Family Portrait
Chapter 12
Here it is the penultimate chapter! Sorry it's taken me so long to finish up. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. Hopefully I will get the final chapter up soon, thank you so much for being patient with me!
There was not enough air in this damn maternity theatre. Luc felt so helpless, he was scrubbed up and gowned but there was nothing he could do except hold Eddi's hand while Michael Spence and his colleagues worked to help the baby. This was too much, he wanted to run away, far away and eight months ago he might have done just that but it seemed something had changed, something else inside him desperately wanted to stay put. He looked over at the door and then back to Eddi, she was so beautiful even now, he loved her so much and he would soon have a baby to love too. Deep down he knew this wasn't just where he had to stay; it was where he wanted to be.
Finally the local anaesthetic was taking an effect on Eddi, she watched dozily and noticed Luc subtly slide his feet out of his shoes to reveal his mismatched and holey socks. His face remained calm and set but only Eddi knew that this was a sure sign that he was struggling with his anxiety.
"Hey." She tried not to slur, "We're almost there, Little Monster's almost here. Stop looking so worried."
"I know, I know." Luc tried to smile, "Its bloody terrifying though."
"It's the best thing ever." Eddi smiled back deliriously but winced slightly.
At that very moment Michael beckoned Luc over, "Hey buddy you might want to witness this part, if you can handle it." He grinned gesticulating emphatically with his bloodied gloves. "I know you're not a man to believe in miracles but believe me, this is as close as you're going to get."
Filled with terror and joy all at once, Luc squeezed Eddi's hand and padded around to where Michael and the midwife were working. "You're almost there Eds, you've almost done it." He encouraged in a small voice.
A few seconds later the maternity team swarmed around the bed and a small but piercing cry, echoed through the room, swiftly followed by Eddi's calls of "What is it? What is it?"
"Congratulations! Mr Hemingway and Nurse McKee," Michael beamed as he handed the now swaddled infant in his arms. "Meet your daughter," He announced, carefully placing the child into Luc's outstretched arms.
Luc Hemingway had seen some things he'd never forget in his time, he'd trekked through jungles, he'd witnessed beautiful tribal rites of passage, but never again would he see a sight so beautiful as that first glimpse of his daughters face. Words caught in his throat. He couldn't quite believe what he was holding in his arms. She was beautiful, miraculous and magical; he just couldn't stop looking at her.
"Luc, Luc!" Eddi interrupted his reverie, "Bring her over here, and let me see her." Eddi called craning her neck as much as she could from the bed. Cautiously Luc tiptoed over to Eddi and slotted the infant awkward into her arms.
"Ohh…" Eddi sighed simply, her eyes filling with tears of happiness, a daughter! She and Luc had a daughter; this was the most amazing thing ever. The baby wriggled around in her arms and opened up her eyes for the very first time and gazed up at her mother for the first time. She had inherited her father's soulful brown eyes and her mother's porcelain skin and raven hair, it was remarkable.
"Look at her Luc," she breathed dreamily.
"I've done little else." Luc murmured back, wrapping an arm around Eddi's shoulders and nuzzling her neck.
"Oh I'm glad she's ok," Eddi groaned, exhausted as Luc kissed her forehead.
"Me too," he mumbled into her hair, "So now she's here I suppose we ought to decide what name to burden her with. We could just continue with Little Monster, but I suspect if we were to do that she would grow to hate us forever and I don't want that." He chuckled softly.
"Any new ideas…?" Eddi prompted.
"Well she still looks like an Isla to me."
"Good I think so too. Hello Isla Hemingway." Eddi cooed.
"Isla Hemingway-McKee." Luc corrected and silenced Eddi's protests with a wave of his hand, "She's as much you as she is me and whether we name her it or not she's still half a McKee and besides without your surname, doesn't the whole old English name tradition loose some of its meaning?" He reasoned expertly.
Eddi smiled back resignedly, "Good point well made. Fine then Isla Anna Hemingway-McKee it is." She said looking down at her daughter and then back up at Luc whose brow was now furrowed with emotion.
"Anna, as in my mother?" he managed to splutter.
"Who else?"
Luc contain himself any longer, he gathered Eddi to him and kissed her feverishly, "Thank you Eddi, thank you so much. I love you." He whispered against her lips as he rested his forehead against hers. Suddenly their embrace was broken apart by the small whimpers of Isla who it seemed was already determined not to be forgotten.
"Oh look," Eddi remarked quietly, rocking the baby instinctively. "It's started."
Luc didn't take his eyes of his two girls, "Oh yes, indeed it has."
Well there you go, I have written an epilogue to this so that will follow shortly but in the mean time I hope you've enjoyed reading this. Please do leave me a review on the way out! Kat x
