Page 27 of Now that I Found You
Epilogue
Ellie ~ May
“CALLUM!” I shout from the bathroom in a panic.
“I’m coming!”
I can hear the worry in his voice as he bounds down the hallway toward our room.
The door swings open and his eyes are bright and frantic, whereas mine are full of emotion. I’m on the verge of crying, feeling all the emotions bubbling up inside me.
“You okay, baby?” Callum asks, racing into the room as his eyes look over me.
“Umm… I think my, oh, shit, I think my water just broke.” There’s a mix of uncertainty and awe in my voice.
He stands there for a moment, almost frozen in place as a smile stretches wide over his face. It’s as if it’s finally hitting us all at once, it’s here. The day is finally here.
I expect Callum to kick it into gear, and patiently rush me around the house to grab our bags and get out the door. He takes me by surprise as he steps in closer to me, dropping to his knees on the floor. I can’t help but stare down at him in wonder.
“You ready, sweetheart?”
He presses his hands on either side of my stomach, leaning in and presses a kiss against my round belly.
“I’ve been counting down the days, Callum. I can’t believe it’s happening now.”
Any of the nerves and anxiety I felt a moment ago lessen, just having Callum near me.
“It’s gonna to be okay. I promise I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”
Tears fill the brims of my eyes. Letting out a deep sigh, I breathe out slowly, which isn’t easy to do, trying to hold back the tears as one escapes and streams down the side of my face.
“Don’t cry, baby.” His voice is smooth and reassuring. “You’re too beautiful to cry.”
I run my hands over Callum’s, where they’re pressed lightly against the sides of my tummy.
“Alright, buddy! This is it,” he says to my tummy. “It’s the day we’ve been training for the past several months. Now I know you’re excited, you want to make your debut, but let me get your momma to the hospital safely, then you can rock ‘n roll.”
This has become a regular occurrence for us lately, where he spends time talking to me and our son. He likes to talk to him as if he were here, and I can’t help but love hearing all the stories he tells him.
Callum stands, tangling his fingers in my hair as he presses a kiss against my lips and once more on my forehead.
“You go get your shoes on and grab your purse. I’ll get the bag and meet you at the door.”
I’ve dreamt about this day happening, about seeing Callum’s face the moment we both meet our son. Callum holds my hand the entire way to the hospital. He kisses the back, reassuring me it is all going to be okay.
A lot has changed over the past few months, but in the best way possible. Shortly after we found out we were having a boy, Callum surprised me with a trip back to my hometown, Garwood. He didn’t tell me about it until the day we left. A part of him worried it would set back my progress.
The trip ended up being the best thing for the both of us and our healing. For me, it was an opportunity to show Callum were I was from. I took him by the cemetery where my dad and Grams were both buried. They were the two most important people in my life before I met Callum. They are the reason I had the courage to leave Garwood in the first place and, had that not have happened, I know I wouldn’t have found Callum either.
For a long time, it felt like I was running away from the past but being able to go back there helped me finally see how far I’ve come. I’m so grateful Callum took me on the trip. It gave me a sense of closure I had been searching for.
There was no preparing me for the moment I held my son for the first time. Sitting in the hospital bed as I stare down as his precious face and feel his soft skin against mine, I’m reminded of all the good there is in the world as a feeling of contentment washes over me.
“He has your nose,” Callum whispers, sitting on the edge of the bed with one arm wrapped around me and the other helping cradle our son.
“He does.” I smile, leaning forward to press a kiss against his cheek.
“You want to hold him?” I ask, glancing up at Callum.
