Max repeatedly inhaled and then exhaled steadily. He hoped his wife could follow him. However, the pale-faced woman could no longer control her lungs. Pain had wrapped around her stomach.
“It hurts, Max,” Gabriella moaned as she gripped her husband’s hand tighter.
“Patience, Gaby. You can’t push yet. Wait for a signal from the doctor. Understand?” the man replied while wiping the sweat that flooded his wife’s face. “Now catch your breath with me.”
With tears in her eyes, the woman continued to stare at her husband.
“Inhale, exhale… inhale, exhale.”
Gabriella tried to obey. However, five seconds later, she shook her head, declaring herself on the verge of patience.
“I can’t hold it anymore, Max. I can’t,” the woman sighed, grimacing.
Feeling unbearable, the man kissed his wife’s forehead. “Hold on, Gaby. For the sake of our Little Prince,” he whispered.
Closing her eyes, Gabriella braced herself. She never expected that being a mother would turn out to be so difficult.
After a while, the doctor finally put her hand on the patient’s stomach again. “Okay, Mrs. Evans. Please follow my cues. Now take a deep breath …, push with all your might!”
A sudden groan sounded very painful for Max. While holding the grip of his wife’s hand, the man frowned. “Come on, Gaby. You can do it.”
But unfortunately, the Little Prince is still hiding inside his mother’s body.
“Once again. Take a deep breath …, push harder!”
Gabriella’s moans suddenly echoed louder, causing tears to gather in her husband’s eyes. Max felt sorry to see his wife’s face suddenly very red. With hope, he glanced at the doctor who was still frowning.
However, until Gabriella’s voice weakened, the woman in green had not changed her expression.
“Sir, please give strength to your wife,” the doctor said, raising an eyebrow.
After one nod, Max stroked his wife’s head. “Gaby, you do great. In a little while, we can meet the Little Prince,” the man whispered while nodding, transmitting enthusiasm.
“A little bit more?” the woman sighed as she couldn’t focus anymore.
“Yes, Gaby. You can do it.”
After a moment of silence, the doctor gave directions again. “Okay, Madam. Let’s continue. This time, do it harder. Take a deep breath-”
Before the woman in green had time to finish her sentence, Gabriella had filled the room with an electrifying scream. The grip of her hand seemed to almost break her husband’s fingers. The woman had never exerted so much energy in her life.
“A little more,” the doctor exclaimed, holding something between the patient’s legs with both hands.
“Gaby, the Little Prince’s head is in sight,” Max called out although he was only guessing. “Come on, Gaby.”
With the remaining strength, the woman pushed again. After one attempt, the doctor finally smiled behind the mask. Both hands were then holding a baby who was immediately handed over to a nurse. A second later, she handed Max the scissors.
“Please cut off your son’s placenta, Sir.”
Inevitably, the man let go of Gabriella’s hand which was no longer holding. Wasting no time, he accepted the scissors and followed the guide.
“Here?” he asked for sure.
“Yes.”
After the placenta was severed, the Little Prince was taken to another bed for treatment. As soon as the liquid was sucked from his tiny nose, the sound of crying suddenly warmed the room.
“Do you hear it, Gaby? Our Little Prince is crying,” Max whispered in his wife’s ear.
With a deep breath, the woman who had almost closed her eyes replied, “Yes.”
Once again, the man kissed his wife’s forehead. “You’re so great, Gaby,” he said, holding her hand again.
A few seconds later, the nurse came with the Little Prince. As soon as she saw the tiny baby with a blue hat lying on her stomach, Gabriella burst into tears. The pain that was scorching all over the body, had been overcome by joy.
“Our little prince is here, Max,” the woman sighed as she stroked the blanket covering her baby’s back.
“Yes. He’s exactly what I pictured him to be, Gaby,” the man said as he adjusted Cayden’s hat so it wouldn’t cover the eyes.
“Isn’t he so cute?” Gabriella whispered without taking her eyes off the tiny face under her chin.
After kissing his wife’s cheek, Max rubbed her arm. “Yes. He’s so adorable, just like you.”
Suddenly, the Little Prince’s eyes began to open. Max and Gabriella suddenly sighed happily watching it.
“Hello, Cayden … it’s Daddy,” Max said in a low voice.
Seeing the loving smile on her husband’s face, Gabriella’s happiness peaked. The woman realized that she had not only one very precious person, but two. Max Evans, and the Little Prince who is ready to conquer the world.
