“Ye’know,” I randomly said, “I keep forgettin’ that you’re both married, and your surname is Slater now, Bran.”
She smiled through her pain.
“I know. It has a ring to it, though, doesn’t it?”
“Yup,” I agreed. “Bronagh Slater sounds foreign, though.”
“I probably won’t take Dominic’s last name,” Bronagh said with a shrug. “It’s the twenty-first century; not every woman takes ‘er husband’s last name.”
Ryder, who popped a piece of ice into Branna’s mouth, looked at his sister-in-law and said, “Does Dominic know about this?”
“No.”
I grinned. “Can I be there when you tell ’im?”
“Me too,” Ryder and Branna said in unison, making one another laugh.
I frowned when Branna whimpered as pain consumed her once more. She tucked her head against Ryder’s neck and began to cry as he leaned down to hug her. Bronagh continued to rub her back, and Ryder murmured things to Branna that made her bob her head. I sat on a chair to the left of the room as things progressed fast. One minute, Branna was breathing through her pain, and the next, her legs were parted and there was a flurry of people in the room.
A man called Doctor Harrison, Taylor, Sally and two more nurses who were on standby to take each baby when they were born filled the already crowded room.
Before I knew it, Branna was pushing. Bronagh was on her left, and Ryder was on her right, both looked like they’d swap positions with Branna in a heartbeat if they could. I, on the other hand, was focused on my breathing because I felt like my heart was about to beat out of my chest. I wouldn’t have been able to swap with Branna even if I wanted to; I was too scared.
This fear, I felt was warranted, so I didn’t feel any guilt for it.
During all the commotion, I took out my phone and began recording. I made sure to get the full view of Branna as she gave birth, and I noted that I would instantly delete it if she didn’t want to keep it, but since no one else thought to record the moment, and I was doing nothing but hyperventilating, I figured I’d make myself useful and capture the once in a lifetime memory.
“He’s crownin’,” the doctor announced after minutes of pushing. Once the head was out, Branna screamed to the high heavens. “Shoulders, chest … penis, thighs … and Baby A is here.”
Branna cried with relief as her son was placed on her chest, Ryder was completely in awe as he stared down at his firstborn son, and Bronagh, she was silently crying. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as a smile stretched across her lips.
“You did it, Bran,” Bronagh gushed and kissed her sister’s head. “You did it!”
“Thank you,” Ryder said to Branna before kissing her face. “Thank you for making me a daddy. I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Branna sobbed.
Together, she and Ryder stared down at her baby while Taylor silently wiped him off with a towel. Ryder kissed his son’s head, and Branna quickly followed suit.
“He’s perfect,” Branna said in wonder. “And he looks just like you!”
“Are you kidding?” Ryder replied, his eyes glazed over with unshed tears. “He’s beautiful. That’s all you, sweetness.”
I stared at the baby. “Am I seein’ things, or does the child have white blond hair?”
“You aren’t seein’ things,” Bronagh laughed. “Damien isn’t the only fair haired lad anymore.”
I got a lump in my throat as emotion overcame me, but I kept my hand steady, making sure the video I was recording wouldn’t be messed up. Seven minutes later, Branna groaned in pain, and Baby A was taken to the side by Sally where he could get cleaned up, weighed, and checked over properly. I desperately wanted to go and see him, but I stayed rooted to the spot. Things then went from calm to insanity in seconds. Branna was contracting once more, and she began to push her second son out.
My vagina was in agony just looking at her, my legs were so tightly crossed I knew Damien would need to be awarded a medal if he ever managed to pry them open again.
I found myself pushing right along with Branna, as if trying to help her. Baby B, who had white blond hair also, took ten minutes longer to make his appearance into the world, making his brother seventeen minutes older, but when he did, it was with a whooping scream.
Everyone cried, mainly Branna, and a part of me thought it was because she didn’t have to push another kid out at that moment. After Baby B spent a few minutes with his mammy and daddy, he was taken aside to be cleaned, weighed, and checked over just like his brother. Both babies were returned to Branna once she delivered the afterbirth, got cleaned up with a wash cloth and got settled into bed.