Taylor's POV
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Pain is irrelevant, it fades when you realise you have everything. A husband holding you in his lap and your newborn lying on your chest. Our hands interlinked, I gaze down at our wedding rings.
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"I'll take care of you" he whispers down to both of us. And I'm lost looking at babies tiny fingers. Five perfect fingers, and five perfec t toes. A little nose and pursed lips.
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Nobody has moved, glancing down I realise I'm still absolutely griping onto Matthew's hand. I smile up at him and he wipes his eyes, amazed. The tufts of babies golden hair, perfectly blonde just like Jay's. I grin, I just knew that he would look just like him. I briefly hear Matthew congratulate Jay, his arms going around him.
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"Olivia" I say softly and she glances up at me.
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"Thank you" I say to her sobbing and she nods weeping.
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"I'll go and tell the others that baby has arrived" Claire says approaching our little group and having a peek at the tiny little baby. She hugs Jay and tells him that she is immensely proud of him. She kisses my forehead sitting down on the floor next to her son. I laugh bizarrely, never imagining that Claire would sit on anybodies floor.
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"Taylor that was nothing short of amazing" she smiles at me.
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"How did you do that without pain relief, you're amazing" she exclaims beside herself, stroking my hair back.
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"Well done mama" she says.
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Lastly she thanks Olivia and heads to the kitchen door to share the good news with the others.
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"Congratulations both of you, he is beautiful" my mother sobs, looking down at her first grandson.
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"Taylor I was so worried, but I never need to despair with you" she sighs.
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"Just look at how amazing you have done" she says glancing down at the baby. Stroking babies head she pulls Ross over to have a look.
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"Congratulations both of you" he says and I smile up at him, the tears in his eyes. The care and adoration as he looks at my newborn.
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"How are you feeling, mon amour" Jay says softly and I smile up at him.
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"Jay, we have a baby boy" I say to him unbelieving, he cries and I cry back at him. We're wordless, lost in this moment that is the birth of our first child. The door chimes, I register the sound in the back of my mind.
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"Now" a female voice says from the doorway a few seconds later and I crane my head to see an older lady with a hospital kit. A lady with purpose, who knows exactly what she is doing. The relief washes over me seeing her, the pain just beginning to pick up again.
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"I've seen some things but birth on the kitchen floor is new to me" she says laughing and Jay smiles stroking my hair back.
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She looks to Olivia assuming she delivered baby as she is perched at my feet. Olivia briefly explains the delivery. She surmises it all clearly and precisely.
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"Pain relief for the mother" the midwife questions, placing her hand in her bag to grab lots of different medical stuff including gloves.
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"None so far" Olivia explains and the midwife gasps.
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"Sweet Jesus" she says rummaging through her bag.
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"Darling would you like a pethidine injection" she says and I nod.
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"Clean delivery, my dear you should be a midwife" she explains to Olivia. Olivia smiles, and thanks her, telling her that she is an ICU nurse. The midwife nods and I smile up at Olivia. It was a brave thing to do, entirely crossing a friendship boundary. But somehow it was the perfect birth for my baby. Godparent number two? I think idly looking up at her.
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"Here" she says administering the injection.
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"Instant relief" she explains and I cry finally. Overwhelmed, exhausted and exhilarated all at once.
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June, the midwife, pulls out a pair of surgical scissors, unwraps them from a plastic packaging, showing us that they are sterile.
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"This is how we cut the cord" she looks up at Jay, placing the scissors over the umbilical cord.
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"Would you like to do the honours?" She asks and he moves over to take over still holding onto my hand.
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"Here" she says to him and he cuts the umbilical cord in one swift motion.
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"Now we must weigh baby" she begins pulling out literal scales.
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"Here daddy" I say to Jay passing our baby boy down my chest to him. Jay cradles our baby and I smile as he looks down at him, placating and soothing him.
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"Baby was early or due?" June asks him.
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"He is three weeks early" Jay explains and I watch him
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"Seven lbs and five ounces" she explains noting it down.
