Page 42 of Return to Cheshire Bay

“It’ll give them something new to talkabout.”

Plus, I really didn’t care. The positionworked wonders on my aching back, until another contraction hit. Irocked back and forth on my hands and knees, moaning, and shaking.When it passed, I put my head back on the towel.

While the sun made its decent toward theedge of the ocean, a couple dozen more contractions controlled mybody and something deep inside changed on the last one.

“Eric?”

“Right here.” But he sounded so far away, asif he were back at the house and I was all alone.

“It’s happening.”

“Here?” His voice cracked. “Okay, noworries. Just breathe. Let’s get back to the house and up to thebed. Willow should be here by now.”

A surge swelled within me, and I rocked backon my hands and knees, but it wasn’t helping. I dropped my buttonto my heels and grunted. “Eric! Eric! Oh no!”

“Oh no, what?”

“He’s… coming.” I gripped Eric’s shirt atthe shoulders and pulled him close, digging my forehead into hispecs. “Eric…” And a strange, involuntary grunt tore out of mythroat.

“Oh, it’s baby time I see.” A friendly voicespoke through my haze and dropped down beside me. “Honey, I’m goingto need to remove…”

Eric moved quickly and stood behind me,holding me under my arms.

An involuntary urge forced my body to pushas Willow lowered my shorts. “Okay, Lily, the baby’s head is righthere. A gentle pant and it’ll all be over. Good work.”

“It’s right there?” Eric asked,repositioning himself to hold me up.

“Lily, go ahead.” Willow folded herself ontoher knees and grabbed something from her bag.

“Oh! Oh!” A scream threatened to tear meapart, but I remembered from a prenatal meeting to channel thatenergy and push it down. A giant grunt consumed me, and a momentlater, my baby was born.

“Congratulations.”

Eric kissed my cheek. “Look at yourbaby.”

I opened my eyes and searched between thebaby’s legs before I pulled him up into my arms and snuggled himagainst my chest, while tears of joy streamed down my cheeks as Itook in my son.

Deep in my heart, I knew instantly what hisname was going to be. Gazing down upon my father’s namesake, Iwhispered his name. “Hi, Henry.”

Willow gathered the towel under me. “Do youfeel you can move back up to the deck?”

I inhaled sharply and nodded, guessing thedistance to be less than twenty feet. Slowly, the four of usshuffled our way to the deck, where I tenderly sat down on a thicktowel. Kissing my son’s sweet head, and with tears still lingeringin my eyes, I looked over at Eric, who knelt beside me. “Thankyou.”

“You did all the work.”

“Thank you for welcoming me home when Ifirst arrived, and for loving me the way you do.” I reached to kisshim. “Thank you for accepting us.”

“I couldn’t dream of loving anyone more.” Hekissed me back and tenderly placed a sweet peck on my baby’shead.

Moving to Cheshire Bay had been the bestdecision I’d ever made. The second best was giving my heart toEric.

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