The Call (Another Love Book 2), page 25
Sam laughed, cocking her head to the side. “Did you honestly just ask your wife if she’s peed herself?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. The baby is pressing on probably everything in there. If you have, it’s okay. I still love you.”
The dull ache in Sam’s back became stronger, sending her upper body forward and bent as she gripped Luciana’s hands tighter.
“Nope. You didn’t pee yourself. This is happening.”
Luciana was panicking. An overwhelming sense of uncertainty rolled through her, sending her blood pressure through the roof. She was almost certain she was sweating profusely—that was never a good look. Everything she had read and everything she had learned at the classes she’d taken with Sam had gone right out of the window. Everything Luciana thought she knew…gone.
“Right. Okay. Let’s do this.” Luciana remained frozen in her spot with Sam still keeled over in front of her. Get a fucking grip, woman. She internally chastised herself, closing her eyes momentarily and breathing with Sam. It was all she could do. She was lost. “Um, what do we do again?”
“You know t-the bag you’ve been rearranging s-since we found out we were pregnant?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, we kinda n-need it now, Luce.”
“Oh, yeah. Bag. Got it.” Luciana attempted to move towards the staircase but stopped. “Wait, I can’t leave you. You could fall or give birth and I wouldn’t be here.”
“Baby, I’m not going to give birth in the next thirty seconds. And I won’t fall. I’m okay.”
This side of Luciana—terrified to within an inch of her life—had to be the most adorable thing Sam had ever witnessed. If she wasn’t already busy trying not to push out their child, Sam would surely pick up her phone and start recording. The seriousness of Luciana fell away and all that remained was a woman who didn’t know which way was up. Yes, it was hilarious.
Luciana came flying back down the stairs, her feet barely touching the floor. “Right, um…”
“You should call the hospital. Tell them we’re on our way up. Even just to check if I need to be there or not.”
“Okay. Maybe we could get you into some fresh clothes before we leave? I’m sure you’d be more comfortable in some clean pants at least.”
And there she was. The woman who Sam needed by her side. “That would be great.”
“Sit down for a second. I’ll be right back.”
Luciana paced the floor outside the entrance to the hospital, her phone in her hand as she tried to reach her mum. She needed some words of encouragement—someone who would tell her everything was going to be perfectly fine and go according to plan. In her heart, it couldn’t be any more perfect, but Luciana was slowly losing the plot the longer she sat around in Sam’s hospital room. Lindsay was with her, the second birthing partner, and she would call Luciana immediately if there were any signs that their child was about to enter the world. By the time they’d reached the hospital, Sam was four centimetres dilated. The midwife chose to keep Sam in, explaining that things were moving along exactly how they should be, and quicker than Sam or Luciana had anticipated.
“Luce, love…”
“Hi, Mum. Just calling with an update.”
“You only texted me ten minutes ago.” Jackie’s voice held an element of amusement; she knew her daughter too well. “If something is on your mind, come out and say it.”
“I can be a good mum, can’t I?” Luciana hadn’t thought about it before now, but what if this all fell apart once their baby arrived? “I mean, I’ll know what to do, won’t I?”
“It all comes naturally, love. And I know better than anyone just how loved yours and Sam’s baby will be.”
Luciana’s smile widened. “Yeah?”
“You’re both wonderful people. The love you have for Sam will only spill over into your child. That baby will be so loved.”
“I hate seeing Sam in pain,” Luciana confessed. “You know, I just want it all to be over.”
“And I’m sure Sam does, too, but this is all a part of the process, Luciana. When the time is right, your baby will come into the world and nothing will ever be the same again. You’ll wonder how either of you ever survived without your son or daughter. Life before won’t make any sense.”
“Thanks, Mum.” Luciana could have done with having her mum around at a time like this, but it was too short notice and Jackie would only panic, rushing from Manchester to be by her daughter’s side. “I’ll call you again if I have any news, okay?”
“When my grandchild arrives, I want you to embrace every second of it. I’ll know when they’re born. Mother’s instinct that her daughter’s life has come full circle.”
Luciana held back the tears in her eyes, smiling. “Mum?”
