At David's tech company:
As he sat in his office flipping through papers, signing contracts and scrolling through his computer.
While engrossed in his work his assistant Shara walked with a concerned look, "sir theres a call for you." She said
"Okay, connect it." He replied not looking up at her.
She smiled nodded and head back to her desk to connect the phone.
"Hello?" David said picking up the phone, "Mary has gone into labor!" Mary's mom said over the phone.
David dropped the pan in his hand, shocked, and surprised. "What, she was not supposed to be due for 4 more weeks." He said nervously.
"Well she is, please hurry up." She added.
David felt his heart race as he stood frozen, processing the news. He quickly snapped back to reality, grabbed his keys, and dashed out of his office. On his way out, he barely managed to call out to Shara, "Reschedule all my meetings for the day, it's an emergency!"
Shara, sensing the urgency, immediately sprang into action, but not before calling out, "Good luck, sir!"
David raced down the hallway, his thoughts a whirlwind of worry and excitement. He couldn't believe it—Mary wasn't supposed to be due for another month. He had planned everything meticulously, or so he thought. But life, it seemed, had its own agenda.
As he rushed to the parking lot, he tried to calm himself. He knew the hospital was a good thirty minutes away, but with traffic, it could take longer. He prayed for clear roads as he jumped into his car and sped off.
The drive felt like an eternity. Every red light, every slow car, felt like an obstacle conspiring to keep him away from Mary. He kept glancing at his phone, half-expecting another call with an update, but it remained silent. The only sound was the pounding of his heart and the hum of the engine.
Finally, the hospital came into view. David parked haphazardly, not caring if he was blocking someone in, and sprinted towards the entrance. As he reached the front desk, breathless, he managed to say, "Mary Johnson, where is she?"
The nurse behind the desk gave him a calm, reassuring smile. "Third floor, maternity. Room 306."
David barely nodded in thanks before rushing to the elevator. As he rode up, he couldn't help but think about the last time he had spoken to Mary, how they had joked about their soon-to-be-born child and all the things they would do as a family. He never expected it would be happening so soon.
The elevator doors opened, and he burst out, heading straight for Room 306. As he reached the door, he paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself before pushing it open.
Inside, Mary was lying in bed, her face a mixture of pain and relief when she saw him. Her mother stood beside her, holding her hand, and the room was filled with the quiet beeping of monitors.
"David," Mary said weakly, but with a smile. "You're here."
David rushed to her side, taking her other hand in his. "I'm here, baby. I'm here."
He could see the strain on her face, the sweat on her brow, and his heart ached for her. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired, scared... but ready," she replied, squeezing his hand.
David kissed her forehead gently, trying to hold back his own fears.
After 10 minutes of comforting her the doctor and the nurses came in ready to deliver.
The doctor entered the room with a calm yet focused demeanor, followed by two nurses who began preparing the necessary equipment. The atmosphere shifted, becoming more intense, more real.
David felt his heart rate quicken as he held onto Mary's hand, offering her a reassuring smile despite the knot of anxiety tightening in his chest.
"All right, Mary," the doctor said, his voice steady and encouraging. "It's time to meet your baby. You've been doing great so far. Just a little more work, and you'll be holding your child in your arms."
Mary nodded, taking a deep breath, her grip on David's hand tightening. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mix of determination and vulnerability. "Stay with me, David."
"Always," he whispered, leaning close to her ear. "I'm right here. We're in this together."
As the contractions came stronger and faster, Mary bore down with all her strength. David felt utterly helpless, wanting to take away her pain but knowing all he could do was be there, offer his support, and let her know she wasn't alone.
The room was filled with the sound of Mary's labored breathing, the doctor's calm instructions, and the quiet urgency of the nurses moving around them. Time seemed to stretch and contract, moments blurring together as Mary pushed through the pain.
"You're doing amazing, Mary," the doctor said, glancing up at her with a reassuring smile. "Just a few more pushes. The baby's almost here."
David looked into Mary's eyes, his heart swelling with pride and love. "You've got this, Mary. You're so strong."
With one final, determined push, a tiny, wailing cry filled the room. The doctor carefully lifted the newborn, and in that instant, the world seemed to stop. David's breath caught in his throat as he watched the doctor place their baby onto Mary's chest.
