Page 1 of Hades

Harley livedfor the moments of relief after a baby’s first cry, but then her triggering thoughts would creep in and ruin the moment. It never failed.

I wonder if my mother loved me enough to cry when she first held me?

Was my father there when I was born, or was he with his beloved Black Mark Motorcycle Club?

Where was Cati while Mom was in the hospital with me? I hope she wasn’t with Dad…

Oh,Cati…

“It’s a girl,” Harley announced, shaking the thoughts from her head. It was a practice she was all too familiar with as shebeamed at Shayla and handed her crying daughter over before looking at Wade. “Do you want to cut the umbilical cord, dad?”

He grinned with tears in his eyes, which always made Harley choke up. She was a sucker for a father who clearly fell in love with their child at first sight.

With shaky hands, he stepped forward and grabbed the medical grade scissors she held out to him. She clamped the umbilical cord and directed him on where to cut. The look of pride after he did it always choked her up too.

Being a midwife really wasn’t the ideal job for someone so sensitive. Harley fought every single day to remain professional and keep her tears in check.

“Thank you, Harley. Thank you so much,” Shayla murmured while keeping her eyes on her daughter.

Harley took her gloves off and quickly washed her hands as the nurse she had working with her took her position to deliver the placenta and stitch Shayla up. She had a small tear after delivering such a healthy and beautiful baby girl.

Harley loved working at this birthing center because they understood her practice. She was a trained doula and a midwife, which meant she took special care to make sure mom and baby were physically okay as well as mentally and emotionally. While she was completely capable of delivering the placenta and stitching her patients up, she would much rather check in with the mother and then run the standard tests on the baby.

“How are we over here?” Harley asked, giving the newly growing family space to marvel at their baby while still making her support known.

Wade glanced up first and grinned at her. “Perfect. You did so well with her. With both of my girls.”

The compliment brought a fresh wave of tears to Harley’s eyes, but she blinked them away and offered him a warm smileinstead before giving her attention to Shayla. “Shay, how are you, sweetie?”

“Tired, but I don’t think I ever want to sleep again,” she responded as she stared lovingly down at her baby.

Harley’s laugh was a warm one, and the creases of her eyes crinkled as she inched closer, getting a better look at the baby. “What are we thinking? Does she look like a Leah?”

Shayla tore her eyes from the baby and looked up at her husband. He nodded, his smile permanently etched on his face, before she finally gave Harley her attention. “She does. Leah Unique Allington.”

“I’ll write it on the board and let the staff know so they can come with the birth certificate paperwork in a little while. Mind if I take her to make sure she has all her fingers and toes?” Harley joked.

The new parents knew it was a joke too; otherwise, she wouldn’t have made it. She took the comfortability of her patients very seriously. She had done plenty of ultrasounds for them, and they knew Leah was a healthy baby with all her limbs, fingers, and toes.

“Okay, but hurry back with her,” Shayla said begrudgingly.

“I will, sweetie. You need to focus on pushing out that placenta, and dad, remember what we talked about? Skin to skin. As soon as I’m finished with her, you both need to be ready for that. We’ll see if baby Leah here will latch on and eat too. You guys ready for all that?”

They both nodded while Shayla focused on the nurse to push out the placenta, and Wade removed his shirt and sat in the rocking chair next to Shayla’s hospital bed, leaving Harley to tend to Leah.

“Hey, little one.” She cooed her words in a singsong voice as she laid her down on the soft table basinet and cleaned her off before performing the standard tests every newborn should get.“I know, honey. I know. It’s a new world, and it can seem big and scary.” Her voice was light and airy as she smiled down at the fussing baby. “But stay strong, little one. Don’t let the cruelty of the world get you, okay? Promise me.”

She smiled when Leah let out a big yawn before scrunching her little face and wailing as the cold stethoscope hit her chest. Harley talked her through every test, even the pricking of her heel, before she swaddled her in a newborn blanket she bought for all her clients.

By the time she walked back over to the parents, the placenta had been delivered, and they were eagerly waiting for their little girl. She handed her to Shayla and then coached her on how to get Leah to breastfeed. Harley beamed when baby girl latched on easily.

“After you finish breastfeeding, hand her on over to Wade. I think he’s going to explode if he doesn’t get to hold his daughter soon,” Harley mentioned, giving Wade a wink.

Often, fathers were lost in the sauce when it came to birthing a baby, but Harley always planted the seed to the moms that had a man with them that they had help. They didn’t have to do everything on their own, nor was it fair for them to hog the baby. The fathers deserved some time with their children, too, especially the good ones.

Actually, only the good ones.

“Thank you, Harley. You have to go now?” The panic in Shayla’s voice caused Harley’s insides to warm.

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