Page 33 of Mob Boss Daddy

“She’s in her room. She preferred pizza over steak and lobster so I ordered one for her.”

“You’re letting her eat in her room?”

“She’s growing up. I feel like she can be trusted to clean up after herself. How are you feeling today, sweetheart? How’s my boy?”

“We’re both fine but we’re also more than ready to get this pregnancy over with. Little Joshua Jameson is using my bladder as a step stool.”

“It’ll be over and we’ll be working on the next one before you know it.”

“Next one?”

“I mean, after you’ve had time to recover and adjust of course.”

“I can’t wait to be a mother, but most of all, I can’t wait to be Joshua’s mother.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s yours. I’m so proud to be having your baby.”

The cook, Daniel, arrives with our dinner. Jack insisted that we hire him when we found out I was pregnant. In addition to being a superb chef, Daniel is also a nutritionist. It looks and smells delicious, but as I lift my fork, I feel a discomfort in my lower belly.

“Is everything alright?” Jack asks.

“I don’t know. I just got a weird feeling…” I place my hand on my stomach and feel it tighten.

“Take a deep breath and relax for a second.” Jack takes my hand. “Baby, your hand is kind of clammy.”

“Oh, Jesus. It can’t be time, can it?”

“It’s a little early but we aren’t taking any chances. I guess dinner is off.” Jack pulls out my chair and lifts me back into his arms. He brings me inside and sets me down on the sofa. “You stay here. I’ll go get your bag. We’re going to the hospital.”

As I sit here alone in the darkness, I realize I may have been having small contractions for a while now. I just thought I was hungry. I never even considered it could be the baby.

Jack returns with my bag and says, “I told Macy we were going. I’ll bring the car around. Hang on.” He’s so calm and collected that it puts me at ease. This is his first time, too, but the way he moves makes it seem like he’s an old pro at this.

He returns to help me off the sofa and take me to the car. As we take the short drive to the hospital, I feel my contractions getting closer and closer. This is it. These are the last hours of this pregnancy.

“I love you, Daddy,” I whisper.

“I know, baby girl. I love you, too. Everything is going to be alright. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you. You’ve already been such a wonderful mother to my boy. He’s the luckiest kid in the world to have you.”

“Thank you. Thank you for giving me the chance to be his mother. This life that you’ve given me is more than I could have ever dreamed.”

* * *

After just threehours of labor and delivery, little Joshua Jameson enters the world and he’s perfect in every way.

Jack is there to see him make his way into the world and take his first breath. He holds my hand the entire time, never leaving my side. He feeds me words of encouragement like candy, and they keep me pushing even when I want to give up.

I can see the look of concern on his face, and I know he’s worried about me, but he doesn’t stop encouraging me until little Joshua comes into the world. Jack smiles so widely that it brightens the room and brings tears to my eyes.

“You did it, baby girl. He’s here. I’m so proud of you. I love you,” he says as he wipes the sweat from my brow.

“I love you too, Daddy. How does he look?”

“He’s an angel just like his mother.”

They wheel me to my room and the exhaustion takes hold. I don’t know how long I’ve been sleeping, but I wake up to the most amazing sight. Jack is seated in the rocking chair beside my bed, holding our son in his arms.

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