“She’s about ready to push,” Luke says, his eyes desperate with worry and fear.

“Wow, that epidural is a miracle.”

“Holy, shit, I have to push.”  Natalie is writhing on the bed, and if it wasn’t my best friend, I’d say it looks like something out of a horror movie.

“Okay, we’re ready, Natalie.  If you feel like you have to push with the contraction, go ahead.”

“It’s too hot in here.”  She yanks the blanket off her and throws it onto the floor, not giving two shits about being naked in front of all of us.  Well, she is wearing a black sports bra, so just the bottom half is naked.

I glance down, then feel my jaw drop.  It’s not the fact that her who-ha is out there on display, but what’s right above it that gives me pause.

“Jesus H. Christ, Natalie, you have a tattoo on your vagina!”

Chapter Sixteen

“Six pounds, ten ounces!” Nurse Ashlynn declares proudly as little baby Olivia lays on the baby scale crying angrily.  I raise Nat’s camera to my face and snap a long stream of photos, capturing the weight on the machine in the photo, in case anyone ever has the audacity to forget.  Zooming in on her tiny feet and fingers, I snap more photos before they wrap Olivia up in a pink and blue hospital baby blanket.

Luke is beside me, gazing down at his dark-haired daughter, with such love in his eyes.  When the baby was born and placed on Natalie’s belly, he and Natalie were both a crying wreck, and if I’m honest, I was too.

“Thank you for letting me be here.” His blue eyes slide over to mine, and he wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to his side.

“We love you, Jules.  It’s right that you’re here.”

Oh.  Well, that just makes me cry again.

“God I’m a blubbering mess.”

Luke laughs at me and takes his little bundle from the nurse, kissing Olivia’s tiny little forehead softly.

“She is so beautiful,” he whispers.

“Hey!  Can I hold her?” Natalie calls from the bed, all covered up now, thank Jesus.

I’m never having babies.  My body can’t do that.

Luke crosses the room and places the baby in Nat’s arms and kisses her on the lips.  He caresses the baby’s cheek with his finger and looks lovingly into Nat’s eyes.

“Thank you, baby.”

“I love you,” Nat whispers.

“God, I love you, too.”

I raise the camera to my face and snap more photos, capturing the most beautiful moment I’ve ever seen.  I walk around the end of the bed, still snapping, and both Luke and Nat look up at me and grin widely, their smiles just a little tired, so proud of what they’ve made.

“You are a gorgeous family,” I murmur and Nat’s eyes well up.

“I’m going to go fill everyone in,” Luke says.  He kisses Natalie, passionately, earning a token eye-roll from me, kisses the baby’s cheek, and pulls away.  “Jules, are you going to stay?”

“Yes, I’ll stay with our girls until you get back, then I’ll give you some alone time with them.”

“Thank you.”  He walks to me and wraps me in his arms, hugging me tightly.  Luke’s an affectionate guy, but this is different.  Special.  “Thank you, sweet girl,” he whispers in my ear, then walks out to talk to our families.

Well, hell.

“Hey.”  I walk over to the side of the hospital bed and take a few more pictures of Natalie and Olivia, then set the camera aside and sit on the bed next to them.  “You did good, friend.”

“Thank you.  So did you.  Thank you for reminding Luke to breathe before he passed out.”

We both laugh, and I know that’s one moment I’ll never let him forget.  “That’s what I’m here for.”  I tuck a spare strand of hair behind Nat’s ear and grin down at the baby.  “She’s so pretty, Nat.  I mean, how can she not be with parents who look like you guys do, but seriously, she’s gorgeous.”

“I think so too.  I’m a mommy, Jules.”

“And I’m an auntie again!  Oh my God, that’s cool.”  We grin stupidly at each other.  “Okay, so, when did you get a tat on your jay-jay?”

She shrugs and adjusts the blanket around Olivia.  “About two years ago. And it’s not on my jay-jay, which I’m pretty sure is not the official medical term for that part of my anatomy.”

“Wanna tell me what it says?”

“Nope.”

“Are you ever going to tell me what any of them say?”

“Probably.”

“Okay.”  Enough tattoo talk.  “Can I hold her for a minute before I go?”

“Of course!  Here.”  She hands me the small bundle and scoots over on the bed a little so we can curl up together.

“How do you feel?” I ask.

“Sore, but the drugs are delightful.  I am looking forward to getting my old body back.”

“You didn’t get any stretch marks, you bitch.”

She smiles smugly.  “Lots of shea butter and yoga.  Remember that.”

“I’m not doing babies.”  I shake my head adamantly.  No way.

“Right, says the woman snuggling with a baby right now.”

“I can snuggle with babies.  They don’t have to come from my body.”  I shake my head again and smile as Olivia makes a sucky motion with her lips.

“She might be hungry.”

“I’m hungry,” Nat responds.  “Can you call the nurse?  I want mashed potatoes and gravy.  Stat.”

“So much for getting your old body back,” I smirk and push the call button.

“Don’t be a bitch.  I just had a baby.  I can have whatever I want.”

***

Luke comes back with our parents while all the siblings are still waiting their turn for a quick visit in the waiting room, and I decide it’s a good time to sneak out.  I know that my mom will make sure that everyone keeps their visits to a minimum so Luke and Nat can enjoy some alone time with their daughter, and so Nat can rest.

I make it down to the small empty waiting room that I called Nate from earlier and I’m suddenly flooded with emotion.  I can’t stop the tears from falling down my face, and I’m crying so hard my knees buckle.