Chapter 6 - Welcome, Little Sister
The next two hours were an intense, triumphant blur of exertion, sweat, and overwhelming love.
Drew held my left leg, while Eli—insisting on staying in the room after Drew double-checked that he was comfortable—sat on a chair right beside my pillow, holding my right hand in both of his small palms, whispering "You can do it, Megan" every single time a contraction rolled through my body.
"One more big push, Megan!" Dr. Aris commanded, her voice ringing with excitement. "Head is fully crowned! Give me everything you've got!"
I gripped Eli's hand, took a deep breath that filled my lungs to capacity, and pushed with every ounce of strength remaining in my body.
At 4:48 AM, as the very first rays of golden dawn broke through the rain clouds outside the hospital window, a loud, clear, miraculous cry echoed through the room.
WAAAAAH! WAAAAAH!
"She's here!" Drew sobbed, tears spilling unashamedly down his cheeks as he kissed the side of my face. "She's here, Meg! She's beautiful!"
Dr. Aris quickly wiped the baby down with a warm towel, wrapped her in a soft striped flannel blanket, and placed her directly onto my chest.
She was tiny, weighing seven pounds six ounces, with a mop of dark hair just like Drew's and tiny, perfect rosebud lips. Her little chest heaved as her cries settled down into soft, rhythmic snuffles the moment she felt the warmth of my skin.
"Look at her, Eli," I whispered, my eyes weeping tears of pure, unadulterated joy as I looked down at the tiny life resting against my heart.
Eli stood up on his tiptoes, leaning over the side of the hospital bed to peer at his baby sister. His breath caught in his throat.
Slowly, carefully, baby Maya opened her tiny eyes, her dark blue gaze drifting aimlessly until it seemed to land directly on Eli's face. Her little right hand wriggled out from under the blanket, her tiny, soft fingers stretching out until they brushed against Eli's index finger.
Instantly, her tiny hand clamped tight around Eli's finger in a soft, firm grip.
Eli gasped, freezing completely, terrified that if he moved a single muscle, he might break her. "Megan... she's holding me."
"She knows who you are, buddy," Drew choked out, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "She knows her big brother is here."
Eli didn't pull his hand away. He stood there for ten straight minutes, letting his tiny sister hold onto his finger, a look of profound, sacred devotion washing over his nine-year-old face.
"What's her name?" Eli asked softly, not taking his eyes off her.
"We decided on Maya," I whispered, reaching over to squeeze Eli's shoulder. "Maya Elizabeth Carter."
"Elizabeth?" Eli repeated, looking up at me in surprise.
May you like
"A little piece of your name, Eli," I smiled through my tears. "So she always knows who her protector is."
Eli's lip quivered, and a single, happy tear slid down his cheek as he looked back down at the sleeping infant. "I'm gonna teach her how to eat tacos," he promised softly. "And I'm gonna make sure nobody ever scares her."
