"Heather, I know the contractions are distracting but I really need you to make a decision," Gil winced as Heather squeezed his hand. Another contraction; Gil was sure that if she kept squeezing his hand like that it was going to pop right off. "Do you want me in the delivery room or not?"
"No!" She screamed. Her once silky brown hair was now damp and pulled back into a ponytail; Her forehead was covered in perspiration, and she was growing more irritable with each passing minute.
Heather flopped back onto the bed as the contraction ended; She sighed in relief, but knew that it was far from over.
"Okay. When it's time, I'll wait in the waiting room."
"I don't remember having Zoe being this hard," She exhaled deeply then released Gil's hand.
He rubbed it for a moment to regain the feeling before sitting down in the chair next to her bed.
"Ms. Kessler, I'm going to go ahead and check you to see if you're ready to go to the delivery room," A nurse entered the room with a smile.
After she did what she had to do, her smile grew even wider.
"Are you ready to go have your baby?"
Heather nodded with a happy grin. The nurse continued. "Is he going with us?"
"No. He'll wait in the waiting room," Heather replied through clenched teeth.
"Another contraction already?" Gil asked. He stood up from the chair to offer his hand. Heather immediately grasped it, squeezing harder than ever before.
"I'll go get the doctor and then we'll take you up."
The nurse sprinted from the room whilst Gil fought to remain standing up. Heather grip loosed, freeing him to collapse back into the chair.
The next few minutes seemed to fly past. Heather was taken from the room after Gil gave her a kiss, he was ushered to the waiting room. It was all a blur.
But once he realized it would take time for their child to be born, things slowed down. To be entertained, Gil took note of everything around him.
Nurse wearing blue scrubs. Doctor wearing green pants with white stripes. Toddler girl walking with her parents.
Gil watched the couple with their presumed daughter walk along the hallway. He smiled as he thought, "Someday that'll be Heather and I."
With a grin, he returned to noting the things around him.
Family with more children than adults. Nurse with arm load of papers. Doctor heading my way.
Gil paused his little game for a moment. The doctor was walking toward him.
"Mr. Grissom?" The man's husky voice inquired. Gil nodded. "Congratulations, you have a daughter."
Gil stood up with a smile. "May I see her? And Heather, how is she?"
"They're both fine. If you'll follow me I'll take you to see them."
Gil eagerly followed the doctor to Heather's room. Honestly, he had thought it would have been hours before the baby would be born. He glanced at his watch and saw he had only been in the waiting room for an hour and a half.
"Here we are. Put these on," The doctor handed Gil a yellow jacket like covering. He slipped it on quickly then looked to the doctor for further instructions. "You can go ahead in."
Gil sighed happily; He reached for the doorknob and turned it, opening the door. The room was almost completely silent. The only noise was a nurse talking softly to Heather.
She was holding a small bundle in her arms; She looked up as the door clicked shut, then smiled at Gil.
"Hi," He whispered as he made his way to the bed.
"I'll be right outside if you need me," The nurse told Heather with a grin; She then left the room to give the new parents time alone with their baby.
Gil stood on the left side of the bed. He stared down at their sleeping daughter. She had brown hair very similar to her mother's. Her skin was just slightly pale, but that was normal.
"She looks like you," Heather whispered with a grin. "What should we name her?"
Gil thought for a moment. "Before we get to the names, I need to ask a serious question," He paused for a moment. "I'm not sure how to do this but here goes. Heather… will you marry me? I don't have a ring or anything but I don't think it's required until we actually get married."
Heather inhaled sharply, but quietly. The infant in her arms stirred in her sleep as she replied. "Yes. Yes, I will."
"That had to be the most clichéd proposal," Gil quietly chuckled. "What did you have in mind as to her name?"
Heather smiled. "Emily Olivia. She looks like an Emily, don't you think?"
"Absolutely," Gil smiled. "I love you, Heather."
"I love you too."
Gil sat down on the edge of the bed, wrapped his arm around Heather and smiled as little Emily began to wake up.
"One happy family," He whispered in Heather's ear. She simply nodded.
"Yeah," She replied after a moment. "You know, this is really perfect. I wouldn't trade it anything in the world."
Smiles lit up both of their faces. Emily squirmed a bit in her mother's arms. And as Heather handed the infant to Gil, he realized that he wouldn't trade that moment for anything, either.
Both Heather and Gil took turns holding Emily that night; It seemed that the infant didn't mind being passed around like a new puppy.
When Emily finally fell asleep again, Gil placed her in her in the hospital bassinet, then sat on the edge of Heather's bed again.
"You know what I just realized?" He asked, stroking her arm gently.
"What?" Heather rested her head on his chest with a smile.
"We'll be living happily ever after, from here on out."