Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 80969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
River cups my chin, turning my eyes to his. “You can do this, Red. You’ve endured way worse than this and walked out the other side.”
“No …” I cry. “I can’t … it hurts too much. I can’t take it.”
“Is there anything you can give her to ease the pain?” River asks Hope.
“I’m sorry.” She shakes her head. “It’s too late, Carrie. Your baby’s crowning. I can see the top of the head. What I need you to do right now is give me one real big push.”
Both my feet are wedged up against the inside of the car. Legs akimbo. My dignity went the moment this baby decided to make an early appearance.
River’s eyes fix back on mine. “You can do this because you have to. Olive needs you to push. She needs your help getting out into the world. So, you need to dig deep and do whatever you need to do to get through this.”
You can do this, Carrie.
You can.
“ARGH!” I scream, giving one big push.
“That’s it,” Hope says supportively. “Just keep pushing.”
“That’s it, Carrie. Keep going.”
“FUCKING HELL!” I scream. Channeling River in this moment, I let every curse word I can possibly think of rip. “HOLY MOTHERFUCKING CUNT OF A FUCKING PAINFUL BASTARD!”
“Woohoo!” River hoots. “That’s my girl! Keep it going!”
“JESUS HAROLD CHRIST!”
“And the shoulders are out!” Hope beams up at me. “Just one more big push, Carrie, and you’re done, all done.”
“One more,” I pant, exhausted, my body sagging against River’s.
“You heard the lady. One more push, and we can finally meet Olive.”
We.
On that thought, I pull in every bit of strength I have left. Teeth gritted, I push as hard as I can, screaming out through the pain, “FUUUCK!”
And then I hear the single sweetest sound in the world.
My baby crying.
“You’ve got a baby girl!” Hope beams, handing my baby over to me, laying her onto my chest.
My baby girl.
I have a daughter.
A daughter.
I stare down at the tiny head covered in a mass of pale blonde hair, and a wave of love like nothing I’ve ever felt before washes over me. I shift her tiny body a touch, so I can see her face for the first time. I gaze down at her.
God, she’s beautiful. Perfect.
Curious dark blue eyes stare back at me.
I press a gentle kiss to her soft cheek. “I’m your mama,” I whisper to her.
“She’s beautiful, Carrie.”
I glance up at River, who is staring down at her with awe and adoration and wonderment.
His eyes move to mine. “She looks just like you.”
I look back to my daughter. “You think?”
“Definitely.” He presses a sweet kiss to my forehead. “You did amazing, Carrie.”
Maybe it’s the overwhelming emotion of the moment or maybe just a simple need, but I lift my mouth up and press a soft kiss to his lips.
I start to move away, but his hand cups my cheek, bringing me back to his mouth.
He kisses me softly, tenderly. Gently sucking on my lower lip.
I pull back from the kiss and look into his eyes. He tenderly tucks my hair behind my ear. His eyes on mine.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“For what?”
“For being here. For being you,” I repeat the words he said to me the night we learned to trust each other.
“Couple of minutes, guys”—Hope reappears, pulling my attention to her—“and then we’ll be moving mama and baby into the ambulance and taking you both to the hospital.”
I notice a blanket now covering my lower half. I didn’t even realize that Hope had covered me up. I was too busy loving on my baby and the man sitting behind me.
“Can I come in the ambulance with them?” River asks. “If that’s okay with you?” he checks with me.
“I’d like that,” I tell him.
“So, do we have a name for this little beauty yet?” Hope asks me.
I stare at her for a long moment and then down at my daughter, a smile falling onto my lips. “I didn’t. But I do now.”
Carrie
Hope Olive Ford is the single most perfect human being ever.
And I’m not just saying that because I’m her mom. It’s the truth.
She’s amazing.
She’s been on this earth for two months, and they have been the best months of my whole entire life.
Tiring. But the best.
I honestly don’t remember life before her.
That could be because I’m exhausted.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I always thought that, if I could go back in time to the moment when I met Neil, I would run in the opposite direction. But, now … with Hope here, I know that, if given that chance, I would do it all again. Suffer all the pain and humiliation and anguish because it would mean that I got to have her. And she is everything.
I hate Neil for everything, except for her. She is the one thing that I am thankful to him for.