Author's note: DUN DUN DUN DUN! The final chapter and, that's right, DANNY IS BORN! :D :D :D :D wh-hoo. I got a lot of reviews for how they want Danny to look and this is the chapter where you find out. Blue eyes? Green eyes? Both? Black hair? Brown hair? Smirk? Read to find out…
Any day now, any day now, any day now. I couldn't stop thinking those words for longer than ten minutes.
After our last doctors appointment, Doctor Moore said Clare was due any day now. Could be today, tomorrow, next week, whenever. It was killing me! I wanted Danny here now.
Clare had gotten much bigger and according to the sonogram, Danny was fully grown. It was about timing now. It could happen any day now.
The words kept repeating it my head. I have never seen someone give birth, let alone to my child. I was terrified. Clare said she was ready. She read books, talked to her mom, my mom, the doctors.
My dad told me it was something I would never forget and I didn't doubt that. He said it was the most amazing moment in a man's life, especially if the man wanted the baby and loved the baby it was terrific.
I didn't know if I was ready. I guess I would figure that out when Danny was coming.
"Eli? Eli!" Clare waved her hand in front of my face and I jumped back into reality.
"What? What? Is it time?" I shouted.
"No, no," she laughed. "You were just spacing out. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Are you?"
"I'm excited and scared," she sighed.
"It will hurt?" I asked.
"My mom said it was the worst pain I'll ever feel, but I don't believe her,"
"Why not?"
"I've lived through the worst pain ever,"
"What are you talking about?"
"When Fitz almost stabbed you. I thought you were gone forever. And for that brief moment, I didn't know if you were dead or alive, I just felt lost. Empty. Wrong. It hurt so bad, I thought Fitz actually stabbed me. Nothing could hurt worst than that,"
I wrapped my arms around her. "Clare, I'm sorry,"
"Don't be. It was so long ago. I'm just saying, I've lived through the worst pain ever. Nothing can top it,"
I held her close and rubbed her back. "Do you wanna sleep?"
"Sure,"
I pulled the covers over us and she laid against my chest. We fell asleep instantly.
I don't remember what woke me. I peered into my dark room. My back was to Clare and all I could see was blackness. I tried to remember what happened to wake me.
"Eli," Clare said.
"Yeah?" I muttered, sleepily. I closed my eyes again and groaned. This better be a good reason.
"Eli, it's time,"
"Time for what?" I was unreasonably cranky when I was woken up. I didn't mean to be so mean.
"Eli!" she screamed.
My eyes snapped open and my heart stopped cold.
Now? No. No, I wasn't ready. I didn't know what to do. I jump out of my bed and turned on the light. Clare had her eyes closed and was taking deep breaths. I grabbed the bag we had packed for the doctors and took her hand. "C'mon, let's get you to Morty. Gently. Slowly. C'mon," I carefully helped her out of bed, and we started walking downstairs. She got in Morty and I close the door behind her.
I threw the bag in and started the car. We began driving. I pulled out my cell phone and called my mom, noticing it was five-thirty as I did so.
It went straight to voicemail like I figured. "Mom, it's me. Clare's water broke and we're on the way to the hospital. When you wake up, come straight there. Call me," I snapped my phone close and pulled into the hospital.
Five hours later, at ten fifty-three in the morning on January 11th, Daniel Ian Goldsworthy was born.
It took Clare five hours. Five hours of her being in pain. Five hours of me wanting to kill myself watching her oceans over flow. Five hours of her pushing and screaming. Five hours of anticipation.
When the five hours were over, a new cry took over the room, took over my whole life, my whole heart.
Clare gasped for air at my side, still gripping my hand for dear life, but I couldn't look at her. Once I saw the doctor hold him up, he was the only thing in my world. I felt my own tears spill over as I watched him cry.
So tiny, so small, so fragile. The nurses took him over in the corner to wash him off. Clare settled into a sitting position and her eyes followed him, too.
They wrapped him in a baby blue blanket and gently placed him in Clare's waiting arms. My eyes hadn't left his.
He was small. So tiny. His eyes were still closed and he stopped crying. Clare and I hadn't since he was born.
A smile that broke my heart appeared on her face as she looked at our son. He had my natural hair color, light brown. I couldn't help but notice how is face was long and thin just like mine. I smiled.
"Do you want to hold him?" Clare whispered brokenly.
I could do nothing, but nod. She slowly tucked him in my arms where he fit perfectly, like my arms were made to hold me. I still couldn't speak and then…
Danny opened his eyes.
I was expecting-hoping-for Clare's oceans, but instead I got my emeralds. They were bright green. Brighter than mine. They looked out of place on a newborn baby. My newborn baby. There was no hint of Clare in his features and that made my face fall.
"What's wrong?" Clare asked, alert now, motherly instincts kicking in.
"He looks nothing like you,"
"Good. I want him to look exactly like you," she murmured, then she beamed. "He has your eyes?"
I nodded.
She smiled bigger and began to cry. "The emeralds live on,"
I looked back down at Danny in my arms. It was like looking at my baby pictures. I could only see myself. Somehow, that made me happy. This was my son, and seeing him look like me made it more real.
A nurse came over and told me they had to take him to do test, take footprints, birth certificate and he would be back in an hour.
I had trouble giving him up, but when I did, I sat next to Clare on her hospital bed. She leaned into my shoulder. "We did it,"
"No, Clare, you did it,"
"Eli, my butterflies are back," she whispered.
"What?"
"All nine months I was pregnant with Danny, I didn't have butterflies. Not even around you. It's like he was filling them up,"
I smiled. "I have butterflies. But it's different. They're a different kind of butterflies," I murmured.
She wrapped her hand around my own and the small gesture said so much more.
I'm here. Danny's here. We are together and happy. He'll be happy and so will we. Forever.
I squeezed her hand and felt another tear fall down my cheek. Clare leaned up and wiped it away.
Author's note: well, there you have it. Danny looks EXACTLY like Eli. Good? Bad? One thing for sure, he's gonna grow up cute.(:
SPEAKING OF growing up I have one more sequel in the "butterfly" series. It's called "my own little butterflies" and it's about Danny being a teenager. AND *hint hint* Danny might have a little sister. Maybe. I don't know? Just like you did with "Butterflies" if you want me to post the sequel review and tell me. Thank you guys so much your reviews are amazing :D
~Karlee