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"Time of birth was ten thirty six" Olivia explains.
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"He sounds good" June smiles as baby shrieks at being away from us.
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The midwife, June, checks over baby and mops him down throughly. She uses all of the kit in her bag to check him.
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"That is a great weight for an early delivery, imagine had he of been just on time. He would have been 9lbs" she laughs.
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"Congratulations" she explains wrapping him up and swaddling him. She carefully hands our baby over to Jay and he rocks him slightly.
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"It's important that you get a postnatal check for yourself and a checkup for baby" she advises us.
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"At the clinic, and should you be worried about anything whatsoever, come to us and we will check everything" she explains going back into her bag. She pulls out some breastfeeding leaflets and contact sheets.
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"Breast or bottle?" She asks and I squirm.
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"Breast" I tell her.
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"Let's get you more comfortable and then we can try and latch baby on" she smiles warmly.
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Jay hands the baby over to Matthew carefully and I watch as he rocks him in his arms. Jay picks me up slowly and I half giggle, I most probably could walk, after the injection and the relief it's providing.
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"Taylor I will clean up" my mum says lifting all the towels off of the floor, apart from the blanket which is currently providing me my modesty.
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"Mom please I can do it" I protest and she sighs.
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"Taylor accept my help please" she smiles and I nod.
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"Sometimes a small sitz bath can soothe after birth" June advises.
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"I will look after him" Matthew says softly to me, as I glance at my baby not wanting to be apart from him even for a second. He holds the baby, a ringlet of his brunette hair falling down as he coos the baby and settles him.
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"With my life" he adds and I smile at him, godparent number one material right there.
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Jay carries me up the stairs, kissing my whole face over and over again. Telling me that he loves me. Whispering in my ear. He sets me down and begins running a small bath.
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Heading over to the bathroom sink, I freshen up and he chuckles.
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"Taylor, please let me do everything, you've just given birth" he says.
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"You were incredible" he whispers guiding me back to the bath, and helping me in.
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"I thought something had happened" he whispers joining me in the bath and washing my back.
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"That something had happened to you" he says his hands travelling down my arms and holding my own.
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"I can't tell you how worried I was" he says and his tone is soft, vulnerable.
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I lean back against him and he massages my shoulders and back.
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"You're so strong Taylor" he says in my ear.
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"I had some help" I tell him and I stroke his thigh.
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"No you did that, you deserve all the credit." He says.
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"If I had lost..." he says and his voice breaks.
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"You" he mutters crying. I spin around in the water, he aids me holding my waist and I look at him. Grasping his face in my hands.
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"I couldn't imagine my life without you" he says.
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"Well that's good because I couldn't either” I tell him softly. A new expression flits over his face and I watch him. On our wedding day when we said our vows I saw how devoted he was to me. I had imagined that expression over and over again, the look of a man such as Jay being devoted to me. And when we said I do I thought I’d seen it, like I’d dived into an ocean and explored the deepest parts, the extent of his care. But just now, I’ve seen more. The look of a man that cannot and will not lose what is his.
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"He looks like you" I say looking up at him.
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"No he's you through and through" he smiles.
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"Henry?" I smirk.
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"Or have you changed your mind" I ask him.
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"I think he is the perfect little Henry" Jay smiles and he washes my hair.
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“Henry with the blonde hair and blue eyes, can we dress him in lots of blue?” I say smiling.
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“We most certainly can” he chuckles.
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“Let’s go and do just that” he smiles helping me out of the water.
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Jay takes his time on me, making sure that I feel comfortable, picking out my favourite lounge pants and vest. Helping me to dress in them once we’re dried off. He slings on his own clothes as I perch on the edge of the bed smelling like honey shampoo.
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"How can I ever, ever thank you my wife enough for that" he says looking down into my eyes.
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"Italian forever after, kisses every single day, pasta and wine, sunshine oh and tennis matches on our tennis courts" I tell him smiling and he chuckles.
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"My darling you can have any forever after you so choose" he says a twinkle in his eyes as he picks me up again and I giggle.
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