Somebody’s Perfect

by Kallypso Masters

  As the pain ebbed a bit, Savannah said to Mari, “Why don’t you go see if Aidan found everything he needs? Then I want you to go back to the living room and watch for the ambulance.”

  Mari jumped up and scampered off, probably more than a little relieved that she wasn’t in the thick of things any longer.

  Now if only they could get to the hospital before the baby came.

  * * *

  Damián nodded as Marisol did as she was told. He hoped his daughter would think that everything was under control, even if it wasn’t. To the dispatcher, he asked, “What can I do to help?”

  Given instructions to wash, Damián ran to the sink to scrub his hands. He couldn’t believe what he’d walked into. Checking his messages after his lunch break, he’d freaked out when he heard Marisol’s voice on the phone. He’d jumped back on the bike and hurried home—to find this.

  Kneeling beside Savannah, he whispered, “Querida, I got here as fast as I could.” He kissed her forehead, noticing the perspiration on her upper lip.

  “You’re here now. That’s all that matters.” She sounded nervous but wasn’t freaking out as much as he was. He trusted her to tell him if she was. And while he counted on Savannah’s past delivery to give her an edge when the time came, neither of them had predicted this birth scenario.

  To the dispatcher, he said, “I’m ready.”

  “Here are the towels,” Aidan said as he ran into the room.

  What was Aidan doing here? Hell, thank God he was here, if he could help. “Thanks, Aidan. Set them on that chair.”

  “I still need a shoelace, sir.”

  Damián didn’t have any shoes with laces and couldn’t remember any being on Savannah’s or Marisol’s shoes, either.

  “How about your wristband, sir?” Aidan asked.

  Damián glanced down at the leather band Tracy Miller had made for him. Somehow, he didn’t think Tracy or her dad, Sergeant, whose name had been inscribed on it along with Damián’s, would mind if he used it for this. And if the dispatcher was okay with used shoestrings, then his leather band couldn’t be any more unsanitary.

  “Good thinking,” he said as he removed it. Had Aidan already been here when Savannah went into labor? It was about the time Mari took Chiquita for a midday walk.

  Damián just hoped the dispatcher would tell him what to do with all this stuff when the time came.

  Worried about Marisol, he suggested that Aidan stay with her. As the boy nodded and went into the living room, Damián remembered his training as her coach and the advice he’d gotten from Dad, who hadn’t been able to help Karla with her contractions after they’d discovered the third baby and whisked her off to have a C-section.

  Jesús, what if Savannah had complications, too? Where were the fucking EMTs?

  Savannah’s scream nearly tore out his gut. “The baby’s coming!”

  “Are you sure?”

  Savannah glared at him, letting him know in no uncertain terms she knew more about what was going on than he did.

  “Tell her not to push yet,” came the voice over the phone simultaneously with Aidan’s from the living room.

  Maybe you should tell her.

  Wait, he turned to see Aidan returning. What did he know about childbirth?

  To free up his hands and so everyone could hear, Damián placed the phone on speaker and set it on the floor near her head.

  “Savannah, breathe in then out. Don’t push before the EMTs arrive.” Please don’t have this baby on my watch.

  “But they…aren’t…going to…get here…in time,” Savannah spit out the words through clenched teeth, fighting to keep the baby from coming out. What if she couldn’t wait? “I need to push!”

  “Short bursts, Savannah,” Aidan coached.

  “Damián,” the dispatcher’s voice came through the phone, “I need you to look and see if you can see the crown of the baby’s head.”

  Savannah spread her knees and lifted her dress. He leaned down. At the opening of her vagina, he saw tufts of wet, black hair in about a two-inch radius. “I see the baby’s black hair!”

  Holy fuck! The enormity of what was about to happen hit him like a sledgehammer.

  “Okay, if the baby’s crowning we aren’t going to be able to wait for the EMTs. Savannah and Damián, are we ready to bring this baby into the world?” His no and her yes coincided with each other. The dispatcher may have gone into cheerleader mode, but he wasn’t ready for this!

