FEBRUARY…
Mary screamed and fell back against the bed, exhausted and covered in sweat. Her grip on Murphy's hand loosened as she tried to catch her breath.
"Easy there Mary. Yer doing just fine." Murphy brushed her hair away from her sweaty forehead.
"Just so you know," Mary looked at him with her tired grey eyes. "I hate you right now."
Murphy blinked, "what did I do?"
"You got me pregnant."
"It takes two."
"Murphy." Even in the state she was in Mary was still quite capable of giving him the look.
"Shutting up."
Down by the feet the doctor spoke. "Alright, Mary. One more push should do it. Let's get this bundle of joy into the world. Are you ready?"
Murphy helped her sit up and lean forward once more, one arm around her shoulders helping support her, the other in her hand. He prepared himself for the pressure his aching fingers were about to undergo again.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Out in the waiting room Connor paced back and forth while Sara sat in one of the uncomfortable hospital chairs. It was just past three in the morning and Mary had been in labor for nearly five hours.
Sara grabbed Connor by the arm as he went past again. "Would you stop pacing and please sit down. You're making my dizzy." Connor sunk down in the seat next to her dazed and she rubbed the back of his neck. "You okay? You've been awfully quiet."
"Murphy's gonna quit."
"What make you say that?"
"He's gonna be a father."
Sara rested her chin on his shoulder. "Has he said he's going to quit?"
"Not in so many words…"
"Well, wait until he says it before you start jumping to conclusions. The last couple times you both jumped to conclusions you ended up with a split lip and a black eye, and then you thought I was the one having a baby."
The double doors at the end of the waiting room swung open and Murphy appeared in his scrubs. Connor and Sara both stood up as he approached. Murphy grabbed Sara and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "It's a boy! A healthy boy!"
The minuet Murphy let her go Sara sucked in air and coughed. "And Mary?"
"She's fine, tired but fine. She did absolutely amazing." Murphy was beaming. "I can't wait for ya to see him. He's just perfect."
Connor slapped his brother on the back. "Congrats 'Da'."
Murphy's eyes got wide. "Fuck. I'm a father."
Sara laughed. "You just now realized that?"
"No, it's just, I don't know. Fuck…"
Sara wrapped her arms around Connor's waist and looked at him. "And you're an uncle. Uncle Connor. I like the sound of that."
"Aye." Connor ran a hand through his hair. "It's hard to believe we've got ourselves a wee little MacManus now. So when can we see him?"
Murphy glanced back to the doors. "Right now their cleaning them both up and then transferring them to a room." He went to go back. "I'll come get ya once she's settled."
"Hey Murphy."
"What?"
"What did you name him?"
Another grin crossed Murphy's face. "Cayden Murphy MacManus." And then he was gone, the doors swinging shut behind him.
Connor pulled Sara back over to the chairs and sat her down, kneeling in front of her. "Well, Murphy is a Da, Mary is a Ma, and I'm an uncle. Seems like the only person who got left out is ya."
"I'm not complaining. I got to be a part of it just the same." Sara got a knowing look in her eye. "Want to know a secret?"
"Sure."
"Murphy's going to ask Mary to marry him."
"Yer kidding?"
"Nope, dead serious. I even helped him pick out the ring. I'm still not to sure why he decided to wait until after the baby, I mean Cayden, was born."
"Well maybe he had the same idea I had."
Sara smiled and scrunched up her brow. "What?"
"To have all the good things happen on one day." Connor reached for his coat which was slung over the back of Sara's chair and put his hand in the pocket, pulling out a small blue box. "Sara Gabrielle, how would ya feel about becoming an aunt," Connor opened the lid revealing a single inset diamond in an white gold band, "as well as my wife?"
Sara paused a moment, her gaze focused on the ring and unreadable, before answering. "If you were to give me the choice of going back and not stepping through that door to the pub, and consequently erasing the last year, as well as everything that is to come, I would have to tell you no. I would walk through that door all over again."
Connor looked confused. "Is that a yes or a no?"
Sara removed the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger, "That is a definite yes," and flung her arms around Connors neck almost knocking him back off his heels.
Connor hugged her back and kissed her. "Guess this mean's we're all quitting."
"But you will always be my saint no matter what."
Brushing a strand of hair away from Sara's eyes Connor said, "And you'll always be my angel of life."
Leaning back Sara snorted, "Now that is just plain cheesy."
Connor smirked. "I love ya."
"I love you too."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Author's Note: I finished! I feel like jumping for joy and crying all at the same time.
