Kaleb

“Push, Lena. Push!” The doctor yelled at me.

“I’m trying,”

“Come on baby, you can do this. Just one more and it’ll all be over,” The calm voice of my husband over took my thoughts.”

“Just one?” I looked up at him.

“Just one,” He smiled, kissing my forehead gently.

I sucked in a breath and pushed as hard as I could, although it felt like nothing. “Is that…”

“Lena!” I heard him call out before I succumbed to the darkness.

“Sir you have to leave. We need you out of here in order to save your wife,” A nurse said as she pushed me out of the room.

“She’s going to be ok though, right?”

“We’re gonna do everything we can,” She weakly smiled as she closed the doors in my face.

I walked to the waiting room and slumped into a chair. None of our friends or family was here. I had just recently been traded and Lena was adamant in accompanying me to the new city, not caring that she was almost eight months pregnant. She knew the risks, but knew that it would be easier on the both of us if we were in the same city when she went into labor.

“Why so glum, chum?” I heard the bright and bubbly voice of my sister, Katya call.

“How’d you get here?” I asked, bounding out of my chair to hug her.

“Well, there’s a thing called a plane. You get on it and it flies in the sky to your destination,” She smiled, playfully punching me in the shoulder. “Seriously though, Alex told Michael that Lena went into labor and he got me out here. What’s going on?”

“She was doing so well, she was pushing and the baby was coming. But then all of a sudden she passed out, she stopped breathing and they kicked me out.” I explained, sitting back down in the chair that I had occupied for hours.

“Lena’s gonna be fine, big brother. She and my gorgeous niece are in there waiting for you.”

“Niece? Who said it’s a girl?”

“I said. And mom said you have to do as I say,” Katya smiled, sticking her tongue out playfully at me.

“Yeah, when you were five! I’m surprised Del Zotto let you out of his sight for longer than twenty minutes.”

“He’s not that bad! You guys were exactly the same when you started dating. He knew you needed me here. And besides…he’s at the hotel,” She winks.

“Sir?” I hear a voice call from the door. We’re the only ones in here so I assume she’s talking to me.

“Yes?” I ask, getting up and walking across the room to meet the doctor.

“We did everything we could. I’m sorry, but your wife will not be able to have any more children after this birth,”

“I don’t care. Are they both alive?”

He smiled. “Yes, they’re both alive and well. Your wife and son are going to be just fine.”

A son. I have a son. I feel my cheeks start to hurt from smiling as the tears begin to course down my cheeks. My sister wraps her arms around me in a hug and we cry together, crying for the lives we almost lost. Crying out of sheer joy and pure luck.

“Would you like to see them?” He asks, breaking us out of our embrace.

“Go, I’ll call Mike and mom. We’ll be in after,” She smiles and shoos me along with the doctor.

I follow him down the hall to a set of double doors. Upon reading the signs, I realize that this is the Intensive Care Unit. My only memories of this place are of visiting dying relatives, and consoling my sister after Del Zotto got a skate blade to the chest.

We stop in front of a door labeled 1909. How convenient I think to myself. I open the door and step inside. Lena is lying on her back, looking as if she’s sleeping. The constant beeping let me know that she’s still here, while the quiet snores next to her bed remind me that we’re not alone. I tiptoe over and stare in to the bassinet; staring into the face of my newborn son.

He’s so perfect, a perfect match of the two of us. He’s got her skin, and my deep brown hair. I pick him up and gently cradle him close to my chest as he begins to stir and make noise.
“Shhh, little guy,” I whisper, rocking him back and forth. “It’s ok, Daddy’s got you,”

He coos and opens his eyes. Big brown eyes stare back at me. My eyes. We link and create an instant bond. It’s as almost like he’s known me forever, yet he’s only a few hours old.

“You gave us quite the scare buddy,” I say, sitting down in the rocking chair. “Mommy and I thought we were going to loose you. And you did quite the number on your mother,” I smile, rocking him back and forth.

“Is he ok?” I hear a gruff voice from behind me. I whip my head around to see Lena staring back at me, her sleepy eyes telling me every emotion that she’s feeling.

“He’s perfect,” I smile, getting up to sit next to her. She instantly leans into me and I can’t help but put my arms around her and kiss her gently on the head.

“What happened?”

“You pushed and then passed out. He caused some internal damage to you, we can’t have anymore children.”

She nods and smiles. “I can live with that. Kaleb is perfect for us.”

I lean down and place a delicate kiss on her lips. I had come so close to loosing her, loosing her and our son. I don’t want to let her out of my arms or my sight any time soon.

“I love you, Lena.”

“I love you too, Jonathan.”