Blossom Beach: Perfectly Wrong

Chapter 50

Jax

Six months later

"Did you get the bag from upstairs?" Hailey asks while I run around searching for the keys. I turn around to look at her, cursing because I haven't gotten the bag yet. I rush upstairs, grab the back from the chair and run back downstairs to continue looking for the keys. "Jax! Baby, breathe." I stop immediately and walk towards her. I take her big, round, wonderful belly in my hands and place a kiss on it. We have been preparing for this day for weeks, and I'm still not ready. I can't even imagine how she must feel.

"I'm supposed to remind you to breathe." She smiles at me, and I calm down. Hailey squeezes my arm, panting and crying in pain. Another contraction. "Okay, let's go, love. I'll call Harvey and Ben on the way there." I lead her out of the house, lock the door and help her into the car. Hailey is doing her breathing exercises while I concentrate on driving as fast as possible, without endangering anyone.

"I'm never letting you touch me again. Never, ever," Hailey says after a while of us driving. "Fuck," she screams, and I see her hands grip the car door's handle tightly.

"Never?" I smile but when she whimpers I stop.

"Nope, never again." She continues breathing. "Having your dick inside me is not worth this," she says while wincing in pain again. Normally, I would have laughed, but right now, I'm genuinely terrified she's being serious.

The ride to the hospital doesn't take as long as it feels, and once we're there, I park in the nearest spot. Two nurses are already expecting us with a wheelchair. Hailey shoots me an angry glare but I shrug while keeping down my laughter. We had a conflict about this a couple of weeks earlier. I wanted to make the experience as comfortable as possible for her, wheelchair, single room, and whatever else her heart desired. Hailey thought it was all too much. In the end, we eventually agreed to disagree.

"You're an asshead. I told you I don't want this," she complains but I can't help but laugh at her choice of insult. She has never called me that before. Actually, she has never really insulted me before. Hailey is usually a sweet girl. Giving birth really changes a woman.

Hailey and I are brought into a small room, a single bed on the right side and a window in the far back. A cold feeling washes over me when I remember the last time we were here. I shake my head to get rid of the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.

Every time Hailey screams or winces in pain, I shudder. I wish I could be the one to go through this. If I could take her pain away, I would do it in a heartbeat. But Hailey is much braver than I am, which is why I know she can do this. Her strength is something I admire and desire at the same time. I want to be as strong and brave as her, to be able to protect her through anything. However, the truth is and will always be that she is stronger than me, and I don't mind it a single bit. She encourages me to grow as a person.

Hailey holds my hand the whole time, through every push. Sometimes I think she will break my fingers, but I don't care enough. When I hear Jeremy's first scream, I feel like my whole world is flipped upside down in the best fucking way possible. The midwife takes my son, cleans him, and wraps him in a towel before she hands him to me.

My mind can't comprehend how something so squishy can wrinkly can be so goddamn beautiful. Holding him scares me as much as it makes me happy. I'm terrified because I'm holding my world in my hands and one wrong move can take it all away from me. But I'm happy because I finally get to hold my son. I study his tiny fingers and face. How can something be this small?

I turn around with him and look at my fiance. She's eager to meet him too. I put Jeremy on her chest as cautiously as I possibly can. Hailey's arms wrap around our son, and I wipe away her sweat with a towel the nurse gave me earlier.

"You did it, baby. He's perfect." Hailey smiles at me and tears stream down her face. Hell, even I'm crying because I love him so much already. "I love you. Thank you for being in my life, for loving me, and, most importantly, for giving me Jeremy. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me." I place a long, hard kiss on her lips. I lean down and place one on Jeremy's head, too. This baby boy officially makes me feel complete.

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A few hours later, Hailey is fast asleep, and I'm holding Jeremy in my arms. I look up at the door, watching Owen trying to be as quiet as possible about opening it. I chuckle and signal him to just come over.

"How are you?" He sits down in the chair next to me, still trying to be as quiet as possible.

"We're perfect," I reply. "Do you want to hold him?"

"Yeah." I hand Jeremy over to Owen, so slowly, I might be moving in slow motion. "You're very scared aren't you?" It's a simple question, but he has no idea what it's like to hold something so precious in your hands.

"Terrified. Everything's changed. He's my world."

"I understand. And hey, I'm sorry I haven't been around as much. This new job has been driving me crazy, in a good way." He smiles, and I see he's happy. We all are. After so much pain and loss, danger and complications, we are all finally happy.