“I wouldn’t do that to you now. I don’t want to scare you.”
Oh, now she didn’t want to scare her? “You scare me by saying that. You are an evil, evil woman. I’ll get you back someday, I vow it.”
“You love me, admit it. Okay, we’re getting up, and we’re headed your way. Keep us updated. Or tell Ian to, if you’re in too much agony to speak.”
“I hate you.”
“I love you! Bye!”
Okay, so Kelsey had been Superwoman. She’d done the whole thing naturally. Good for her. Gabriella didn’t like pain, and she was all about some modern medicine. She wanted drugs. Lots and lots of drugs. Since she’d known this about herself from the beginning, she could rest easy in the idea that it wouldn’t be too bad. There wouldn’t be any agony, nope, not for her.
If Ian had been standing anywhere near Gabriella when she let out the first real wail he’d heard from her, he would’ve immediately moved his gen**als out of her reach. Thankfully, though, he’d just walked into the room from getting her some ice chips and was still a safe distance away.
All the Ross women in her hospital room—her mother, Kelsey and Candace—rushed toward her bedside to offer support, but her eyes found his through the crowd of her family.
“Where the hell did you go?” she demanded pitifully.
“I was getting you some ice.”
“Did I ask for any f**king ice?” Most everyone standing around her laughed, though her mother shook her head at the ceiling.
“Uh, yeah.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Gabby grimaced and dug her heels into the mattress, trying to roll on her side. He made his way around to help her, his gut twisting at the sight of her in so much pain. Where was the f**king anesthesiologist? He was supposed to be here an hour ago.
The last nurse who’d checked Gabby had told them she was halfway there.
Kelsey stroked Gabby’s hair, her other hand holding Gabby’s tight. “You’re doing great. Remember to breathe through it,” she told her, leaning down to be close to her face. He felt that was where he needed to be, but Kelsey had been through this before and was no doubt a much better coach than he could ever be. So he rubbed Gabby’s back, trying to let her know any way he could that he was here for her.
The Rosses had all shown up a few hours after Ian and Gabby reached the hospital. It was now early afternoon. Brian and Evan had come in periodically, but Gabby had shooed them out when the worst of the pains began. She’d said she couldn’t maintain her “scary big sister” status with them if they saw her beaten down. Candace had fearlessly remained even though she was due at any time. Brian had tried to talk her into staying home, but she’d said she wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Ian had called his own mother and let her know the day was upon them. She hadn’t answered, but he’d left her a message. Whether or not she cared she was about to be a grandmother, it was on all her head now. He’d done all he could.
It would’ve been nice to have family of his own bloodline here for the birth, but it didn’t matter. Gabriella was working hard, going through hell, to give him that. Today.
She couldn’t lie still. From her back, to one side, to the other, finally back to her original position, she writhed and moaned. He fed her ice chips; he told her how strong she was and how well she was doing. How beautiful she was and how much he loved her. But if he could take every bit of pain away from her and bear it himself, he would.
Especially when she looked up at him with agony in her eyes and said, “Ian, I can’t do this.”
All right. He was gonna find the f**king doctor and drag him in here by the scruff of his neck. He’d have gone right then too, if she hadn’t had such an iron grip on his hand. “Yes, you can, baby. But let me go see what’s going on.”
“Don’t leave me.”
He cast a helpless glance up at Kelsey, who nodded and left the bedside. Mrs. Ross and Candace followed her out, and Gabby sighed with relief. “I hate to say it, but I’d rather them stay out,” she said.
“Are you sure?”
“I only want you.”
Jesus, he didn’t know if he could handle this. He’d gone to the birthing classes with her, but now that the situation was here, it felt like throwing a rookie cop into a roomful of crossfire or something. He gently stroked her forehead. “Tell me what I can do for you.”
She cringed and squeezed his hand as another contraction wrenched her, forcing a pained growl from her throat. “Breathe, baby, breathe,” he said, for lack of anything better. Besides, even he could tell she wasn’t doing it—she was fighting the pain. But at his prompting, she began taking slow breaths. He watched the readouts on the fetal monitor connected to her. Her contractions were getting more intense.
“Did every f**king woman in the city go into labor today?” she demanded suddenly through clenched teeth, and he had to laugh, though he quickly clamped down on it. A demon could’ve been speaking through her voice. “Is it a full moon?”
“I don’t know. You’re doing awesome. Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?”
It was true, even if she was bathed in sweat and pale with her hair plastered mostly over her face. “I’m gonna throw up.”
“Well, damn, I’m sorry—”
“No, I mean I’m gonna literally freaking throw up, Ian.”
“Oh.” Shit. He made a grab for the wastebasket by her bed, but after she breathed steadily for a few minutes, her wave of nausea passed.
