How Gabriel Noticed

Shocked

Another hour had passed and Nathalie was now leaning with her back against Gabriel's chest, her legs pulled back with her hands, her face deep red, while she cried in agony, trying to push her little son into the world.

Gabriel did his best, to encourage and comfort her, to hold her in the right position and say supportive things, but if he was honest, he simply felt useless.

"Just a little more, you're doing great!", the midwife called out to her, making Nathalie groan.

"Why don't you do it then, if it's just a little more?", she yelled at the middle aged woman, who just smiled compassionately. She was used to women in labour being aggressive and insulting.

Her husband though smirked. He knew very well, that many women accused and attacked their men, because it was them, who got them pregnant and therefor were the cause of their agony. But Nathalie was even in this extreme situation thinking to rationally to say things like that.

"Come on darling, I know you can do it! You're the strongest person, I've ever met. Show her, what you can do!", he now whispered into the grunting and cussing woman's ear.

Hearing the man's words, Nathalie gathered all her strength and took a deep breath, then waited for the next contraction, to push as hard as she could, feeling as if her intimates were torn apart until, with a last effort, the worst pain suddenly stopped and she could hear the midwife giving her new directions on how to breathe and not to push any further, because the head was already out and the rest of her baby would follow soon, just by breathing in the right way.

And she was correct, less than a minute later, she could feel the body of her son slip out of her and eventually fell back, panting but blissfully smiling.

At the same time the baby started to wail and both parents looked expectantly towards it, both with tears running down their cheeks, Nathalie breathlessly asking:

"Is everything okay? Is he healthy?"

The midwife, who had just cut the cord and was now placing the crying newborn on the new mother's chest, to then cover them both with a soft towel, smiled at them awkwardly, when she explained:

"Well, I don't know, who told you, you're having a son, because, it's a healthy and beautiful little girl!"

They both gasped, but kept smiling happily, while the new mother, who had already taken a gentle hold of her daughter, now grabbed her a little tighter, whispering lovingly:

"Hello my little girl! We are so happy, that we can finally meet you!"

To Gabriel she hummed:

"You have been right after all. And your secret wish for a daughter has been fulfilled. Isn't she pretty?"

The proud father nodded vigorously, then kissed his wife firmly onto her lips, before he said:

"I can't wait to take her home! Hopefully she'll like the light blue nursery anyway!"

"It's Duusu blue, Gabriel! Not light blue! And i am certain, she'll love it. The only problem will be, that we were only considering boy names! How are we going to call her?", Nathalie now lamented.

But her husband just laughed.

"I don't care about that right now. All I do care about is, that you are both healthy and in my arms and that I hopefully can take you both home with me tonight!"

He looked questioningly at the midwife, who nodded hesitantly.

"As soon as the baby has been seen by the pediatrician and you're feeling good enough, your husband can take you both home. But do me the favour and tell him, if you would rather stay the night. Don't leave because he wants you home!"