Chapter 15 - The Final Delivery
The sharp, agonizing pain hit Lucy at exactly two in the morning.
It started as a dull ache in her lower back before tightening into a massive, breathless contraction.
She gasped loudly, dropping the glass of water she was trying to pour in the kitchen.
It shattered into a hundred pieces across the hardwood floor.
Within exactly three seconds, Mark was rushing out of the guest bedroom.
He was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, his hair completely ruffled from sleep.
"Lucy?" he asked frantically, rushing perfectly avoiding the broken glass to get to her side.
"It's time," she managed to gasp out as another massive wave of pain crashed over her.
"The baby is coming right now."
Mark didn't panic for a single second.
His training kicked in perfectly.
He grabbed the packed hospital bag, wrapped a warm blanket around her shoulders, and practically carried her down to his truck.
The drive to the hospital was a blur of heavy breathing, soothing words, and Mark holding her hand tightly.
When they arrived at the emergency doors, a team of nurses was already waiting with a wheelchair.
"Her water broke in the truck, contractions are exactly three minutes apart," Mark stated clearly to the head nurse.
They rushed her up to the maternity ward, the bright lights flashing overhead just like they had in the ambulance months ago.
But this time, Lucy wasn't alone.
Mark never left her side for a single second.
Hours passed in a terrifying, exhausting haze of intense pain and massive physical effort.
"You're doing incredible, Lucy," Mark encouraged her, wiping the heavy sweat from her forehead with a cool cloth.
"Just one more big push, honey, you can do this!"
Lucy gripped Mark’s hand so tightly she thought she might actually break his fingers.
She squeezed her eyes shut, bearing down with every single ounce of strength she had left in her exhausted body.
A sharp, powerful cry suddenly echoed beautifully through the delivery room.
It was the most magical, glorious sound Lucy had ever heard in her entire life.
"It’s a girl," the doctor announced with a massive, warm smile.
"A perfectly healthy, beautiful baby girl."
Tears immediately flooded down Lucy’s cheeks as the nurse gently placed the crying infant onto her chest.
She was incredibly tiny, wonderfully pink, and absolutely perfect in every single way.
Mark leaned over the hospital bed, his own eyes shining with heavy, unshed tears of joy.
He gently stroked the baby's soft cheek with his massive thumb.
Down in the hospital lobby, a dirty, exhausted man was arguing furiously with security.
Alex had seen the social media rumors that Lucy had gone into labor.
"She is my wife!" Alex screamed desperately, trying to push past the large guards.
"I demand to be let up to the maternity ward right now!"
"Mr. Sterling, you are legally restricted from being within five hundred feet of this patient," the guard said firmly, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.
"If you do not leave the premises immediately, you will be arrested for violating a restraining order."
Alex stopped fighting, his shoulders completely slumping in total defeat.
He looked up toward the ceiling, realizing he would never hold his daughter.
He would never hear her first laugh, and he would never walk her down the aisle.
He had traded an absolute lifetime of genuine happiness for a cheap thrill that completely destroyed him.
Back up in the delivery room, Lucy looked up at Mark.
"What are we going to name her?" Mark asked softly, completely mesmerized by the beautiful baby.
Lucy smiled, completely ignoring the ghosts of her past.
"Hope," Lucy whispered, kissing the top of her daughter's tiny head.
May you like
"Her name is Hope."
And as Mark leaned down to kiss Lucy gently on the forehead, she knew her beautiful new life had finally begun.
