ALL MY LUCKY STARS

EXTENDED EPILOGUE

ALEXANDER
Nine months later

"Okay, Olivia, we're going to need one more big push, okay?" The nurse said. There was so much commotion going on in the room right now. Olivia had been in labor for the last 32 hours. Our little baby was reluctant to come out. Hell, it was scary out here. I'd be scared too.

"Push!" The doctors yelled. Olivia tried and screamed in pain.

"I can't!" Olivia shouted. "I can't anymore. Please! Please just cut me open and take him out," she sobbed.

"Baby, you can do this," I said. "You're almost there. This is it," I grabbed her hand and held it tight. "Just squeeze my hand, okay? Don't let go."

"Okay," she said, sniffling.

"Push!" The doctor yelled again. She grunted and strained, pushing as hard as she humanly could. "We can see the head! Keep going," they shouted.

Her face was turning red. "Breathe, honey," I told her. Before she could, we were greeted with the beautiful sounds of our crying baby.

"It's a boy!" The nurse called out. They cleaned him up and laid him on Olivia's chest. A cute little blue hat was on his head, wrapped in a blanket. He already had so much hair.

"Oh, my gosh. It's a baby," she said while trying to pull herself together. "It's a real baby," she laughed. He is so beautiful. "He looks just like you, babe," she said. I was a puddle of tears, crying into her shoulder.

"You did it," I sighed. "You did it. You were so wonderful," I said, kissing her sweaty forehead. The nurse handed me a cold towel to cool her down. Then we were left alone with our beautiful boy.

"What should we name him?" I whispered.

"Your pick. But when we have a girl, it's my pick," she said.

"Fair enough." I took a minute to think. This was a huge responsibility. I was more scared about giving him a bad name than I was thinking about actually raising him.

I got it. It was perfect.

"Oliver," I said.

"Oliver?"

"Oliver. It's closest to your name." She started sobbing again or laughing. I think both. She was so beautiful.

"I'm sorry," she chuckled. "It's the hormones."

"You never have to apologize. It's kind of cute, actually," I said, rubbing her forehead.

"Baby Oliver. I love it. I love you," she said, pulling me in, sobbing into my hair. Our first family hug. I never felt such a strong sense of belonging as I do right now, holding my beautiful wife who delivered our very own baby.

"I love you, too."

"But Jesus, he has a lot of hair already. He definitely took that after you," she laughed.

"You know what he got, that's yours?" I said, caressing her cheeks.

"What?"

"Those red apples, right here," I tapped his cheek and chuckled against her, kissing both her cheeks and his.

THE END