To Hold The World

Our baby was due any day now, and I was getting anxious. We had bought a crib from the consignment store; it was hard to imagine that soon I would be laying my kin down to rest in that small bed.

Carlotta was complaining about pains one evening, but when we addressed the doctor, he told us it was nothing to worry about. It was probably just her body getting ready to birth the baby, when she started to have contractions we were supposed to head to the hospital. Until then, she was just going to have to wait it out. We spend that whole night laying in bed together, talking about names we liked and how everything was going to change when the baby was finally here.

As the gloomy sky began to hint dawn, we got up and started our daily routines. Although I was groggy, I managed to get outside and tend to my garden. I then went inside to wash up and eat breakfast with Carlotta, who was not hungry but still insisted I ate. I then went out to fish in the early light of the morn.

Nothing is more peaceful than fishing while the world awakens around you.

After fishing for a couple of hours, I received a call from the Elementary school’s superintendent. He said that he had a playground monitoring job available and had heard that I was in dire need. I greedily accepted the position. Anita had kept her promise to me, and now I was going to be sure that Carlotta and our child were going to have the best future I could afford.

I ran home to tell Carlotta the great news. When I entered the house, I could hear her screaming in pain. I sprinted to the bedroom and saw her, hunched over and breathing deeply.

“We need to go to the hospital NOW! The baby is coming!”

Carlotta screamed at me between her breaths. I scrambled to get everything we would need into our overnight bag. I drove like a maniac across town and to the hospital.

We spent ten hours in the delivery room and the whole time I was next to Carlotta. When it had been time for her to push, she nearly broke my hand, but I knew that the pain she was in would never be comparable to a broken bone. She spent nearly an hour pushing before she finally delivered our beautiful son.

I heard him scream out his first cry. My eyes threatened tears, but I held them back. The young nurse who had been by me swaddled him in a bright blue blanket and handing off to me.

My wonderful son, he looked so much like me, but he had Carlotta’s eyes and dark hair. His tiny body fit perfectly into the crook of my arm as I held him. In one moment of perfection, I knew that I held the world in my arms. My whole life, my whole existence was made for this small person. My son.

We named him Garret Douglas Greymane. He was born 21 inches, 8 pounds 3 ounces. A healthy, happy, perfect little baby boy. They let us take him home the very next evening.

It was already dark by the time Carlotta and Garret were ready to leave the hospital. We were both so excited to get home and start our lives together with our new little miracle.

Chapter Six: Time Marches On