Sincerely, The Puck Bunny (Totally Pucked #2)(30)

Another contraction hits, and Maddison grits her teeth, pulling on my hand, and gripping the hospital bed with her free hand.

“Alright Maddison, I think this will be the last push. I need you to take a deep breath in and push as hard as you possibly can.”

Maddison nods, a fresh set of tears falling down her cheeks. I quickly swipe them away, not worried about her punching me since she’s currently indisposed.

I’m still in utter shock that I even ran into her and that all of this is unfolding before my eyes, after how long I searched for her. All by happenstance, a stroke of luck, and fuck knows I don’t have much of that. It seems like… fate. I can’t believe how incredible she is. I’m in awe of her strength, fuck, I can’t believe she did all of this alone for nine months.

I can’t hardly wrap my head around all of it. Everything’s happening so quickly, but what I do know is that I want Maddison more than ever, I want our daughter, I want this and everything that comes with it.

I don’t even know what this is, but I want it. Whatever it is if it gives me them.

“That’s it!” the doctor exclaims, “she’s here!” I glance down and see him lifting up a tiny, gunky baby in his arms, a long cord still attached to her belly button, connecting her to Maddison. She’s covered in a sheen of white… stuff, and blood, but even from where I’m standing, I can see the light dusk of her blonde hair.

Nothing prepared me for this moment.

Nothing.

I feel tears well in my eyes before I can even get a full grasp on what’s happening, the fact that this is my… daughter. I look down at Maddison, who’s sobbing as the doctor brings the baby to her chest and places her directly on her. Skin to skin, she sobs as she holds our precious baby girl.

My chest swells with pride and an overwhelming sense of… adoration. The need to protect them both.

“Congratulations, she is beautiful. Dad… would you like to do the honor of cutting the umbilical cord?”

I swallow thickly, suddenly aware that I’m nodding. He hands me a pair of shiny scissors that are bigger than my hand with huge, thick, “o” curved blades, where the normal blades would be.

The second the cold steel hits my hand and the doctor holds up the bloody, blueish purple umbilical cord, the floor gives way and everything goes black.





Eleven





“Mr. Wilson? Can you hear me? Mr. Wilson?”

The voice sounds far away, yet so close at the same time.

I try and crack my eyes open, but they feel so heavy. Really, everything feels burdensome. Somehow, I manage to open one of my eyes, and immediately close it when a blinding fluorescent light is the first thing I see.

“Hi, Mr. Wilson, my name is Sarah. Can you hear me?”

I open my eyes again and realize there’s an older woman with curly gray hair leaning over me, blocking the bright florescent light. She’s holding a small vial in her hands, and then realization hits me like a Mack truck.

Shit! I passed out when I went to cut the cord. I sit upright abruptly then try and open my eyes, watching as the room around me spins in a 360 motion.

“Hey, take it easy. You passed out and your body needs a moment to adjust.”

“Where is Maddison? My daughter…” I trail off, rubbing circles on my temple, trying to find my bearings and get up.

Fuck, I feel like the biggest pussy on the planet.

“Well, if you must know, lots of men are unequipped for birth, which makes the most sense since their strong and resilient wives are the ones who actually give birth.”

I look up at her and she presses her lips in a thin, unamused line.

“I didn’t realize I said that out loud, sorry. My head’s still fucked up, sorry, I mean messed up.”

She nods. “Here, let me help you up. I think there’s someone you need to meet.”

With Sarah’s help, I manage to get off the cold linoleum of the hospital floor and stand upright, swaying momentarily.

“Sorry about that. I’m apparently not good with blood and…”

“Amniotic fluid,” she says simply.

I shudder as the image flashes in my brain. “Yep, that. Can I see them?”

She nods. “Follow me.”

Leading me out of the empty hospital room, we walk down a quiet hallway to the very end, where the last door to the right is open.

“I think she’s sleeping, but here you are.” Sarah gestures into the room, and I walk inside.

The first thing I see is the tiny little angel bundled in a light pink blanket that Maddison has in the crook of her arm. Her eyes lift to meet mine, and the air around us stills.

She’s holding my daughter.

The pink blanket bundled around her matches the light pink bow that is on the white hat on her head.

“Briggs,” Maddison says quietly. She looks utterly exhausted. There are dark bags under her tired eyes, but she still gives me a small smile.

“Wow,” I say dumbly. Words escape me. I don’t even know what to say right now.

She laughs quietly, glancing down at our daughter. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?”

Somehow my feet carry me closer, and when I’m standing right next to the bed, I can finally see her up close. She’s so tiny, with rosy, red cheeks, and her little lips are making sucking motions as she sleeps soundly in Maddison’s arms.