Authors note: This is the final chapter of this story. Thank you for reading, your support and the lovely notes. Thank you again. Suggestions always welcome.

It was December and it was snowing outside. Jamie was admiring the snow from a window while he waited for the oven to finish. He was exhausted. Last night Eddie kept on waking up and roaming around the house. At almost thirty-nine weeks she was eternally uncomfortable and last night had been the worst. She finally gave up sleeping and started her famous lasagna. She had put in the oven and sat on the sofa where finally she had fallen asleep. Jamie had covered her with a blanket and let her sleep and went to the kitchen to watch the oven. When it was done, he got ready and headed to mass leaving Eddie a note. He usually went with him but she after the rough night he felt she needed as much rest as she could.
Eddie woke up and saw the note and was thanking her lucky stars for her husband. She spent most of the day moving around the house cleaning and organizing. They had decided that this Sunday they would host the family dinner and she was insisted that everything looked perfect. When Jamie came back from church, they got started on an apple pie from scratch she had insisted on doing. Although truth be told she did some of the work but it was Jamie who ended up finishing it.
Jamie was waiting for the oven to finish when he felt the shuffling of feet. He turned around to see his wife coming from upstairs.
"This kid is going to kill me." Eddie moaned while she rubbed her large stomach. "Thank you for helping me do the apple pie, maybe it would have been better to just buy it already made. That was a stupid idea. Ouch! She kicks hard!"
Jamie went and put his hand on Eddie's belly. "Agnes sweetie you need to be nice to mommy." The oven rang, and Jamie went and took the apple pie out of the oven.
"Why is it so hot in this house?" Eddie moaned.
"Hot? Well, we have been cooking so maybe that's it. Although I'm not hot Eddie. Are you feeling okay?" Jamie was preparing the stuff for Sunday dinner.
"I'm fine, just hot." Eddie replied fanning herself with a paper from the fridge.

The doorbell rang, and Eddie went to open the door while Jamie took the apple pie out of the oven. When she opened the door, the entire Regan clan was on her doorstep.
"Come in everyone!" Eddie stepped aside and everyone walked in giving her hugs and asking about how she was filling.
"Oh you know feeling like a whale."
"Nonsense! You look radiant," Henry said enthusiastically.
"You're too kind, but nothing but exhaustion radiate from me. This little girl had me up all night long." Eddie led the way and everyone followed to the kitchen and got busy setting the table.
Dinner was a noisy and happy affair. Unlike some other times everyone seemed to be in a good mood and nobody had the energy to have an argument. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, everyone except Eddie. She was feeling an intense pain on her back. Occasionally she felt like she was having cramps but she knew that was impossible.
"You feeling okay? You're literally sweating." Erin said, rubbing Eddie's arm.
"Yeah, just uncomfortable. I'll be right back." Eddie excused herself to use the restroom. She was in the hallway when the pain became too intense to walk. Then she felt a gush of water running down her legs.
"JAMIE!" She screamed in panic. There was a ruffling of chairs, and Jamie was by her side in seconds.
"What's wrong?" Jamie grabbed her as she bent down.
"My water broke! Jamie, I don't feel good."
"Okay, Okay! Let's just go to the hospital. I'll call the doctor on our way there."
"Oh my God! AHHHH!" She doubled down and screamed.
"My detail is outside, you'll get there faster." Frank said walking out.
Frank had been right. They got to the hospital in record time and in no time Eddie was hooked on and monitored for her contractions. The doctor arrived ten minutes after to check her in. Jamie had been getting the feeling something wasn't right. Before the doctor arrived at least two doctors came in and nurses constantly checked the monitor for Eddie's contractions. He knew that Eddie's blood pressure was high but he had the feeling something else was wrong. The door opened one more time and Eddie's doctor walked in.
"Doctor Simpson, sorry to disrupt your Sunday," Jamie said, shaking his hand.
"Oh no worries. Eddie your blood pressure is high and your baby is showing signs of fetal distress. What that means is that your baby's heart rate is not what it should be. I know we have discussed natural birth but I'm afraid your baby is in danger. We need to do a C-section. I don't want to take any chances. Off course the decision is yours but that's my recommendation."
Eddie started crying "I will do anything but please don't let my baby die," Jamie held on to Eddie fighting back tears.
"I will do my best to get the two of you through all of this safely and with as little problems as I possibly can. They are going to bring in some papers for you to sign and Mr. Regan we are going to get you ready so you can stand by your wife. Your wife will see you inside the operating room. Any questions?"
Eddie shook her head as she continued to cry. The doctor left and then a team of people came in as they signed forms and got them ready.
