me? I’m right here.”

The doctor looked up at me and said, “Dad, she’s crowning. The baby’s coming now. We need her to push.”

“Crowning?” I repeated, feelin’ my whole body heat up. “That mean—”

“That means he’s almost here,” the doctor said, already glovin’ up.

My knees felt weak. I looked down at Pluto, and saw sweat rollin’ down her face. Her fingers was diggin’ into mine.

“Pressure, it hurts,” she cried.

“I know, baby. I know,” I said, kissin’ her hand. “You got it. You stronger than this pain. You stronger than anything. You hear me? Just push, baby.”

The doctor called out orders, nurses moved around with towels and suction tubes, and my heart was racin’ even faster out my chest. I kept rubbin’ her hand, whisperin’, “You got this, baby. Come on. Come on.”

Then I heard the doctor say, “One more push.”

Pluto screamed, and I swear my heart almost stopped. Then everything went quiet for half a second before I heard the loudest, strongest cry I ever heard in my life.

It hit me like a wave. My whole body locked up.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t talk, couldn’t even fuckin’ breathe.

All I could do was watch as they lifted my baby up and laid him on Pluto’s chest. He was small, reddish brown, and perfect.

His little arms waved around and his cries filled the whole room.

Pluto was cryin’, breathin’ hard, and whisperin’ his name even though we hadn’t said it out loud yet.

I leaned down and kissed her forehead with tears runnin’ down my own face. “Baby, you did that.”

The nurse rubbed my back while I stood there cryin’ like a big ass kid. I ain’t even give a fuck who saw me. After everything I lost before, and after all the pain and guilt, I finally had a cry that wasn’t about losin’ somethin, but instead what I gained.

While I was still standin’ there lookin’ at him on her chest, one of the nurses told me they needed to clamp and cut the cord.

My hands was shakin’ but I told them I wanted to do it.

They showed me where to cut, and I leaned down and did it slow.

It felt like more than just a cord. It felt like the start of somethin real.

The doctor told Pluto she had one more thing to push, talkin’ about the placenta.

She took a deep breath, let out a tired groan, and a few seconds later it was done.

They kept her comfortable and said everything looked good and that she didn’t need stitches.

I was still right beside her, rubbin’ her arm, tellin’ her how proud I was.

After a few minutes, Pluto looked up at me, still breathin’ heavy. Her face was tired but glowin’. “You wanna hold him?” she asked softly.

My hands shook as she lifted him toward me. I took him slow, cradlin’ his small body against my chest. He was warm, and his skin was soft. I looked down into his face and felt my whole world shift.

He was small, but he was strong. His little fingers curled around mine, and I smiled through my tears. “You made it, lil man,” I whispered. “You really made it.”

I looked at Pluto, her eyes glossy and full of love. “He perfect.”

She smiled weakly and said, “Told you.”

I laughed through my tears, my voice breakin’. “Yeah, you did.”

I looked back down at my son, and for the first time in my life, I felt peace. I kissed the top of his head, my tears fallin’ on him. “Welcome to the world, Prestyn Mensah,” I whispered. “You finally home.”.