Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 122206 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122206 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
He hugged us both, then he was gone. Da and I sat on the available chairs in the lobby, and we both exhaled a breath of relief that we had gotten him here in time. In the back of my mind, I was terrified Gavin would miss his firstborn making his entrance into the world.
“Gav’s gonna be a daddy. Holy fuck.”
We talked about rubbish as twenty minutes passed by when I suddenly spotted a familiar face leaving the canteen.
“Branna!”
She paused at the mention of her name, and when she saw us, she smiled and gestured us to her. The security guard grunted but stepped aside and allowed us to pass. I jogged over to her, and when I was close enough to do so, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.
“D’ye have any idea how Kalin is doin’?” I questioned. “Gavin headed up to the labour ward about twenty minutes ago.”
She put her arm around my waist and gave me a squeeze. “She’s actively pushin’.”
“Shouldn’t ye be in there with her?”
“No.” Branna chuckled. “She’s in another’s care for the birth.”
She hugged my da in greeting and told us to follow her up to the labour ward. The second we passed through the double doors, ear-piercing screams and pain-filled groaning came from every direction, and I knew I’d likely never be able to obtain an erection again.
I tensed when a woman shouted, “Ye little dick, prick. This is your fault. You’re never touchin’ me again!”
Da whistled. “Now this brings back memories.”
I glanced at him. “Did Ma scream when she had us?”
“Janey mack.” He chuckled as we walked. “She was like a banshee. She screamed until she ran out of breath, but she did it without a drop of pain relief, and she did it five times. That woman gave me five beautiful babies.”
I placed my hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “I wish she were here for this.”
“Me too.” Da smiled sadly. “She never got to experience Gavin. She barely got to hold him before everythin’ went wrong, but I knew she was always with him. With all of us. She’s in that room right now helpin’ my lad get through this. Kalin too. I know she is.”
Warmth filled my chest.
“Both of ye can go into the room if ye’d like? Kalin said if Gavin brought his family, they could go in.”
I think the fuck not.
“Uh, no,” I said. “Thanks, though.”
Branna laughed. “Cheeky fecker.”
I grinned. “Can we sit outside her room?”
“Sure, sweetie. She’s in number three. There are a couple of seats against the wall facin’ the room.”
My father and I thanked Branna and made our way down the hallway. A scream erupted from the room facing us when we sat down on the chairs. I panicked and grabbed my father’s hand, making him laugh.
“This is part of the process, sunshine.” Da pried his hand from my grip. “Screamin’, cursin’, and unless you’re quick enough, some slappin’ too.”
“This is stressful as fuck. I don’t know how ye did it five times.”
“Your birth was the only time your ma ever whacked me,” Da mused. “Thirty-seven hours she laboured you for, and just when they thought she might need a C-section, ye made your grand entrance into the world. She was so happy ye were out of her body that she cried for a solid hour. She also said she’d never have another baby again.”
“That worked out well for her since she was pregnant with Aideen before she could blink.” I snorted. “She loved babies.”
“That she did … I still can’t believe she’s gone. I held her hand when she took her last breath, and I was too stupid to realise somethin’ bad was happenin’ because we had already had so many babies at that point. I didn’t think anythin’ could go wrong with her. She was superwoman, and nothin’ could happen to superwoman. How naïve I was made her passin’ harder.”
My aul lad just broke my heart.
“I know ye miss her, Da.” I placed a hand on his shoulder. “But d’ye know how much ye helped me and the others when she died? We were all still so little, and Gavin was only a newborn, but ye never let it show that ye were strugglin’. Aideen swore she could hear ye cry at night for years after Ma’s death, and I’m sure ye did when ye had moments to yourself, but ye never let your grief interfere with ye being a perfect father. Ye were superman to us. Ye still are.”
“Jaysus, Date.” He rubbed at his eyes. “I love ye, son.”
“I love you, too.”
“I know I give ye a hard time over women and how ye make your way through so many of them, but you’re a good man despite that. I just want ye to find a woman to love and respect like I loved and respected your mammy.”