The pain was like a giant wave, coming and going, each time stronger, each time closer. I screamed, pushed, breathed, all at once, while Marco's hand squeezed mine with a strength I didn't know he had.
"I'm here," he kept repeating, his voice failing. "I'm here, love. You're going to make it."
"It hurts," I moaned between contractions. "It hurts so much."
"I know. But you're strong. The strongest woman I know."
The doctor, a gray-haired woman with steady hands, spoke calmly.
"One more push, Mrs. Hill. Baby A is crowning. Come on, one more."
I took a deep breath, gathered every ounce of strength I had left, and pushed.
The scream that came out of me wasn't human. It was a mother's scream. A lioness. A woman bringing life into the world.
And then, a cry.
Thin, strong, beautiful.
"I