"Okay, we're taking her. Mr. Regan, you're going with nurse Rogers. Mrs. Regan your husband will meet you in the operating room."
Forty-five minutes later Agnes Marie Regan was safely in her father's arms as her mother gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Hey munchkin, you scared mommy. Don't ever do that again." Eddie said crying although it was only tears of joy.
"They want to check her out, so I'll see you in the room." Jamie handed Agnes back to the nurse. "Come with me," the nurse instructed.
Jamie learned that his baby girl was healthy and doing much better now. He was thanking his lucky stars that they were able to get to the hospital that fast. The reason for the baby being in trouble was that she had wrapped the umbilical cord around her neck. Deprived of oxygen she started to show signs of being asphyxiated. After coming out of recovery Eddie had been taken to her room where she peacefully slept. Agnes on the bassinet nearby equally asleep.
The Regan's came to visit a few hours later. Eddie was still in a little pain but doing much better.
"Oh my God! She's so little and oh wow, she has red hair!" Erin marveled. Agnes stirred up in the little bassinet.
"My mom and my brother had red hair," Eddie mumbled from the bed.
Jamie rubbed Eddie's shoulders "We have a little of them in her," Eddie smiled.
"She's beautiful, Eddie." Danny said. Agnes grunted and stretched in the little bassinet. Then she wailed expressing her unconformability.
"Oh someone's hungry!" Nicky said.
"I hope not, she just ate. I think her diaper may need changing." Eddie explained.
After the diaper change. Agnes was passed around from Frank, to Henry, to Erin, to Nicky and then back to her father as the boys refused to hold her afraid of dropping her.
Four days later they were discharged to go home. On the drive home Jamie made fun of Eddie that told him, for the first time, he was driving too fast. On Sunday the Regan's insisted on bringing dinner to them. In fact they had come back from the hospital to find that at least half a dozen neighbors had brought meals so they didn't have to cook that week.
"How are you feeling?" Frank hugged Eddie that was coming down from checking on Agnes."
"We are exhausted but she makes it all worth it."
Everyone was helping, and they had ban Eddie from the kitchen and order her to sit down. They had just said grace and Eddie had served herself some potatoes. That's when the monitor had some noises then Agnes announced she was hungry.
"She has to have a clock or something. It never fails! The second we sit down that's when she wants to eat." Jamie was laughing with an amazed expression.
"Always! Babies know when you want to eat buster, that way they eat too. After all you're a family now." Erin commented with a smirk on her face.
"Smartass," Danny said, but he was clearly agreeing with her.
"I'll go get her, she slept a little longer today." Eddie turned and headed upstairs.
'I'll get her bottle ready," Jamie headed to the kitchen.
It was a couple of minutes when Eddie came back with a furious Agnes demanding to be fed.
"Wow! She has some serious lung power!" Sean said while covering his ears. Jamie came in with the bottle.
"Here Eddie give me the baby. I'll feed her so you can eat."
"Are you sure?" Eddie got Agnes ready for her bottle.
"Yeah, here let's have her. Go ahead and eat. I know how that is." Frank grabbed little Agnes and for a second the baby looked at him with wondering eyes. Then as if remembering why she had woken up she started crying again.
"Okay, okay, here it is," Frank gave the bottle to Agnes who immediately started guzzling down her food as if she had never been fed.
"Wow, does she always guzzle food like that?" Danny sat with an impressed look on his face.
"Yeap! All the time, she reminds me of you," Jamie smirked.
When Frank took the bottle out to take out some gas. Agnes gave a small protest.
"I know, I know but you feel better in a moment." Agnes opened her mouth to cry, but instead a huge gas came out.
"My daughter, such a little lady," Jamie said laughing. "She definitely reminds of you Danny." Everyone laughed.
After her bottle Agnes decided that Henry's arm was the perfect place to take a nap, as she put her feet on his plate. Nicky was the one to noticed that laughing.
"You're lucky you are cute," Henry said with a gentle movement. Agnes was passed around some more before all the Reagans left for their home.
They were standing at the door saying goodbye to Danny and the boys that were the last to leave. Agnes comfortably in her father's arms.
"You know what I was thinking." Jamie looked at his beautiful wife.
"What?" Eddie turned to look at Jamie as she caressed her daughter's head.
"I was thinking about that night that we went dancing, and we wonder what we may be missing out on or giving up?"
"Yeah, I remember. It was a lot." Eddie whispered.
"I was thinking exactly the same thing. Thank God we came to our senses because this was a lot to miss out and give up."
"I love you so much," Eddie stood on her toes to kiss her husband.
"I love you the same," Jamie said as he hugged his daughter closer and kissed his wife.