“Yes, love?”
“I’m leaving the brigade.”
“Does Sam know?” Jackie asked.
“Not yet. I’ve just been thinking about it.”
“And what made you decide?”
“This moment. Knowing I have a child who is going to rely on me being there. I don’t think I can run towards burning buildings anymore, Mum.”
“O…kay.”
“And I know I’ve spent years telling you that nothing is going to happen to me. That I’m perfectly safe doing what I love. But I love my wife and kid more than my career. I’m not willing to risk anything that could take me away from them.”
“Only you know what’s best for you, my love. And I know Sam will stand by any decision you make. You’re a good partnership. Just…enjoy this moment. It’ll be over like a flash, and then you can think about the next step of your life.”
“Thanks, Mum. I knew I could rely on you.”
“Always, sweetheart. Now, go and be with your wife. If that child pops out and you’re not there, that’ll be on your mind for the rest of your life.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I’d be divorced by the end of the week if I wasn’t there with her.” Luciana laughed, feeling dramatically calmer than she did before her call connected with her mum. “Well, I should go. It’s almost time to become a mum.”
“The two most beautiful mums in this world, love. Give Sam a kiss for me.”
“I will. Love you. Bye.”
“Goodbye, Luce.”
Sam rocked back and forth on her heels, her body bent forward over the bed. The sooner this was all over, the sooner she wouldn’t feel as though her insides were being torn out. This pain wasn’t anything like she had anticipated, assuming they would be similar to her cramps every month. This? This was nothing like that. A couple of paracetamol wouldn’t subdue any of this; the internet was a liar. “Luce…”
“What do you need, babe?”
“C-can you rub my back again for me?” Sam braced her arms in front of her, balling her hands into fists and resting her forehead on them. Luciana had been an angel from the moment they arrived at the hospital, doing anything and everything Sam needed. It wasn’t lost on Sam that her wife had recently finished a twelve-hour shift at the station, but she was here being incredibly supportive and very much awake. Possibly more awake than Sam.
Within a second, Luciana was at Sam’s side. The palm of her hand rubbed slowly but firmly against Sam’s lower back, directly above her ass cheeks. She knew that the harder she pressed, the more relief Sam felt. The more attention to detail she could give, the calmer Luciana felt. She didn’t know how they’d made it through this night so far, it was coming up to two in the morning, but Luciana felt more awake and more alive than she ever had. Knowing that they would soon hold a bundle of joy in their arms—one that probably looked strikingly like Sam since she held the dominant features—sleep was the last thing on Luciana’s mind.
During the choosing of the sperm donor stage, Sam made it clear that she wanted their choice to have elements of Luciana’s features. Of course, being dark-haired with deep brown eyes, Sam would always dominate, but Luciana appreciated her wife thinking about the little things.
Sam would carry this child because of her age, but they had no plans to stop at one. If Sam wanted ten kids, Luciana would do everything she could to make that happen. The next would be cooked up by Luciana. Both had been through fertility testing, and thankfully, Luciana would be able to take it from here when the time came for them to decide to try again.
“I-I feel like I need to push.” Sam’s voice held an element of pain, but frustration more than anything. With the nurse in the room monitoring Sam’s and the baby’s vitals, Luciana glanced her way.
“Okay, Sam. Maybe we could get you onto the bed…”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Well, we will give it a go,” Jenny, their nurse, said. “We want you to be as comfortable as possible, but I would really like to examine you before we go any further in terms of pushing.”
“Okay. Yeah.” A tired and weary Sam forced herself onto the bed with the help of Luciana. Lindsay was at her other side, throwing out some words of encouragement whenever she thought she should. So far, Sam had been the epitome of calm, but that could change at any moment. Luciana and Lindsay knew that. Given the condition her sister was in, Lindsay really didn’t want to push any of Sam’s buttons tonight. Not a single one.
“L-Linds,” Sam started, getting herself into the correct position as her nurse gloved up. “Have you called Mum since we got here?”
“I have. She said she would make her way over whenever I gave her the go-ahead.”
“Okay, good.” Sam half-smiled, resting her head back as Jenny’s hand roamed about between her thighs. “Luce, did you call your mum?”
