Bennett
My water just broke.
The words float aimlessly around my mind, trying to find traction in my brain.
My water just broke.
I know we’ve talked this over a million times, but I’m drawing blanks, staring widely at Darci’s shocked face. She looks much the same as me. Surprise would be an understatement. I mean, we always knew this was going to happen, but in the same breath, also not.
My water just broke.
Voices reverberate in my skull, they sound far away. I can’t tell if it’s their voices causing the confusion or my brain. They’re dulled out, but loud. Excited, but panicked. Yeah, definitely probably my brain, because, my water just broke.
Shit, she was gonna tell me she loved me back. I’m certain of it. I could all but see the words about to fall from her lips, but then she stopped, her eyes magnifying in shock under her glasses.
My water just broke.
Darci’s body bends slightly, an all mighty scream ripping from her throat, a hand flying out to claw into the closest chair as she grunts through the pain. That’s enough to kick start my feet, sound starting to filter properly into my eardrums. I can finally hear right, sounds no longer muffled by my own panic.
I rush toward her, grabbing hold of her free hand and fuck me, the strength in her hand is superhuman. Her fingers wrap around my hand, crushing the bones and I almost yank it from her grasp.
Almost.
The look she gives me warns me against that thought well enough.
“I can’t do this,” she cries, her teeth clenching together as an excruciating groan rolls from her throat. Tears stream along her cheeks, pleading with me to make it better. I let her crush my hand through the contraction, holding her eyes and letting her focus on me and only me. The contraction finally subsides and she flops backward onto the bed, completely spent. “I can’t do this, Bennett.”
Her words are so broken, so soft and destroyed. In that moment, I’d do absolutely anything to take away her pain. “Hey,” I speak quietly, working to get her to look at me. “Darci, baby.” I grab her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes. “Nearly there, Riding Hood. You’re already fully dilated, you just gotta push our baby girl out. You’re a rock star, you’re doin’ so good.” I brush her damp hair from her forehead, leaning down to kiss her. “You’re the strongest person I know, Darci. You’re fucking amazing. I couldn’t do this, no way. Remember how pathetic I was after surgery, you’re putting me to shame, brave girl.”
She stutters out a laugh just as another contraction hits her, her body folding up again, my hand buckling under the pressure of her pain.
“I love you, Darci.”
I don’t know if that helps any, but she doesn’t tell me she can’t do this again and so I’ll take that. The doctor gives her the okay to push and proud doesn’t even do justice to what I feel for my girl in that moment. She grunts and groans, pushing in time with her body’s instruction.
Time seems to stand still as Darci moans and cries, working to bring our little girl into the world. For me anyway. I’m sure Darci has a different opinion. Almost an hour passes of the same back and forth; push now, stop, breathe. But it’s the fastest sixty minutes of my life. It all unfolds in slow motion, but on fast forward. If that makes sense. I recall the feeling of every second as it passed, but now, after, I can’t for the life of me remember how it all went down. It’s a blur. A clouding ball of activity that seemed to pass in a split second.
Then the world was forgotten. Everything dropped away and I met the person that from before I even knew she existed was the reason my heart beat in my chest.
My baby.
My daughter.
The purpose of my entire life.
Emeli Francesca James was born weighing a slight six pounds four ounces and a head full of dark hair; just like her momma and daddy.
Watching them place our baby girl upon Darci’s naked chest, I’m overwhelmed with emotion, my eyes blurring with my tears. I wipe them from my eyes roughly, needing to bring my two girls into focus.
Darci looks up at me with eyes so full of love, I have no choice but to lean down and kiss her lips. I look to our baby girl, then back to her momma. “You grew me a baby, Darci. She’s so fucking perfect.”
She nods, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth to stop it trembling.
“Thank you,” I croak out, and her eyes soften, her free hand coming to stroke my cheek.
“I love you, Bennett.”
My heart inflates at her declaration. I don’t for one second let myself doubt the sincerity of her words. I can see the truth in her eyes shining over at me. I drop my lips to hers, kissing her mouth before pulling back to gently kiss my baby girl’s cheek.
“And I love you, Darci Walker.”
I know I should go out, tell everyone our baby girl is here, but I can’t find it in me to leave the room. So I don’t. I think Darci gets it, happy to be surrounded by her family.