  Savannah met Damián’s gaze, tears welling in her eyes. “It’s almost time to meet our baby.” He searched her eyes. She seemed more relieved now than she had been when he’d arrived, but then her face contorted again in pain.

  “When you feel the pain of each contraction, Savannah, I want you to take a deep breath, hold it, then push as you bear down with all the strength you have left.”

  Damián’s throat closed with emotion. Why couldn’t this moment have happened in the safety of a hospital with a trained physician on hand? He might fuck this up.

  Get a grip. You aren’t going to screw the pooch.

  He took a hand towel from the ones Aidan had brought down, wet it under the faucet, then washed the sweat from her face.

  “That feels wonderful.” She sighed.

  “Tell me when you have the next contraction, bebé.”

  “Oh, you’ll know.” She didn’t smile, but he could tell her sense of humor was intact.

  “Damián, are you still there? How’s she doing?”

  “Sí. Nothing much changed.”

  Next, he massaged her belly, needing something to do while waiting. When her uterus hardened beneath his fingertips, he told the dispatcher, “Okay, I think she’s starting another contraction.”

  “Remind her, when the pain starts, she needs to take a deep breath, hold it, and push,” the dispatcher instructed.

  Fuck. Shit’s about to get real.

  “Breathe, Damián,” Savannah coached, trying to smile. How could she smile at a time like this? She truly was the strongest person he’d ever known. “I’ve done this before. Everything’s going to be fine.”

  Great. She was coaching him now! Get your ass in gear, man.

  As the contraction built, she let out a moan. Damián lifted the cloth off her forehead and tossed it onto the table.

  I’ve got this.

  When Savannah grimaced with its intensity, Damián commanded her attention to try and keep her relaxed. “Eyes, savita.” After she locked her gaze with his, he added, “Deep, cleansing breath in, hold it, then push.”

  She nodded.

  When Damián gave the go-ahead, she filled her lungs and pushed with all her might as if willing that baby to leave her body. Seeing Savannah in such extreme pain ripped his heart out, even if the outcome would be a joyful one.

  “Okay, relax when the contraction ends and wait for the next one,” the dispatcher said. How many more before they got the baby out? Was there any harm if the baby was stuck in the birth canal? How could it breathe? Or did it even need to yet?

  “A couple more like that, and we’ll have the head out. Do we know if it’s a boy or a girl?”

  “Not yet,” Damián answered, but he didn’t care which it was, as long as the baby was healthy. His parents had lost young babies. How they’d been able to survive such a loss, he couldn’t imagine. But that wasn’t going to happen on his watch.

  “Damián, as the baby’s head comes out, I want you to support it with gentle pressure. Don’t pull, just support. Let the baby come out more with each contraction. Do you have that?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “We don’t want the baby to pop out too fast.”

  Did he have any control over that? Or anything, for that matter?

  “Damián,” the dispatcher said, “take a look now, and tell me how much of the head has crowned.”

  He didn’t know exactly how to describe it. “Maybe enough to be covered by a baby baseball cap. I don’t see the ears yet.”

  �
�Okay, I need you to reach your fingers in around the neck to make sure the cord isn’t there.”

  The blood pounded in his ears as his finger probed, hoping he knew what a cord was supposed to feel like. “I don’t think it is.”

  “You’d know if it was there. I think maybe one more contraction, a good push, and your baby’s head will be out.”

  What about the rest of the baby?

  Savannah met his gaze momentarily before steeling herself on the next contraction. Then she pushed the baby’s head from her body. Damián stared at what he held in his palm. Holy fuck!

  “Okay, I have the head in my hands.” Jesús, this was surreal.

  “Wonderful. Now, we need to quickly clean any mucus out of the baby’s mouth and then nose before he or she takes a breath.”

  Aidan reached in and, with the corner of a towel, cleaned them both expertly. The kid’s hands were steadier than Damián’s, for sure. “How’d you know to do that?”

  “I’m a volunteer with the fire department,” he said. “We take classes in childbirth, just in case of calls like this.”

  “No shit?” What were the chances?

