"Eric! Where are you? Charlotte needs you." Megan screamed down the phone at me as I pushed further down on the pedal, screaming down the motorway towards the hospital.
"Look, I'm going as quick as I can, just tell her I'll be there soon, and she is not to let that baby out until daddy is there." I watched all the cars fall back behind me, as I swung the Jaguar in between all lanes, trying to reach the main city exit as quickly as possible.
"Alright, just speed up." I could hear in the background Charlotte's screams in pain. I carried on trying to not focus on the painful cries of my fiancée. I pressed the red button of the hands free, turning up the hill on the side of the road, leading to the roundabout, and the outskirts of Florida.
Our little boy was due in four days time, just enough time to finish tour and then come home in time to be there, but I guess he was just a little too impatient, just like his mother. Finn told me he'd cover for me, being the good brother that he is, and the company luckily let me leave town early.
I drove around, praying that the roads would be empty for early in the morning, spinning through all the shortcuts of mini roads to get to the main hospital. Whilst Megan was by her side, it wouldn't be the same. The two of us had stayed up until the middle of the night discussing birth plans and what would happen, and it was fair to say this wasn't as we thought.
Eventually I got to the hospital after a further hour of travelling, a small bit of traffic to be expected in Florida, but it wasn't too bad. I grabbed the baby bag I had in the back of my car, for emergencies, unsure if Megan would have thought to do so.
I was a mess, my hair was flat, my trousers were dirty, and the red Tapout vest didn't exactly suit. Not to mention the brightly coloured trainers on my feet. I locked the car, my third most prized possession, running towards the maternity entrance.
I noticed a young woman sat at the reception, typing away on her computer. "Excuse me I'm looking for a Miss Balor...oh no wait a Flair...Flair." She looked up, pushing her black framed glasses up her nose as she did so.
"Sir, am I looking for a Balor or a Flair?" I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm myself down.
"Balor. No...damn...Flair. Definitely Flair." She nodded typing away and scrolling for a while. "Sorry," I whispered down to her.
"An excitable father, only to be expected. Room six, third on your left." I nodded, thanking her, then sprinting down the corridor. Without a knock I burst into the room, looking at a red cheeked Charlotte who gripped onto her bed frame.
Megan stepped back allowing me to walk over and hug her tightly. Her hair was a mess, as I brushed it out of her face, taking a hold of her hand. "I'm so glad you're here," she whispered, with a strong grunt at the end.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, no matter how many speeding tickets I might have just picked up." She giggled a little before another contraction overcame her. The two midwifes walked over, placing their clipboards down.
"I'll leave you two to it." I turned back and saw Megan stand away from whispering into my ear. I smiled watching her leave the room, then looked back at Charlotte. Her breathing picked up, and got louder and louder as the pain of our baby boy became more unbearable.
"Surely she must be ready to push, look at her." The elder midwife looked over, sighing at me.
"You must be a mind reader sir, Charlotte, you ready?" She nodded, desperate to get the baby out of her. I took a tighter hold of her hand, scooting across so I was sat as close to her as possible.
"I'll breathe with you alright." She took a sharp intake of breath as I did the exact same, then exhaled again. "That's it darling, you're doing it. You're doing great." Her eyebrows furrowed as she pushed again, gripping tighter on my hand.
"Come on Charlotte, you're nearly there." I smiled up at the midwife who continued to encourage her alongside me until she couldn't push no more.
"One more darling, come on, you've come so far, just one last time." She looked over at me, leaning across and resting her forehead on mine, I cupped her cheek with my other hand, feeling her intake a deep breath, and then let it out. I watched her closely, until the room was filled with the cries of a little baby. She leaned back, falling onto the white pillows that propped he upright. "You did it!" I cried. "I love you so much," I whispered, locking my lips with her quickly.
"Daddy, would you like to cut the cord?" I looked as the younger midwife handed me a pair of scissors. I nodded taking them, and lightly cutting the cord of my son and my fiancée. She took him away again as I caught a glimpse of his blue eyes and the light brown hairs on his head.
"He's beautiful," I whispered to her, sitting back down beside her. "Just like his mummy." She smiled, grabbing the cup of water beside her and taking a sip of it. I watched the midwife clean him up and wrap him, then turn around to face us.
"Who's first?" I pointed across to Charlotte who stretched her arms out. "Have you thought of a name?" I watched Charlotte's smile beam as she pulled him into her chest, then looked up at me. I nodded down at her, as she looked back to the midwife.
"We have indeed, Reider Allen Balor." I took a hold of Charlotte's hand, reaching out and holding the finger of Reider.
"What a beautiful name," she whispered writing it down. "We'll leave you three alone." They walked out as I sat beside Charlotte on the bed, pulling her into my chest.
"I love the two of you so much," I whispered, kissing the top of her head.
"And we love you more," she smiled, just as Reider stretched out, showing us his first new born yawn.