“I did, babe.”
“Is she okay? Does she want to be here?”
“I had thought about asking her to travel down, but you know what she’s like. She’ll panic.”
“No, I know.” Sam squeezed Luciana’s hand, lifting it and pressing her lips to her skin. “How are you? Do you want to sleep for a bit?”
“Sorry, ladies.” Jenny cleared her throat. “No signs of sleeping any time soon. You’re ten centimetres, Sam. If you feel like you need to push…be my guest.”
With those words, Luciana started to second guess herself. Time felt as though it was slowing, so why was her heart rate increasing? Luciana’s face suddenly drained of colour as the realisation hit her. They were about to become parents. She took a seat in the mottled blue, high-back leather chair beside Sam, she had to remain calm. “Y-you’re sure it’s time?”
“Baby’s head came to greet me. It’s time.” Jenny changed her gloves, gowning herself ready for the delivery of their baby.
“Sam…” Luciana exhaled a deep breath, closing her eyes. “T-this is happening, babe. Right now, this is happening.”
“Thank God.”
Lindsay sat quietly in the corner of the room, her eyes trained on the floor as Jenny allowed Sam to get into a more comfortable position. As much as she loved being here, she had no intentions of checking out Sam’s most intimate areas. They were close, but nobody needed to be that close.
“Okay, I r-really need t-to push,” Sam panted, aware that Luciana’s hand was trembling in her own. “Baby, I need you with me, o-okay?”
“I’m here. I’m not leaving.” Luciana climbed to her feet, removed her jacket and pressed a kiss to Sam’s forehead. Once again taking her wife’s hand, Luciana squared her shoulders and looked Sam directly in the eyes. “Come on, babe. We’ve got this. You’re going to be amazing.”
“When you feel the need to push, remember, chin on your chest, Sam. Push down into your bottom.” Jenny positioned herself at the end of the bed, thankfully blocking Lindsay’s view. “Why don’t you take the other side of your sister, Lindsay?”
Sam held out her hand, motioning for Lindsay to join her. Doing so, Lindsay could only watch the incredible love radiating from Luciana on the other side of Sam. Luciana’s eyes never once left her sister. Her hand squeezing tight as Sam felt the wave of another contraction set to hit. Sam forced her chin down against her chest, holding her breath and pushing hard. When Sam finally came up for air, her face red with her hair stuck to her forehead, Lindsay brushed it away, gaining a weak, thankful smile from her sister.
“You’ve got this, Sam.” Lindsay lowered her voice as she leaned down and pressed a kiss to her sister’s temple. “And I’m so fucking proud of you.”
“Linds…” Sam gasped for air, giving herself a moment of respite before they went again. “I’m so happy y-you’re here w-with me.”
“Wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
“C-Cheryl. She d-doesn’t mind you being away tonight?” Sam felt another sudden urge to push. “O-oh!” Once again, her chin pushed into her chest, the sensation between her legs felt different to the last one. “W-what’s happening? Is everything okay? Jenny?”
“Everything is fine, Sam.” Jenny popped her head up, smiling. “Give me your hand…”
Sam obliged, reaching her hand forward and trusting Jenny with whatever the hell she was doing. Sam gasped when she felt a head of hair…between her legs. “Oh, God!”
“What?” Luciana panicked, her eyes flashing with concern as she switched from Sam to Jenny. “What is it?”
“Baby…” Sam found Luciana’s eyes, tears in her own. “Place your hand over mine.”
Luciana frowned, leaning down towards Sam’s ear. “I’m not sure that’s appropriate right now, Sam.” With her voice low, Luciana pulled back to find a shocked look on Sam’s face. “What?”
“Really?” Sam deadpanned.
“Well, I don’t know.” Luciana shrugged. “You’ve been kinda unpredictable lately.”
“Give me your bloody hand.” Sam released Lindsay from her grip, using her free hand to guide Luciana towards their baby’s head. “Feel that?”
“O-oh! Is that what I think it is?” Luciana’s eyes widened, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment roaring through her body. This moment, it was intense. Nothing had ever felt like this. Not even their wedding day. “Is that our baby?” Luciana’s voice broke when she looked at Sam, her eyes glistening as she nodded yes.
