Copyright 2020
Chapter 119
"James... Wake up."
"Urggg. What?" he groaned, trying to understand the soft whisper in his ear.
"The baby is coming," she giggled.
"The baby?" he groaned again, still not thinking clearly.
Angela chuckled and playfully smacked his arm with her fist.
"WHAT?" he yelped.
"Let's go... Now... I'm having contractions for an hour now," she replied.
"Contractions? Right now?" he yelped again.
She giggled in reply. James leapt from the bed and took a quick glance at the time... 5:30 am. He quickly rounded the bed and helped his plump bride from her side of the bed.
"The baby... one day late," he thought.
February 5th.
Angela began changing from her night clothes into loose fitting shorts and t-shirt and slipped into her flip flops. She grabbed a light coat from the closet.
James, sleeping in his boxers, put on his jeans, shirt, socks and boots. He snatched the overnight bag Angela prepared and grabbed his cowboy hat.
Angela walked to the front door being held open by her husband, and grinned a loving grin as she passed him. She caressed his cheek as she passed through the door.
"Thank you, handsome."
He locked the door and walked past her to his truck, opened the door for her, then tossed the bag into the back seat. He helped her into the tall truck, slammed the door, and crawled into the driver's seat. He helped her with her seat belt and snapped it shut.
"Well?" he offered, looking into her exotic blue gray eyes.
"I can't wait to meet our baby, James."
Chapter 120
"Mrs. Young, you are definitely in labor."
"Like I didn't already know," Angela thought, in a grumbled thought.
"OK," Dr. Yost began. "We discussed an epidural during your checkups. Have you decided?"
Angela turned to James for support. He nodded. "Yes, I want an epidural. The pain is getting too intense already."
"Alright," he replied. "I'll send an anesthetist in right away. Remember to be absolutely still while she does the procedure, despite the contractions. When she has finished, I will break your water. That will accelerate the contractions, and soon, Baby Young will say hello to us."
Angela tried to smile through the contractions.
James sat on a stool next to her bed, holding her hand gently. He smiled without a word, hopeful his smile would comfort her. It didn't.
At least until the epidural was completed.
Then, two hours later...
Chapter 121
"OK, I see the top of the head. This is good. Now... Push."
"Aahhhhhggggg!" Angela groaned, as she arched herself forward. "Thank, God there's no pain," she thought.
"Good," Dr. Yost reported. "That was a good one. Audrey, will you get me a needle with procaine, please? Mrs. Young, I'm going to give you an episiotomy. We discussed the possibility of this procedure during your visits. You'll feel a little tug, but no pain with the epidural and the procaine."
"OK," Angela offered. She turned her head to James. He was smiling. Widely. He had his arms under her shoulders to help her push.
"You are so beautiful," he whispered.
She tried to smile. "I don't feel beautiful," she thought. "A man is between my legs cutting who knows what."
"OK," Dr. Yost began. "The cut helped release some pressure on the baby's head. The baby is progressing nicely now. OK... Give another push."
"Aahhhhgggg!" she groaned.
"OK, stop pushing," he instructed, with some urgency in his tone. "Audrey, get ready. One more push, Mrs. Young. A good long one."
"Aahhhhhggggggrrrrrrrr!" Angela offered.
"Great! Stop pushing!" Dr. Yost reported. "Your baby is here! A little girl! Congratulations!"
"Hello, Larissa!" Angela squealed. "I'm your Mama! James, Larissa is here!"
"Yes, Ma'am," replied James with a huge smile on his face.
Dr. Yost handed a squealing Larissa to Audrey, who suctioned her nose and mouth. Larissa didn't like it one bit and squealed ever louder. Audrey cleaned her up and placed her face down on Angela's chest.
"Hello, Larissa," Angela wept with joy, as she held her daughter for the first time. "I'm your Mama."
James had never seen anything so beautiful as his daughter became calm on her mother's chest. Her eyes popped open and saw her father for the first time.
"Yee oh," Larissa squeaked.
"Beautiful," James whispered. "Larissa is beautiful, Angela. Just like her mother."
Chapter 122
"Almost done... There."
