Jack watched her pace, back and forth in the living room. Then every eight minutes, she grabbed on to him, moaning through a contraction.

"Do you think we should go?" she panted.

"You're still at eight minutes apart. The doc said we probably don't need to head in until about six minutes apart or when your water breaks."

"I know but, this is making me nervous."

William and Grace walked in the room with her hospital bag. "Ready to go?"

"Dad, I think we are going to wait a bit."

"Why? The doctors are at the hospital, pain meds are at the hospital. You should be there too."

"Dad, it's ok." She stopped to contract, grabbing on to her Dad instead of Jack.

The moaning scared William. After she started breathing normally again, William picked her up. "Dad, you are going to hurt your back. Please put me down." William gently set her on her feet.

"I'm getting the car." William took the keys from Jack and walked out the door, suitcase in hand.

Elizabeth started walking again and then her water broke. "Ok, my water broke." Jack stood and picked her up. "Jack?"

"Don't you want dry pants?"

"Yes, but you cannot carry me up those stairs. Go get my pants and bring them down here."

"Good plan." He bolted up the stairs and was down within ten seconds. "Got them." He handed them to her.

She waddled into the bathroom and then yelled for Jack. "Elizabeth?"

"I need you to help me please." He walked in and shut the door. "Ow ow ow!" She held onto the sink and moaned while he rubbed her lower back.

"Are you sure you want to do this five times?"

"Ask me that in a few hours."

He helped her change and then he stared at her, his beautiful Elizabeth. He'd never seen her look more gorgeous. "Jack?"

He kissed her forehead and her cheeks and then held her close for just a moment. "I love you, you know?"

She nodded. "I know."

"Are you ready? To meet our son or daughter?"

"Yes. I'm really ready."

….

As they drove, they realized it had snowed way more than expected.

Jack pulled into a parking lot on the edge of town. "Jack? Why are you stopping?"

"Babe, we won't make it to the hospital in this. It isn't safe."

"Jack! I can't have our baby in this car in a parking lot!"

"I can deliver the baby…"

"Absolutely not!" William told them.

"Will, he's an EMT. Jack, have you delivered a baby before?"

"Yes, one. But I am trained."

Jack pushed a button on the dash. When he heard the tone, he said, "Call 911."

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Yes, my wife is having a baby. We are in the parking lot of the Hunter Creek grocery."

"Has her water broke, sir?"

Elizabeth panted through her contraction. "Yes, about twenty minutes ago. Her contractions are about six minutes apart."

"Ma'am, how are you doing?"

"Ok," she breathed.

"I'm sending an ambulance but the ones in your town are currently at the scene of an accident."

"Ok. I'm an EMT in Hunter Creek so I can do this if I need to."

"Ok. What's your wife's name?"

"Elizabeth. I'm Jack."

"Elizabeth, I'm going to stay on the line with you until the ambulance arrives."

William and Grace moved to the front seat so that Jack and Elizabeth could use the back. Jack laid the seat back for her and placed a blanket under her. Then he removed her pants, grateful for the relative comfort of the vehicle.

"Jack, I'm scared." Her tears flowed freely, as her contractions gained intensity.

"I know, love, but we are going to do this together, ok?" He kissed her softly. "I love you."

"Jack, ambulance is about thirty minutes away. How is Mama doing?"

"As well as can be expected."

"Jack, I need you to check and see how dilated she is."

"Ok." He kissed her forehead. "Sweetie, this is going to be uncomfortable."

"Its fine," she assured him.

After a moment, Jack responded. "She's about seven, I think. Maybe eight."

"Ok, you may need to do this, Jack. Do you have something to cut the cord with and tie it off?"

"Yes, we can cut with my knife. William, when she starts pushing, I need you to hold this in the cigarette lighter to sterilize it."

William was completely out of his element. He was not supposed to be present when his grandchild was born. He was supposed to be safely in the waiting room. He didn't want to do this.

Grace took his hand and squeezed. "You ok?"

"No." He got out of the car, not caring they were in the middle of a blizzard.

"Mom?"

"He's ok, sweetie. He doesn't like to see his girls in pain. This is hard for him."

"Oh, God! Jack, something feels weird."

"Elizabeth, are you feeling pressure?" the operator asked.

"Yeah."

"Jack, check her."

"She's almost at ten. Babe, look at me." Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked. "This is it. You need to push on your next contraction."

…..

Two hours later….

Jack sat in the recliner next to Elizabeth's hospital bed, holding his new baby girl on his lap as Elizabeth slept. Finlea Grace was healthy and so was Elizabeth. The ambulance showed up about ten minutes after Jack delivered her.

She weighed seven pounds on the nose and had already eaten her first meal by the time the ambulance made it to the hospital.

Jack looked down at her, his little angel, knowing his heart was lost to her forever.

When you need me call my name

'Cause without you my life just wouldn't be the same

If you want me come sunny skies or rain

When you need me just call my name

If you miss me, I'll be there

To brush the sunlight from your hair

I'll be there to guide you when trouble walks beside you

If you need me I'll be there

And when this dirty world has been cold to you

I got two strong arms waitin' to hold you

And when those mean days come along

We'll stand together and we'll take 'em on

So if you need me just call my name.

