BONUS SCENE

Kip

It’s Christmas Eve, and we’re in the hospital.

“I’m sorry, baby. I know how much Christmas means to you,” I apologize to my wife as I wheel her into the elevator.

“It’s alright. I mean, this is a great Christmas present, right?” She asks, turning to me with a pained smile.

She’s covered in a thin sheen of sweat already and breathing heavily. I can tell that another contraction is about to hit her as I wheel her off of the elevator and onto the labor and delivery wing of the hospital.

“I already called your sisters. They’re on their way,” I tell her, trying to distract her as the contraction hits her.

I hate seeing her like this. If I could take away her pain, I would in a second.

“In, in, out, out,” I tell her as we stop next to the reception desk and check us in.

“Name?” The nurse asks.

“Ginger McAvoy,” I tell her.

“Alright, who’s ready to have a baby!” Dr. Miller asks as she stops at the desk.

“Merry Christmas Eve,” Ginger tells her once the contraction is past.

“You too! How are you feeling? Have you been timing the contractions?” She asks us.

“Yeah, they’re coming every three minutes,” I answer.

“Alright, let’s get you into a room, and we’ll check to see how dilated you are.”

The nurse leads us over to a room and passes Ginger a gown. I help her out of the wheelchair and into the gown, then into the bed.

“Oh!” She gasps as another contraction starts, and I let her squeeze my hand as she tries to breathe through it.

“You’re doing so good,” I tell her as I rub her back. “What can I do to help?”

“You’re doing it,” she promises me. “I love you, Kip.”

“I love you more.”

Dr. Miller comes in and checks to see how dilated she is, and I stand by Ginger’s bed as they check the baby’s heartbeat and look over Ginger.

“You’re doing great, but I think it will be a few more hours. You’re dilated to seven, so I’ll come to check in on you in a little bit. If you need anything, just hit that button, okay?”

“Okay, thank you,” Ginger says, and I nod.

“Ginger!” Olive says as she rushes into the room, Maple, Saffron, Cora, Mira, and Lilou right on her tail.

“Hey, guys. You didn’t all have to come here,” Ginger says with a smile.

“We wanted to. How are you doing? Do you guys need anything?” Maple asks us.

“No, we’re good,” Ginger says, squeezing my hand.

“Where are the kids? Ginger asks.

“Right now, with the husbands, but Vera, Lilliana, and Cameron are headed over to my house to watch them. Then the guys will be here soon,” Olive says.

Another contraction hits, and I breathe with Ginger until it’s passed.

“They’re coming faster now,” I point out, and she nods. “Should I get Dr. Miller?”

“No, it’s still not time. They’re not close enough.”

I nod, dragging the chair closer to the bed. We spend the next few hours in the hospital room. The girls all tell us stories about their own pregnancies and births, and I’m grateful that they’re here and can talk Ginger’s mind off of the pain. The guys all show up not long after their wives, and I’m happy to have so much support.

When I married Ginger, I didn’t just get her. I also became part of her whole extended family. It took some getting used to. Normally, in the past, I only really relied on Huxley, but I’ve come to see how great it is to have so many people that you can count on.

“Alright, I think that it’s time!” Dr. Miller announces after she’s checked on Ginger.

“We’ll be in the waiting room,” Olive tells us as everyone files out of the room.

“See you soon!” Cora says with a wave, and Ginger grimaces as another contraction hits.

“Ready to meet your baby?” Dr. Miller asks us as a few nurses come in the room.

It feels like all of a sudden, things start to move very fast. Ginger shifts around until she’s in a comfortable position, and I make sure that the music that Ginger picked out is playing. I smile as the first Christmas song starts to play.

“Ah!” Ginger screams as the contraction hits.

They’ve been getting stronger and closer for a while now, and I’m glad that her pain might be over soon.

“I need to push,” Ginger pants, and Dr. Miller nods.

“It’s time. Go ahead and bear down on the next contraction,” Dr. Miller says.

She’s almost cut off as Ginger screams and squeezes my hand so hard that I swear a few bones break. Ginger starts to push, and I do my best to support her.

Half an hour later, a small cry pierces the air, and Ginger sags back against my arm, tears starting to run down her face as she stares at our newborn son.

“Congratulations, you two,” Dr. Miller says as she passes me our son, but I shake my head.

“She did all of the hard work. She gets to be the first one to hold him,” I tell her, and Ginger smiles up at me.

I watch over her shoulder as she cradles our son in her arms.

“He’s perfect,” I tell her softly, and she nods.

“He’s already so big. Just like his daddy,” She whispers, and I smile.

We take a few minutes and enjoy being a family of three while the doctor and nurses clean Ginger up and file out of the room.

“You should go get everyone,” Ginger tells me, and I nod.

“Are you ready for them? I can hold them off if you want more time,” I tell her.

“No, I’m ready. I want them to meet our son.”

I nod and head down to the waiting room to grab everyone. Olive and Cora race me back to the room, and I chuckle as I head back over to my wife and son.

“He’s so cute!”

“Oh, how adorable!”

“So perfect!”

A chorus of coos and congratulations fills the room. I smile as Huxley pulls me into a tight hug, followed shortly by Xavier, Townes, Ryder, and Nolan also hugging me.

“Congratulations,” Huxley says and I nod.

“Thanks, man.”

I head over to Ginger and smile down at her and our son.

“What’s his name?” Saffron asks, and I nod at Ginger to tell them.

“Sawyer,” she says. “Sawyer Weston McAvoy.”

I sit back next to my wife and smile as our family all welcome Sawyer to the world.

“Merry Christmas,” I whisper to Ginger when I see that it’s past midnight, and she grins up at me.

“Merry Christmas.”

“Thanks for the best present ever,” I say as I lean down and press a soft kiss to her lips.

This might not have been how we expected to spend Christmas, but Ginger doesn’t seem to mind. And as long as my wife is happy, then so am I.

I settle into the hospital chair and get ready to spend another Christmas with the love of my life and all of the people who mean everything to us.