Marco (The Men of Indecent Exposure #1) (40 page)

Now, more than ever, I had to be her rock.

Gripping her cheeks lightly, I brought her focus back to me. “Brynn, I need you to listen to me,” I commanded. She stared back, eventually nodding when I had her full attention. “Breathe, baby. You’re not doing this by yourself. I’m here,” I assured her, but that didn’t feel like enough. I felt compelled to also share the portion of that statement I initially intended to keep to myself; the part that felt strange to admit in light of our recent issues—the drama, the distance. However, regardless of all that, it was the truth so I went for it.

“And, Brynn… I don’t just mean I’m here for
this
,” I clarified. “…I’ll
always
be here.”

Her eyes softened and those labored breaths slowed as she listened and I kept her close. To me, all the nonsense between us lately was irrelevant now. The beautiful baby girl getting ready to enter the world was mine.
Brynn
was mine. How could I possibly hold back with all the love I had in me for both of them?

My family.

“Do you trust me?” was a question I’d asked her a few times before and each time she not only told me she did; she
showed
me she did. And just like all those times before, she answered the question with confidence.

“I do.”

I smiled at that, seeing the corner of her full lips twitch with a faint one of her own.

I moved beside her again, leading us the rest of the way. With all the pain she was in, I had to lift her legs inside the truck for her. Once I got the door closed, I damn-near ran around to the driver’s side and hopped in. Air filled her lungs and left her mouth as I fastened her seatbelt. The second I was done, I had her hand in mine again. The contractions continued to come hard and fast, but she didn’t panic anymore. When they came, she simply squeezed my fingers and breathed through them.

Pulling up in front of the hospital, I valet parked instead of leaving Brynn alone, waiting inside the lobby, while I found a space. The guards at the door got her into a wheelchair right away and took us up to
Labor and Delivery
where the nurses got us registered and into a room immediately. When I remembered that my family was either already in the waiting room or on their way, I shot Luce a quick text so she could let everyone know we made it and then Brynn had my complete focus again.

“Ok, so we’re just going to check and see how many centimeters Mom is dilated.” I glanced over at the nurse as she slipped into a pair of latex gloves. She smiled and the excitement I’d been trying to contain rose even more. This was it; the moment we’d been waiting so many months for, the moment that had changed me even before it arrived.

The smile the woman wore broadened when she finished checking Brynn. “Well, she is
definitely
ready to go. We’re going to get Dr. Rubino here, so we’ll get Mom prepped and ready for pushing in the meantime.”

Brynn nodded and then we were left alone again.

I leaned in and kissed her forehead. “If there’s anything I can do, just say the word,” I reminded her, hoping she knew there was literally nothing she could ask me for that would be too much.

She rubbed the side of her stomach and breathed, pointing at the bag I carried in for her where it rested right beside my own. “I have a hair-tie in the side pocket,” she said. “Can you help me pull my hair up? It’s making me uncomfortable.”

I went to her things and found what she needed right away. When I made it back to her, she leaned up so I could gather the length of her hair to put it in a bun, honing in on my limited skills from the few times I’d gotten Izzy ready for school back when Marcela used to work nights.

“That better?”

Brynn nodded as she exhaled through her mouth, instinctively finding my hand again right after.

I liked that, how she found comfort in me being close. Her nerves seemed to settle despite knowing this would get harder before it got easier. She might not believe this with all she’d be going through in just a little while, but… she was going to be fine. That strength of hers was something to marvel at.

I thought back to when this all began, how, even before I got my act together, she was prepared to face this head on all by herself. And had I never come to my senses, there was no doubt in my mind she
still
would’ve gotten through this. Alone. With or without me.

…but thank God it didn’t go down like that.

She didn’t deserve that. We got into this together; it was only fair that we got
through
it together. With all I’d seen Marcela deal with as a single mom, I cringed at the idea of that being Brynn—struggling to be our daughter’s everything just because I was being selfish and
thought
I wanted my freedom. But now… all I wanted was her. I would’ve missed this.
All
of it—the pleasure of getting to know and fall for her, the chance to be a father to our little girl.

Everything.

At the thought of just how close I came to missing what I now knew to be the start of the best moments of my life, I could’ve kicked myself. Luckily, I wised up and stepped up to the plate. And what was even luckier; she was patient with me.

She had no clue what thoughts were going through my head, but she smiled when I kissed the back of her hand.

More people came in and out of the room. There was one last ultrasound to check the baby’s position, someone else was in to strap monitors to Brynn’s stomach, and another came in with an IV for fluids. There was so much going on between all the people in and out, and with Brynn’s contractions, I couldn’t keep up with what wire went to which screen or alarm.

Brynn and I were both glad to see Dr. Rubino when she arrived. A familiar face in the room calmed my nerves—nerves I was trying to hide from Brynn because she didn’t need to know I was a little on edge, too, right now.

“Looks like today’s the day,” Dr. Rubino said excitedly, clasping her hands together when she reached the side of Brynn’s bed. “How’s your pain on a scale of one to ten?” she asked next.

Brynn thought for a moment before answering. “Mmm… about a seven, bordering an eight.”

Dr. Rubino patted Brynn’s arm sympathetically. “Well, I know it’s not easy, but I’m gonna take good care of you. Promise,” she said with a smile. “Plus, looks like you’ve already got all the support you need right here with you tonight,” she added when she glanced up at me.

Brynn nodded, agreeing, squeezing my fingers a little.

