Around midnight…
"Push, Beth!" he told her. "You can do this."
She felt a little pain but mostly pressure. She pushed hard, wanting so badly to see their little one. Hoping and praying it would be healthy.
"The head is out," Dr. Shepherd announced. "Hang on, Beth. Don't push for a moment."
She panted and tried not to push even though it seemed like her body was forcing her.
"Ok, next contraction, you'll get to meet your baby," he told them. "Push!"
They heard the tiny cry they had been waiting for. "Jack, tell Beth the gender," Dr. Shepherd prompted.
"Its a girl!" Everyone cheered as she was placed on Beth's chest and dried off.
She kept crying as they cleaned her up. "Hi, baby. I'm your Mama."
Jack pulled out his phone and took pictures and then gave his attention to his family. "Good job, Beth. You did awesome." He pressed his lips to hers and smiled. "I love you so much."
"I love you too."
After a few moments, the nurses and doctors from the NICU took her over to the isolette to check on her breathing.
"Is she alright?" Beth asked. "Please. Tell me."
"She's breathing well," they told her. "Five pounds on the nose."
All in all, they pronounced her in good health but they were going to take her to the NICU to monitor her temperature and breathing.
"Wait, I want to feed her," Beth told them. It was one of the main things she had been looking forward to. She wanted the bond with her that only a mother could have.
Because she was breathing well, they brought the little swaddled bundle of pink over to Beth. There was after all no healthier thing for babies than to be nursed if possible. Especially the first few days after birth.
After a while of trying, she finally latched on and it was just as magical as Beth had imagined. She had never known such immense love.
"Shae Thornton," she whispered as she gently stroked her cheek. "You are beautiful."
Jack went home that night at Beth's insistence. Lincoln needed one parent there with him.
"Dada!" he yelled, running up as Jack walked in the cottage. "Where Mama?"
"She's at the hospital with baby Shae. Do you want to see pictures?"
"No! Want Mama!"
Jack watched his son start to throw a tantrum, crying and yelling, kicking his feet. He put him down and got on the floor with him. "Lincoln, you are going to be just fine. Mama and Shae will be home in a few days."
Lincoln continued to yell and cry so Jack put him in his room. "You tell me when you're done and I'll come get you."
Jack sighed and walked away, his heart breaking a bit. Grace walked up to Jack and smiled. "He will be fine, Jack. He feels everything changing and he doesn't know how to handle it."
Jack nodded and wiped his eyes. "I'm not sure why I'm upset."
"Because you just left Beth and Shae at the hospital and I'm guessing you have not had much sleep in the past twenty four hours." His stomach growled loudly. "Or much to eat." She grabbed his arm and led him to the counter. "Would you like some Chinese food? We have egg drop soup and sweet and sour pork."
"I'd love some. Thank you, Grace."
After a few minutes, Lincoln quieted so Jack went in to see him. He was fast asleep, thumb in his mouth and his favorite stuffie in his arms. "I love you, Linc. So very much," he whispered, kissing his warm cheeks.
The Chinese food was wonderful. William and Grace headed to the B and B shortly after he finished eating.
Jack sat back and looked around. It was quiet. Too quiet. He knew it would all change soon though.
His phone buzzed so he picked it up.
"Hey, honey," he said with a tired smile.
"Hi. How are you and Linc?"
"Well, Linc had a meltdown earlier and cried himself to sleep."
"Poor babe. And you?"
"I miss you. It's way too quiet around here."
"Are you saying I'm noisy, Jack Thornton?" Shae let out a squawk then during her meal, making her parents laugh. "I think she's the noisy one."
"I love you, Beth. More than I could ever express. Thank you for our beautiful daughter."
"I love you too, sweetheart."
The next morning, Lincoln woke up, soaked to the skin. Jack hadn't put a pull-up on him so he had peed himself and his bed. This brought on more tears as Jack changed his sheets and gave him a bath.
"Nooooooooooooooooo! Want Mama!"
"Linc, please, bud. We will go see her today but you need to get cleaned up and eat breakfast first."
The bath took way too long and then he asked for eggs but refused to eat them. Jack ate them himself so they wouldn't go to waste, causing Linc to again meltdown because Jack ate his eggs.
After changing clothes himself, he filled up a sippy of milk for Linc and then they went out to the car. "Where Mama?"
"At the hospital, bud. Remember?"
"I want Mama," he cried between sips and hiccups.
"I know you do. So do I," he mumbled.
His phone buzzed so he hit the bluetooth button on his dash. "Hello?"
"Jack. It's Mom."
"Hey, Ma."
"Um, are you on your way?"
"Yep, heading to the hospital now."
"Oh. I mean...well, I suppose we can get a cab."
"A cab? Oh no...I forgot to have someone come get you at the airport, didn't I?"
"It's okay, dear. We will get an uber or rent a car or something."
"I'm so sorry, Ma."
"It's fine. David and I will meet you at the hospital in an hour or so."