  “When you see the shoulders,” the dispatcher continued, reminding him what they needed to be doing, “have Savannah do the same inhale then push during each contraction. With your hands, use slow, gentle pressure and support to the baby’s head. Gently rotate the body if it helps to ease the baby out. Repeat with the same pressure to the hips, if necessary. Do you understand?”

  “Support the head, shoulders, butt. Got it.” He turned to Aidan. “You ever delivered a baby?”

  “Only in mock childbirth training exercises.”

  “Well, you’re still ahead of me.” Recognizing Aidan knew something more than he did provided a small amount of relief.

  The dispatcher gave a rare chuckle. “You make a great team, guys.”

  Remembering who was ultimately in charge, he smiled at Savannah. “I’m so proud of you, savita. Once again, you amaze me with your strength and self-control.”

  “I don’t feel like I’m in control.”

  “But you are. She said just a few more pushes and you’ll be holding our son or daughter.”

  “I feel another one starting,” Savannah announced.

  “Now, Savannah,” the 911 operator said, “I want you to give me another hard push. We’re almost there. Inhale then push as hard as you ever have.”

  Savannah grunted as she gave it all she had. She must be exhausted but didn’t give up.

  “That’s it, bebé. You’re doing great. Keep pushing.”

  Everything happened in a blur at that point. After the shoulders were delivered, the baby slipped into his waiting hands—a blood-splotched, wet, beautiful, squirming little human being.

  His eyes blurred, and Damián grinned like a total imbecile as he looked at the baby and then back up at Savannah.

  “Don’t pull away from Savannah’s body or tug on the umbilical cord,” the dispatcher cautioned. “Do we have a girl or a boy?”

  For the first time, he looked away from the baby’s head and down to the…penis.

  “It’s a boy!” Damián said. The tears spilled down his cheeks, and he nearly burst with joy—and more than a little relief.

  After a short pause, she added, “Okay, we still have a few more things to do, Damián,” the dispatcher said. “Do you have the shoestring and clean towels?”

  “Sí, ma’am. We have everything ready.”

  “After the cord stops pulsating, one of you can tie the cord.” Aidan nodded toward Damián. With eyes stinging, he nodded.

  Aidan covered his hands with one of the fluffy towels. “I’ll place the baby on Mrs. Orlando’s abdomen first.” Aidan moved in as close as possible before Damián carefully placed the baby in the boy’s large hands. Savannah welcomed him onto her belly, stroking his wet head.

  Removing his wristband, Damián spoke in the direction of the phone. “The cord’s stopped pulsating. We’re ready.”

  Following the dispatcher’s instructions, he tied the cord before his eyes filled with too many tears for him to see. Damián blinked before meeting Savannah’s gaze; she was in tears, too.

  She let out a nervous laugh as she smiled at Damián. “I wanted to give you a boy this time but was afraid to say anything and jinx us.”

  “You know I’d have welcomed a girl or a boy, but it’ll be nice to see what it’s like raising one of each.”

  Best of all, Damián would be there for this boy from the very beginning, unlike with Marisol. He wouldn’t allow himself any regrets about that anymore, though. He’d simply take each moment from this day on and make the most of it with his entire family. Another Orlando to watch over.

  They were a family of four now. Un-fucking-believable.

  The baby let out a wail, and Marisol came into the doorway. She took one look at the baby and then at the cord protruding from Savannah’s vagina before turning a little green.

  Damián needed to get her out of here but calm her down first. “Marisol, everything’s fine, but I need you to keep watching for the ambulance. I’ll let you see your baby brother in a minute.”

  Hearing she had a brother lit up her face again. Her squeal of delight brought a smile to his and Savannah’s faces, too.

  With adrenaline still pumping but no mission to accomplish, Damián spoke to the dispatcher again. “What do I do now?”

  “Just keep him wrapped, skin on skin with Savannah, if possible. He’ll lose heat fast.”

  “I hear sirens!” Marisol shouted from the living room.

  About damned time.