“That’s our baby.”
“Ready to push again, Sam?” Jenny interrupted their moment. Sam could lie like this forever, but she wanted their baby in her arms. Not tucked away between her legs for the rest of time.
“I’m ready.” Sam gripped the backs of her own thighs, desperately hoping this would be one of the last pushes. She felt as though things were moving along, and judging by the head poking out, they were.
Luciana watched on in awe. The woman she called her wife was one exceptional human being. Luciana was fully aware of how amazing Sam was, but every day she surprised her. “That’s it, babe.” Luciana cheered Sam on as she peeked at their baby once again. With shoulders now showing, Luciana’s heart could barely contain her excitement. Her love for something she hadn’t yet met. The absolute joy seeping from every pore. “Sam, you’re doing amazing.”
With one final push, Sam fell back on the bed, a sudden lightness to her body. Whatever was happening, had happened. She didn’t feel the pressure between her legs anymore, the contractions had subsided dramatically, she felt free.
Lindsay sobbed in the corner, clearly shaken by what she had just witnessed. Sam wanted to console her, tell her everything was okay and the worst was over, but she couldn’t. Her brain was shutting down—tiredness settling in.
“Congratulations, ladies.” Sam didn’t have the energy to lift her head, her entire body exhausted. “Luciana, if you’d like to take over here?”
Jenny handed Luciana scissors, the clamp already in place around the baby’s umbilical cord. Luciana swallowed hard, tears streaming down her face. “W-what do I do?”
“Cut between the clamp. Don’t worry, you won’t hurt him.”
“H-him?” Luciana’s heart burst from her chest, snipping the chord and freeing their son from Sam’s body. In one swift movement, Jenny had slipped their baby under Sam’s shirt, placing him against her chest. “Babe, it’s a boy.”
“Oh, God.” Sam sobbed, her arms holding the chunky tiny human against her. Luciana was climbing into the bed beside her, weeping into the side of Sam’s neck as she peppered kisses anywhere she possibly could.
“I’m so proud of you,” Luciana whispered. “So proud of everything you are. So thankful for everything you have ever given me. I love you, Sam Foster.”
“I love you, too.” Sam’s life had come full circle. Everything she’d been through was supposed to happen. It may have been messed up, unnecessary pain, but everything that was unfolding right now was supposed to be in her future. Sam felt it. She was connected to it. Life…it had truly fallen into place. Officially.
God, he’s so beautiful. Luciana couldn’t take her eyes off the miracle enveloped by her. His chubby hands, how he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth. This moment, she had no words. Nothing could begin to explain how she felt about the child in her arms. It was a love Luciana didn’t think she was capable of. Of course, she was in love with her wife, but this? This was a different kind of love. A love that held no description. A love that shattered every illusion. A love that could destroy everything Luciana had ever believed. The world, tonight, was an entirely different place to what she had lived in before. The thought of their baby not being here, Luciana couldn’t comprehend it. It was as though he had always been here. Safely in her arms. Loved and cared for.
Luciana glanced over at Sam who was sleeping soundly in the hospital bed of their private room. Her facial features appeared different. Relaxed. As though something had changed within her. Luciana felt exactly the same. They were no longer just Sam and Luciana. No, they were now mothers. Parents. With one hell of a reason to live. If someone had told Luciana some three years ago that she would have all of this, a wife and a child, she would have shown her ass out of the nearest window. This life wasn’t ever supposed to happen to her. But was she appreciative? Damn right she was.
If Luciana closed her eyes, she could recall the moment they met. Sam’s intoxicating but subtle scent. Her dull, lifeless eyes as Luciana sidled up to the bar in the tapas restaurant on the dock. The little black dress she wore that would have enticed Luciana even if she hadn’t wanted it to. But, most of all, she would forever remember the respect Sam gave her. It wasn’t common in her days of being an escort. One hint of her profession and the world looked down their nose at Luciana. Sam, she was different. Sam had an immediate respect in her eyes. One that Luciana would never forget. That respect was still visible to this day.
