Take My Hand. Take My Whole Life, Too.

Lizzie was laying on the couch in the big, cozy family room; reading a fashion magazine. He belly, round with child acted as a book stand so she didn’t have to use her busy hands which were unpeeling a ripe banana. She was alone this morning, taking in the warmth of the Sun’s glow through the big bay window. Her boyfriend of 6 years; Zacky, was out with his band mate Brian for a bit.
Lizzie’s Border Collie kept an eye on her while laying on the cold tile of the kitchen. Chopper pretended like he was napping, but he always kept an eye open and focused on her. For he knew today was the day.

When Lizzie finished her banana, she moved the magazine aside and slowly pulled herself upright to throw away the peel. Chopper lifted his head to watch her get up with a grunt. She gave him a smile and walked into the kitchen to toss the peel into the trash. Then she looked at the clock on the stove. 11:06.

Zacky would be home soon.

“I should probably put on something little more presentable if the boys are coming over.” Lizzie mumbled to herself as she saw her reflection in the polished silver refrigerator.

She waddled down the quiet hallway and into the bedroom. The walk in closet wasn’t too big, but Zacky took the liberty of having the maid put all the maternity clothes in the front, so she didn’t have to wander through the giant room all day. Lizzie picked out a comfy sundress and got dressed slowly, working the soft fabric up over her giant belly. She wished this little girl would come out already. It was getting harder to move around with her in there.
Chopper, who had followed Lizzie into the room, stood up with his ears and eyes alert towards the hallway. Then, the front door opened and suddenly the house was full of noise. Chopper flopped his ears and wagged his tail as he left her for the visitors.

Lizzie finished dressing, and then went back out into the living room and sat on the couch quietly, watching all the guys stand around and chat about cars. Zacky wasn’t in sight, but she did hear the echoing of beer bottles colliding from the kitchen.
Matt turned to take a seat on the couch, and noticed Lizzie resting. He smiled wide and reached for her bulging abdomen, rubbing it gently.

“Is that girl going to come out yet or what? Weren’t you due last week Liz?” he asked.

The guys all turned to watch her as she blushed. They assumed seating positions about the room, and each accepted the beer Zacky offered them. Zacky went to the home theater and began playing with the radio at a low volume.

“She’ll come out when she’s good and ready. Don’t rush her; she kicks hard when you rush her.” Lizzie told Matt with a smile.

Zacky found a station that was playing Bob Marley, and came to take a seat beside his woman. He placed a hand on her belly and waited for a kick. When he received it, he smiled and settled into the back of the couch. His baby knew his touch already. When he rested his hand on Lizzie’s stomach, she always gave him an acknowledging kick.

“Matt you gotta remember, she’s Zacky’s kid. And we all know how long he takes to get ready. She could be in there for weeks for all we know.” Jimmy added, rolling his eyes at his friend.

“She’s just being fashionably late, like all women.” Brian defended.

Lizzie suddenly grimaced, holding her stomach firmly. The guys all gave worried looks in Zacky’s direction. Zacky set his hand on her stomach also.

“She’s just rolling around in there. It can hurt Liz sometimes though, since there’s not much room left in there. She’s probably playing air guitar.” He told his friends confidently.

They all nodded and watched intently as Lizzie shifted to lie down, resting her head on Zacky’s lap. Laying down let her stomach stretch a little farther, giving the baby more room to move.

“Who wants to go sit outside?” Brian suggested, getting up and going through the sliding door onto the back patio.

Zacky looked at Lizzie with expectant eyes.

“Lets go get some fresh air.” He said, and stood up to help her to her feet.

She sighed heavily when she was up, and then started slowly for the door. Chopper jumped up from the floor and led the way outside, checking for danger before moving so she could come through.

That night, the guys quite drinking after their 3rd beer, for fear that Lizzie would go into labor. She was having small, Braxton-Hicks contractions throughout the evening, so the decided not to chance it. None of them wanted to be buzzed while awaiting the birth of their niece.
Now, Lizzie was sprawled across the large white couch, taking deep breaths every couple seconds. Zacky was in the other room, calling Doctor Nicholson. The guys were all seated, watching Lizzie as she tried once again to get comfortable.

“Is it hot in here, or is it just me?” Lizzie breathed softly and she fanned her face with her small hand.

Her golden blonde hair was swept back into a loose braid, but a few strands in the front were sticking out. Her blue eyes were glossy, and everyone in the room watched as she flinched slightly.

Zacky returned quickly, sliding his phone back into the pocket of his blue jeans.

“Babe, Doc says wait until they’re about 5 minutes apart, then we hit the road. Hang in there.” He said to her, kissing her sweaty forehead.

“Can I have some ice please? I’m hot.” He asked.

