Presently Perfect (Perfect #3) (49 page)

I was in the nursery putting the final touches on the manly projects that involved nails, hammering, and electric tools. Standing on the ladder, I hung the last sage green curtain that matched the large rug covering the dark hardwood floors. I never even knew sage was a color until Tweet schooled me the day I referred to it as just green. I was learning an awful lot about girly things I never knew existed. Looking down at the room from the ladder, I admired all of the work it took to pull this off. Tweet had outdone herself.

The theme was little birds. I loved that she took the nickname I’d given her when we were kids and used it as inspiration for our daughter’s first room. Tweet asked Emily to use her artistic ability to create a mural on one of the pale yellow walls. My little girl would be staring up at red, orange, and gold leaves blowing from the tree across her wall, as a variety of pink, blue, and red birds, plus one owl, perched on branches and flew overhead. The white staggered shelves I’d hung housed all kinds of children’s books as well as just the right amount of stuffed animals.

“Tweet, can you come in here and give me a hand with this?!”

Appearing in the doorway, she said, “What’cha need?”

“I dropped a nail. I think it fell in the baby cabana.”

Chuckling, she walked farther into the room. “Noah, it’s a bassinet.”

“That’s what I meant. Would you mind looking for the nail?”

My gaze stuck to Tweet like glue, nervous of her reaction. Placing her hand inside the bassinet, she felt all around, then froze. Slowly straightening, she held up the small black velvet box. I climbed down from the ladder and tentatively walked toward her. Our eyes locked.

“Tweet…”

“Noah, we’ve already discussed this.”

Medical expenses were an ongoing issue. Even before the relapse, there were still follow-up exams and tests Tweet had to go through. We had decided along with her parents that it was best for her to stay on her father’s insurance until the cut off age of twenty-six. Any insurance I was able to provide wouldn’t have come close to matching his and with a pre-existing clause, it was doubtful her cancer would be covered until after a certain timeframe. I hated the situation. It made me feel less of a man, not to be able to provide everything she needed. Since we found out the cancer had returned, my desire to make Tweet my wife had consumed me. I wanted us to be officially husband and wife in everyone’s eyes.

“Please Tweet, will you…”

“Don’t ask me that question, Noah. Not now.”

“Then when? When can I fucking ask you?”

“When you don’t think I’m going to die!”

“I’ve loved you forever and have wanted you to be my wife for as long as I’ve known the definition. How can you think otherwise?”

“I want you to propose when we know there’s a future, not because you want to give me your name before you bury me.”

“You piss me off so much sometimes.” I snatched the box from her hand, as I’d done countless times before, and turned toward the ladder.

“Noah, look at me.” I spun around. “You don’t have to give me an entire lifetime in a few short months.”

“I know, but… I want you and Halle to have my last name.”

“Halle will have your last name.”

“And you?”

“I will someday, just not today.”

My frustration and aggravation subsided the longer I stared at her. Tweet and I didn’t have time to waste on being angry. And frankly, there was never an issue more important than spending time showing how much we loved each other.

“If you still won’t let me ask when that someday comes, just know, I’m gonna kick your ass.”

“I’d rather a thorough spanking.”

“Is it beyond perverted that I want to take you right here on the floor of our daughter’s nursery?”

“It’s time.”

A sharp jab hit the side of my ribs.

“What?” I yawned, stretching out my arms and legs.

Tweet and I were spending a lazy Sunday lying on the sofa watching every chick flick known to man. She had been having mild contractions since we woke up this morning. Talking with the doctor, she assured us that this could go on for a few days and was perfectly normal. I dozed off during the umpteenth Drew Barrymore movie.

“Time.” Tweet squeaked.

Looking at my watch, I yawned again. “It’s 4:15.”

“Not
the
time.
It’s
time!”

Shit!

I bolted upright, twisting toward Tweet. “It’s time?”

She nodded, a smile playing across her lips.

My eyes grew three times their original size. “It’s really time? But the contractions are so far apart.”

“They’ve been getting closer the last hour while you were sleeping. I called the doctor and she said to come to the hospital,” Tweet said.

My gaze dropped to her bump and then shot back up to her eyes. “Why the hell didn’t you wake me up?”

“Noah, can we discuss this later, like after I’ve given birth?” she snapped.

I jumped up from the sofa and took one step forward before spinning back around, crashing my lips into hers.

“I love you, Tweet.”

“I love you, Noah.”

I went in for one more kiss before running to our bedroom to grab the overnight bag we had packed. I sprinted back to Tweet. Extending my hand, she placed hers in mine. I helped her off the sofa and into the car. We were using Tweet’s Volkswagen Beetle since trying to get her into my truck nine months pregnant was not a pretty sight.

Tweet pulled out her phone and sent texts to her parents, my mom, and Emily letting them know we were on the way to the hospital. Glancing over at her, I smiled with the thought that we were about to share another
first.

“I’ve shared all my firsts with you.”

“You’re the first girl I’ve ever noticed and the last girl I will ever notice.”

“My first kiss was the greatest first kiss in the history of first kisses, because it was with you.”

A nurse and wheelchair were waiting for Tweet as we walked through the door of the hospital. Rolling down the hallway, we passed the waiting room where our family had already arrived. Mrs. Kelly, Emily, and Mom all stood, their faces lit up with bright smiles and happy tears. Mr. Kelly was already nervously pacing in front of the window. As the nurse led us down the hall, Tweet held up one hand, waving at the soon-to-be aunt and grandparents.

Once in the room, I was relegated to the corner of
absolutely no use
, while the pit crew of nurses got Tweet settled. As they were hooking her up to various monitors, beautiful watery teal eyes looked over at me.

