Her heart, his soul

Welcome Mirabelle

5 months later

*Kate*

I am standing in our kitchen, putting the last touches on our dinner as I hear the car stop outside. Minutes later, the front door opens, and I hear Sam's voice. "Baby, I am home."

"Kitchen, darling." I have missed him most terribly. And it doesn’t make it easier that I have received a threatening note. I have a feeling it is related to my old job, so I can’t even share it with Sam, but I send it on to my old boss.

Sam has been away for almost 2 weeks, but he has cleared his schedule for the next couple of months. Our baby is supposed to come in 2-3 weeks’ time, but the pain I have had in my lower back all day tells me it probably will be a lot sooner.

I hear noise and footsteps and turn to see the world's biggest teddy bear come through the door, wondering if my husband is somewhere under all that brown fur. I can't help giggling. "What on earth is that, Sam?"

"A teddy bear for the baby," he says, grinning as his face emerges beside the bear's head. Sam's size, taking into consideration, it can't have been easy finding a bear as big as him.

I have to hold my stomach laughing, instantly forgetting my worries. "Oh darling, that is the most ridiculous teddy ever. You are just the most amazing father already." I walk over, managing to lean over the bear to kiss him.

"I have missed you so much, baby. But I think I just go put this ridiculous bear in the nursery so I have my hands free to kiss you properly," he says chuckling.

I shake my head and go to put the food on the table. A couple of minutes later, I feel his arms slide around me from behind, resting on my big round belly. "So how is our little gumdrop treating Mommy?"

"Oh, besides kicking up into my lungs and pulling my pelvis apart, the little hellraiser is being good." I say, leaning back against him. He leans down, kissing my cheek, and I turn my head so I can catch his lips with mine.

After the kiss, he sighs. "Oh, it is so wonderful to be back home. Sometimes I feel like I never want to leave... And dinner smells absolutely delicious by the way."

"Come eat then," I tell him. We go sit down, and he tells me about what he has been up to while gone before asking about everything that has happened at home, even though we have told each other every day over the phone.

*Sam*

Even though Kate seems happy to see me, she somehow seems very tense too. And when she is only picking at her food, I start feeling nervous. I reach for her hand over the table. "Is something wrong, baby? You are not really eating, and you seem on edge."

"No! I am fine, Sam. Just my back is really killing me today... My lower back is totally tensing up... like cramps," she says, reaching a hand back to rub her back.

I get up and walk over, letting my hands run down her lower back, starting to massage the area softly but firmly. "Let me help you out, baby."

She groans and lets her head fall forward as I continue to massage her. "Oh God, Sam, that feels so good... It really helps with the tension."

"Are you sure you are just tense? That it isn't the contractions starting?" I suddenly remember something the doctor said about labor pain starting in the back.

She reaches up to cup my cheek. "I am sure contractions hurt a lot more than this. They say that when it starts, you know."

"Okay, but if it continues, we are going in to get you checked out just in case," I tell her and start cleaning off the table.

I tell her to go sit down in the living room and relax. Then I go to empty out my bags. Halfway through, I suddenly hear her yell for me from the kitchen. I hurry out there and find her standing in a big puddle of water.

"What happened, baby?" My first thought is that she spilled something.

"I just wanted to fill up the dishwasher... I think my water just broke," she says, looking down at the floor, and I probably gasp.

I quickly assess the situation. "Okay. If I run to get the bag for the hospital, do you think you can stand here for a moment? Or do you want me to help you to the chair?"

"Sam, I am fine. Just go get the bag. I will make my way to the car," she says, looking like she finds me kind of amusing.

I run to the bedroom and get the bag. Of course, she had put it in a closet and it takes me five minutes to find it. When I get back out, she is sitting in the car. She has even made sure to sit on a towel. Yup, she is handling this so much better than me.

*Kate*

As we arrive at the hospital, Sam makes sure I get into a room, and a midwife comes to check me over. He holds my hand the whole time, talking to me and the baby with a warm, soothing voice.

Now I am no longer in doubt that I am having contractions. It is kind of starting to hurt now.

The midwife looks up at me. "Good thing you came in fast. You are already close to 9 cm dilated, and I can see hair. It won't be long before you are ready to start pushing..."

"See, I told you, darling," Sam whispers in my ear. “You should listen to your husband when he is right.”

I glare at him, a bad contraction running through me. Damn, that hurts. "Yeah, now is not the time to get cheeky with me, Sam. A woman in pain can be dangerous."

The midwife starts getting things ready while Sam tries to remind me about my breathing without angering me. He is holding my hand, rubbing it softly, and telling me I am doing great.

Suddenly, the pain changes. It gets much more intense, and I groan. "What is happening? It hurts so badly… I… I need the bathroom."

"Don't worry, that is the actual labor pain," the midwife says. She checks me again. "You are fully dilated, sweetie. On the next contraction, just push with all you've got."

Sam squeezes my hand. He is almost jumping on the spot. "Come on, baby, you can do it. Push, push... You're doing so good."

"Oh God, Sam, stop the freaking cheerleading... I can't focus on pushing," I say, trying not to giggle too hard. The midwife giggles too.

I am pressing, and between contractions, I am gasping. Sam is holding my hand and drying my forehead. He is constantly telling me how proud he is.

"One more, and we’ve got the head out... Come on, Kate, give me a big one," the midwife tells me after only 6 pushes, and I look at her honestly in shock. I thought labor was supposed to go on for hours on end, even days.

I give it everything I've got, and it stings like hell for a moment. But then it is like something slips out, and the pain subsides.

The midwife looks up. "The head is out; just one more, and you are parents. Does the father want to receive the baby?"

"Can I do that?" Sam looks totally in awe, and the midwife nods. He lights up with a smile. "Sure... Definitely... If it is safe."

"Come here." She moves a bit to the side and shows Sam how to hold the baby and give the best support. And when my next contraction hits, our baby slides right out into his arms.

The midwife puts on clamps and asks if he wants to cut the umbilical cord too. She holds the baby while he cuts it. Then she hands the baby back to him, and he comes to put it on my chest. "Say hi to our beautiful and perfect little girl."

"Oh, she is wonderful." I can't hold back the tears as this little fragile and pink baby girl looks up at me. I kiss the top of her little furry head. "I can't believe we are really parents."

*Sam*

I sit beside the bed Kate has been transferred to. She is sleeping after the labor. She deserves to rest; she did so well giving birth to our little girl. I always knew she was strong, but she still amazes me.

And our little girl, now cleaned, is resting in my arms, wrapped up in a pink blanket. She already has a head full of dark curls. She is so beautiful, so perfect, that I have a hard time controlling my emotions.

We have decided to call her Mirabella, and I am already so much in love with this little pink thing that I can't even describe it. I thought I knew love at its strongest with Kate, but nothing prepared me for this. There are no limits to what I will do to keep her safe… she already rules my heart.

Now my life is truly perfect, but I hope we can add a couple of brothers or sisters to the family when Kate is ready.