Chapter 15

It was a sunny morning, late in June, when Ilse woke me up. Glancing at the alarm clock on the bedside table, I saw that it was 6:48 a.m. The sun was already up and Ilse was moaning from discomfort. I was spooned up against my beautiful fiancée, but in my sleepy state, I didn’t realize what was going on.

“Ahhh!” Ilse groaned again, with a loud voice.

Well, that most certainly woke me up!

“Are you okay?” I asked concerned, realizing, after the words had already left my lips, what a dumb question it really was.

Of course, she wasn’t okay, she was going into labor you idiot!

Ilse, however, was more forgiving and replied with a pained voice, “I think she’s coming, the contractions have started.”

I was wide-awake after that news and until training kicked in, I didn’t know what to do for a moment. In the past months, we prepared for this situation and practiced what I had to do. I even had a complete checklist ready. Since Ilse had already given birth twice, she knew what she would need to do, but it would be a new experience for me.

Right, first things first. I helped Ilse to the bathroom, so she could empty her bladder one more time before we’d leave for the hospital. Due to the assault she had endured six months ago, we wanted to take no risks whatsoever. Instead of opting for delivering the baby at home, we had decided to go to the hospital when it was time.

Next, I called Ilse’s mother, who had promised to come over as soon as her daughter went into labor. Anna had promised to babysit our kids when we were at the hospital. It took a full minute before a sleepy Erik picked up the phone. As soon as I told him that Ilse was going into labor, he handed the phone to Anna, who promised that she’d arrive at our home within forty-five minutes.

With the phone call taken care of, I woke up Bram and Naomi and told them that we’d leave for the hospital as soon as their grandma arrived. News that the baby was coming had them wide-awake too.

By now, Ilse finished doing her business. I helped her into the Jacuzzi, so she could have a relaxing bath before we left for the hospital. Since her contractions had only just started, we believed that we still had at least an hour, before she had to be in the delivery room. I made sure that the water in the Jacuzzi was at body temperature and not any warmer. I was afraid it could have a negative effect on the baby. It likely wouldn’t, but hey, I was new to this and didn’t want to take a chance! I also kept the bubble option turned off since I had read that it was bad in combination with a pregnancy.

Meantime, I took a quick shower myself and got dressed. I also got Ilse’s clothes and brought them with me to the bathroom. When Ilse indicated that she was clean and ready, I helped her out of the Jacuzzi and dried her body. She casually informed me that while she had been soaking in the Jacuzzi, her water had broken. I nearly freaked out at that news. However, I also considered that it’d save me from having to clean up the mess. If her water had broken while we were in bed, then I’d have to change the sheets and clean the mattress.

She couldn’t suppress a lighthearted chuckle at my antics. I was a lot more caring than her ex had ever been and worried about all the minor details. I couldn’t care less about that though, as I just wanted to ensure that my fiancée would be fine. If it were up to me, it would be the most stress-free delivery in human history.

Next, I helped her into her clothes and prepared a light breakfast for Ilse and our kids.

Bram and Naomi were just as concerned about Ilse as I was and kept asking her questions about how she was doing and if they could get her anything. Ilse soothed them and said that she was fine. She also remarked that with me flying left and right and doing everything already, there wasn’t anything left to take care of.

Bram and Naomi looked at me, while I was nervously doing this or that and couldn’t suppress a chuckle either. Evil kids, that’s not how had I raised them, making fun at their poor dad like that, tsk, tsk!

Once we finished our breakfast, I put the dishes in the dishwasher. Next, I pulled the car out of our garage, making sure that our travel bag was inside. We had prepared a so-called ‘pregnancy bag’ ahead of time, with all the items that we’d need in the hospital.

I was nervously pacing around, wishing that Anna would be here already. Ilse hugged me from behind, her belly pushing into my back and told me not to worry, that she was fine. Even our cat figured that something was going on. In an attempt to soothe me, she kept nuzzling up against my leg.

I guess I was a lot more nervous about everything than Ilse was. I couldn’t understand how she could be so calm about it all. We were having a baby!

She turned me around and gave me a kiss that finally did relax me a bit. Her kisses usually did.

When Anna arrived seventeen minutes later, she parked her car on our driveway. We went outside to greet her where she hugged her daughter for a full minute, until my nervous cough told her that we had to leave. I guess she got the hint, since she let Ilse go.

However, that evil woman hugged me next for another full minute!

