LOS ANGELES
The tension from the last few hours made it more difficult for her to breathe. The contractions Ivy was feeling made Ace stroke their intertwined fingers as he comforted her. Sweats broke out on his forehead as Ivy screamed out in pain.
“Push.. Mrs Ivy.” The doctor instructed.
More sweats sheen her already pale skin as she made a push. To Ace, nothing else mattered in the world except Ivy and his baby. He swallowed hard. All he wanted was to take the pain away from her.
“One more push.. please Mrs Clark.” The female doctor said again.
“You can do this, my love.” Ace muttered.
Ivy cried out again, she held on to her husband, her nails digging deep enough to also cause him pain but Ace barely felt it.
Ace barely felt the pain. At least it wasn’t compare to what Ivy was passing through. His focus was all on his beautiful and strong wife. His whole being was on the incredible woman he loves so much who was giving birth to his second child.
“Push again.. you can do better, Mrs Ivy Clark.” The female doctor instructed.
Ivy closed her eyes and gave in her all. She pushed so hard until it was done.
“You did it, Mrs Clark. The baby is out.” The female doctor announced with a smile on her face.
A tiny cry erupted in the room. Ace heaved a sigh of relief while Ivy reopened her eyes with her chest rising and falling. Her baby has been born into the world.
“Would you like to cut the umbilical cord, Mr Ace?” The doctor asked.
Ace looked at his wife. “Come on.. do it.. Ace.” Ivy urged him.
Ace let go of his wife’s hand as he went to the medical team. The doctor told him how to cut the cord and he did it perfectly. Tears clouded his vision as he watched a nurse wrap the new born baby in a shawl.
“Hold our baby.. Ace.” Ivy mumbled when Ace hesitated on taking the baby from the nurse.
Ace shuddered as his big hand carried the tiny baby girl. She was cute. It was Ace first time of holding a new born baby.
Ace was happy that he was solely involved in the birth of this child. He went back to his wife and gave the warm child to her.
Ivy placed a kiss on her baby’s forehead. “She is so cute.” She commented as the baby shot out her fist into the air.
“She looks just like you.” Tears dropped down his face.
Ivy looked up at her husband. “You are happy right?” She asked.
Ace nodded repeated as he wiped his tears. He had missed his first child’s delivery, missed so many years of his life but it wasn’t going to happen again. He would watch his daughter’s toddling stage, help to change her diapers, witness her first tooth and even get to hear her first word. Ace felt like he was going to burst of too much happiness. His daughter’s brown hair was plastered on her head and she let out a cry.
The nurse took the baby from Ivy so they could clean both the mother and child. Ace knew he had to tender an apology to his wife. So he leaned down to talk to her.
“About the abduction.. it’s all my fault.” Ace whispered.
Ivy looked up at him. “What do you mean? How is it your fault?” She questioned.
“The abductor turned out to be one of the women I had something with many years back and Jack is her blood brother.” Ace answered.
“Which Jack?” Ivy asked.
“Jack, Leroy’s driver that we hired two months ago. Jenny set him up with us so she could have an easy access into our home.” Ace explained everything that happened at the scene.
“Ivy, I am sorry. Please forgive me for putting Leroy’s life and yours in danger. I hope my past won’t cause you to leave me. I know.. I don’t deserve you, Leroy and our baby girl not after everything you have been through just to raise our son. I am sorry, Ivy. Please just give me another chance to be a better man and father to our children. I promise to never leave you and I’ll be by your side till death do us apart.” Ace pleaded with his wife as tears burned down his face.
At that point, his greatest fear was Ivy asking for a divorce because of the issue of his past. A mistake he had regretted.
“Listen Ace, I feel bad for Jenny but-” She paused.
“Please Ivy.. don’t leave me for this reason.” Ace begged.
“It’s not your fault. You would have accepted Jenny’s baby if you knew she was pregnant even though you wouldn’t have married her right?” Ivy asked.
“Yes.. I was young.. too young to understand life beyond me being a rich heir. But believe me, I would have accepted her baby if I knew about it. I had cut off all ties with the women in my life because I wanted to be a better man.” Ace responded.
“I don’t need your apologies, Ace. I forgive you of anything. Your past? It’s long dead. I don’t care about the past as long as we are happy and together as a family. It’s just us now, me, you, Leroy and our baby girl. I love you, Ace Clark.” Ivy completed her words with a happy smile on her face.
Ace nodded. “Yes.. Yes.. I love you, Ivy.” He sniffled.
Ivy locked their hands as she kissed it before Ace leaned closer to brush his lips on hers. “Thank you.” He mumbled.
“For what?” Ivy asked.
“For having my children.” He kissed her again, once, twice and she deepened it until a clearing of throat interrupted them.
“Mr Ace, you’ll have to excuse us now. We need to do a proper clean up on your wife.” The nurse that had brought him in said with a smile playing on her face.