"Alright. Love you. See you soon."
"Love you too."
What a day. Hopefully Elizabeth and Shae would be coming home soon and things would get back to normal.
When they arrived at the hospital, Jack helped Linc out of his car seat and put him on the ground. "Are you wet?"
"I pottied."
"Why didn't you tell me you had to go?"
"I not know." Jack sighed and put Lincoln back in the car seat. "Nooooooooooooo! Want Mama!"
"I know but we need to go home and change you. You had an accident and you need new clothes, bud."
Jack buckled him, sent a text to Beth letting her know they would be late and left the parking lot, a screaming toddler in the back seat.
Finally, an hour later, Jack and a dry and clean Lincoln, wearing a pull-up, showed up in the hospital room where Beth was feeding Shae.
"Mama!" he yelled.
"Shhh, Linc. You need to use a quiet voice," Beth told him.
Lincoln struggled out of Jack's arms until he put him on the floor and then he ran over and tried to climb up on the bed. Jack helped him and then watched as the little guy's whole demeanor changed.
The tears and frustration that Lincoln had been showing were replaced by awe and love for his new sister. "Linc baby?" he whispered.
"Yes, sweetheart. This is your baby. Her name is Shae."
"Say."
"Yes, that's right."
"What she doin?"
"She's eating."
"Linc hungry!" he boomed.
"Shhh. What did you eat for breakfast?"
"Dada eat Linc eggs!" he tattled.
"Is that right?" she said, winking at Jack.
"Yeah. Linc want eat."
"Maybe Daddy can take you down to the cafeteria and get you something."
"Want Mama do it."
"I can't, sweetheart. Daddy can."
"NO!" he yelled, startling Shae and making her cry.
"Lincoln Gabriel. You need to stop this. Don't tell me no."
He whimpered and leaned his face into her arm, not looking at anyone.
After a few quiet moments, Jack whispered that he would go get him some food and be right back. She nodded and put Shae to her shoulder to burp. A few moments later, she laid Shae back in her bed and picked up Lincoln.
"Mommy loves you so much, Lincoln. Do you know that?" She rocked him back and forth, running her fingers up and down his back.
"Yeah," he whimpered. "Love, Mama."
"I'm so glad you are here to see us. Do you like your baby sister?"
"Linc baby.. little."
"Yes, she is little, isn't she? So that means that she needs us to take care of her. You can even help me."
"Linc help?"
"Yeah. Linc help."
"Kay."
That night, after leaving Beth and Shae at the hospital again, Jack and Lincoln took David and Charlotte to the cottage.
As soon as they walked in, Lincoln took David by the hand and led him into his room.
Charlotte could see how tired and overwhelmed her son was. "Jack?"
He wiped his eyes and walked into her arms. Yes, he was a grown man and had two kids of his own, but the comfort of his mother's arms were like heaven, second only to Beth's.
"I'm going to make dinner, alright?" she asked, rubbing his back. "You go lay down and David and I will watch Linc."
"It didn't feel right leaving them there, you know?" he admitted, leaning back against the door.
"Yeah. I remember when Tommy was born. Your dad refused to leave me alone at the hospital so he stayed with me."
"Where was I?"
"Grandpa Nick's."
"Did he….take me fishing?" he asked, reaching deep into his memory. He was four at the time.
"Yep at the cabin on Moon Lake. You couldn't stop talking about it once you got home. How big the fish were. The boat. How you got to sleep next to Papa in his big bed."
He smiled. "Papa was great. I sure miss him."
"Me too, son." She sniffed and walked to the kitchen. "Now, how about chicken nuggets and Mac and cheese?"
Back at the hospital
Beth was worried about Shae. Yes, she could breathe on her own, but she was struggling to keep her temperature up and she was having issues eating. She would latch on but only for a minute or two and then she'd have to start all over. Instead of always breastfeeding, the nurses suggested they supplement with formula and feed her breast milk from a bottle.
Beth heard a knock at the door. "Come in," she said, wiping her eyes.
"Hi, Bethie."
"Dad?" Then tears started again as he walked over and kissed her forehead.
"How are you, sweetheart?"
She shrugged and just let herself feel.
He sat next to her on the bed and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, my sweet Beth."
"I love you too."
"How's my beautiful Shae doing?"
"I'm worried."
"About what?"
She explained how she was feeling. The sadness that her pregnancy was over. Disappointment over not successfully breastfeeding. Missing Jack and Lincoln. All of it.
"But she's healthy?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Then, sweetheart, try not to worry too much. She's going to be fine, whether you breastfeed or not. It might be a slight bit easier actually. Let's say Linc wants your attention and Shae is hungry and you're making dinner all at the same time? Now, instead of being the only one who can feed her, give her to Jack or Abigail and then you can spend time on dinner and maybe Linc can help you."
"I guess. I always dreamed of the mother/child connection though."
"You can have it, Beth. Just a different way."
She nodded and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Dad. I'm glad you're here."
"Me too."