Family.
It feels so fucking good to say.
Holding Emeli, I take in every small detail of her face; her puffy cheeks and deep red lips pushed forward into the most adorable pout. The delicateness of her fingers, so small and fragile. I place a finger in her hand and she wraps her small palm around my finger, holding on tight. My heart beats faster in my chest, and I look to Darci in wonder.
She’s watching me strangely, a look of relaxed peace softening her face. I let her stare, not pushing her to speak, knowing she will when she’s ready.
“My mom told me I’d know. She told me when I knew it in my heart, I’d know for certain. I think I always knew deep in my heart I loved you. I’ve loved you since I was fourteen years old, Bennett. My heart hasn’t stopped loving you for one second of time since that moment,” she pauses, her hand reaching up to stroke our baby’s puffy cheek. “But seeing you with her, the love I feel for you is just exploding inside of my chest.”
I reach out for her hand, which she gives me freely. “I’m sorry I was so consumed with self-doubt that I couldn’t see that you love me just as much. You’ve done nothing but show me and I’ve let myself be so blind to it all.”
“When I’m with you,” she continues after a beat of silence, “I feel like the person you see; the strong woman you deserve. You build me up into a person that I’ve always wanted to be.” I open my mouth, but she squeezes my hand. “Please let me finish. I was so afraid of who I was when I wasn’t with you, I didn’t think to imagine that if I gave myself to you the way I wanted to, I’d never really be without you.”
I smile widely at her words, happiness flooding me. Today has been the best day of my entire life. Hands fucking down. Nothing could top it. Absolutely fucking nothing.
We drift into quiet again, Emeli placed along Darci’s chest once again as she feeds. I watch them in awe, amazed at how fucking phenomenal the female body is. How exquisite they are to create life and be able to sustain that life through the nutrients from their body.
“I’m in awe of you, Riding Hood. You did so fucking good today. Look at how perfect she is, Darci. That’s all you, baby. All. Fucking. You.”
She blushes at my declaration and I lean forward to brush my thumb along the pink rose shading her cheeks.
“Bennett,” she tests almost so quietly that I can barely hear her, but I give her my eyes, which is what she wants. “I don’t want you to think what I’m about to say is just because of Emeli because there is so much more to it than that. Maybe I’m crazy, but I trust my mom, I trust the love my parents share and they’ve always stood by the foundation that time is of little consequence, once you know, you know, right?”
I nod, my thumb still brushing along her cheekbone, the color now more a red hue than the quiet shade of pink she shone with only seconds ago.
“I love you, Bennett. With all my heart. With everything I have inside of me.”
“Me too, Darci. You’re my world, my everything.”
She swallows noticeably, glancing down to Emeli, garnishing strength from the tiny baby held in her arms. “Marry me?” she asks, meeting my eyes. “Be my husband.”
My eyes scan over her face quickly, trying to read any single inclination of doubt she may harbor. She lets me watch her, waiting quietly as I let her sincerity and confidence bore into my soul. Slowly, my lips tip up, slightly at first, then bigger, my smile morphing from a small grin to a full-blown smile within seconds.
Her breath holds, her eyes widening in readiness and I stand up, leaning over her and bringing my lips within a hairline of hers. I can taste her breath, feel the stutter in her breathing quiver over my lips and I close my eyes in appreciation.
“Thought you’d never ask. I absolutely will marry you, Darci Walker. I want to be your husband, your forever, more than you could ever possibly know.”
I drop my lips to hers then, but a hand comes up to push at my chest, moving me back, just an inch. “That’s not true,” she speaks to my lips, watching my tongue peek out to moisten them. “I know you want all that and how much you want it. I know, because I want it just as bad.”
Connecting our lips, she doesn’t hesitate to stroke her tongue into my mouth, massaging mine with an eager caress. Emeli lets out an almighty scream and we giggle against one another’s lips, a last quick touch of our lips as we pull away to soothe our baby girl. She’s less than impressed, her little face bright red with the effort of her cry. But even with my baby girl’s ear-splitting shriek, I smile because I was wrong, today could get better and it just fucking did. Darci Walker is going to be my wife.
Totally. Fucking. Ruined.
Totally and ecstatically ruined.
And I couldn’t be fucking happier.
