Chapter 16
Amanda was becoming more impatient by the minute. She had been in labor for a few hours...all she wanted at this point was to get the baby out of her stomach.
"Brian...where in god's name is my husband? He should have been here a long time ago!" she sobbed.
"Trust me, he is on his way. Have faith. Did you think of any names for the baby?" Brian asked calmly, holding her hand and trying to keep her relaxed.
"I was thinking of letting Nick name him, since I named Celine." Amanda replied, sighing. Things were so much different when Celine was born. Nick was 25 and had just been widowed months earlier.
"Nick....I'm pregnant." she told him, grabbing his arm as he got to his car. Nick had been avoiding her for months after Tracy's death...hiding from the world.
"You're pregnant? Is it mine?" Nick asked, his blue eyes wide with fear. Amanda knew he wasn't ready then...wasn't ready to be a dad even though she knew how much he wanted a family.
"Nick, I don't know but if it is...what are we going to do?" Amanda asked as he held her.
"We will work it out." was all he could say. Of course he had been helpful at first but Amanda saw he was afraid. Nick was afraid he would screw Celine up like his parents had done to him, even though Amanda assured Nick he was just fine. Sure he had some issues but she loved him anyway.
"Hold on a little longer..." Amanda whispered, running her hand over her hospital gown. She felt a lot of movement inside her, she knew the baby was coming any time.
"Goddamn traffic." Nick growled in the taxi as it left Miami International Airport and headed for the hospital.
"Sir, I'm sorry I cannot make the car go faster." the driver apologized.
"I'm going to miss my kid being born, is there a shortcut or something?" Nick asked, his voice soft. Nick stared out the window, his stomach in knots as he worried he would be late. The cab finally pulled up to the hospital and Nick ran inside, almost tripping over himself.
"Where the hell have you been?" AJ shouted as Nick raced past them to find the delivery room.
"Hell!" Nick managed to get out. He raced down the hall and skidded to a halt before running right into Brian, the two of them falling on the ground in a heap, Nick's face over his.
"Dude, get off me. I love you but you're not my type." Brian said, shoving Nick off of him.
"Sorry, but Amanda didn't give birth yet, did she?" Nick asked breathlessly, brushing himself off as he stood up.
"No, but you better get in there. She's worried sick about you being here." Brian told him. Nick went into the delivery room after checking with the nurses to let them know he was her husband.
"Thank god. Nick, where have you been?" Amanda breathed when she saw him, his forehead beaded with sweat.
"Hell." Nick said as he kissed her on the cheek.
"Where is that?" Amanda asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Texas..." he replied as she laughed. Amanda laughed but pretty soon the pain started again....her stomach contracted and she cried out.
Nick's eyes went wide as he remembered Celine's birth...
"Someone get the doctor!" he shouted. He had made it just in time, the baby was coming whether he was ready or not. Nick watched the doctor come into the room and shook his head, it was Dr. Abrams....the one who had delivered Celine.
"Not him again..." Nick mumbled under his breath.
"Let's get this show on the road!" Dr. Abrams said, clapping his hands together. Amanda looked annoyed at the doctor and Nick held her hand, squeezing it.
"Looks like this one's ready to come out finally." the doctor commented.
"Finally?" Nick said.
"Baby I have been in labor for a few hours...." Amanda said as she was overtaken by another contraction. She squeezed Nick's hand harder and he winced. Amanda pushed and did her breathing as she had practiced...Nick watching in anticipation. His heart was racing, but he kept as calm as he possibly could for his wife.
"I can see the head!" the doctor said. Nick held Amanda's hand and kissed her cheek, smiling.
"Baby, just a little longer....you can do it!" he whispered in her ear. Amanda was drenched in sweat, her face tinted red and in incredible pain....but she pushed and pushed.
Nick watched everything, it was so surreal for him to be witnessing this again, he was happy but at the same time he was nervous. The baby was lifted away from Amanda, and Nick kissed her again.
"You did it..."
Amanda was so happy to hear the baby crying, it was the best sound she'd heard in a while. She leaned into Nick and cried as he kissed her hand and whispered to her, tears in his eyes.
"Say hello to your beautiful son." the nurse said after the infant was cleaned off and wrapped in a blue blanket. Nick gaped at Amanda in shock.
"Surprise..." she smiled as he teared up more. The baby was small and had some light brown hair on his head.
"You knew? You knew it was a boy? Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, watching the baby in his wife's arms.
"I wanted it to be a surprise. Next time, will you listen to me when I tell you not to leave?" Amanda laughed. Nick looked down at his son in awe, smiling at him.
"You want to hold him?" she asked him. Nick nodded fervently and pretty soon the baby was in his arms.
"Hey, little guy...." he said. The baby slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Nick...they were a deep blue. Nick smiled and felt the tears fall down his cheeks.
"Mommy needs to rest...you can come back in a little while." a nurse said after taking the baby from Nick.
"I'm so proud of you." Nick said, kissing Amanda again as she laid back in her bed, sighing.
"We can name him a bit later." Amanda told him. She was exhausted and wanted to sleep for days.
"We didn't talk about what to name him, though. What are we gonna call him? We can't just say "hey you" his whole life." Nick said as Amanda laughed.
"Baby, I named Celine....this one is all yours. Pick a good one." she said. Nick smilked and walked out of the delivery room, running a hand through his hair. He was smiling like he had won the lottery....a son was everything he had hoped for and he had gotten his wish. He loved Celine dearly but now he felt his little family was complete. Naming the boy was a challenge, he need to think of a good one. Walking down the hallway, he spotted Brian and AJ in the waiting room playing with Celine, who was giggling. Nick smiled....he knew just what the little one's name would be.
"So what did you come up with?" Amanda asked a while later, the forms for the birth certificate in front of her. Nick sat in the chair next to the bed, still grinning.
"Bryan Alexander...." he said softly.
"Baby, won't that get confusing with Brian around?" Amanda asked.
"Spell it with a Y. Like Bryan Adams. Brian and AJ have done so much for us....I think its perfect." Nick reasoned.
"Bryan Alexander Carter....named for the three best men in my life. I love it." Amanda said as she put it on the paper. Nick smiled again....everything was perfect.
"Baby, there's also something I need to talk to you about." she added after finished writing.
"What is it?" Nick asked, noticing the change in her tone. Whatever it was, they would get through it together.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Back with a new chapter. I have been on a roll :) hope you enjoy!