“I’m just going to step out for a moment, but when I get back, it’ll be go time, okay?”

“I’m ready,” Brynn responded, surprising me with those words, but I was happy to hear she was thinking positively now.

When the room cleared out again, it was easy to hear my phone from across the room, going off like crazy in my bag where I put it when we arrived.

The sound of Brynn’s laugh brought my eyes to hers. “Marco… It’s fine if you leave my side for a second,” she teased. “Trust me; I’m not going anywhere.”

Since she called me out, I went to answer the call on the last ring, but didn’t leave the room. “Hey, Ma.”

“Any news?” she asked, sounding anxious.

I let out a breath. “Not yet, but the doc just got here. They’re gonna have her start pushing soon.”

She relayed the message to my sisters. Of course, they started chattering and asking a million questions in the background before my mother’s voice came back through the phone. “You’ll call as soon as something changes?”

“As soon as I’m able,” I assured her, knowing I wouldn’t be able to contact her immediately.

“I understand,” she said back. The noise level in the background didn’t quiet, though, and I asked if all that commotion was still coming from my sisters. They were loud, but
damn
… it sounded like a stadium full of people in my ear.

“It’s coming from
everyone
,” Ma answered, confusing me a little.

“Everyone?”

“Yes, your father and I, Bel, Rosie, Max, your sisters, Justin, Logan, Carlos,” she clarified. “
Everyone
.”

I didn’t expect that. The guys, my
brothers,
were here, too. When I sent the messages that was just so they’d know what was going on. I definitely didn’t expect them to get out of bed to come here.

But I should have known they wouldn’t miss this.

“All right, well tell everybody I’ll give an update as soon as there’s something new to share.”

Content with that, my mother let me go and I went right back to Brynn.

Dr. Rubino returned and things seemed to speed up from there. It was almost like I was dreaming. In a way… I suppose I kind of was. Brynn had her feet propped up in the stirrups and several nurses were on standby. However, even with all of them in the room, it still felt like it was only Brynn and I in here.

With each push she squeezed my hand and I didn’t let go. I was right there the whole time for whatever she needed—wiping the sweat from her forehead and the tears that ran down her face. Watching her fight through it all gave me a whole new level of respect for her as I realized there was absolutely nothing this woman couldn’t do. Of all the amazing things I’d seen in my lifetime, none compared to the sheer will and determination I saw in her in this moment.

“One more big push, Brynn. Come on,” Dr. Rubino said from the foot of the bed.

Brynn groaned, exhausted from the ordeal, but she was almost there. I kissed the top of her hair and brushed my thumb across her cheek, pushing away the fresh tears that ran down them. “You’re doing so good, babe. Just a little more.”

She nodded and took several deep breaths to gather herself. A rush of excitement filled me from head to toe at the thought of it being a matter of minutes, maybe
seconds,
before our little girl got here. As I stood there watching, holding my breath, Brynn went for it. I mean…
really
went for it. While acknowledging that this was most likely the hardest thing she’d ever done in all her life, I realized that this was the very moment everything in mine changed. This exact moment. Right now. Everything else had been nothing but preparation for the life to come. Everything I learned—good and bad—everything I had in me, everything I’d been through was all for this.

All for my daughter.

“A little more. A little more,” Dr. Rubino urged and Brynn did exactly that—she gave more when I didn’t think there was anything more to give. I stared down on her and all I could think about was how incredible she was.

“Annnnd, that’s it! We officially have ourselves a beautiful, baby girl!” were Dr. Rubino’s words; the first words I heard spoken to me as a father, words that filled my heart with so much raw emotion… I honestly thought it might explode.

Brynn’s head hit the pillow as she breathed deep, worn out from all the hard work she’d done. And then I heard it, the most beautiful sound that had ever hit my ears. A voice I’d waited so many months to hear… and now I had.

She was here.

For a moment that sound was the most perfect thing in the world to me, but that idea was quickly dismissed when I saw her, proving that her
face
was actually the most perfect thing in the world.

Of all the roles I’d filled in my lifetime—son, brother, uncle, friend—I was positive being a father would be the most fulfilling of them all.

My little
princessa
had finally arrived.

*****

Brynn

The pain, the fear, the uncertainty… none of that even mattered anymore.

The only thing that mattered now was
her
—the tiny little human who’d just fallen asleep in my arms.

Sophia
—the name Marco and I settled on within minutes of laying eyes on her.

So much warmth radiated from her small body as I held her close, feeling her soft skin against my chest. The nurse said this was important, she and I lying here together with no barrier between us. And I loved every second of it.

Her dark strands had the slightest wave to them and I smoothed them down gently while she slept, wondering what I’d done to deserve a gift like this. My touch caused her to stir just a bit and I smiled, taking it all in. She had this otherworldly scent to her. Heaven. That’s what it was. She smelled like heaven.

It was love at first sight.

The only thing that could make me take my eyes off my little girl was the persistent stare I felt on me from just a few feet away. I looked up to find Marco watching the two of us with this expression on his face like he could just stare at us forever and never get tired.

Without him here, I’m not sure how I would’ve come through this. I don’t just mean without him here in the delivery room; I mean without him with me through the past several
months.
When the first contraction struck, I started crying almost immediately. I’m not sure he knew that was the case when I called him, but I was surprised I could even get the words out to tell him it was time. I was so afraid, but once he got there, he made it all better. Somehow, he convinced me I was strong enough to endure this and, looking down at who I held in my arms, he was clearly right about that. Still, I wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t been so certain.