THE DREAM CHILD (20 page)

But she gave one more push, and felt a great weight sliding from her. It was excruciatingly painful, but she also experienced blessed relief.

“Here he is. A perfect baby boy,” Dr Martin said, with a beaming smile.

Victor saw the baby before Sophie did. He gasped at the sight of it. Even though still covered in vermix, he was a perfect little human being, waving his tiny arms about, mewling in protest at all the noise, bright lights, and no doubt the sudden change of environment.

“Sophie you have to do one more thing for me.” The doctor said. “You have to expel the after-birth, and then we can cut the cord.”

These pushes were nothing compared to the incredible agony of forcing the baby from her body. Before she knew it she felt the placenta slide free.

One of the nurses wrapped the baby in a towel and placed him on Sophie’s tummy so she could see and touch him. She stared in absolute wonder at the little person.

“Oh my God,” she breathed in awe. “You’re finally here… Look Vic,” she turned her wide, emotion-filled eyes to the man standing beside her. “Isn’t he beautiful?” She saw the emotion mirrored in Victor’s awed eyes, and knew he was equally as bowled over as she was. She stroked the tiny head, wanting to make sure he was in fact real.

“Takes after his father then,” the nurse teased, reaching to pick the baby up.

“Where are you taking him?” Sophie asked in alarm, as the nurse scooped the infant up.

“We’ll bring him back in just a mo. We’re just going to weigh and measure him. We’ll be just over here. Did you bring a camera?” she asked Victor.

He shook his head. “Never expected to become a parent today.”

When they returned the baby to Sophie, he was swaddled, just his tiny head visible with the tuft of blonde hair on top of his head. Blue eyes blinked up at her in confusion, as though to ask, what happened to my nice warm cocoon?

“Do you want to try feeding him?” the nurse asked.

“Already?” Sophie gasped.

“The sooner the better, although all he’ll be getting at this stage is colostrum, it will help your milk come in. I take it that you were planning on breastfeeding,” she said.

“Well, I was going to give it a go.”

The nurse showed her how to attach the baby. His sucking reflex was strong and instant, making her gasp. “Ow, that hurts,” she protested.

“It probably will until your nipples get used to it.”

Victor had never seen anything so incredible in his life. The sight of mother and baby together like this swamped his senses. It wasn’t sensual or erotic, but so very loving, and he felt completely shut out. This was something no man could ever partake in, no matter how much the feminists raved on about equal rights.

“Stop staring at me like that.”

Victor blinked at Sophie’s sudden outburst, and looked away. “Maybe I should leave you alone for a while,” he said. “I’ll go and make some phone calls. Anyone you want me to ring?”

That gave Sophie pause. Of course she had to let her family know that their most recent addition had arrived, but she just wanted to savour the moments with her son a little longer.

“Not yet,” she said. “Besides there’s a phone right here beside the bed. I’ll ring them in a little while.”

But when Victor walked out into the corridor, the last thing he felt like doing was calling his parents. He supposed he would have to tell them sooner or later, but right now he couldn’t bear to listen to their tirade.

He knew there would be one, probably many once his father got going.

Better to wait and find out just how much a part of their son’s life Sophie was prepared to give him. In his dreams she’d always been happy to hand him over, but right now she held onto him almost greedily, as though she feared to let him go, which didn’t surprise him, since she’d wanted this child so much in the first place.

Victor headed in the direction of the coffee shop. Even though he didn’t feel like eating anything, he ordered a coffee and sat down with it at one of the tables.

His life had irrevocably changed today. He was a father, someone a little person would rely on and trust in for the rest of his life.

As Victor contemplated all the things that would be different from now on, he slowly sipped his coffee, barely tasting it. He wanted to do the right thing by Sophie and their son, and hoped he’d never sell them short. He’d messed up enough things in his life; this was one thing he absolutely didn’t want to ruin.

Victor stopped in the doorway. He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised that she’d already picked a name, since he hadn’t been part of her life for virtually the entire pregnancy, but he felt even more shut out now than when she’d first started feeding the lad.

As though sensing Victor’s presence, Sophie glanced up. On seeing him in the doorway, she told her sister that she’d see her when she got here. “I’ll probably be up in the ward by then… All right see you soon.” And she hung up.

“I probably said some pretty horrible things too, but to tell you the truth, I can’t really remember much about it… I guess it’s true what they say; as soon as you have your baby in your arms, you forget the pain. Maybe you should get one of the nurses to have a look at those scratches. Wouldn’t want them to get infected.”

Sophie had to admit he did look rather awkward cradling the tiny baby in his large hands and strong brawny arms. But it was the expression of awe that overcame his face as he gazed down at the infant that held Sophie in thrall. She could see how amazed he was by the new life. Then a tear trickled down his cheek, and Sophie reached out to wipe it away.

