Page 81 of Surviving the Break

AFTER THE THIRDthreat to Ash about being booted to the waiting room with everyone else in our party, he’d agreed to modify his hovering. The doctors and nurses now had two feet of breathing room instead of mere inches. They’d thrown the term helicopter-doctor at him good-naturedly a few times.

Maggie's husband was tasked with making sure she remained calm and took deep breaths, and I was a useless bag of nerves shaking in the corner, chewing on my lip. We were on hour three, and things were going well, per Dr. Ash. In between his directives to the staff, he’d made sure to come over to where I sat perched at the end of my chair with updates every few minutes.

“The baby's crowning, Max,” he breathed, squeezing my damp palms before rushing back to his spot over the doctor's shoulders.

I tried to stand. I should be witnessing this, but my legs gave out, and I found myself falling back onto my seat.

“You’re doing great, Maggie,” both Ash and Dr. Allen said at the same time.

“Sorry,” Ash murmured.

“One more big push,” the doctor said, and Ash turned to me.

“Max, you should see this.” His eyes said what his words didn’t. I might never get this opportunity again, and I’d be kicking myself later on for allowing my fear to take this moment away from me. I got my shit together and went over just in time to see my daughter slide into the world.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, holding my breath until I heard her cry.

“Want to do the honors?” Ash asked.

I nodded through my tears and cut the cord. The nurse took her over to a table to be cleaned, and I went back over to my chair. Ash took her out of the nurse’s hands as soon as she’d swaddled her, and the nurse shook her head at him fondly before going back to assist the doctor once more. Ash cooed at the bundle in his arms as he headed my way on soft feet, placing her carefully in my outstretched arms. “Say hello to your daughter, Perla.” Italian forpearl.

“Hi,” I cried. She opened one eye and then the other. She was beautiful. The spitting image of Ash, down to her gray eyes. “I love you so much, Perla.” I slipped a finger between her open palm, and she sealed her fingers around it. I gazed up at Ash, unable to see him clearly. Noise behind us caught his attention, and he left, promising to be right back.

I watched my daughter, who now slept with my finger in her tight fist. My tears soaked through her hospital receiving blanket.I’m a father.I rocked back and forth as my heart grew within my chest, making room for all the extra love it now contained. Already, I loved her more than my own life, and I’d spend the rest of my life protecting her.

Another round of crying in the room brought my head up; we weren’t done yet.

Ash kneeled in front of me, placing another bundle in my other arm. “And here’s our boy,” he said through a watery smile. “He has your eyes.”

“And granddad’s cowlick,” we chuckled. “Hi, Holden,” I said. We’d given him granddad’s and my middle name. So he’d always have a piece of us. “I love you so much, little guy.” I squeezed them to me, looking between them and Ash, who watched us with a stream of tears running down his face as well.

“I love you, Max,” he said before leaning forward to kiss all three of us on our foreheads. “Now that they’re here, will you finally make an honest man out of me?”

Suddenly, people were piling into the room and surrounding us. Our people. Our tribe.

“Excuse me, twinkle toes,” Ryan said to Pete in an effort to shove his way to the front of the pack. “Godfather coming through.”

“You’ll have to get in line for the title,” Damon snarled.

Love and happiness broke out all around us, but Ash and I never took our eyes off each other. “You can still have your dream, baby,” Ash whispered to me.

My end with Hayden didn’t mean an end to my future. It also didn’t mean an end to my vision for my family so many years ago. It just meant Hayden was never the person in the picture with me. Ash helped me to understand that. I was stronger and better for what I’d endured and survived. Nothing could break me now. I swallowed thickly to stifle the cry barreling up my throat. Ash ran a loving hand through my hair, and I whispered, “Let’s get married in a park.”

He smiled his boyish smile and said, “Under the most magnificent tree.”

THEEND