LENA*

"What time do they want you to come into work?" I grab my wine glass and down the rest as I look at my wife. She had promised me that she shouldn't be called into work and we'd stay up and watch Christmas movies tonight after I put Frankie to bed, but of course, she receives a call in the middle of dinner. And of course, she says yes to coming into work.

Pushing her plate back, she sighs as she refuses to meet my gaze. "I said I'd go in around 8."

I try my hardest not to glare or give her a look, but she already knows how I'm feeling. We are currently at dinner with Jenna and Kelly and a couple of other friends, and everything was just fine until she received the call. I can feel my face grow hot, and I don't hear the conversation anymore around the dinner table; so, I do what I know to do. I grab my purse and quietly excuse myself muttering something about needing to check on Frankie.

Francesca was born just two months ago, and to be honest, it was a very hard labor for me. My water broke some time around 10 p.m. but I didn't really start hard labor until a little after midnight the day she was born. When the doctor came in around noon the next day, and I hadn't progressed beyond three centimeters, he was alarmed and rushed me into an emergency c-section. That mixed with the factor that her heart rate was dropping rapidly scared both Stef and I drastically, and Stef had clung to my hand as she tried to soothe me with her words even though I could see the fear in her eyes.

FLASHBACK*

"I'm right here, baby. I'm not going anywhere. I promise. They just want me to put these scrubs on over my clothes before I go with you into the operating room, okay?" Stef rubs her hand softly over my flushed face. I was now shaking uncontrollably as my contractions were coming every few minutes, and the pain was truly out of this world. It hurt far more than I could ever have imagined, and I seriously didn't think it could hurt any worse.

"Okay," I manage to get out as she disappears, and I'm left to squeeze the white cotton sheets beneath me as another round of contractions hit me worse than ever. I try to breathe through them, but I can only whimper and cry out as a nurse walks over to me to tell me that they are getting ready to have the anesthesiologist give me a spinal. My doctor is an expert at delivering babies, and as soon as he walks into the room, he smiles widely as he walks over to me and takes both of my hands in his.

"Lena, Lena, did you ask your little girl what's taking so long to join us?" He squeezes my hand as I attempt to breathe through the last of these contractions.

I finally am able to catch my breath long enough to look into his caring eyes. "I haven't had the chance to, doctor," I lightly tease as he continues to smile.

"Okay, well, I need you to try and sit forward so you can be given your spinal. We'll tell you when to inhale and when to exhale, okay?"

I nod as I scoot forward on the bed, and he continues to hold my hands in support. The only problem is, just as soon as I sit forward, another wave of contractions hit threatening to suck the air right out of my lungs, and I yelp as I squeeze his hands so hard, he even winces. "Breathe, Lena...c'mon, you can do it. We're so close to meeting your little girl. Breathe...inhale..." I do as he says as I squeeze my eyes shut and feel a hard pinch in my lower back.

"Can you bend forward a little more, Lena?" the anesthesiologist asks as he tries to get the spinal done and over with, and I try my hardest as I continue squeezing Dr. Harding's hands even tighter. As soon as the spinal is released, I feel a warm wave wash over me, and the intense pain I had been feeling for well over 12 hours is now gone, and in it's place is nothing but sheer giddiness at the relief I feel.

"Is that better?" Dr. Harding smiles as I look at him and nod. "Good, because had you squeezed my hands any tighter, I think they may have fallen off!" We both laugh as I'm moved onto the operating table, and Stef is allowed into the room.

"Hey, my baby, are you okay?" I look up at her and hold back a giggle, but she sticks out her tongue. "I do look goofy! You can laugh!" and so I do. I laugh as this is the first time since yesterday that I haven't been working my way through some of the worst pain of my life.

I'm told that I'll feel some tugging but that's normal, and Stef sits by my head as she holds onto my hand, brushing back my curls with the other. I look up at the curtain the doctor and nurses have placed so that we don't see the actual c-section taking place, and I try to stop shaking so much. "Are you cold?" the nurse next to me asks, and I just nod; so, she grabs several warm blankets to place across my chest. I close my eyes as happy tears roll down my cheeks.

"She'll be here soon, my love. I'm so happy, I don't have many words," Stef whispers in my ear as she kisses my cheek softly. "I'm so proud of you, Mama. You have been so strong, and I wish I could have taken your place. I felt so helpless watching you go through this. I did...but I'm here, and you know we're going to do this together. You're going to be one hell of a mama." Her lips gently press against my temple as I focus on her words, and my nerves begin to settle some.

Soon, we hear screaming, and Dr. Harding tells us that we have a healthy baby girl. Tears rush down our faces as we are shown our beautiful baby girl, Francesca Marie Adams Foster, and as she's placed near my face, I kiss the bridge of her little nose as her lungs are loud and clear that she is not happy, not one bit. I smile as I reach up to brush her little curls, and she stops crying long enough to look widely into my eyes.

"It's me, Frankie! I'm Mama!" I watch as her little chin quivers, and she proceeds to scream some more. That was the happiest day of my life next to the day I said, "I do," to the love of my life. Frankie was here, and my life was complete.

FLASHBACK ENDS*

Now, as I head to check on Frankie, tears come to my eyes. I know that this is a busy time of year for the police department, but sometimes I do feel that Stef's boss take advantage of her willingness to step up and work extra. I was really looking forward to tonight, and now she is going to work. I sigh as I stand and head into the bathroom to gather myself before heading back with my friends. If anything, I'll make due with what time we have left together.

STEF*

I knew right away that me taking this shift would upset Lena, but I really needed the extra hours as I had a special Christmas present planned. I know that in the long run, she will thank me, but keeping this to myself is only managing to make things harder especially as I drove her and Frankie home, and she all but gave me the cold shoulder.

"I love you," I brush her cheek, and she barely meets my eyes. "Baby...please, honey, I'm trying, okay? I'll be home in the morning, and we'll cuddle and spend the day together. Hmmm?"

"I just was looking forward to tonight...I'm sorry I'm being such a big baby over this..."

I rest my forehead on hers as I run my hands up and down her arms. "I know, baby. I know, and I'm sorry. I am. Try to get some rest, yes? Can you do that for me?"

She just nods as she wraps her arms around me, and I sigh as I kiss on her neck and just hug her back. She's been lonely for adult attentions since having Frankie, and being that she is just teaching online classes this semester, it's not like she can go into work at the university and get that adult interaction like she's used to doing. I have to remind myself of that constantly. I'm just hoping that all of this overtime will pay off in the end.

The next morning comes with it's exhaustion as I had a heck of a night arresting dumb asses who drank too much at their holiday dinners. Between the domestic calls and pulling over drunk drivers, all I wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep next to my wife, but as I walk in the door, I'm met with the familiar cries of our daughter, and when I walk into the baby's room, I see a very red-eyed, frazzled Lena who appears to have been crying right along with her.

Setting down my lunchbox, I rush over to her. "Are you okay?" But she pulls back as she frowns even deeper.

"I'm fine, but you can't hold her until you've changed and showered! Stef, how many germs are you carrying on your uni?"

I step back shocked at her tone and can only nod as I hurry out of the room to quickly shower and change so that I can relieve my wife so she can rest. I have an idea that I will be paying for some time for last night. Sighing, I quickly strip and get into a steaming hot shower. I close my eyes as the hot water runs over my sore body and I cry...I cry because I'm exhausted and I cry because fighting with my wife is the very last thing I want to do right now.