“He’s a true miracle, Sophie,” Victor breathed. “Thank you so much for letting me be part of all this.”

“Why wouldn’t I, when you’re his father?”

Another tear found its way down his cheek. “You know when they talk about love at first sight, I think they forgot to mention this kind of love. I love him already.”

Victor sighed, sensing the worry in her voice. “Don’t fret. I’ll sort them out. I’m sure they’ll want to be part of their grandson’s life. If not, then they won’t have a son either – “

Just then one of the nurses swept into the room pushing a wheelchair. “Time for you to go to the ward, Sophie. Are you ready? Better put junior back into his crib.”

Sophie could tell Victor was reluctant to let the baby go, but he handed the bundle to the nurse who tightened his swaddling before returning him to the crib.

“Is there a reason he has to be wrapped so tight?” Victor asked.

“Yes, it’s to remind him of the womb. At the moment all his movements are involuntary, and will only scare him. It’s good to keep them wrapped for the first few months, until they get used to the big bad world,” the nurse explained.

“I can see there is going to be a lot to learn,” Victor acknowledged.

“Wait till you’ve been woken half a dozen times from his crying, trying to work out what he wants.”

“Thanks a bunch,” Sophie muttered. “That’s the bit I’m
not
looking forward to.”

“Don’t worry Sophie, you don’t have to do it on your own,” Victor reassured her.

“Now that’s the kind of talk I like to hear from a spouse,” the nurse remarked. “You hold him to that promise, dear. Now do you think you’ll be able to get out of bed?”

Between the two of them, Victor and the nurse manouvered a very sore and sorry Sophie into the wheelchair. The nurse pushed the mobile crib and Victor slung Sophie’s overnight bag over his shoulder, so he could push her chair.

Before long they had her settled in a double room, of which she was the only occupant. She hoped she’d have it to herself for at least one night.

“What time is your family coming to see you?” Victor asked once the nurse had left.

“Rita wants to be here as soon as she can, probably within the hour. It will take Mum and Dad a bit longer to come down, but they wouldn’t hear of waiting till tomorrow, which means they will have to stay with Rita for the night.”

“Well, in that case I might leave you now, give you time with them without me hanging around, complicating things.”

“Oh Vic, don’t think that. Just because your parents might give you a hard time, doesn’t mean mine will. They liked you, remember.”

“Until I put my great big foot in it! Your sister thought I was enemy number one that day at the hospital.”

Sophie flipped a hand. “That’s all water under the bridge now. I already told her who brought me here today, so you’ve well and truly redeemed yourself in her eyes… It was partly my fault for making up that nonsense about the one night stand, thinking you’d never accept the truth.”

Victor stood in the doorway of his spare room, currently crammed with boxes of books and other odds and ends he hadn’t looked at in months. He tried visualising it as a nursery, wondering what Sophie would say if he suggested she and the baby move in with him.

There’s only one way to find out, ask her, he told himself. The thought that she might knock him back weighed heavily on his mind. They had spent so much time apart, all because of his stupid stubborn pride, and her silly half-baked lie about a one night stand.

If their shared dreams didn’t mean they were meant to be together, then he was a monkey’s uncle, he thought. He just hoped she would see it that way too.

For the first time in months his sleep was restful and dream free. Victor woke feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world. Well almost. He still hadn’t dredged up the courage to ring his parents with the news. Maybe later today, he’d bite the bullet and make the call.

He arrived at the hospital carrying an enormous bunch of flowers for Sophie, and his first toy for the baby wrapped in cute teddy-bear paper.

When he stopped in the doorway of her room, he saw her parents sitting beside the bed. Vicky was holding the baby, and Sophie still looked worse for wear from her ordeal, her face pale, and her eyes ringed with tiredness. No doubt the newborn had woken her during the night.

“How about I go and find a vase for those,” Vicky suggested. She got up out of her seat, still holding the baby, who was once again fast asleep “Would Daddy like to hold his son?” She held the bundle out to Victor.

“Thank you. Yes, I would. I’m still a bit nervous around him though,” Victor admitted. “He’s so small.”

“He’ll grow up in no time. And before you know it you have teenagers living in your house.”

Sophie’s parents didn’t stay much longer, telling her they would be driving back home today to return later in the week to help her settle back in at home.

Once they were gone, Victor got up and returned the baby to his crib, gently lying him down in it. The child didn’t even stir. Then Victor sat down on the edge of Sophie’s bed.

“There’s something I want to talk to you about, Sophie,” he said, taking her hand in his, but he couldn’t meet her eyes as he started talking. “How about renting out your unit and moving in with me. That way you could make some extra money, and I wouldn’t be lonely any more.”