Page 102 of Certified Pressure 4
Aunt Treasure nodded and told Pluto to lay back. She pulled on her gloves, talkin’ softly the whole time to keep Pluto calm. Then she checked her cervix and looked up at me with a small smile. “She’s four centimeters dilated.”
My stomach flipped. I looked at Pluto, her eyes half-closed, her face glistenin’ with sweat, and I swear I felt the same rush I felt when Prestyn was born. My heart was poundin’ but in the best way.
“Four centimeters,” I repeated. “A’ight. We on our way.”
I took Pluto’s hand, kissed it, then kissed her forehead. “You hear that, baby? We almost there.”
She gave me a weak smile, whisperin’ that she was tired, and I brushed her hair back from her face. “I know. But you strong. You the strongest woman I know, and I’m right here with you. Ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
As aunt Treasure started settin’ up everything, I stayed close. I brought Pluto ice, rubbed her belly and helped her breathe through every contraction. I ain’t care how long it took. My son was on the way.
Time was passin’ and my damn nerves was all over the place. I was tryna stay calm, but it felt like my chest was beatin’ from the inside out. My wife was in pain, sweatin’ and breathin’ heavy, and all I could do was be right there. I ain’t never felt so helpless but proud at the same time. Every few minutes I looked over at her, whisper somethin’ soft to calm her down, and she’d nod, tryna keep her focus.
My mama was right by her side, holdin’ her hand and whisperin’ in her ear, tellin’ her how good she was doin’. Aunt Treasure was movin’ around the room, checkin’ things, and givin’ out instructions. The whole room felt charged. I couldn’t help but pace back and forth, my mind bouncin’ between excitement and fear. Every now and then I stepped out the room for a quick second just to go down the hall where the nannies had Prestyn and Zurie. Both of ‘em was sleep, peaceful and innocent, not even knowin’ their baby brother was on the way.
When I walked back in, Pluto was holdin’ on to my mama’s hand tighter. Her face was glistenin’ with sweat, and she looked tired but determined. I wiped her forehead with a towel and kissed her temple. “You got this, baby. You got it,” I told her.
She nodded weakly, her breath comin’ in short, quick pulls. Aunt Treasure knelt down to check her cervix again, then looked up with a proud smile. “She’s eight centimeters. We almost there,” she said.
My heart jumped.Almost there. That meant my son was almost here. I rubbed Pluto’s leg and whispered, “You hear that, baby? You almost done. You doin’ so damn good.”
She smiled a lil’, even through the pain. “It hurt, Pressure,” she mumbled.
“I know it do, my love, but you strong. You stronger than you think. I’m right here with you.”
Time moved slow after that. The clock on the wall kept tickin’, but it felt like the longest hours of my life. I watchedher breathe through every contraction, her body tremblin’ with effort. Aunt Treasure kept encouragin’ her, Mama kept holdin’ her hand, and I just stayed right there, rubbin’ her leg, kissin’ her hand, whisperin’ anything that might help her keep goin’.
After what felt like forever, Aunt Treasure checked again and said the words that made my chest tighten. “She’s ready. It’s time.”
Mama looked at me with tears in her eyes, and nodded. “It’s time, son.”
I swallowed hard, movin’ closer. Pluto was cryin’ but still pushin’ through. Aunt Treasure told her she was gonna help her stand, and they lifted her up gentle. She guided Pluto to squat, sayin’ it was gon’ help the baby come down easier. I got behind her, supportin’ her back while she leaned forward, breathin’ heavy.
“Okay, baby, I need you to push,” Aunt Treasure said calm but firm.
Pluto pushed, her whole body shakin’. She cried out, and Mama wiped her tears, tellin’ her she was almost there. I kissed the side of her face, whisperin’ how proud I was, and how beautiful she looked even right now, sweatin’ and cryin’ and fightin’ for our baby.
“Push again, Pluto,” Aunt Treasure said.
She did, screamin’ this time, her voice breakin’ from the effort. I rubbed her shoulders and whispered, “That’s my wife. That’s my woman. You doin’ it, baby.”
Her hands reached for mine, squeezin’ tight. She was so strong. So damn strong. I looked down, and that’s when I saw my baby. The top of his lil’ head peekin’ through, covered in a head full of dark hair. My heart almost stopped.
“He got hair,” I said, my voice crackin’.
Aunt Treasure smiled. “He almost here. One more big push, Pluto. Come on, baby girl.”
Pluto clenched her eyes shut and pushed one last time, her whole body tremblin’ with it. I moved down just in time, my hands reachin’ out. And then, right there, my son slipped into my arms. My own hands caught him.
For a second, time froze. He was warm and slippery and so small, but the second I held him, everything around me disappeared. Aunt Treasure cleared his lungs, and then that cry came. It was loud, strong, and perfect.
The sound hit me hard. Tears filled my eyes before I could stop ‘em. My wife collapsed back against me, breathin’ heavy and cryin’ too. Mama was cryin’, Aunt Treasure was smilin’, and my whole world was right there in my arms.
“Look at him,” I whispered, my voice shakin’.
Pluto’s eyes found mine. “You caught him,” she whispered, her voice full of disbelief and love.
I nodded, kissin’ her forehead, then lookin’ down at our son. “Yeah, baby. I caught our son.”