Damn those evil hugs. Didn’t she realize we needed to leave?

In actuality, the hugs may have only lasted for a dozen seconds, but it sure felt a lot longer. She had a mischievous glint in her eye and wished us luck at the hospital. I promised I’d give her a call when Ilse delivered the baby.

Ilse sat next to me in the car, as I drove away very carefully. All the way to the hospital I made sure to drive as safely as I could, taking the corners a little wider than usual so that I wouldn’t upset Ilse or the baby. I also took speed bumps even slower than usual. It brought a smile to Ilse’s lips when she saw how careful I was driving.

I just wanted to make sure that we’d arrive at the hospital safe and sound. Despite my nervousness, or perhaps because of it, I managed to drive very safely. Instead of the seven minutes that the trip usually took, it took us nine minutes to get there. It was a good thing that there was hardly any traffic on the road, or I’m sure I’d have annoyed many of the other drivers.

When we got to the hospital, I got a wheelchair and told Ilse to sit in it, so I could push her around. She told me that she was fine and that she could walk, but I insisted and wouldn’t take no for an answer. While I took care of everything else, I’d make sure she wouldn’t have to do a thing, well apart from delivering a baby that is.

Even the nurse behind the desk couldn’t suppress a snicker when she saw how careful I was with Ilse. I guess she had seen it all before. Concerned fathers-to-be were probably a regular occurrence for her.

She surprised me when she told me that she never saw such a concerned man before. Most men were very nervous and agitated. She praised my calm and caring attitude, telling Ilse that she was one lucky woman. Her comments actually made me blush. I calm, yeah, right...

I was calm as a rumbling volcano that was ready to erupt!

After completing all the check-in procedures, a friendly older nurse showed us to a room and gave us a moment of privacy. During this time, Ilse changed into a nightshirt, or rather, I dressed Ilse in a nightshirt. A woman in her condition was in no shape to dress herself!

Well, so I thought anyway.

A doctor arrived a moment later. After his initial checkup, he told us that we had at least another three hours before Ilse’s cervix would dilate enough for her to give birth. He also told us that he’d be back in an hour for another check and left the room.

That was pretty much the start of a long wait. I drank a lot of coffee, while I got Ilse a cup with water and a straw. I figured it’d make drinking easier for her, although Ilse ignored the straw. Oh well.

While I held Ilse’s hand, we talked a lot. Occasionally, when another contraction hit her, she gave me a firm squeeze. I had no idea she was that strong!

Still, I took it like a man and only let a small whimper escape from my lips. Ilse, on the other hand, just held a pained expression on her face, gasped for a moment, and then continued talking.

The doctor checked up on Ilse every hour and as he expected, it took Ilse three more hours before her cervix had dilated sufficiently for extreme labor to commence.

The birth of our daughter was a unique experience. My beautiful Ilse had a face as red as a tomato as she huffed and puffed, occasionally uttering several obscenities and even teaching me a couple of new words. It was very rare for me to hear her curse. This was something very new to me. She held my hand during the entire birthing. Whenever she had to push, she ensured that I felt some of the pain she was experiencing by squeezing my hand harder. In the end, I was nearly screaming as loud as she was. I sure hoped she didn’t break any bones in my hand!

A few minutes later, we heard the cries of a newborn, announcing her arrival into her world. We soon forgot our pain. After I did the honor of cutting the umbilical cord, the nurse put our beautiful daughter on Ilse’s chest, so she could drink milk for the first time in her life.

Once she latched onto one of Ilse’s nipples, she went quiet and started to suckle with a happy expression on her face. She opened her blue eyes for a moment, giving us a look of gratefulness. Compared to us, she looked so tiny. Ten little fingers, ten little toes, two little ears, and a cute little nose, in short, a complete baby, our baby.

Let me tell you this, it was the most beautiful thing I ever saw in my life. To know what it’s truly like, you have to experience it for yourself. Ilse let out a soft, contented sigh, as she looked at our daughter.

I had the sense to capture the moment with my digital camera. Although some fathers film the entire birth of their child, I wasn’t interested in that as I was more into supporting Ilse as I had. I was just happy to see the result of Ilse’s labor and I treasured the moment, wanting to save it forever.

When our baby girl had drunk to her heart’s content, Ilse made her burp and simply held her in her arms until the baby fell asleep. It was at that moment that Ilse looked up to me, with tears in her eyes and a radiant smile on her face.

“Come, hold your daughter,” she told me.