“Oh shoot. Uh, Addison. Can you wake up, please?” Kristoff asked, shaking my tired ass awake.

I felt the bed with my palms and struggled to see through the darkness. “Your water. It broke?” I asked, darting out of bed. I ran into the closet to grab a pair of pants and a shirt. I dove back out and helped Kristoff out of bed.

“I’m scared,” he whispered. “It’s happening now.”

“Yes, darling. But it’s going to be okay. Ainsley is coming right on schedule. Doctor Hopkins is going to take care of everything,” I said.

My hands were shaking as I grabbed the keys to the car. I held Kristoff’s side and lower back for support. I lowered him down into the vehicle. Once he was inside, I sped off toward the hospital.

It was nothing like the movies. The whole time, I just had this huge, dumb smile plastered on my face. We weren’t freaking out or screaming, and when we got to the hospital, we weren’t rushed to the room at a hundred miles per hour.

Everything was done safely and methodically. Doctor Hopkins came to greet us after twenty minutes of waiting inside of the room. She was entirely positive about the experience.

“We’re going to give you some pain medication,” Doctor Hopkins said. “And then you can take some time. It’s going to be a process, but I’m here to serve you. Okay?”

Kristoff nodded nervously. His face had turned a slight shade of pale out of fear. I kissed the top of my omega’s head and said, “That sounds good. Thank you.”

When the doctor left the room, Kristoff turned to me frantically. “I can’t do this. I seriously can’t do this, Addison. We need to get out of here. Take me home,” he said. He wasn’t thinking straight.

“Try not to be scared. I’m here for you. The doctor and her team of nurses are here for you,” I said.

“They’re all betas around here!” Kristoff exclaimed. “They don’t know what I’m feeling. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I am freaking out, Addison.”

“Doctor Hopkins is the best in the city. Remember when we looked up her ratings? She’s great,” I said. But when the facts weren’t doing anything for him, I tried other tactics.

I ran my hand down the top of her shoulders and back. “Close your eyes for a few seconds. I want you to envision our new house. Can you see yourself, holding Ainsley? Can you hear the light crashing sounds of the waves outside?” I whispered the sound of the ocean in his ear.

Kristoff began taking deep breaths. He calmed down quite quickly. “I know that I need to chill out, but the pain is starting to get to me, Addison. Where are those damn nurses?”

As soon as he said it, a young woman walked in with the kit. “Have no fear. I’m right here. I’ve got everything you need to have a pleasant time today,” she said.

“Oh, thank God!” Kristoff exclaimed.

I had to look away during the whole injection process. I didn’t want to let Kristoff know this, but I was freaking out a bit myself!

After the nurse finished, Kristoff closed his eyes. The doctor then entered back into the room. “How are we doing in here?” she whispered.

“I think we’re okay. The drugs knocked him out pretty good,” I said. I looked down. Kristoff had a dopey smile on his face.

“Okay, good. Hi, Kristoff. Honey, I’m going to check your dilation and levels,” she said.

“Just don’t cut anything off,” he said.

I tried to hold back my laughter, but it was nearly impossible. “Baby, they don’t do that,” I whispered. The doctor held her hand over her mouth, but she was definitely laughing.

“How do you know what they do or don’t do? I’m just asking politely. Don’t cut anything off,” Kristoff said. The drugs were working a little too well.

“I’m not cutting anything off,” Doctor Hopkins said, still holding back the extreme laughter that wanted to spill out.

“We’ll see about that,” Kristoff sang in a higher octave.

She checked my omega out, and her eyes widened a little. Doctor Hopkins took a step back. “Oh, okay! Hm. Nurse, we have to start this now,” she whispered. The nurse looked at her. She seemed to be worried.

“What? What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing is wrong. The baby is just coming out a little faster than expected,” she said.

I couldn’t help myself. I walked around to the front end of Kristoff’s legs. I looked down. “Oh my God!” I exclaimed, darting back to my corner. “The head! It’s coming! I saw it!”

I didn’t want to say anything stupid, but it was exactly like that movie Alien, and I was not prepared. I had seen a lot of crap during my years in sports, but this was a whole other thing.

“Please stay calm,” the doctor warned. “This is okay. It just means we are ahead of schedule. I need you to stay there and tend to your omega.”

“Did she cut it off? I knew she would,” Kristoff muttered.

“Oh, jeez,” I whispered. “Honey, the baby is coming. Like… now.”

This revelation seemed to wake him up, and within minutes, his jaw dropped. “Ow,” he first whispered. Then, after some time, he was clenching his hands around mine and screaming. “ADDISON! HELP!”

The sound of my fiancé screaming for help triggered me. I felt like I had to act, but there was nothing I could do, except hope that the doctor did her job well.

“He’s coming!” the doctor explained. “Just a few more pushes.”

I was breathing as deeply as Kristoff at that moment. My eyes darted back and forth between the doctor and the love of my life. I didn’t know who to focus on. My eyes began to blur as tears fell.

Then, a miracle happened. I saw my son Ainsley. The doctor had him in her hands. Goop and all, he was beautiful. The sun seemed to shine on him from the window.

Everything was silent for just one moment. We were all looking in the same direction.

“Addison. He’s here,” Kristoff whispered.

I was damn speechless. I managed to cut the chord. Ainsley’s piercing cries made Kristoff and me both cry alongside him. Pretty soon, the whole room was full of crying humans.

“He’s here. He’s really here,” I said.

“Whew,” the doctor muttered. “I’m so proud of you, Kristoff! Congratulations. Both of you.”

“Thank you!” I exclaimed. I probably looked like a train wreck of emotions, but I was holding my baby, and he was healthy and alive!

The nurse cleaned the baby off and eventually brought him back in. We sat in that hospital bed for a good twelve hours, just holding him as he slept, cried, and slept some more.

“You did it, baby,” I said.

“We did it,” Kristoff whispered.

“I’m so fucking relieved,” I muttered.

Something in me changed at that moment. Every time I looked at my son, a sense of heaviness trickled into my subconscious. This was my son. I had to take care of him, no matter what.

The fear that I once had turned into a sense of duty. Whatever happened to me no longer mattered. The only thing that mattered was Ainsley.

“Addison?” Kristoff asked.

“Yes, my love?” I kissed the top of both of their heads.

“Take us home,” Kristoff said with a weary smile.

I took his hand in mine. I was overcome with happiness and love. Life was incredible.