Epilogue
Pain. "Reason this, you son of a bitch, if you ever touch me again, I will send you straight back to hell, do not pass go, do not collect $200!" And almost proving her point, Phoebe squeezed Cole's hand until his knuckles turned white.
Anger. "Don't encourage him by telling him that's the most creative one you've ever heard!" But the pain abruptly ended and she realized she was too tired to do anything about the moronic nurse chuckling at Cole. She collapsed back into the pillow and simply tried to catch her breath as she closed her eyes.
Frustration. "I heard that!" 'How dare Cole mutter to the nurse that I can do it.'
Rage. "You bastard…I don't even want to look at you…this's all your fault!" She'd barely had a chance to recover before the next contraction immediately intensified. "What the hell…happened to…the nice long…slow ones?" She continued to grip Cole's hands as she pushed.
Surprise. "Did you just tell me to shut up?" She lost focus and tried to curl onto her side, her fingers still entwined with Cole's.
Anxiety. "Where…where are you going? You're leaving?" Her heart pounded and she couldn't manage to turn herself to follow his movements. She gasped when she felt his strong arms pull her into his after he'd switched positions to the other side of the bed. "It hurts…"
Relief. "It's over…" She leaned into his embrace and took a deep breathe, exhaling it slowly just like he was coaching. "Oh, no, another one…"
Hopelessness. "It's not working, I've been…pushing for…hours…" She squeezed his hand tightly as he helped lean her forward.
Exhaustion. "No, I can't, Cole, I need to rest." The pain was too much and she couldn't manage to continue pushing and she tried to bury her face in his chest. "Make it stop."
Courage. "Easy for you to say, you bastard!" She gripped his hand and grimaced with the pain, "You're not the one in the stirrups!"
Ferocity. "Don't…let…go…" She gave up trying to speak and concentrated on pushing with all her might to the steady count of Cole's voice until she felt the sudden release from her body.
Shock. "Oh God, Cole, do you hear him?" She weakly stretched her arms around his waist and held him as their son's loud cries echoed in the birthing room.
Love. "Oh, Cole, look at him, he's beautiful." Phoebe looked from the messy newborn on her chest to Cole's face and smiled at the love reflected in his eyes. Her fingers joined his in gently touching their son, counting ten fingers and ten toes.
Awe. "He's so tiny, lookit those tiny fingernails." Her teary eyes met Cole's shiny ones and she pointed out, "Look how long he is, he's gonna be tall just like his daddy."
Confidence. "He's ours, Cole." She sighed happily when Cole pressed a firm kiss to her forehead. She knew he'd understood what she meant, that there wasn't a trace of the evil in their son that the Seer had predicted.
Joy. "I love you, Benjamin Dillon Turner." She inched over with some discomfort so Cole could settle next to her. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she assured him, "No, I don't want to change his name. It's perfect, after your father and the faith we've found in each other." But the tears fell from her eyes as Cole reached for his son and she nuzzled his arm.
Exhilaration. "Yes, you are his daddy and you always will be." Her fingers resumed their accounting of their squirming son's appendages as she pressed herself closer to Cole's side. "No, you did great."
Peace. "I've got an amazing life and wouldn't trade it for anything." When his surprised expression met her gaze, Phoebe reached up and stroked his scruffy cheek. And she promised her husband, "And I meant every word with all my heart and soul."
The End