Nero - Page 180

This afternoon, there’s no fear consuming me, no worry about what I’ll do once the baby leaves the safety of my womb.

This afternoon, I feel the pain of the contractions coming faster and faster without needing to wonder whether I’ll see my daughter’s little face when she’s born—because I know I will. I grunt, clenching my teeth through the pain.

“That’s it, love. That’s it,” Nero encourages when I squeeze his hand even harder. His eyes never leave my face for a single second. I have all his attention, all his support.

“Alright, Nina. It’s time to push,” the obstetrician says, and I nod. “On three, okay?” he asks. My answer is a growl, but everyone understands. “One, two, three.”

I push, sweat streaming down my face as the pressure between my legs increases exponentially.

“Again, Nina!” the doctor says, and I bare my teeth as I push again, screaming. “That’s it, Nina. Just a little more now. One more.”

“She’s coming, love. Our little girl is coming,” Nero says, pressing his forehead to mine, and I push one last time.

The room seems to fall completely silent for a few seconds—until it’s broken by the most beautiful cry.

Tears keep rolling down my face now, no longer from pain but from emotion, and when the nurse places a little bundle in my arms, I study every tiny piece of her—her face, her hands, her toes—and I look at Nero beside me, openly sobbing.

“She’s perfect, love,” he says through tears, and I’m not much better at answering.

“She is.”

“And she’s ours,” Nero adds, lowering his lips to kiss Iris’s little head, then my forehead. “Thank you, Little Fae. Thank you. I love you.”