Page 99 of Lilly
Fuck knowshow I got here in one piece or without being pulled over. The second I saw Declan’s name on my screen, I was running for the car. I just knew it was happening. I told her not to fuckinggo.
I pull the car into an empty disabled space outside the maternity ward and run as fast as I can while taking in the signs for the rightway.
A midwife or nurse or someone points me in the right direction for Lilly when I briefly stop at reception. She can obviously tell I’m in a rush from the look ofme.
I just swing the door to the room open as I hear the midwife say, “That’s it, Lilly. One big push.” I’m frozen to the spot as I take in the sight in front ofme.
“Lucas,” Dec shouts. When I look up, I see that he’s in almost as much of a panic as I am. “For fuck’s sake, comehere.”
My legs do as he says, although my brain iselsewhere.
I’m about to become afather.
I take over Dec’s position as Lilly grunts and groans. I look up at her and I think I fall in love with her all over again. Her hair is matted all around her head with strands stuck to her sweaty skin. Her face is red and covered in sweat. Her eyes are closed as she focuses on pushing. I don’t think she’s even aware I’mhere.
Seconds later, I hear the words I never thought I’dhear.
“Congratulations, you’ve got adaughter.”
There’s a few seconds of silence before a tiny cry fills the room. I look over to the midwife, who’s holding this tiny person in her arms before she passes her to Lilly, whose eyes are now wide and filled withtears.
“Dad, would you like to cut thecord?”
“Uh—” I start as I pull my eyes away from my wife and daughter. I’ve read all about this, but right now, everything I’ve ever learnt has gone as I stand and stare at this littleperson.
“Lucas?” Nicoleprompts.
“Yes,sorry.”
The midwife tells me what to do and I follow her instructions exactly. Once the cord is cut, I turn my eyes back to the most precious people in mylife.
It’s not until I put my hand over Lilly’s on our daughter’s back that she looks up and registers that I’mthere.
“You made it,” she says as her first teardrops.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Lilly. You didamazing.”
“You weren’t here; how can you saythat?”
“Because she’s perfect, just like hermummy.”
After a few minutes, the midwife takes my daughter from Lilly to get her cleaned up, checked over andweighed.
“Are you ready for number two?” the other midwife in the room asks just Lilly lets out groan. “I’ll take that as ayes.”
I briefly look around and see that both Declan and Nicole havedisappeared.
“Come on, baby, you can do this. I want to meet myson.”
Lilly was incredible. I want to say that I helped, but I think I pretty much stood there gawping as my son was born. It was the most amazing and surrealexperience.
Although both babies are a good size for twins at just over 5lbs each, they get whisked off to special care to be checked over properly. I diligently follow them so they’re not alone while the midwives attend to Lilly. She’s so exhausted that I don’t think she even hears me tell her where I’m going, let alone realises that I leave theroom.
I stand in the corner of the room and watch as the nurses check every inch of both babies. I guess they do the technical things I read about, like checking their oxygen levels and that kind of thing, but I’m too busy staring at the perfection that is my children. My daughter has a light dusting of blonde hair and a cute little button nose like her mummy, and my son has dark hair likeme.
I thought I loved Lilly before, but having just watched her deliver my babies into the world has blown away what I felt for her before. Lilly and the two little people in front of me are my life. Fuck all the bad stuff that happened in the past. I have my own family now, and I’m going to show them every day how amazing and important theyare.
The nurses nod me over when they are finished. They explain everything they’ve done and that they’re happy with both of them; they just need to monitor them for a while to make sure they progress and eat as theyshould.