Tears streamed down Mary's face as she looked down at their child, her expression a mixture of exhaustion, relief, and pure, unfiltered love. David felt his own eyes well up, overcome with emotion as he looked at the small, wriggling life they had brought into the world.
————————
Later that evening as the nurses took the baby in for checkups Mary dosed off into a long sleep.
"You should go home ma, Mr. Yang is here to take you back." He said to Mrs. Johnson. Who was vividly tired.
"I'll take care of things here, just go and rest." He said helping her up and walking her down to her hospital garage.
Mrs. Johnson hesitated, looking back at Mary, her daughter, who was now peacefully sleeping. Her face was etched with exhaustion, the worry and tension of the day clearly taking their toll. But David's gentle insistence and the knowledge that Mary was in good hands finally convinced her to go.
"Thank you, David," Mrs. Johnson said softly, giving him a tired smile. "You've been a rock through all of this. Please take care of her, and let me know if anything changes."
"Of course, I will," David reassured her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You've done more than enough today. Get some rest, and we'll see you in the morning."
Mrs. Johnson nodded, too tired to argue. As they walked down to the hospital garage, she leaned on David for support, grateful for his presence. When they reached the car, Mr. Yang, their longtime family chauffeur, stepped out and opened the door for her.
"Good evening, ma'am," Mr. Yang said with a respectful nod. "I'll make sure you get home safely."
"Thank you, Mr. Yang," Mrs. Johnson replied, her voice weary.
David helped her into the car, tucking a blanket around her shoulders before closing the door gently. He leaned down to the window as she rolled it down.
"Get some sleep, Ma," David said, using the affectionate nickname he'd adopted for her. "We'll take care of everything here, and I'll call you first thing in the morning."
Mrs. Johnson smiled, a look of gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you, David. Take care of my Mary."
David watched as the car pulled out of the garage, his thoughts still with Mary and their new baby. He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the day settle over him.
As he made his way back to the hospital room, the hallways were quiet, the evening staff moving about in a much calmer atmosphere than earlier. Hw walked over to where the babies were and stood infront of him smiling.
It was a joy he couldn't express, his heart melted at the sight of his cute little boy peacefully sleeping.
She grabbed his phone out of his pocket and called Felix, "hello?" Felix answered the phone.
David let out a chuckle as a tear dropped from his eyes, "it finally happened, I'm finally a father." He told him.
"What, when?!" Felix questioned.
"Today, she gave birth today." He replied.
"Wow man, congratulations!"
David leaned against the glass, still gazing at his newborn son, a soft smile playing on his lips. The small, peaceful face of his child filled him with a joy he'd never known before, a joy that felt almost too immense to contain.
"Thanks, Felix," David said, his voice thick with emotion. "It all happened so fast, but it's incredible. I can't believe I'm holding my son. He's perfect."
"I can only imagine, man," Felix responded, his voice warm and sincere. "You're going to be an amazing dad, David. This is just the beginning of a whole new chapter."
David nodded, even though Felix couldn't see him.
David leaned against the glass, still gazing at his newborn son, a soft smile playing on his lips. The small, peaceful face of his child filled him with a joy he'd never known before, a joy that felt almost too immense to contain.
"Thanks, Felix," David said, his voice thick with emotion. "It all happened so fast, but it's incredible. I can't believe I'm holding my son. He's perfect."
"I can only imagine, man," Felix responded, his voice warm and sincere. "You're going to be an amazing dad, David. This is just the beginning of a whole new chapter."
David nodded, even though Felix couldn't see him. "Yeah, it's surreal. All those sleepless nights and late-night talks about being a dad, and now it's real. He's really here."
"So, how's Mary?" Felix asked, concern lacing his words. "Is she okay?"
"She's exhausted, but she did great," David replied, his eyes still on the baby. "She's sleeping now, and everything seems fine. I'm just… relieved, I guess. And overwhelmed. There's so much I want to do for them both."
"That's normal, man," Felix assured him. "You've got a lot on your plate, but you'll handle it. You always do. Just take it one day at a time, and don't be afraid to ask for help."
David chuckled softly. "Yeah, I'll try to remember that. But right now, I just want to enjoy this moment, you know? It's like the world has paused for just a little while, and it's just me, Mary, and him."
"I get it," Felix said, his tone understanding. "Soak it all in. This is a moment you'll never forget."
TBC