Bonus Epilogue Nick

“ I t’s time! Sydney, take a deep breath, then you need to push. Push like you’ve never pushed before. You’re in the home stretch.” The nurse squeezed Sydney’s hand as she took one more deep inhale. “You’re doing great.”

I rubbed Sydney’s back as she bore down, her face scrunched up and red from the effort and the pain.

“You’ve got this,” I said, squeezing her other hand. “You’re in the fourth quarter, you can do it.” I caught the nurse’s eye over Sydney’s head. “Sorry, we’re a football family. Sports analogies are kind of our thing.”

She nodded. “Got it.”

Sydney exhaled, then laid back against the sheets, a fine sheen of perspiration on her brow. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You can,” the nurse said, patting her arm. “Like your husband said, fourth quarter. Only seconds to go and you have the ball. Okay, here it comes.” She glanced at the monitor next to the bed, the wave of the next contraction almost ready to peak. “Get ready for the pass, good, now push.”

Sydney pushed, crying out, and I squeezed her hand, encouraging her. “You can do it.”

“It’s coming, yes, there’s the head. Good, good, one more push,” the doctor said from the foot of the bed.

Then there was a loud cry and tears flowed down Sydney’s face, sheer joy replacing the exhaustion that had been there only moments before.

“It’s a boy!” the doctor cried and I kissed Sydney on the lips, my heart almost bursting with love and happiness.

I’d been wrong on the beach two Christmases ago. Yes, Sydney being with me was one of the greatest Christmas gifts I’d ever received. Marrying her last fall at the Starlight Bay lighthouse had been beautiful, amazing, the highlight of my entire life up until this point.

But this was even better. Sydney and I were parents. She’d given me a son and we were our own little family.

“You did it, Sydney Milton. Thank you. I love you.” I wiped away her tears, pressing another kiss to her lips.

“I love you, too. And we did it, Nick. Together. A team effort.”

I beamed at her as she held our precious baby in her arms, his adorable face resting against her chest.

“Touchdown,” the nurse whispered, winking at me.

I grinned. “Exactly. A Christmas touchdown. Welcome to the family, little buddy.”