***
“I can’t wait to see my nephew,” Julian said as he entered the room.
As soon as the man saw the small bed equipped with a fence, he quickly walked away, leaving Mia and Herbert who were walking leisurely.
“Gosh …. He’s so tiny,” Julian sighed exasperatedly.
A second later, the man greeted the husband and wife who saw him with a faint smile. “You guys are really great to be able to produce a child as cute as this,” he praised, making his brother snort.
“You can also do it, Julian. You just need to propose, marry, and create your own,” Max joked, successfully making the corners of his brother’s lips twitch.
“Tch! Did you marry because you wanted children? No, right?”
A second later, Max folded his arms across the chest. “You can’t use us as an example, Julian. We are a special case. Our story is very different from others.”
“Are you insinuating the trap I set up earlier?” Herbert joined the conversation as he had been standing on the side of the bed.
“Not insinuating, Dad, but talking about reality. It’s true that initially, our marriage was the aftermath of your trap. But then, Gabriella and I are grateful because we really love each other and really want to be together forever.”
A second later, the curve of the lips erased the old man’s flat expression. “And now, Gaby and you are more grateful because of this little hero’s presence, right?” Herbert continued while looking down, watching his sleeping grandson.
“Yes. Do you want to carry him, Dad? You already washed your hands before coming in here, right?” Max asked as he approached Cayden.
“May I?”
“Of course you may, Dad,” Gabriella said with a warm smile. “Cayden can’t wait to meet his grandfather.”
With great care, the old man welcomed the grandson in his arms. After a while, tears began to line his vision.
“He’s like little Max,” Herbert sighed, afraid to wake his grandson.
Once again, the old man looked at the tiny baby. While stroking such delicate cheeks with the back of his finger, he contemplated the regrets of his life.
“I was such a fool to ever ignore your father,” he whispered to Cayden.
Detecting the sadness that was starting to thicken, Max immediately activated the camera on his cellphone.
“Instead of replaying the past, how about we document this historical moment? The first photo of Cayden is with his grandfather,” the man said, making his father raise an eyebrow.
“Are both of you okay?” Herbert sighed as he looked at his son and daughter-in-law in turn.
With a genuine smile, Gabriella nodded. “Yes. Cayden is able to come into this world because of his grandfather. If Max and I weren’t framed together, I don’t know how we’d find each other.”
After heaving a sigh of relief, Herbert looked at the camera. The warmth that radiated from the baby made his heart feel lighter. The old man no longer struggled to lift the corners of his lips that used to feel so heavy.
“Look! Cayden’s smiling at the camera,” Max muttered as he showed Gabriella the photo he had just taken.
“Right. He’s so cute,” the woman said as she rubbed Cayden’s face on the screen.
“Then, it’s the Little Prince’s turn to take pictures with his parents,” Max said as he handed the phone to Mia.
Without waiting for orders, Herbert returned the tiny baby to his daughter-in-law, while the secretary swiftly adjusted the camera angle. After Max finished positioning himself beside his wife, Mia started the countdown.
“Three, two, one.”
Suddenly, Cayden burst into tears. Max and Gabriella spontaneously looked away from the camera. Regardless of the image that looked natural, the couple soothed their baby.
“Why is he suddenly crying?” Gabriella muttered as she looked at Max with deep furrows.
“Apparently, he wants to show who is in power,” the man said while stroking the Little Prince’s head affectionately.
“Right, he definitely wants to show his strength. He’s crying a lot louder than you used to cry, Max,” Herbert said proudly.
After a glance, all eyes were on the baby in Gabriella’s arms. No more crying was heard. Cayden Evans seemed to understand that he had managed to garner the attention of those who loved him.
“Grow up to be a healthy and strong child, Little Prince. Daddy can’t wait to run with you on the beach,” Max whispered, waving the little baby’s hand with his index finger.
“Then Cayden will grow up to be a loving and tough man like his father,” Gabriella continued with a sweet smile.
After reading the warm eyes, Max finally kissed his wife’s forehead. Then, together, they again noticed the Little Prince peering through the gap between his still very narrow eyelids. Cayden Evans seemed to understand that his mother and father had an immense love for each other.
“Welcome, Little Prince. Mom and Dad have prepared a lot of love for you,” Gabriella whispered, touching all the hearts that heard.
END of season 1