Page 127 of The Doctors Will See You Now

He looked up at me and nodded encouragingly. “Good job, Melody. If you keep pushing like that, our baby will be here any minute.”

“Just breathe,” the nurse reassured. “Take a few deep breaths, give your baby all of that good oxygen, and get rest until the next contraction.”

“Oh God. The next one is already here,” I moaned and started to push through the pressure.

“Good job, Melody,” the nurse encouraged.

“You totally got this,” Georgia whispered into my ear and brushed a lock of sweaty hair out of my eyes.

“Keep going, baby,” Will instructed. “There’s the head,” he said as he guided our baby out of the birth canal. “One more big push like that, and our baby will be here.”

I pushed and I pushed and I pushed.

And I pushed some more. Seriously, they call the miracle of birth “labor” for a reason.

Until the most beautiful cry I’d ever heard rang loud and clear in my ears.

“It’s a girl!” Will said with awe in his voice.

“Aww!” Georgia cheered, keeping her voice low and soothing in such a way that I knew Will had given her instructions.

Tears ran down my cheeks as I watched my husband hold our baby girl in his arms, his eyes wet with emotion. “You did it, Melody.” He placed our squirming baby girl on my chest. “You just made my life. Again.”

“I love you,” I said, staring deep into his eyes.

“I love you, too,” he whispered.

And when I looked down at the dark hair and pink cheeks and big eyes of our beautiful—perfect—baby girl, I whispered against her forehead. “And I love you, sweet girl. Happy birthday, Emma.”

THE END