Whispering Rock (Virgin River #3)(101)

“Nah. It’s going to take a while.”

“But on that movie…?”

“That wasn’t a first baby,” Mel said. “He came out way too easily. First babies take time.”

“How much time?”

“However much they want.” Mel put her fetoscope in her ears, flipped Vanni’s gown up over her belly and listened. She pulled the gown back down and said, “He’s a strong one. He’s going to keep you up nights.”

Paul did his job—brow mopping, hand-holding, encouraging, supporting. It went on for almost an hour and he watched as Vanni got more and more tired and Mel stayed busy getting ready to catch that baby. While Paul supported Vanni he heard Mel say, “Hold it a little longer…right where you feel the pressure…. Okay, take a breath and push again…. Way to go!” Mel spread out the baby towel on the bed, brought her clamps, suction, scissors to the bed. Finally she said, “I think we’re going to hit pay dirt on this next one, Vanni. Make it a good one.”

“Make it a good one, baby,” Paul heard himself say. “Ready, push. Push. Push. Push.”

Mel handed Paul a blanket. “Spread this over Vanni’s tummy, Paul. When the baby is delivered, that’s where he’s going. We’re going to dry him off and then rewrap him in a clean, warm blanket. Okay?”

“Okay,” he said, mesmerized.

Vanni reared up again, pushing. Paul did his job, just as he’d been instructed.

“All right!” Mel said. “We’re almost there! I think the next push is going to do it, Vanni. Here we go now.”

“Okay honey, here we go,” Paul said. In spite of himself, he was leaning forward, watching, wanting to see this baby being born, wanting to be in on this all the way now. He heard the baby cry, heard Mel exclaim happily. He grabbed the blanket, did his job and out of the womb came this mucky, squalling infant. Oh, man, he looked unhappy. “Whoa,” Paul said with a laugh. “He’s pissed!”

Vanni laughed emotionally.

Paul stared in wonder at the new life, astonished by what she’d done. Astonished that he’d been there. Then he remembered—he was supposed to do things. Together, he and Mel dried the baby, and while he was helping with that, he couldn’t help counting fingers and toes. He watched Mel clamp and cut, then he wrapped the baby in a new, dry blanket and carefully lifted him. Vanni was struggling to pull herself up a little bit, trying to get the pillows behind her back. Paul held the baby in one arm, assisted her with the other. Then he knelt beside the bed and watched as Vanni snuggled the baby close, gently kissed his head. And, Paul, not completely conscious, rested his lips against Vanni’s shoulder.

She turned her head and looked into his eyes. Vanni reached up a hand to his face and wiped the tears from his cheeks. Tears he had absolutely no idea were there.

“We’re in business,” Mel said. “Good job. Good, good job.”

Paul was exhausted. He lowered his head to Vanni’s shoulder and just lay there for a moment, trying to imagine what she’d just been through. He felt her fingers in his hair. “Oh, Vanni,” he whispered. He lifted his head. “What you did.”

She started to smile, but then her face seemed to melt into a frown as the tears rose to her eyes and began to run down her cheeks. She looked up at Paul and whispered, “I wish he could see his son.”

Paul brushed at the tears on her cheeks. “He sees him, baby. He’s got the best seat in the house.”

“Yeah,” she said, the tears flowing. “Yeah, I guess.”

Paul slipped his arm under her shoulders and held her to him while she softly cried, and he unconsciously dropped his own tears onto her hair.

“Let’s get that baby on the breast, Vanessa. Redheads are such bleeders.”

“Yeah,” she said, tremulously. “Yeah, got it.” She was pulling at her gown, but it seemed a little stuck and her hands were shaking. Paul gave the gown a tug and up it came, exposing one breast, but he wasn’t noticing it as if it was a breast. It was as if it was just another part of delivering the baby. He helped her position the baby, who was screaming madly. And then suddenly he stopped and started rooting. And bang—he found it. “Ohhh,” Vanni said. “That’s it. Wow.” Then she looked up at Paul and smiled. And the baby suckled, making precious little noises.

He hadn’t noticed that Mel was gone until she returned with a basin of water and set it up on the changing table. She examined Vanni quickly, covered her up again and said, “Okay, let me get this guy cleaned up for a viewing. How you doing, Vanni?”

“Okay,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “I’m okay.”

Paul kissed her forehead. “You’re amazing, Vanessa.”

“You, too,” she whispered, and closed her eyes.

He stayed on his knees beside her bed while Mel took the baby, and for the entire time she washed him, Paul watched Vanni’s face as she slowly drifted into exhausted sleep. He gently kissed the tears from her cheeks. A few minutes later Mel touched his shoulder. She was holding a bundled baby and said, “Here you go. Take him to his grandfather and uncle. I’ll put this room and Mom right.”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely,” she said, handing him over. “You earned the right.”