Chapter 14
The kiss lasted much longer than Beck had expected, and Jade clearly liked it because she kissed him back. They would've continued had they not been interrupted by a knock at the door.
Jade quickly pulled away from Beck and then gave a "come in" to the person who had knocked. A doctor and nurse entered the room with a cart of tools with them.
"Hello, Ms. West. My name is Dr. FarÃas. Have you been feeling any more contractions?" The doctor asked, as she and the nurse walked in.
"Yeah, but they're not nearly as painful as they were right before I gave birth. Have you heard anything about my baby?" Jade asked.
"I haven't. The only thing I know is that she's under the care of our pediatrician, Dr. Acosta. I can find out more news for you after we make sure you're ok."
"Ok. I just really want to know what's wrong with her and if she's ok."
"Of course, and you will in due time. For right now, we need to focus on delivering your placenta. This is also around the time when we'd suture any tears that you might've had, but luckily for you, you didn't tear at all. Now, what the nurse is going to do is press on your upper abdomen to get the placenta to detach from the uterine wall. It's not going to be very comfortable, and I'm sorry for that. Once the placenta is out and we make sure it's intact, the nurse will continue doing fundal massages to help your uterus contract back to its normal size. You'll continue to have mild contractions that will be slightly amplified if and when you start breastfeeding."
"Ok. Just get it over with so I can see my baby."
"Sorry about this." The nurse apologized, as she started applying pressure to Jade's abdomen. Jade winced in pain before latching on to Beck's hand. The pressure continued for a while until the nurse confirmed the placenta had detached.
"Ok, just give a little push. Luckily, pushing out a placenta is much easier than the baby." The doctor said. Jade did as she was told and only a few pushes later the placenta was out. "Just to confirm, you don't want to keep the placenta, right?"
"God, no. I wanted to delay cord clamping, but that didn't happen. There's nothing I want with the placenta."
"Ok. The nurse is going to continue fundal massages. Just try to relax. I will go find out some news about your baby. Baby girl West, right? She doesn't have a name yet?"
"Right. I haven't named her yet."
"Ok. After these fundal massages, you'll have a significant amount of bleeding. The nurse can provide you with the necessary supplies."
"Thank you, doc." Jade thanked, as the doctor left the room.
The nurse continued the massages and tried to make small talk.
"So, do you have a name in mind for your baby?" The nurse asked.
"I have one in mind. I wanted to wait to spend more time with her to make my final decision." Jade replied, liking the distraction conversation provided from the pain coming from her abdomen.
"Who's last name will she have?"
"What?" What the hell is this nurse talking about, Jade asked herself.
"Oh, sorry, I just assumed you two were her parents."
"No, her father left me. Beck's a, um, friend."
"I'm sorry. My dad left my mother when I was young. I never understood why then, but I do now. I also didn't know how amazing of a mother my mom was, but I do now. I'm sure you'll make an amazing mom."
"Thanks."
The conversation quickly died off and was replaced by a thick tension. The nurse continued fundal massages for about 15 more minutes.
"Myself or another nurse will come in a little later and do some more massages. For now, we're done. As the doctor said, you'll have some bleeding. There are mesh underwear, adult diapers, and maxi pads in the cabinet over there. I recommend using the mesh underwear. Your stomach will feel extremely loose for a while. The underwear is high-waisted and will help keep everything held together. Press the call button if you need anything. The doctor should be back soon with news about your baby." And with that, the nurse left.
Tension filled the room. Thick, could-be-cut-with-a-butter-knife tension. Neither wanted to be the first one to speak. After about 10 minutes, Jade decided to bite the bullet.
"Why did you kiss me?" Jade asked.
"I don't know. I don't regret it, though. I had been waiting to do that for a long time. I miss you, Jade, and I miss us."
"I do, too. I just don't know if we should be in a relationship again. I just had a baby, Beck. I'm obviously going to be pretty busy. I think it would be best if I focus on her, and not us."
"But what if I help you? What if this baby is our way of starting over?"
"She's not your baby, Beck."
"No, but she can be. I can be her dad in all the ways that count. You said it yourself that you've only ever wanted to be a parent with one person. I'm that person, Jade."
Jade took in a deep breath. Should she put her heart out on the line again? What if he broke it again?
"What about Willow?"
"Willow's great, but I can't see myself going any further with her. The only person I've ever seen myself going places with is you. You're the only person I've ever wanted to marry. You're the only person I've wanted to have kids with. You are my everything. You're the love of my life. You're my soulmate. I want you. I've always wanted you." As a year fell down Jade's cheek, Beck wiped it away with his thumb. He hated seeing her cry.
"Ok. I want to give us another try. I want you to be mine and I want you to be my baby's dad. I want us again."
Beck sealed the deal with another kiss to Jade's lips. The kiss deepened, but again they were interrupted by a knock at the door.
"I have someone who'd like to meet you." The doctor said, as she re-entered the room. She was pushing a bassinet with her.
"Oh my god." Jade cried out, as she saw her baby in the bassinet. Tears of joy filled her eyes.
"The pediatrician said everything was fine with her. She just needed some suctioning and a little oxygen. While she was in the NICU, she got her first bath. She was weighed and measured. She weighs 8lbs, 8oz, and is 19in long. She's a very healthy baby."
Jade smiled at the doctor's words and then reached her hands out for the baby. The doctor carefully picked her up and placed the tiny bundle in her mother's arms. Jade stared down at her beautiful baby and let out a few tears of joy. She kissed the adorable newborn and murmured an affirmation of her love.
"Congratulations. I'm sure the nurse already told you, but you can use the call button if you need anything. A nurse should be in soon to help you walk and use the bathroom." And with that, the doctor left, leaving the new family to bond.
"She's beautiful, Jade. She looks just like you. I bet she has your eyes." Beck said, staring down at the newborn.
"I hope she does. She's beautiful and I love her so much already. Giselle Rose West Oliver." Jade smiled as she revealed the baby's name.
"I love her and her beautiful name. And I love you. I love you so much, Jade. I promise I will do everything I can to make this work, this time." Beck then pressed a loving kiss to Jade's head and ran a finger across the baby's cheek.
"I love you too."
A/N: Is this the end? You can decide. You can leave ideas for future chapters in the reviews. For now, though, I think this is the end. I hope you all liked this story. 3