Zacky went into the kitchen to grab her baggie of ice, and placed each cube, one by one into the bag. His hands were beginning to shake a little. He was nervous, yet excited. Could this be it? Part of him hoped so, but the other part was a little scared. He was scared for Lizzie more than for himself. She had expressed to him many times that she wasn’t afraid of the pain, she was just afraid of something going wrong.
He returned to the living room and gave Lizzie the bag, then sat down in the recliner across from her. The guys all gave him worried looks. They were anxious.

“Ouch!” Lizzie shouted, clutching her stomach.

Everyone’s eyes went wide with fear, and she gave them a reassuring smile.

“That one hurt. I’m fine.”

One hour passed, and Lizzie’s contractions were 10 minutes apart now. She decided that pacing around the house helped, and she was constantly doing something to keep her mind off the pain. So she began washing dishes. They had a dishwasher, but she decided to do them by hand.
She finished them quickly, and then continued searching the house for something to do. Finally, she settled on doing laundry. But that required going all the way up those winding stairs, then all the way back down into the laundry room. Maybe the stairs would help…
When Zacky didn’t hear Lizzie’s impatient footsteps anymore, he got up and looked for her. Brian helped, and jogged up the stairs to help her carry the laundry basket full of clothes.

“What are you doing Liz? You’re about to have a baby and you want to wash clothes?” he asked, helping her descend the stairs.

“I need something to take my mind of the pain.” She defended, following him into the living room.

Zacky came to her, and guided her onto the couch.

“Babe, you can do laundry later. You’re supposed to be timing your contractions.” He told her, looking into her eyes with his worried green ones.

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, impatient. She wanted this baby out now. Then she closed her eyes and counted down the minutes in her head.

“Seven minutes apart.” She announced with her eyes still closed.

Zacky’s head jerked up, and he looked at the small blonde beside him.

“Do you have your overnight bag packed?” he asked.

She nodded, eyes still closed.

“By the front door, and so is yours.” She said calmly.

Then she began humming. The tune was familiar. Unbound? Yes, Liz always liked that song. Then Matt began singing the words softly, while Brian joined in, humming the guitar tune he knew oh so well. Johnny was humming too now, and Jimmy began to tap his fingers on the end of the coffee table. Zacky looked back at Lizzie, who was singing along with Matt now. She was smiling. This was helping. So Zacky started humming too.
After about 30 more seconds of singing, Lizzie shouted suddenly, “Five minutes!”

Everyone stopped and stood up quickly, gathering their belongings in a rush to leave. Zacky helped Lizzie up off the couch, and helped her put on her sandals.
Chopper watched as the 6 of them left in a hurry, then laid his head on his paws and went to sleep. Lizzie was waddling slow and steady towards Zacky’s G8.



Zacky shut her door after she was seated and buckled, then started the car. The engine came to life with a low growl, rumbling steadily as he buckled himself in. He let down the E brake and put the car into first, guiding the sedan out of the circle driveway quickly, in front of the guys in Matt’s SUV.
They arrived at the hospital 10 minutes later, and Zacky tried not to rush after hearing Lizzie’s painful moans the whole way there. She insisted on getting out herself, and he watched as she squinted from the pain. The valet attendant took the car just as a nurse approached with a wheelchair. Lizzie sat in it, and the nurse cleared a path through the hospital for the 5 tattooed men.
The nurse got Lizzie settled into a room and soon had all her IV’s hooked up and whatnot. Zacky asked the guys to wait in the lobby until further notice.

“You’re doing good so far babe. Just hang in there.” He assured her, rubbing her stomach.

“It’s not even the best part yet, calm down.” She told him with a smile.

“Actually, I think I might go get some coffee so I don’t miss anything. It is kind of 1:30 AM.” He told her, then kissed her and left the room.

When he returned, the guys came in the room behind him. All of them had coffee, and they sipped while Lizzie waited for the doctor to arrive.
Dr. Nicholson was an older man, about 45-50. He had short grey hair and crow’s feet bordering his brown eyes. He was always smiling, especially now.

“Let’s take a look, shall we?” he asked.

Lizzie nodded and scooted to the end of the bed. The guys all sat on the sofa across the room; with their hands covering they’re eyes. When the doctor removed his gloves after checking her cervix, he smiled at her.

“You’re already 4 centimeters dilated. Do you want to get the epidural now or wait a little bit?” he said happily.

“I can wait a little longer. But can I get like a freezer in here or something? Because I’m going to need a lot of ice cubes.” She said with a lopsided grin.

“We’ll see what we can do. Hang in there guys, you’re not leaving this hospital without a baby tonight.” He said to the guys, and then left the room.

Zacky’s head jerked up, and he looked at Lizzie with serious green eyes.

“Did he say were not leaving without a baby?” he asked.

She nodded, smiling.

He sighed with relief, and the guys did too.

An hour later, Lizzie was begging for an epidural. She had enough of these contractions. They were unbearable and about 2 minutes apart now.
The doctor arrived shortly with the epidural specialist and things started rolling once they had set up the drip. Dr. Nicholson checked her cervix again to see if she was making progress.

