Extra 7

Extra 7

Emma clung to Max's hand as she was being wheeled to the operating room on the same stretcher. She was scared, very scared that something might go wrong.

"It's not time yet, not yet," said Emma between sobs. The pain with each contraction increased more and more. And Max, powerless to relieve her pain, to avoid it, but Emma had decided to do it without medication.

"Are you sure you don't want something for the pain?" he tried one last time, but Emma didn't answer. The vein in her temple stood out; it was the first time he had noticed it.

A nurse stopped Max as Emma crossed through the doors that led to the operating room on the stretcher.

"Follow me, Mr. Müller." Max didn't take his eyes off the path where Emma had disappeared. Then he followed the nurse, who told him what he needed to do to enter the operating room and accompany Emma. He put on the blue cap, gown, and mask, and after listening to the instructions, he finally entered:

"It hurts!" she screamed. "MY GOD!" Emma shouted. One of the nurses took her hand. When she saw Max, Emma started to cry. Max immediately approached her, standing by her side, and took the hand the nurse had held moments before.

"You can do it, love. You can do it. It will be over soon, and we'll have our daughter." Emma was drenched in sweat, some strands of her hair stuck to the skin of her face.

"I can't..." she sobbed. "I'm scared..." she confessed, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.

"We're ready," said the doctor. "Emma, I'm going to ask you to push when I tell you," the doctor announced. Emma shook her head, still crying.

"You can do it. I'm here with you..." Max kissed her forehead.

"Now, Emma," said the doctor. Emma gritted her teeth and pushed when she felt the need to do so, but it hurt as if she were tearing apart. Max felt the pain from Emma's grip on his hand; she squeezed so hard he was surprised by the strength she exerted.

"Come on, Emma, push more, she's almost out! I can see her hair..." Max wanted to look, so he stretched to peek. His eyes widened at the sight of the blood. He returned to her and tried not to think about what he saw to avoid fainting right there.

"She'll be the only child I'll give you..." she growled through gritted teeth before pushing harder.

"Push," the doctor requested again, but she didn't do it with enough strength. "Emma, push!" she felt her strength waning.

"I'm tired..." she panted, the vein in her neck standing out more.

"Come on, love, come on..." Max encouraged her, holding her hand tightly. "Don't you want to see our little Emily?" she nodded, trying to recover.

"Aggghhhhh!" she felt an even more extreme pain. "My God," she said through clenched teeth.

"I have her head," the doctor announced. "Now, you need to give it your all, Emma, we need to get her body out..." she nodded, still clinging to Max's hand. "Ready?" For a moment, she didn't answer. The doctor became alarmed when Emma let her head fall back and closed her eyes.

"Her blood pressure is rising, doctor," said one of the nurses, worried.

"Emma?" Max called her, alarmed. She opened her eyes immediately, looking around blurry. "Emma?"

"Emma, we need to get the baby out now, immediately..." said the doctor. She nodded. One of the nurses stayed on the other side of the bed. Emma tried to gather all the remaining strength she had to push, and then she looked at Max.

"You can do it, love." She smiled weakly, then pushed with all her might. She felt something tearing inside her again. The doctor finally took the baby in his hands.

"Here she is!" he exclaimed, relieved. "Would the father like to do the honors?" One of the nurses handed him the scissors to cut the umbilical cord. Max was stunned when he heard little Emily's cry. Something inside him expanded, causing more happiness than he already had.

"Look, love, our daughter is here," Max smiled, his eyes glistening with upcoming tears. Emma smiled, but she had noticeably paled. Max cut the cord, and then the doctor finished stitching and cleaning Emma. Her blood pressure had stabilized. One of the nurses showed them a tiny pink creature crying, wrapped in a pink blanket. Max took her in his arms and began to cry with joy. He leaned in to bring the baby closer to Emma, who was crying. She touched her cheek with the baby's cheek, and the baby stopped crying.

"Welcome to our lives, daughter..." Emma whispered.

Emma had fallen into a deep sleep. She was sore, her body was no longer the same, something had changed in her. Max stayed by her side while they checked Emily.

"She's a beautiful girl," said the nurse, placing the baby back in the bassinet next to Emma.

"Yes, very beautiful. But what lungs she has," Max said, smiling proudly.

"She could be an opera singer..." the nurse said in a playful tone.

"She could be the president of the country," Emma said, waking up and joining the conversation. Max hurried over and kissed her forehead.

"Welcome, new mom," he whispered before kissing her lips.

"Is everything okay? Have they checked her?" Emma wanted to know.

