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My heart hammers in my chest from the thunder blaring outside.
“CRACK!”
“BOOM!”
Thunder pops in the sky as lightening cracks across the clouds.
I jump back into Zayn’s arms and he wraps them around me safely.
“It’s okay,” he whispers in my ear.
“AH!” Brityn shrieks behind us and uses her brute strength to push.
Both of her legs are spread on either side and she grits her teeth harshly.
She’s struggling to push the baby out and throws her head back.
“Just a little longer!” The nurse exclaims in an encouraging tone.
“AH!” Brityn screeches loudly and I grimace from the pitchy sound.
I wince and cover my ears as she growls through extremely gritted teeth.
"He’s coming! He’s almost here!”
With adhesion clinging to her neck, Brityn pants breathlessly.
She grips the bed fiercely and prepares herself to push again.
“Just one more! You can do it!” The nurse says to her again.
Her feminine voice is encouraging and Spencer clutches Brityn’s hand.
She’s in so much pain and I know there’s nothing I can offer to ease it.
“One last push!” The nurse hollers and Brityn begins to push. “Now!”
“AH-H-H-!”
Brityn shrieks loudly as the veins in her neck protrude and her skin turns a dark shade of purple and blue.
“WAH!”
“WAH!”
“WAH!”
Beautiful cries fill the room and a pair of lungs makes his presence known.
“There you go! Atta girl!” The nurse exclaims with a bright smile.
Brityn falls against the pillows and I rush to her bedside; squeezing her hand.
Spencer kisses her perspiring forehead and smiles down at her.
“You did it,” I say and giggle.
She gives me a weak thumbs up and shuts her eyes concurrently.
Exhaustion weighs down her face, which makes her features droopy and her muscles loose their grip.
"A beautiful baby boy,” the nurse says with a beaming smile.
She wraps the little infant in a blue blanket and caresses his cheek.
Spencer sniffles and I turn my head over my shoulder to look at him.
His eyes are glassy with admiration and his pupils dilate with joy.
Zayn pats Spencer on the back as the nurse places his son in his arms.
“Congratulations bro,” Zayn says to Spencer and I smile warmly.
Spencer takes a blue cotton cap from the nurse’s hands and delicately places it on his newborn’s head.
“Ana?” Brityn croaks and I turn my head to give her my undivided attention.
“Yeah?” I ask her as purple bags develop beneath her eyes.
Hence, her beauty lies hidden underneath the barrier of skin. “Can I hold him?” She asks me and I nod my head promptly.
“Hey Spence?” I ask and call out for him.
He looks up immediately, deciphering the reason behind my words.
Spencer walks to Brityn’s bedside and he gingerly places her their baby in her arms. “Our son, baby,” he says to her.
Spencer cradles Brityn's cheek and kisses her, to which I turn away and give them some privacy. “It’s official. I have no more earwax left,” Zayn says with a chuckle and I giggle thereafter.
“It was worth it,” I reply.
I walk up and drape my arms over his shoulders as I stand on my tippy toes.
Zayn presses his lips up against mine and encircles my waistline.
"Spence wanted to do something here,” he mentions in a whisper tone.
I knit my eyebrows together concurrently and attempt to probe my question, when Spencer takes a velvet box out of his back pocket. “Holy shit,” I say and gasp.
Brityn watches Spencer intently as he kneels down and opens the box.
“Oh my…” she gasps and pauses, groping her mouth in shock.
Brityn’s face transforms and Spencer smiles at her, grabbing her hand.
He places the velvet box in her palm and tilt’s his head up.
“Marry me?” Spencer asks her and a single tear comes down Brityn’s face as she nods her head in response.
“I’ll marry you,” she vocalizes soon after and smiles up at Spencer.
He takes the ring from its sanctuary and places it on Brityn’s finger.
“I feel so single right now,” I say with a giggle and Zayn grunts.
“Woman you have me,” he says and snuggles his head into my nape.
I turn around to face Zayn and I drape my arms down his backside.
“That’s all I need.” I say, followed by a warm smile and kiss his cheek.
“I love you,” Zayn replies and tightens his grip on me. “I love you more,” I say.
I then lean on his shoulder and shut my eyes to savor the moment.
“That’s going to be us soon,” Zayn says, referring to Brityn and Spencer.
Butterflies erupt in my stomach at the thought of taking a step towards marriage, let alone children.
“If fate allows that for me,” I say.
“Don’t think like that Angel,” Zayn says to me and lifts my chin.
“It’s all I can think about. What we can have. What we can be,” I reply.
I reach up and comb my fingers through his greasy hair, which hasn’t been washed in three days and sigh.
“It keeps the nightmares from escaping my mind,” I admit in a mere whisper tone, however, I gulp when I look up and see the grim expression Zayn possesses.
“Why did you keep that from me?” He asks me directly and I drop my gaze.
“Because I knew you would react like this. You would worry about me like you always do-“ Zayn interrupts me.
“Why is that such a bad thing?” He asks me and I gulp. “Because I don’t want you to worry about me,” I admit again.
I shut my eyes before a tear can escape the edges and inhale sharply to maintain the moisture barrier. “I’m always going to worry about you. It’s what I do and I do it because I love you,” he says.
“I know you do,” I reply with a shy grin and rest my head on his chest.
“Just kiss me,” I say.
