Page 52 of Power Play (Titans Hockey #2)

Chapter forty-eight

Scott

S he's been pushing for an hour. Jesus, fuck I want to crawl out of my own skin.

Jonesy's been rubbing her shoulders and swiping the sweaty hair off of her face, while Ben feeds her ice chips.

She's starting to get weaker, and there's nothing I can fucking do about it.

I want to crawl inside her body and lend her my own strength, but there's literally no way I can help.

I hate feeling so helpless. I hate that she has to do all this on her own.

I don't even have the words to encourage her. I try. But "You're doing so great. Look how strong you are. Almost there." hardly feel like they're enough. All I can do is wait and pray everything works out okay in the end.

"We have hair!" Dr. Marley shouts, before dropping the foot of the table to allow room for one of the nurses to do something. "One more push, Lacey, and you'll get to meet your baby."

I brace against her leg as she gives a grateful sob and one more fierce push.

She's incredible like this. I knew she was incredible before this.

I've seen her strength and her determination.

I've watched her deadlifting the bar over her swollen belly when no one was watching.

I've seen how she sees Ben and Garrett, and how she shows up for them.

But right now, she's something else. Sweaty hair sticking to her forehead and temples, teeth bared like a warrior heading into battle, and complete determination to bring our babies into this world.

If I thought I loved and admired her before, it was nothing compared to how I feel right in this moment.

And then suddenly, with a beautiful wail, there's another soul present in the room.

"It's a girl!" The nurses are a flurry of motion, wiping our baby down and laying her straight away against Lacey's naked chest. My Lacey, and my baby.

Lacey sobs loudly as the nurses check our baby over and wrap a blanket around her.

Lacey simply sobs as she wraps her arms around our daughter and presses a shaky kiss on the top of her head.

Skin on skin with her mother, our baby stops crying, and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Jonesy looks shell-shocked at the tiny thing in Lacey's arms. Ben's got tears in his eyes and a hand over his mouth.

I wrap my arms around Lacey and our daughter, and drop a grateful kiss on the top of Lacey's head.

This fucking woman.

"Dad?" Dr. Marley says, and I know she's talking to me. "Would you like to hold the baby while Lacey works for the second one?"

We hadn't talked about this. Is it okay that I'm the first one to hold them?

Ben and Garrett simply nod at me. Lacey watches, her sobbing having quieted slightly, as the nurse wraps our daughter in a little pink and blue hospital blanket, and I sit in the designated chair.

The nurse places the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen into my arms. Dark hair, pale skin, rosy cheeks and pouty lips.

My heart aches with how much I already love this little girl.

In a flash, I get the image of tea parties, teaching her to skate.

Fuck, I'll buy her a pony and put it in the backyard if she wants.

She'll ride on my shoulders, and make pancakes with me and Martha, and be absolutely spoiled by her Titans aunts and uncles .

She whimpers and cries a little, and that's absolutely not fucking acceptable.

My princess doesn't cry. Not if I can do anything about it.

I tug off the college shirt I was wearing and unwrap my baby girl.

She liked skin on skin with her mom, so maybe mine will be okay too, but I keep the blanket wrapped around her, so she stays warm. It does the trick.

When I look up at Lacey, the look on her face is indescribable. Love, lust, gratitude, relief, hunger, devotion...it's all written right there. She likes what she sees, and for so many reasons. God, I love this woman so much.

I love you, I mouth to her as my eyes water. I love you too , she mouths back. I look down at our perfect little girl and drop my cheek to the top of her head, content to simply breathe her in.