Chapter 28
December 2014
“Autumn, you can do this. Concentrate on breathing, not the pain. Look at me. Breathe.” Robert immediately began the Lamaze breathing technique. He tucked his body close to hers, holding tightly to her hand, ill-prepared to be her birthing coach.
“Shut up, Robert. Where’s Cam?” She bit out between panted breaths.
Exactly. Where the fuck is Cam?
“He’s coming.” The perfect storm of a somewhat early in the season snowstorm along with Autumn’s hardheadedness in arguing that her contractions were nothing more than false labor had them preparing to have a baby within fifteen minutes of arriving at The Mother Baby Center in Minneapolis. She might have had this baby in her office had Robert not thrown caution to the wind and boarded a flight to Minneapolis after talking with Autumn that morning. A call where he had insisted Autumn go straight to the hospital, but his well-deserved I-told-you-so would come later…and often.
“I hear we’re having a baby.” Autumn’s doctor came through the hospital room door, trying for a light, calming presence but falling short with the intensity of his tone.
“Right now, Doctor,” the nurse said, confirming Robert’s suspicions. Robert heard nothing more as Autumn bore down, her face turning beet red as a sound came from her throat that mixed a screaming moan with a string of curse words. He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard anything like it before.
Robert lifted his brows as a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Relief flooding him when he turned. Cam had arrived. Robert stepped aside to let her husband and actual birthing coach take over. Within minutes, both Autumn and the baby were crying loudly. Her newborn baby daughter going straight to her chest, cuddled skin to skin with her mama.
Robert did something he’d never done before after any medical procedure, he lifted his cell phone and snapped a picture of Autumn in the seconds after her baby had been born. Cam and their daughter, Kylie—if her name hadn’t changed—were also in the shot. His sister would want this moment captured as their little family grew by one.
It was all so emotional. His heart nearly burst with pride as he angled his head to better see his new niece. Her small and tiny body had a healthy set of lungs, seemingly having her mother’s spirit. Kylie may have been the most beautiful baby he’d ever seen in all his life. Everything inside him solidified his need to have children of his own one day.
“Come see her, Robert.”
He changed his focus from the baby to see Autumn’s adoring gaze staring at him. Unspoken love and devotion passed between them as he stepped closer, not wanting to get in the way of Cam’s and Autumn’s bonding family moment, but helpless to do more than move toward them.
Minutes later, a nurse came forward, carefully taking the baby from Autumn. “Dr. Connors, come with me, sir.”
All the initial baby assessments were performed inside the room, keeping Kylie with them always. Even with Autumn less than twenty feet away, when the baby and Cam stepped away, Autumn’s questioning gaze, filled with so much emotion, cut straight to Robert’s heart.
“Go with them. Make sure everything’s done right.” His sister’s voice was full of concern.
He opened his mouth to say this was Cam’s time with his daughter. That Cam was a top-rated general practice physician, and he’d know far better than Robert, but the intensity of Autumn’s worry had him giving her a nod, hoping to give her some peace.
He stayed a respectable distance back, watching the medical staff do their jobs. Robert couldn’t believe how emotional the birth had been for him. He wasn’t sure being in the operating room when his father had died had affected him this much. Everything inside him wanted to love and protect their little baby girl with everything he had. Robert’s eyes filled with tears, and he reached for his phone again to video Kylie as she let out another loud cry. He knew it was too soon to tell, but all the preliminary signs were there. He’d place money on this baby having her mother’s personality.
Cam turned away from Kylie for only the briefest of seconds to tell Autumn, “She’s six pounds, two ounces.” He turned back to the table as they measured her. Then he said, “Nineteen inches.”
As the initial assessment came to an end, Robert focused on his phone. He sent Landon the video he’d just captured then pocketed his phone. Cam motioned for him to again join them by the bed. Autumn looked exhausted, but more lovely than he’d ever seen her. He could also say the same thing about Cam who stuck out his hand to shake Robert’s.
“Thank you. I should have insisted she come to the hospital earlier. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“There’s no appreciation necessary. She’s stubborn,” he said, moving around to the other side of the bed.
“I can’t argue. I’m too tired,” Autumn said, never looking up from the baby in her arms. “Do you want to hold her?”
“I do. Is her name still Kylie?” His hands itched to touch the baby. Robert carefully picked Kylie up, gently cradling her in his arms. She was tiny, swollen, and completely held his heart.
“Yes, Kylie’s our final choice,” Cam said.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the small bundle in his arms or hide his grin when he said, “I was thinking Roberta, named after her favorite uncle.”
Based on the groans, he got the desired result of his joke and lifted a hand, caressing the pad of his thumb over her tiny forehead. The well of emotion built so fast that he had to swallow the lump in his throat as he thought about his fathers, knowing the pride they would hold in their granddaughter. They had