  “I’ll stay on the line until the EMTs come in,” the dispatcher said, “but congratulations, Damián and Savannah. You both did great! You, too, Aidan!” She paused and asked, “Savannah, honey, how are you feeling?”

  “Tired. Sore. Elated.”

  “I’ll bet!”

  “And how are you holding up, Damián?”

  “My baby’s fine. And so’s my wife. I’m fu—fantastic.” Probably best not to let any F bombs go in this moment. But he did feel fucking fantastic.

  “You should be proud of yourself. It’s not every day a man delivers his own baby.”

  “I’m more proud of my wife. She did all the hard work. And I had a lot of help from Aidan and you, too.”

  “They’re in here,” Marisol said. Two fire department EMTs entered with a stretcher and equipment.

  “Aidan!” the first EMT said. “If we’d known you were here, we wouldn’t have hurried.”

  Aidan laughed. “I’ve never so happy to see your ugly face, Brent. I’m just glad this wasn’t too different from what we learned in training.”

  Damián wouldn’t have wanted to change a thing about what had just happened, now that the baby was safely here.

  One EMT checked Savannah’s vitals while the other cut the cord, covered the baby with a heat-reflective blanket, and assessed the baby’s condition.

  Damián moved up closer to Savannah’s head, on the other side from where the EMT knelt. He stroked her hair, brushing it away from her damp forehead. “I can’t believe he’s here.”

  “Which hospital were you planning to deliver at?” the EMT interrupted. They answered simultaneously. “Great. We’ll transport you there,” he said to Savannah. Then to Damián, “You might want to call her OB if you haven’t already done so.”

  “Is everything okay? She wasn’t due for two more weeks.”

  “Looks good. We can deliver the placenta here or after we reach the hospital, but you did a good job, brother.”

  Damián leaned over Savannah’s face. “We all did. But I’d rather get her safely to the hospital, if that’s okay.” He didn’t want anything to mar this perfect delivery.

  “That’ll be fine,” the EMT said.

  Damián placed a kiss on her lips before the EMTs transferred her to the stretcher, placed their baby boy in her arms, and rolled her out to the ambulance. He held her hand until they loa
ded her in the back. Knowing there wasn’t any room for him, he assured Savannah, “Marisol and I will meet you at the hospital, bebé.”

  Watching the ambulance drive away with Savannah and their newborn in it wrenched his heart.

  “Come on, mi muñequita. Let’s see how fast we can get to the hospital.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  “I know we didn’t want to choose any names until he or she was born,” Damián said, “but do you have any idea what we’re going to name him?”

  Savannah hadn’t a clue, but before she could answer, the nurse came in to check her vitals and press on her uterus again. Had Damián come up with a list yet? She’d been so consumed with the trial, Christmas, and then her final weeks at the clinic before maternity leave that she hadn’t given the baby’s name much thought. How sad was that?

  She stared down at the sleeping face of her son, and her chin quivered. He had jet black hair, like his Daddy and Mari, and such long fingers.

  “Oh, Damián, isn’t he beautiful?”

  Damián brushed a lock of hair away from Savannah’s forehead, and she looked up at him. “You’re beautiful, too, preciosa.”

  Savannah blinked away the sting in her eyes and wrapped her free hand behind his head to pull him closer. Their lips met in a brief but poignant kiss.

  “I love you, Damián.”

  “And I love you more each day, querida. Thank you for my two beautiful children.”

  About an hour ago, they’d sent Mari home to Adam and Karla’s for dinner, but they all should be back soon. Savannah blinked away happy tears. What did the future hold for the four of them?

  Just take it one day at a time.

  Maman had given her similar advice so many times when she’d been wishing her life away, anxious for a birthday or Christmas to come. “Isn’t he the most perfect little boy you’ve ever seen, Maman?” she whispered. Damián had grown used to her conversations with her mother.

  She cleared her throat, not wanting to dwell on her loss today. No doubt Damián was wishing his parents had lived to see their grandchildren, too. But Savannah took comfort knowing her mother’s spirit was here with them—and his parents, too, no doubt. Perhaps even John Grainger was at her bedside with Maman.