3 years after the wedding
Levi
“Micah! Get in here,” I yell down the hall. Micah comes running around the corner with towels and a blanket tucked under her chin.
“Move,” she says as she runs past me into my bedroom.
Kathleen is in the bathroom, on the floor. While in the middle of a family dinner here at the house, she started to feel strange, so she got up and waddled (yes, waddled – she is due any day now) to the bathroom. After a couple minutes, I heard her yelling. When I got to the bathroom, there was water all over the place.
After, stupidly, asking her if she peed all over the floor, she informed me her water broke. Micah and Kelly came to her rescue. Thank God they were here because I had no idea what to do.
Kathleen is whimpering on the floor, and my whole body is tense. I want to help her, but I’m useless. Zant and Chance keep telling me to get out of the way, but I don’t listen to them. I need to be near her. I need to make sure she’s ok.
When she screams again, I’m running to the front door to see if the ambulance has made it. She refused to let me pick her up and put her in the truck. She told me to call 9-1-1, and I still don’t think that was the right decision.
“Where are they?” Zant comes up behind me and puts his hand on my shoulder. “Be patient man. She’s ok. It’ll probably be hours still, before the baby is born.”
I don’t want to hear all his advice. That’s not his wife in there on the floor, screaming. “I know what you’re thinking dude, and you are wrong. I know what you’re going through. Mi had two in there. I was a nervous wreck. You were there. You saw what happened. But she’s in there, helping your wife. Kelly and Bone were fine. It will be the same for Katie and your baby. Just watch.”
I slowly calm down as he talks, and I reflect on the delivery of my sisters’ kids. I know Kathleen has this. We’ve been to all the classes and we’ve read all the books. She’s got this. I’ve got this.
We are about to have a baby.
I spin around to Zant, and he has a smirk on his face. “Don’t do it man.”
“I swear, I’m going to pass out.”
“You’re not.”
Right then, lights run across the walls. “Ambulance is here,” I yell. A couple seconds later, my wife is being assisted down the hall by Micah and Kelly. I didn’t think my heart could love her more. It does.
~
“Where’s Aunt Katie?” Nova says, when she sees me. I look at Micah and mouth a thank you to her.
She wasn’t going to bring the kids, but I convinced her to go get just Nova.
She needs to be here. Kathleen has had her involved from the very beginning. Nova has helped in every detail. We don’t know what the baby is, but Nova has done an amazing job in decorating the nursery, so it fits either gender.
I kneel down and she comes to me. Worry is all over her face. “She’s in there. She’s ok and so is the baby. They are just getting her ready.”
She nods, but my words don’t easy her mind any. I know that feeling.
“Do you want to be in there with us?” I’ve thought this through, and I’ve talked to Micah about it. Nova is ten. This may traumatize her, and it may not. I’m willing to take my chances.
“Yes,” she says, without hesitation. “I was hoping you were going to ask.”
I stand up and take Nova’s hand in mine. Together we enter Kathleen’s delivery room.
~
“One more push, Katie,” the doctor says. Nova and I are on either side of her, telling her how great she is doing and to keep it up.
“Here we go,” the doctor says, and my eyes go to his. After what seems like forever, we hear a loud cry coming from the end of the bed. “Alright mom and dad, here is your daughter.”
“A girl!!” Nova screams. “Yes!” She fist bumps the air and we all laugh. Kathleen is laughing and crying at the same time. I move down to the other end of the bed when the doctor shows me my daughter for the first time.
My heart stops for a second. I thought all that talk about instant love for your baby was a lie. Yes, I love Nova, Axel, and Bone, but this is so different. My heart literally swells so big and this little girl puts her stamp all over it.
“Oh my gosh, Levi, bring her to me.” The nurse hands me the scissors to cut the cord. Nova watches everything. I see her out of the corner of my eye, watching me and the baby. I can already tell. She’s going to be the perfect babysitter.
I gently take the baby after the nurse wraps her in a blanket, and I take her to Kathleen.
“Hey baby. I’m your mommy.” My eyes tear up a little. Nova wraps her little arm around me, and I bring her to me. I lean down so I can whisper in her ear.
“You want to come with me when they take her to clean her up, or do you want to stay with Aunt Katie?” I want to give her all the options. She looks at the baby and Kathleen for a little bit before answering.
“I’ll stay with Aunt Katie. She may need me.”
“That’s my girl.” She is getting too old on me. I miss my little princess. She’s growing into a big girl, and I couldn’t be prouder of her.
