As I stood there and held my wife in my arms I thought about that word. The definition of believe is to “accept as true.”

I smiled to myself and looked up at the night sky as I whispered,

“I believe.”

The pain. Shit, I don’t remember this kind of pain before. I grabbed onto the side rails and tried to ride out the contraction. Brad was just about to tell me to breathe through it when I held up my hand.

“Stop! I swear. To God. If you tell me. One. More. Time. To breathe. Through the pain. I’m going to make you hurt.”

“Ah, duly noted. No more breathing through the pain,” Brad said with a smile.

“Brad, go find the damn nurse and tell her I want the epidural now!” I said through gritted teeth.

“Honey, are you sure?”

I snapped my head and looked at him.

“But the plan, baby. You told me if…”

I grabbed him by the t-shirt. “I swear to God, Brad, if you ever want to have sex with me again, you’ll find that bitch and tell her I want the epidural…now!”

Brad quickly spun around and headed out the door. I took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on something other than the pain. I closed my eyes and pictured our new house. It was breathtaking. The baby’s room had been painted in a beautiful pastel green that Brad picked out. Josh made all the furniture, and I cried when they gave it to us at the baby shower.

Maegan’s room was painted pink with a butterfly theme. Brad said every time he walked in there he felt like someone had thrown up Pepto-Bismol all over the walls. I was so happy with how the house was coming together. We had only moved in a few weeks ago and just in time. This baby was ready whether we were or not.

Brad came walking back in with the nurse and another guy.

“Amanda, I’m the anesthesiologist that will be administering the epidural.”

“Oh, thank God!” I said as I felt another one coming on.

“Jesus…hurry, will you please, doctor? I think she’s pissed because I ate spicy food last night.”

He laughed as he shook his head. “All right, let’s do this.”

As I looked down at my beautiful daughter, I couldn’t help but think of how much had happened in the last year and a half. I moved my finger all along her sweet face as I listened to everyone talking. Taylor had been passed all around to everyone. Alex was already in love with Taylor.

I glanced over to Brad and gave him a wink. He lifted his eyebrows and walked over to me. He leaned down and kissed Taylor and then he kissed me oh so sweetly on the lips.

“I’m so proud of you, Manda. You amaze me.” He whispered.

I let out a giggle and said, “I’m sorry for calling you a bastard.”

“‘Fucking bastard’ I believe is what you called me.”

I rolled my eyes and put my hand up behind his neck and pulled him to my lips again. As he stood back up he looked down at Taylor and shook his head.

“My God. Two girls,” he whispered.

I let out a chuckle. “Yep, two girls. Two beautiful girls.”

Brad turned and looked at Jeff holding Luke. “I’m telling you, that’s the one to look out for…right there. Mark my words, if he’s anything like his father…”

I laughed and caused Taylor to startle.

Jeff saw us looking at him and he walked over.

“Manda, she’s beautiful,” Jeff said as he reached down and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, Jeff. Brad here seems to think little Luke is going to be the player in the bunch,” I said with a wink.

Jeff threw his head back and laughed. “Oh hell yeah, he will be!”

Luke said, “Hell yeah!”

“Oh! Oh no buddy! Don’t say that. That’s a bad, bad word,” Jeff said as Brad’s mouth dropped open and he slowly looked back at me.

“Oh God,” Brad said as he closed his eyes. “My little girls.”

I let out a laugh and shook my head. “Don’t worry baby, they will always be daddy’s little girls.”

He slowly smiled and reached for Taylor. I handed her to him, and he began rocking her as he smiled and said, “You better believe it. Daddy’s little girls forever.”