Frankie rushes at me as soon as my feet hit the waiting room floor. “Is she the most beautiful thing ever?”
Fresh tears hit my eyes at Frankie’s emotional question and I nod quickly, glancing at the rest of our friends. “So fucking beautiful.”
Cheers and hollers break out between our friends and I feel ten feet tall. I’m one lucky motherfucker. I have my people, these overjoyed people moving close to congratulate me, smiling wide. I have my baby girl and her momma, my soon-to-be wife, so life is good. Better than good, it’s fucking amazing, more than I ever could’ve imagined.
“Y’all ready to meet our baby girl?”
Back slaps and yahoos sound out into the room and I turn, walking toward Darci’s room to introduce Emeli to her family.
Darci smiles as everyone enters the room; the gesture a mixture of shyness and pride. The girls rush the bed, wanting to catch a glimpse of our baby girl and their men hang back, shooting me thrilled grins.
Moving closer to Darci, the boys follow my lead until we’re all standing around the hospital bed, staring at a sleeping angel. Darci nods at me and proud as can fuckin’ be, I clear my throat.
“Meet our little slice of magic, Emeli Francesca James.”
I watch Frankie, her head shooting up from cooing at Emeli, to me, then to Darci. Her breath stutters and she blinks her eyes hard as tears fall onto her cheeks. “Oh, my God. Really?” She glances down to her niece. “Holy shit, guys. I can’t breathe.”
She moves around the bed, kissing my cheek and hugging me, detaching as fast as she held on, moving toward Darci and her niece. The sisters share a moment, their eyes connected, small whispers passed between them before Frankie reaches out, pulling her namesake into her arms. The look of love she bestows on our baby girl rivals ours, and I know Frankie will love this little girl as fiercely as we do.
Darci clears her throat, and I move toward her as she looks around our family shyly. “We have some more news.” She looks up at me, smiling and I sit beside her, pulling her against my body. “Bennett and I are getting married.”
Cheers erupt in the room and Darci giggles into my chest.
“Bennett, you romantic son of a bitch, proposing on the day your baby was born. Too fuckin’ sweet.” Aubrey moves forward, kissing us both.
“Actually,” I grin. “Darci asked me. But you’re right, epically romantic.”
The shock on everyone’s face is obvious, but not unkind, the happiness they feel for us both shining from their widened eyes and large smiles. Archer steps forward, his smile easily the biggest. Leaning down he whispers into Darci’s ear and her eyes soften at whatever he says. He moves to kiss her cheek, smiling into her face once again before standing, grabbing my hand and pulling me forward into a hard embrace.
“Archer,” Darci tests as he turns back toward Annabelle. “I’m really sorry about telling you to mind your own business, you know, earlier.”
His chuckle is low. “Darci, babe, one of the greatest moments of my life.” She blushes at his comment, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose in nervousness.
After a short while, it’s just Darci, Emeli, and I left in the quiet of the room, both of us staring in wonder at our baby girl and I smile at how far we’ve come. I’ve wanted Darci Walker for a long few years. A want that only magnified after I had my first taste and continued to grow steadily with every interaction we had.
She told me I build her up into the person she wants to be. Someone strong, someone worthy of my love. Truth is, no way I’ll ever be worthy of what she gives me. I love that she complements her strength to me. It’s not true. Nowhere near close. Darci Walker is the epitome of understated power. She doesn’t even know how formidable she is. Sure, she’s maybe a little introverted and uncomfortable with attention but she holds her own like no one I’ve ever seen before. She has an inner strength that pushes through without conscious thought when she needs it. Never does she fold under pressure. Never does she give up when something challenges her. The proof of that is sleeping in this room, wrapped tightly in a pastel pink blanket, little squeaks sounding from her tiny pout as she welcomes the world she’s just been born into.
I hit the jackpot of life.
I have the world’s cutest baby in existence and she’s mine. She’s lodged herself within my heart, exactly where I want her to stay for the rest of my life. And I get to marry Darci Walker. The subdued beauty who forced me to my knees, begging her to love me without even trying. I’m the luckiest bastard in the world.
I look at them both and know I don’t stand a fucking chance and I don’t care, not one little bit.
Like I said, ruined.
Eagerly. Blissfully. Ruined.