Elizabeth woke when she heard him singing the Bruce Springsteen song she knew so well. Jack sang the song nightly, usually playing his guitar but always sitting next to her. The baby heard him too. She had always stopped kicking whenever he sang it and then resumed when he finished, so Elizabeth wasn't surprised that the baby was staring right at her Daddy as he held her.

Jack looked over at Elizabeth. "Hey, beautiful."

"Hey, cowboy. Who you got there?"

"Only the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen, and rumor has it, she's mine."

"Oh yeah? Will you share her with me?"

"What's the magic word?"

"Um, breasts?"

Jack laughed. "Ok, you got me there. She definitely needs her Mama. Right, Fin?"

"Two hours old and already has a nickname. Come sit by me," she told him. She wanted them close. He moved over and handed Finlea to Elizabeth. "Thank you, Jack. I'm so glad you knew what you were doing."

"I was working entirely on adrenalin. I just wanted both of you to be ok."

….

The next morning, Jack, Elizabeth, and Finlea went home to the ranch. Elizabeth sat in the back with Finlea, gazing at her beautiful face. Just watching her sleep brought Elizabeth's tears.

"Honey, you feeling ok?" Jack asked, looking at her in the rear view mirror.

"Never better. I just can't believe she's really here. She was just inside me yesterday, kicking."

"Yeah. It's amazing." Jack drove for a bit and then remembered something. "Oh, I forgot. Mom and Bill want to come over to see you and Fin."

"Ok, that's fine." She really didn't feel up to company, but they were Fin's grandparents too and they hadn't made it to the hospital.

After an hour drive home, Jack was ready for home. Fin was still asleep so he took her inside, assuring Elizabeth he would be back in a moment to assist her.

"Oh! My little Finny!" Grace cooed, walking up to Jack and taking the car seat.

"I'll take her in the living room, Jack."

"Ok, thanks, Grace." He grinned at her happiness. The first granddaughter on the Thatcher side was a big thing apparently. "I'll be right back."

A few moments later, Elizabeth was comfortable in the recliner, Fin nursing under a blanket.

"You need anything, babe?"

"No, sweetie. I'm just fine." She had a bottle of water on the table next to her and she was comfy. He leaned down and kissed her and then Fin.

"I'll be back in an hour tops."

"Ok. Mom and Dad are here so I'll be ok."

The last thing he wanted was to leave but he had to run to Mike's. He had promised to help him with plans for his Christmas proposal for Julie and the promise had been made before Finlea came.

"Anyone home?" Bill asked as they walked in the front door.

"In here," Elizabeth called.

"Hi, sweetheart." Charlotte kissed the top of her head and peeked under the blanket. "Oh she's lovely."

"Thank you, Mom."

"I can't wait to hold her."

"You can burp her in a moment if you want."

"I'd love to."

"So you had her in the car?" Bill asked.

"Yes I did. The snow was terrible and Jack thought it was safer to stop. I'm just glad he was there." Elizabeth discreetly kept herself covered while moving Finlea to her lap. "Here you go, Mom."

Charlotte took the tiny bundle with a sigh. "Oh my. You are the sweetest, Finlea Grace." She expertly laid her against her shoulder and patted her back, chuckling when rewarded with a burp a moment later.

Elizabeth curled up under the blanket and shut her eyes, knowing no one in the room would mind if she dozed.

….

About an hour later, Jack was back and the grandparents were chatting in the kitchen as Bill cooked dinner while Elizabeth slept by the fire.

"Babe?"

Elizabeth opened her eyes and smiled. "Hey. Did you get everything done?"

"Yeah. I brought you something." He turned and picked up a bouquet of deep red roses with one tiny pink one in the center.

"Oh, Jack. They're beautiful. Thank you." Her hormones raging, she started to cry.

Jack picked her up gently and slid her over so he could join her in the recliner. "The last few days have been unbelievable. I never knew how much I could love someone until you gave birth to our daughter. I'm so overwhelmed and so proud of you."

She laid her head on his chest and sighed. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you more, Elizabeth." He kissed her softly, lingering a bit since they were alone. Then they heard a tiny cry.

"Jack, can you help me up?" He kissed her once more and then stood, grabbing her hands to assist her. She stood slowly, trying not to groan from the cramping. "I think I'm going to feed her, change her, and then take a bath."

"I'll start your bath."

"Thank you." Finlea's crying became more insistent and even with her limited mothering experience, she realized she should have fed her a bit more before.

Grace walked in with her. "I think she's hungry, dear."

"Yeah, I think so too. Thank you for holding her, Mom."

"You're welcome, Beth."

Elizabeth went upstairs to the bedroom and sat down in the rocker. "Shhh, Fin. Mama's sorry, babe." As soon as she ate, she calmed down. Elizabeth knew that she was fine and that no damage had been done, but it was hard not to berate herself for making such a little one upset.

Jack kissed her head and went in the bathroom to start a bath for Elizabeth. He poured in lavender bubble bath and lit a few candles. Then he put his phone on the edge of the sink and started the music.

"You know she's ok, right?"

"I know. I'm just emotional. I love her so much…" Her tears started in earnest again. "I don't want to let her down."

"Look at her, babe. She's perfect and you're doing what you need to do to feed her. You are a great mom already."

She didn't feel it but she would try really hard to be the best mom she could. Finlea needed her to be and she was determined not to let her down.