28: ONYX - EPILOGUE

"Push! Push!"

"Come on now, you've got this."

"Okay, lay back and take a rest."

"What's wrong? I'm trying."

"Everything's okay. You're doing good. We just need you to relax for a moment, and we're going to get your baby into this world and into your arms," Dr. Patterson reassures us.

I smile at him, and then turn back to MJ. Kissing her forehead, I press my face against the side of hers.

"I'm so proud of you. I know this isn't easy, but you're doing an amazing job."

"Owww, what do you know?" she grumbles. "You ever been pregnant before? Have you ever had to push a baby the size of a watermelon out of your body?"

I lower my head and then turn my gaze back to her. "No, my Queen," I say quietly. "I have not. But I know that if I had to, I could never be as graceful or as strong as you. I honor you for being the vessel by which my seed comes into this world."

"Okay, are we ready?" Dr. Patterson asks.

MJ breathes heavily again and blows it out through her mouth. She reaches for my hand, and I ignore the stinging sensation of the scratches she's already left behind.

"Yes, I'm ready, Dr. P."

"Good. Then let's get going. Show us what you've got. Three. Two. One. Push," he encourages.

MJ squeezes my hand, bares down, and pushes hard.

"There we go!" Dr. Patterson announces.

"Oh, my goodness. Your baby is so beautiful," Kaia whispers, moving from the head of the bed where she held position down to the foot of the bed.

A little wail releases into the room, creating a shout of joy among the nurses, the doctor, and Kaia.

"What do we have?" MJ asks, looking at me with hope-filled eyes.

Curls are plastered against her forehead and temples by the sweat that she's released during labor. Sweat beads dot her upper lip, and my wife is generally exhausted.

Dr. Patterson asks, "Dad, do you want to pronounce the gender of your baby?"

Pressing a kiss to MJ's forehead I answer, "We have a beautiful baby girl."

"We do?" she asks as tears spring to her eyes.

"Yes, baby. We do."

I bend down to kiss her once more.

"Dad, are you cutting the umbilical cord?"

Proudly, I take my place beside Dr. Patterson and take the scissors from his hand. He shows me where to begin cutting, and I position the scissors and do exactly as he tells me to do.

Once I'm finished, I take my place at MJ's side again and take over the damp cloth that Kaia previously used to wipe away the sweat. The nurses take the baby to the other side of the room to clean her up.

Kaia, our baby's godmother, instantly moves with the nurses.

"All right, Mama," Dr. Patterson announces. "We're getting ready to have you push again so that we can expel the afterbirth, okay?"

MJ nods again and looks at me.

"Just breathe. You're going to be just fine."

She closes her eyes and takes my hand into hers. Again, we go through the stages of having her push while she expels the afterbirth. I talk to her in sweet whispers while the doctor stitches her up from where she tore just a little.

"I worried for such a long time about us, including after you came back home," I say.

"Why?"

"Worried that the anxieties would return and take over. Worried that anything could happen that might cause you to slip into depression. There were so many things, and we were new at building a family. I didn't want to lose you again."

"You weren't at risk of that, Onyx. I had no plans of giving up my marriage. I vowed to stand beside you, and that's what I meant."

"I don't think that I could ever ask for more in life than having you at my side. You make every day worth living, MJ."

"So do you, baby," she says as she kisses my lips.

"Well, here's your beautiful little girl," one of the nurses announces, bringing our baby to us.

She places the baby on MJ's stomach, and I adjust her bed so that she can sit up just a little. Tears fill my wife's eyes as she says, "Oh my gosh, she's so beautiful, Onyx."

"I know. She looks just like you," I say, dragging a finger down the velvety soft skin of our beautiful little girl.

"What are we going to name her?" Meadow asks after the doctors and nurses finally clear the room.

The three of us have been sitting and staring in awe at this little miracle for the last several minutes.

Leaning forward to kiss our baby girl's forehead, I say, "I love the name that you picked which is Summer. I was also thinking about Azul. It reminds me of the sky and water out on the island."

We'd conceived our little girl at that same cottage that MJ had run to when she sought to escape our marriage.

"I love that, Onyx. Summer Azul Maxwell. We could call her Sam," she says, laughing.

"That works for me."

"You guys and these names," Kaia says, laughing.

"Well, what did you expect from parents with names like Meadow and Onyx," I say, laughing.

"You've got a point there," she concedes with a warm smile.

"You want to hold her?" she asks.

"Of course," I say, accepting our little gift from my wife's arms.

"She is beautiful. I'm going to give you two some bonding time alone with your daughter. I'll be back to hold her shortly."

Our parents are waiting in the waiting room along with our siblings, Kaia's husband, Chris, Ian and his wife, and even Claire, Matt, and his new wife, Fiona.

My relationship with her parents isn't the best, but we're not on the verge of war either. Her mother does adore me, but her father is tolerant of me at best. We've never sat down and aired our differences because he's said in no uncertain terms that he doesn't want to do that. I respect the man's wishes, but we do get along for the sake of MJ and our children.

My family's relationship with my sister, Danica, hasn't improved much either. If anything, it's grown more distant as she continues to create space between her and us. We love her just the same and will be here for her if she needs anything.

We invited her to come down to the hospital this evening, but she doesn't want to be around anyone else. She told me that she would come tomorrow once everyone else leaves or maybe visit us at home.

"Thanks, Kaia," MJ says.

"No problem. I'll let everyone know what you had," she informs us.

"One more favor," I ask.

"What's that?" Kaia asks, turning in the doorway.

"Would you please bring Cove back to meet his little sister?" I say of our son.

Kaia beams brightly.

"Sure will."

She's back within two minutes carrying our two-year-old on her hip. She passes him off to me after I pass Summer back to Meadow.

"Hey, little big guy. Do you want to meet your little sister?" I ask, lowering him onto the bed beside MJ.

"My baby?" Cove asks.

Laughing, I reply, "Yes, that's our baby."

"Cove, meet your little sister, Summer Azul Maxwell," MJ says in the sweetest voice.

Cove smiles shyly at his sister and then casts a bright grin his mother's way. "Wanna kiss the baby."

"You may kiss her," I say. "Just be gentle," I remind him as he lunges over MJ and the baby.

She carefully shifts, making more room in the bed for our son. Looking up at me as Cove kisses Summer, she says, "Come on. Join us."

I lift my son into my arms and climb into the bed with my wife and kids.

"I have never been prouder in all my life, MJ. You've given me the greatest assets. No amount of money could bring me the joy that you have along with these little ones," I say.

She leans in and kisses my lips. "You make it all worth it, babe. I'm no longer empty anymore or existing in this dark space. You three have brought so much light into my life," she whispers.

Before long, our room fills with family and friends coming to meet the newest addition to our growing family.

As I reflect on the last three years of our lives, I think about how I risked everything and how blessed I am to have it all brought full circle again. What I once feared and ran from has become the center of my joy.

These three are the beat of my heart.

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THE END