Page 64 of Say I'm Yours, Firecracker

My mom bombarded me with questions as I greeted everyone. Her dark brown hair was up in a top knot on her head, no fly aways to be seen. Her makeup was perfect, always put together.

“Mom, calm down.” I heard my sister say from behind me. I was starting to worry her and Benny wouldn’t make it in time.

My sister and I looked a lot alike, I guess that happens when you’re born only eighteen months apart from each other. Her dark hair and dark eyes met mine before she crushed me in a hug. Benny, her husband, and one of my best friends, slapped me on the back before prying his wife off me.

“How is the baby?” She asked.

“He’s perfect.” My cheeks hurt from smiling so fucking much, and I was starting to get antsy. “I’m going to go back, I just wanted y’all to know it may be a few hours until you can meet him.” I searched the room for my girl's curly headed best friend. “Bellamy, you coming?”

I found her standing by Billy. He was basically a second father to Ronnie and Bellamy. He held my eyes and tilted his head my way in congratulations as Bellamy made her way toward me.

The nurse took my vitals and gave me some pain medicine, her hands were cold, so when she reached for Atlas I instinctively pulled him back. The nurse just smiled and assured me she wasn’t going to take him. She just wanted to get his tag situated, so no one but Finn or I could leave the hospital with him.

I didn’t even see the little blue tag in her hands until she wrapped it around his foot and clipped the extra off so it didn’t flop around.

“You will have to let us take him to get circumcised, if that’s what you and the father have chosen.”

I didn’t even think about that. The thought of a doctor snipping skin off my child had my monitor going wild. Finn and Bellamy walked in right when the monitor started to chirp.

“Ronnie?” I heard his deep voice start, “What’s going on?”

The nurse pulled him aside while Bellamy walked towards the bed. I figured they would move me soon, out of a birthing suite and into a normal room to be monitored overnight. But they hadn’t mentioned it yet, and I wasn’t going to complain.

“What’s wrong?” My best friend asked, her smile faltering when her eyes met mine.

“They have to take him to get circumcised.” I almost wailed. I didn’t want to think of the pain it would cause him. God, I felt like I was already failing as a mother.

Bellamy stood there, with her arms crossed and her grouchy face on. “Have to?”

“Well, they don’t have to. But isn’t it the right thing to do?”

She sighed. “The right thing is whatever you think is best for him, Ronnie. Not what the hospital tells you is normally done.”

I nodded, my eyes gravitating towards Finn. He had his head down listening to whatever the nurse was telling him intently. He lifted his head and smiled when he caught me staring. The nurse patted his arm and walked out.

“We have a few decisions to make, I hear.” His eyes moved over my face before settling on our little bean. “I think we should hear everything Ashton has to say before making a decision.”

My mouth dropped open to reply, but honestly, it felt like the right thing to do. To be informed at least. I nodded and Bellamy nudged my arm, silently asking to hold Atlas.

I shifted him into her arms, watching as my best friend melted like she’d never melted before. Atlas made a little squeal of protest before settling into the crook of her arms, and Finn was behind her in a second, hovering over Bell as if she’d hurt him.

“Back up, Behemoth, before I show your son how much of a loser you are.”

I laughed, it hurt, and something peculiar flowed out of my unmentionables. I froze in horror, trying to think of all the possible scenarios that could play out.

“Hey, Hey.” Finn said, crossing in front of Bellamy to kneel at my side. “What’s wrong?” His eyes were unguarded, patient, and open. A lot like how I remember him the morning we woke up from our first night together, wrapped in each other's bodies.

“I, I don’t know.” Could you bleed out after birth? I think I remember reading that somewhere.

“Tell me what's going on Ronnie, I can’t fix it if you don’t.”

“Something...” I pointed towards the ugly mesh panties the nurse put on me after birth. Whispering only to Finn I said, “I…gushed.”

Finn blanched, “You’re bleeding?”

“Finn!” I whimpered. Feeling panic and anger rising in one fluid build. “What if I’m dying? Bleeding out while I only just met him!”

“Ronnie. It’s okay, remember the doctor said bleeding is normal after birth? She said you’ll most likely bleed for a few weeks.”

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