“I can’t believe my mother went through this three times,” she said finally, as her contraction eased. “All for us to be little shits to her at one point or another. She must’ve wanted to slap the crap out of us. Especially Brian.”
“My mom always said there’s a reason I’m an only child. Apparently, I nearly killed her.”
“Great. You’ve probably put some kind of monster baby in me or something.”
“Nah.” He stroked her belly as best he could around her monitor belt. “He or she will be perfect.”
“Do you have any regrets that we didn’t find out the sex?”
“Nope.” It didn’t matter to him in the least. Boy or girl—his only hope was for health and happiness. Besides, the anticipation, the not knowing, was exciting.
The anesthesiologist came shortly after, and Ian helped her through getting a needle in her spine—one of the hardest things he’d ever had to watch in his life. But as she lay back afterward and sighed in absolute relief even when her next contraction was damn near off the chart, he was glad for it. Gabby still didn’t feel well, so her family was gracious enough to retreat to the waiting room.
And finally, as the day advanced into evening, it was time. Ian held her as she pushed, watching in astonishment as his child, their child, came into the world. Cheers went up from the staff. Tiny, pink, wrinkled, perfect…and, after a brief moment during which Ian held his breath, squalling with a strength that made him nearly collapse in relief.
His daughter.
He wasn’t the only one ready to collapse. Gabby’s head rolled onto his shoulder, her chest still heaving from her exertions. She laughed breathlessly, and he wrapped his arms around her. His voice was half strangled with emotion. “You did it, sweetie. I love you so much.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
“Can you see her?” he asked, watching as the nurses…did whatever they did to the poor little angel. If he hadn’t been so near tears, he might have laughed at his tiny daughter’s outraged cry.
“I can. She’s beautiful.”
“Like you.”
It seemed forever before the nurse brought her over and laid her on Gabby’s chest. Ian crawled onto the bed as best he could, arms around them both, staring down at their miraculous little creation. Already, she looked so much like her mom, but he could see a resemblance to some of his own baby pictures too. Her eyes opened and peered at the world around her; she grasped their fingers in turn with surprising strength.
Gabby unwrapped her blanket and touched her miniature, almost transparent toes in wonder. “Oh my God,” she said, tears in her voice. “She’s so perfect. So incredibly perfect.”
Ian placed a gentle kiss on the side of his wife’s damp forehead. Besides his daughter, she was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Then he stroked the baby’s forehead, marveling at the softness of her skin.
“Are we still good with the name?” Gabby asked.
“Lia? I think it fits her. I love it.”
“Me too.” She spoke to the baby in a cooing voice. “Hi, Lia, sweetheart. Mommy loves you.” She turned her head and kissed Ian on the lips. “And Mommy loves Daddy.”
Daddy. Wow. He’d contemplated the moment when he could truly consider himself a father, but nothing, nothing had prepared him for it. The absolute awe and wonder and love and mind-numbing terror.
He couldn’t promise he would never let this little girl down, but he could damn sure promise that nothing would ever, ever hurt her while he had breath in his lungs. Her, or the wonderful woman who’d given him the only thing he’d ever truly wanted in his life.
A family.
It was a rare thing, really, for all of the Rosses to be in the same place at the same time. Holidays and births…that was pretty much it. But Gabby was thankful for each and every time. Especially this one.
She was exhausted, sore, still a little woozy, and her epidural hadn’t worn off yet…and she’d never been happier in her life than she was right now. Snuggling her daughter close in her recovery room while Ian snapped picture after picture—yeah, he’d really taken to the photography thing, and he was a natural at it. He’d taken too many pregnancy portraits of her to ever count.
“Ian! That’s enough.” She laughed when it seemed the sound of the shutter would never stop.
He grinned at her and snapped one more of baby Lia’s sleeping little face. “I can’t help it.”
“But you aren’t in any of them,” Gianna said.
“She’s right,” Gabby told him.
“Here, dude, I got it.” Brian stepped forward and took the camera from Ian. “Get over there.”
They posed as a family, and Brian turned out to be quite the photographer himself. Naturally, he thought himself better than Ian, which resulted in a brief, good-natured cut-down contest that had everyone laughing.
“I’ll return the favor when the time comes,” Ian said, gesturing to Candace. She’d long since sat and put her feet up. Poor thing. Her ankles were so swollen. Gabby could sympathize.
“Let’s hope that’s sooner rather than later,” she said wearily.
“Really?” Kelsey asked. “Today didn’t scare you to death?”
“It doesn’t matter much,” Candace replied, shifting uncomfortably. “It’s happening whether I want it to or not. I’m just ready to get it over with.” Brian moved to her side and stroked her hair. She beamed up at him. “I’m sure it’ll be worth it.”