I take the baby from Kathleen and follow the nurse to the nursery. After they weigh her and clean her up, I sit with her for a little bit. I want some time alone with her before I take her back.
I’m being selfish, but I know I will have to share her shortly.
“Hey, my pretty angel,” I tell her. “You are so loved already.” She isn’t crying. Holding her has a calming effect on me. I haven’t been dealing with the dark too much since I met Kathleen. She keeps me in the light for the most part. The only times I’ve slipped had to do with Mary or Fred.
All of that is behind us. Kathleen is working on her law degree. We settled her ordeal years ago, but we are deeply involved in the breakup of the trafficking organizations. It’s a passion of ours, and we are using all of our resources to make it happen.
I want to change the world for the precious life that I am holding in my arms right now.
Her complexion is so pretty. She’s a beautiful baby, and I’m not being totally biased, because I thought the same of my niece and nephews. She has light fuzz on her head. No hair yet, but it will come.
I helped make this. This is a production of me. All the years that I hid behind walls and told myself that I would never have this… I was waiting on her. I was waiting on Kathleen. I was waiting on this miracle in my arms. They were the ones I needed, to fix everything that was broken. And they are. Slowly, they are fixing it all.
I talk to the baby for a little bit longer before I take her to her mother and cousin. I’ve had my time with her for today. Now, it is time to name her, then share her.
“We need a name,” I say as I walk through the door.
Nova and Kathleen giggle as I lay the baby on her mother’s chest.
“We already have it picked out.” Nova says.
“Really? Without me.”
“You won’t mind.”
“Well tell me what you two brilliant women have come up with.”
They look at each other and give one another a secret look before Kathleen turns to me. “Do you remember one of our talks on the Isle of Man?” I shake my head as I wrack my brain. I don’t remember anything to do with a baby while we were there.
Well, except practicing to make one.
“You said that if you had a baby girl one day, you wanted to name her after your bike. At first, I told you no. Over time, I’ve thought about it. Now that I’ve seen her face. It fits.”
A smile slowly creeps across my face and I know my eyes are tearing up again. Damn tears.
This woman. I love her so damn hard.
“Nova, tell your uncle what the baby’s name is.”
Nova rubs the baby’s head then leans down to kiss it.
“Say hello to Ireland Elizabeth James.”
The tears roll down my face as I kiss every one of my girls. Two are missing, but I’m getting three of them right now.
“Ireland, you’re so precious,” Kelly coos.
“Kell, when are you going to give us another one?” Micah asks.
“Um.. we’ve had this talk. That’s a never.” She doesn’t even look up from Ireland when she answers.
We all laugh. They travel too much to have another one. Kelly would do it, but it would drive her crazy. Bone is enough for her. Micah is done too. She had complications with the twins and vowed to never go through that or put Zant through that again. It was touch and go there for a little bit.
Kathleen and I have decided to just have one too. However, neither one of us are getting fixed, so if God deems it necessary for us to have another, we will.
Everyone is in the room now. Chance’s parents came by earlier, as did Micah’s parents. Once Ireland was passed around and pictures were taken, they left.
Nova comes and sits in my lap. She leans back onto my chest, and I wrap my arms around her.
“Hey princess. You ok?”
“Yea,” she says in a dreamlike voice.
“You gunna help me be a good dad?” I’m whispering now. Everyone is talking, but I want Nova to know I’m just talking to her.
“You’re already a good dad,” she says, and my heart melts. This girl has brought me to my knees so many times over the last ten years. She will always hold a special place in my heart.
“You know nothing changes with us, right? We still have a date every month.”
“I know,” she says. She’s taking this better than I thought she would.
“When Ireland gets to be five, she can go with us.”
“You’re going to share our dates with Ireland when you’re fifteen? We are still going on dates when you’re fifteen?”
“Yes, and yes.” She’s so calm. Today is affecting her differently that I thought it would, and I am so proud of her.
“I love you, Nova.”
“I love you too, Uncle Levi. Thanks for giving Ireland to me.”
And there it is. Full unconditional love. I thought Nova would be jealous, but she sees Ireland as nothing but a gift to her. It’s a gift I willingly give. If Ireland grows up to be like Nova, I will be a very blessed dad.
I kiss Nova on the cheek and put her on her feet. “It’s Daddy time,” I say to the room. I need to get my hands on my very own baby doll.
Kathleen winks at me when I take Ireland from Chance. All good? she mouths to me. I nod my head and give her a wink back. She knows exactly what I need when I need it.
That’s how she got behind the walls and into my heart.
Her soul knew the way.
The End