“8 centimeters. You’re doing well, we’ll probably have you start pushing in about an hour.” He said, then removed his gloves and left.

Zacky and Lizzie smiled at each other.

“I hope this medication kicks in quick, because this shit hurts.” She said, flinching from her next contraction.

The guys were getting antsy, both from the coffee and the excitement. Brian came to the bedside.

“So, do I get to stand there and catch her when she comes out, or is that Zacky’s job?” he asked with a smirk.

“I have a special job for you Brian. Go get me some more ice.” She told him, patting his head like a puppy.

He smiled and rolled his eyes, then left the room in search for ice.

Finally, the doctor said she was fully dilated and ready to start pushing. Zacky got up so quickly, the chair he sat in screeched across the floor and scared everyone. He eagerly put on his scrubs, and then frowned at his getup. Lizzie gave him a confused look.

“How is my daughter supposed to see all my kick ass tattoos if they’re going to be covered up by this ugly shit?” he asked.

She smiled wide and laughed at him.

“I mean really, do they honestly think I care if I get baby juices all over my Iron maiden shirt?” he asked nobody in particular.

“Shhh, I’m going to start pushing soon, you have to help me.” She said, still giggling.

He smiled, kissed her lips, and then stood at her side as the doctor pulled up a stool at the end of the bed.

45 minutes later, Lizzie was drained from all the pushing. She felt the blood slowly fade from her face, but was determined not to give up. A week late and this girl still wasn’t coming out without a fight.

“Babe, go stand in front of my vagina. Maybe she’ll come out if she sees you waiting for her.” Lizzie joked to Zacky.

The doctor looked up at him with a smile.

“If you want to come take over, I can guide you.” He told Zacky.

Zacky smiled and eagerly took the doctor’s place in the stool. When the nurses held her legs up and encouraged her to push, the guys were all watching with hopeful eyes. She pushed so hard; she thought her eardrums might explode. This epidural sure did ease the pain, but now she couldn’t feel a thing.

“Am I making any progress at all?” she asked impatiently.

The doctor nodded, and Zacky shook his head no. What the hell? She thought. She began pushing again, determined. She held her legs tight and felt a sort of bearing down sensation, and Zacky cried out.

“I see hair! And it aint blonde!” he said excitedly.

Lizzie laughed, and her body faltered for a second. She took a deep breath one last time, and gave it her all, pushing with all her might. She saw Brian and Johnny both stand up for a better view. Her head must be out! Lizzie relished the feeling and kicked into overdrive, pushing and pushing until she heard a faint cry.

“Come on babe, push dammit!” Zacky shouted happily, holding his hands out to catch his daughter.

Zacky’s heart was beating fast now. His baby girl was right there! Her precious face was covered in goop, but she was beautiful. He cradled her small head in his hands as she slid slowly from her mother’s body. There! She was out, crying in his arms. He smiled as the doctor took her and checked her all over. He wiped her little face with a soft pink towel, and then set her on Lizzie’s belly.



Lizzie smiled too, her face pale and lips blue. She was so drained, but so lively now that their daughter was here. She was finally here! The guys crowded around and they all peeked at the tiny baby as the nurse handed Zacky a pair of scissors. He took them proudly, and cut the umbilical cord where they said to. The nurse wrapped the baby in a little pink blanket and then started cleaning everything up.

“I can’t believe she’s here!” Lizzie cried, kissing her daughter’s damp head.

The nurses eventually left after the baby began nursing, and all was quiet as Zacky removed his scrubs. The guys all waited patiently on the sofa as Zacky brought her to them. Each one of them held her and cooed to her. She wasn’t fussy, just quiet and alert.

“She looks like you Zack.” Matt said, smoothing a large, rough hand over her silky black hair.

“Have you guys decided on a name?” Brian asked curiously.

“Mia Louise.” Zacky said clearly, looking down at the baby.

“Any reason behind that?” Jimmy asked as Matt handed him the little pink bundle.

“Well, I picked out the name Mia, and Louise is Lizzie’s grandma’s name.” Zacky replied.

After all holding Mia, the guys left to get some sleep. When Zacky sat down in the rocking chair with her, he noticed that Lizzie had also fallen asleep. He smiled and looked down at his daughter. She did look like him. The soft blanket she was swaddled in felt good on his bare, tattooed arms. He wasn’t cold; the blanket was just really soft.

“You see all these tattoos? I know there’s a lot, but I have room for more. I’ll get a picture of you on here somewhere.” He said, scanning his arms with proud eyes.

Mia looked at Zacky with milky blue eyes, trying to focus on her father’s face. He smiled when she started to hiccup. His daughter was finally here, in his arms. Healthy and happy. Nothing else could make him happier right now. He had the love of his life, and now his daughter. He smiled with content and rocked back and forth until his daughter fell asleep in his tattooed arms.