"Yes, ma'am, everything's fine. I'll leave you now. I'll be at my station if you need anything else. The doctor will come to do a routine check on both of you in a couple of hours. It's time to feed little Emily." Max and Emma thanked her. Then they were alone. The room was filled with happiness, the excitement of now being a new family.

"Thank you for giving us a small miracle," Max whispered, looking at the little one who had fallen asleep. Then he looked at Emma, who looked exhausted. "I love you, Emma."

She looked at him and smiled weakly.

"I love you too, Max."

Over the next few days, Emma's emotions were on edge. Little Emily wouldn't let them sleep, and when she woke from her short naps, her cries were quite loud. Emma even cried along with her, thinking it might not be normal for a newborn, but the pediatrician assured them it was.

Max was Emma's support in the early hours of the morning. He would get up, warm the breast milk that was painful for Emma to pump, and then sit in the rocking chair to feed their daughter. When she stopped crying, Max would tell her about his school adventures, then move on to the house rules, like not having a boyfriend until after thirty and needing to pass the "super dad" inspection. He wanted to have a long life by their side to see her grow, walk her down the aisle one day with her mom, grow old with Emma, and wait for the grandchildren many years later. After their father-daughter routine, Emily would sleep for three hours straight. In the morning, they received visits from uncles, grandpa, and Aunt Eda, who was madly in love with the little one.

Finally, the day Max dreaded arrived. The day to face a part of his past, one that was always there, lurking when he least expected it.

"Are you going in?" Eda asked, taking a seat in the waiting room of the oncology area.

"Yes. And you?" he wanted to know.

"Yes." They remained in total silence, waiting to be called by Samuel, their mother's partner, the man who had come between their parents.

The door opened and Samuel appeared. He looked worn out from worries and sleepless nights.

"She’s waiting for you," he said, then looked around for Adler, but he wasn't there. "Where's your father?"

Max and Eda exchanged glances before looking at Samuel.

"He'll be here soon."

"Alright," he said, sadness evident. "You can go in, go ahead." He encouraged them to enter without hesitation.

When they entered, they found a very thin woman sitting in a wheelchair by the large window overlooking the surrounding buildings, but still allowing her to see the blue sky. The woman turned her gaze and saw them. They were two tall figures, and she immediately noticed the resemblance to Adler and herself when they were young. A smile appeared on her lips, and she adjusted the hat on her bald head.

"Good morning," Eda greeted, approaching her timidly. Samanta looked at her and felt her lower lip tremble. "Calm down, Samuel said you need to stay calm."

"Thank you for coming," she then looked at Max, who stood next to Eda, stunned by the sight. She was nothing like the beautiful, vibrant woman he remembered from his childhood. Now, she was a woman who could leave this world at any moment. "Congratulations, I hear you're a father." Her voice was low but clear. Max nodded, but no words came out. "Thank you for coming. I know I don't deserve to have you here, but," she paused, feeling a great fatigue. "I want to ask for your forgiveness for the pain I caused by leaving the way I did..." Her last words left her breathless. Eda was in shock, barely able to remember her clearly, with memories that seemed cut out in her mind.

"A long time ago, we forgave you," Max finally said.

"So did I," Eda added.

"And I..." Adler's voice was heard. The three of them looked in his direction as he walked toward them from the other side of the room. "I taught our children that carrying anger, resentment, and hatred in their hearts was not good." Adler arrived and pulled up a chair to sit close to her, looking at her thin, almost bony hand. He couldn't hide his pain. Eda felt a lump in her throat seeing her parents together for the first time in many years. Max felt the same.

"Thank you for your forgiveness," Samanta whispered, with that feeling of guilt. "Thank you for coming. I know I don't deserve it, but I want you to know that I always had you in my mind, present." No one said anything, their gazes softened as they saw her attempt a thin smile. Her hand rested on the arm of the wheelchair. "They say your daughter is beautiful." Max nodded, took out his phone, and showed a photo of her and Emma holding her in her arms. "Is she... Is she your wife?" Max smiled at how she had addressed her.

"Not yet, but we’re getting married in a few months."

"They're beautiful. God has blessed you with a lovely family," she whispered emotionally.

"Yes," Max whispered, looking at the photo. Then he showed another one where Emma was sleeping peacefully, and the baby was in her crib next to their bed, her hand gripping the edge of the crib where Emily finally slept after hours of crying. He put his phone away and looked at his parents. There was silence, not uncomfortable, but strange. He noticed Adler caressing Samanta's bony knuckles. She let out a long, heavy sigh, closed her eyes, and smiled weakly. Slowly, her head began to lower toward her chest.

"M-Mom?" Eda called. Adler closed his eyes and clung to his ex-wife's hand. Max then realized that his mother had finally... left this world.