“I’ll always take care of you and make sure you have candy, Tweet.”

“Chocolate cake takes the hurt away and makes everything better.”

“Mr. Stewart.” The sound of the nurse’s voice brought me out of my memories.

“Yes?”

“You can go be with your wife now.”

“Thank you.”

I walked over to Tweet, scooting the chair as close to the bed as it would go.

“How ya feeling, wife?”

Narrowing her eyes, Tweet pursed her lips.

My hand reached over, brushing away the piece of hair that grazed her cheek.

I leaned in, placing a soft kiss on her lips. “You look beautiful.”

Her chin had a slight tremble. “You are so incredible to me.”

Suddenly, she bolted upright, her jaw dropped and her eyes popped wide open.

Grabbing my hand she squeezed… hard. “Oooh! It hurts!”

“Try to relax, Tweet.”

“I can’t!”

“Breathe.” I demonstrated by blowing out quick short spurts of air like they taught us in class.

Her gaze nailed me to my spot. “I know how to breathe, Noah!”

Damn!

She blew out air until the pain subsided. Her grip loosened around my numb hand as her body relaxed back into the bed.

I shook my hand, trying to get blood and sensation flowing again. “Feel better?”

“I love you so much, Noah.”

For the next ten hours our family, the doctor, as well as nurses drifted in and out of the delivery room. I spent the time being a human stress ball, letting Tweet grab and squeeze any part of me while she suffered through stronger contractions. The doctor and nurses kept reassuring us that everything was going great, slow, but that was expected with a first pregnancy. Mom, Mrs. Kelly, and Emily all offered to take my place for a while to give me a break. None of them were surprised when I turned them down. Nothing and no one was going to separate me from my girl.

“You’ve always been my girl and always will be. No one will ever take me away from you, Tweet. You’re my heart and soul and that’s never going to change…”

“You do have me. Every part of me. You always have.”

When we hit hour twelve and still no Halle, I told the family to go home and that I would call them when things got moving. Of course, none of them left, opting to stay camped out in the waiting room. All the activity outside the delivery room had quieted and the sun had gone down. Tweet was so exhausted that once they gave her the epidural she fell asleep. I was sitting in the same position I had been for the better part of a day. My hand was lying over her forearm, my thumb slowly moving back and forth over her skin. While I enjoyed the view and feel of my girl, a light drifted in the room from the doorway. As our doctor walked in, I gave her a tired smile.

Checking Tweet’s monitors, she glanced over at me and said, “How you holding up, Dad?”

“Hanging in there.”

“You’re doing great.” She patted Tweet’s shoulder. “Amanda.”

Beautiful sleepy teal eyes blinked open.

“How are you feeling?” The doctor smiled.

“Tired.”

“I’m going to check to see if you’ve dilated anymore.”

The doctor snapped on the latex gloves and moved to the foot of the bed. Picking up Tweet’s hand, I placed a kiss in the palm and held eye contact while she was being examined.

“Well folks, how about we meet this little girl now.”

“Really?” Tweet and I said in unison, our gaze shooting toward the doctor.

From that point everything happened in a blurry whirlwind. Before my brain could catch up, I was standing at the head of the bed, coaching Tweet as she continued to bear down and push.

“Okay Amanda, you need to push a little harder.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“You can do this, Tweet,” I said against the side of her head.

“Noah, I’m so tired.”

“I know, Baby. All we need to do is push hard a couple of more times.”

“What’s this
we
shit?” Tweet snapped.

“There’s the smartass mouth I love.” I placed a kiss on her lips and then looked directly into her eyes. “Let’s do this.”

Tweet drew in a deep breath and held it, as I helped her sit upright.

“Push, Amanda. You’re doing great,” the doctor said.

The room filled with Tweet’s guttural screams, her face turning every shade of red that existed.

“Rest,” the doctor ordered.

I lowered Tweet back onto the bed.

“You’re doing amazing. You’re incredible. I love you.”

“Noah, I can’t do anymore,” she sobbed.

“Yes you can. You’re the strongest person I know. We’re going to meet our baby today, Tweet.”

“Okay, Amanda. One more good hard push.”

We repeated the same process as a few minutes earlier. Tweet let out a blood-curdling scream.

“Fantastic, Amanda. Dad, come down here right now so you can watch your daughter come into the world.”

Tweet and I held each other’s gaze, our hands staying connected until the last possible second as I moved to the foot of the bed.

The feeling of watching my daughter being born was overwhelming and indescribable. I was in awe as the top of her head first came into view. I gasped, trying to keep it together. Then in a flash, she appeared. My knees buckled slightly as a sob shoved the breath right out of me. She was an actual person living in this world. I recognized her nose, cheeks, and lips, they were exactly like her mom’s. She had my eyes and her hair was dark like both of us. Our daughter was exquisite and perfect.

“You’re my heart and soul and that will never change.”

“Congratulations. Dad, you want to do the honors?” The doctor handed me a pair of forceps.

I flexed my fingers a couple of times before taking them. I thought I’d be nervous cutting the umbilical cord, but it felt like the most natural thing in the world. The doctor handed Halle off to the waiting nurse, who wrapped her in a towel and handed her to me. I couldn’t stop the tears. Thank God Travis wasn’t here. I’d never hear the end of it. My heart swelled with overwhelming love and pride when Halle was placed in my arms.

“Noah, how is she?”

I walked my daughter over to her mom, placing her on Tweet’s chest.

“She’s incredible.”

Tears poured out of Tweet as she held Halle.

“I love you so much, Tweet. Thank you for giving me Halle.”

My kiss started on Tweet’s forehead, then traveled down her face, to her lips.