~1 year later~
“CLLAARRKKK! HURRRRYYY!” Rena screamed from the passenger seat, her voice filled with urgency and pain. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the armrest, her breaths coming in short, panicked bursts.
“I’m going as fast as I can, babe! Just hold on a little longer! We’re almost there! I see the hospital lights just up ahead!” Clark tried to sound calm, but his heart was racing. The dark, empty streets seemed to stretch endlessly, and the glowing hospital sign felt like a distant beacon.
“AHHHHHH!” She screamed again, her face contorted in pain. “CLLAARRRKKK!”
“Just breathe, Ree. Remember the exercises. Breathe in, and breathe out,” he urged, his voice trembling despite his efforts to stay composed.
“UHHHH, I CAN’T, CLARK. SHE’S COMING. PLEASE HURRY!” She cried out, her voice breaking as another contraction hit.
They screeched to a halt at the emergency room doors, and nurses rushed out with a wheelchair. They helped Rena into the chair, her face pale and sweaty, and wheeled her in quickly before Clark could even react.
Clark jumped out and tossed his keys to a random nurse. “Please, can you park this somewhere? I don’t care where, but I need to go with her!”
He sprinted into the hospital, his eyes darting around frantically but didn’t see Rena anywhere. She’s going to kill me if I’m not there. Suddenly, a nurse was waving him down.
“Right this way, Mr. Emerson. She was taken back to the delivery room. We will escort you back there.”
“She’s okay, right?” he asked, panic evident in his voice.
“Yes, sir. Please follow me.”
Clark was led to a room where he saw Rena hooked up to machines, her face a mix of pain and determination. She looked up at him and glared.
“Took you long enough. I’ll be damned if I have this baby and you aren’t in the room. Now get over here so I can hold your hand,” she demanded, her grip tightening as another contraction hit.
Clark quickly rushed to her side, and she wasted no time in grabbing his hand, her nails digging into his skin.
One hour later, Rena laid her head back, exhausted but relieved. It was over; she was done. The nurse walked over and handed her a swaddled baby, the tiny bundle wriggling slightly.
“Here you are, Mrs. Emerson. Say hello to your baby girl. And congratulations to you both. She is a healthy, strong little one.”
They both looked down, and their hearts melted. The baby’s tiny fingers curled around Rena’s thumb, her eyes blinking open for the first time.
“Hello, my little angel. Your name is Sybil Rene Emerson. You were born to do great things,” Rena said, her voice soft and filled with love as she placed a gentle kiss on her little forehead.
“She’s beautiful, Ree,” Clark said, his eyes glistening with tears as he looked at his beautiful daughter and his amazing wife.
“She’s everything, Clark,” Rena said, a tear streaming down her cheek, her heart swelling with love and pride.
Little Sybil reached up, touched the tear on her mother’s cheek, and smiled, her tiny face lighting up with an innocent joy that made everything else fade away.
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