Dr. Yost announced as he closed the episiotomy incision. Larissa had been taken from Angela to weigh and measure her length. She also went through some response tests and cleaned up some more. The umbilical cord was cut and Larissa was given back to a smiling Angela.
Larissa had become fussy again in Angela's arms and has rolling her head around on Angela's chest, until... she found Angela's swollen nipple. Then, all was quiet.
"Ahhh," Angela whispered. "I'm going to start crying again. Look at her, James."
"Beautiful."
"Seven pounds one ounce," Audrey announced. "Eighteen and a half inches."
"OK, I have looked at the placenta. Everything looks good. How's mom?" Dr. Yost asked.
"Happy. Very happy," Angela replied. "Thank you."
"Great. Larissa is a beautiful name. I will see you later this evening to check on you and Larissa. Congratulations, Dad." With that, he waved to everyone and left the maternity suite.
When Larissa stopped nursing and fell asleep, Angela asked, "James, do you want to hold your daughter?"
"Yes, I've waited a long time to hold her. Thank you for making me a father."
Chapter 123
"Cynthia, Larissa is here! She's beautiful, just like Angela."
"YES! When can we see her?"
cried Cynthia.
"Anytime you like," James announced over his phone. "Angela has been moved to her room. Larissa is seven pounds one ounce and eighteen and a half inches. She's perfect. Lots of dark hair and I think she is going to have eyes like you and Angela."
"George! We need to go see Larissa. Our granddaughter!"
Chapter 124
James had just taken a double steal, hit and run signal from Coach Collins.
"One out, why not," he thought. "Estefan might score on a hit with his speed."
From the third base coaching box, he flashed the signs to each base runner on 1st and 2nd, then to the batter.
"Come on," he thought, as he waited for the pitch.
It was one week into the season, and the Tigers opened on the road this year. They were now at home with a 3-0 record. Larissa attended her first baseball game. Three weeks old. Wearing Tiger purple and yellow. Late February in Thessaly.
KLANG!
"YES!" James screamed. "Come on, come on!" he yelled, waving his arm to Baker to round third for home. "YES!" he screamed again, when the left fielder fumbled the base hit. "COME ON, ESTEFAN!" he screamed, while violently waving his arm for Estefan to race for home from first.
"They're not going to get him," he thought, as Estefan flew past James for home.
The San Miguel College left fielder gathered his composure and launched a strike to the cutoff man at shortstop. The shortstop twirled and threw his rocket to the catcher.
"SAFE!" screamed the umpire, as Estefan touched home plate with his left hand.
"Collins had guts on that one," James thought. "It worked and the error in left field won it."
The Tiger faithful went berserk. Three fourths of the stands were full with students and locals for the Tigers opening home game. Last year, maybe 30 fans were present.
"That was great, James!" Angela yelled, as she and Larissa met him at the dugout.
"Collins called it. Guts. Nothing but guts," he replied.
"Larissa wants to give her Daddy a victory kiss!"
"I need one from her and you!"
Chapter 125
James was sitting on the floor cuddling Larissa, trying to get her to smile, while leaning back against the chair Angela was sitting in.
"Amazing," he moaned. "Her eyes are just like yours."
He was enjoying his time being a father and husband.
"You have gray hair, James. On your temple," Angela declared, with a matter of fact tone.
"WHAT?"
"Yeah. Right here," she repeated, while touching the side of his head.
"Hold Larissa!" he barked, as he rose and handed her off.
Angela began to giggle as she accepted her daughter.
"I don't believe it!" he roared, from the bathroom.
Well, he should have believed it. His father was totally gray, and getting thin, and David, his older brother of six years, had gray hair along the temples, and in the back, as well.
"I'm just 38," he declared, as he reentered the living room.
"But, you're a handsome 38. The gray looks good on you. I like it," Angela insisted.
"Do you think I will embarrass Larissa when she's a teenager?" he asked, with sincere concern.
"No, you won't," she declared. "Larissa will have the most handsome of fathers. Gray hair or not."
Chapter 126
Coach Hogg called time out and left the third base dugout for the mound.