The delivery room walls echoed with the relentless monitor beeps and the harsh, ragged rhythm of Leah’s breathing. For five hours, she had endured the grinding pressure, but as the final stage of labor locked her body in a vice, her legendary composure—the sweet, gentle patience her friends and coworkers loved—shattered completely.
“All right, Leah, on this next contraction, I need a deep breath and a big push,” the doctor instructed from the foot of the bed, perfectly calm amid the storm.
Leah gripped the side rails, her knuckles stark white, her face flushed dark crimson. As the contraction hit with the force of a freight train, she squeezed Liam’s hand so hard she nearly broke his fingers.
“God—f**k!" Leah screamed, the word ripping through her throat like gravel.
Liam didn’t even
