A Long Awaited Day - Jamie's birth of the triplets (Patreon)

 It's finally done! Jamie's birth!

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Sleep was a rare thing these days. Come the later months of Jamie’s pregnancy sleep was a mystical thing that only happened in short bursts of time and never truly left him satisfied. It was like trying to catch a bird with his bare hands, because it seemed impossible to do, and on the rare occasions he actually succeeded the bird would put up such a fuss he'd be left even more exhausted than when he had begun. Of course, the bird being his restless triplets in this scenario.

It seemed the more cramped they became, the more hellbent they were on venting these frustrations to Jamie through their violent kicks and punches that seemed to never end. As if he could do something to put an end to all their discomfort.

Going overdue with triplets wasn’t unheard of, but it was rare and a great cause of concern for all of the staff at the hospital that had tended to Jamie throughout his pregnancy. He received daily calls, sometimes multiple, checking on his health and urging him to come in for a caesarean. As much as they’d cautioned him on the difficulties of carrying triplets, his last few check ups had shown that he and all three babies were in good health, and none of them were too large yet. So, Jamie pushed on with his goal of having a natural birth, or at least in his mind he was just waiting for the triplets to be ‘finished.’

Truly all he feared was having to watch three tiny babies spend their first few weeks in the NICU because they’d come too early, and so as his early predicted due date came and went, he sighed a nervous breath of relief. Each day was a little more growth to help the triplets get stronger, even if it felt like Jamie was growing weaker. It was only as he approached the 40th week that he began to question his resolve on the c-section.

He was definitely feeling just about every ache and pain you could imagine, and the lack of sleep and appetite weren’t helping. Just yesterday Josh had been urging him to listen to their doctor and take the offered c-section, but all it had served was making Jamie break down crying, his exhausted mind unable to sift the pros and cons when he felt his children’s wellbeing was on the line. They’d decided to leave it at that once they’d both calmed down.

And now, at two in the morning, walking paces around the kitchen spooning Nutella into his mouth every so often, he was really, really considering that caesarean. Not only was the baby that was currently resting high on his left side kicking up a storm, but his back had been tight and sore all night, twinges of pain shooting down it randomly as he tried to force himself into something resembling comfort to no success. After lying restlessly in bed he’d headed for the kitchen, and had remained there since, walking through the discomfort that had settled in his hips and wincing through the pain.

“Can’t sleep?” Josh's gruff voice echoed through the empty house, clearly rough with sleep from having just crawled out of bed. His eyes were half-lidded, and his hair tousled as he padded into the kitchen.

“I don’t think I’ve really slept in weeks,” Jamie sighed, finally stopping in his pacing to lean against the kitchen counter, hands automatically finding their way onto his immense belly. Even with how big he was, it still felt strange thinking that he carried three lives within him, the thought sent tingles down his spine and butterflies in his stomach.

Josh makes a sympathetic noise and steps over to him, letting his hands rest atop Jamie’s over the swell of his stomach, thumbs brushing against his hand. “C’mon you three, let your dads get some rest before your birthday,” he jokes, smiling softly down at Jamie’s belly. He received a small punch in return as a lump formed under Jamie’s skin and moves sideways before disappearing. Jamie winced at the feeling, and his hand smooths over the spot.

“Cheeky,” Jamie huffed, moving his hands to rub the sore ache in his back again, feeling the tension grow and make his hips and thighs throb with pain. His eyes pinched shut and he groaned with the sensation, feeling Josh move on autopilot as his hands started kneading alongside Jamie’s to work out the sore muscles.

“Bad night?” Josh asked with a worried crease to his brow, remembering back to many of Jamie’s other ‘bad nights’ that were either spent hunched over a toilet or wailing from pain and exhaustion.

Jamie hummed like he was considering his answer, “Not the worst, just sore,” he finally said. The pain wasn’t unbearable or even the worst he’d felt recently, but it’s nagging persistence was enough to keep him from sleeping. Josh just nods at that, content to find Jamie not in excruciating pain again.

“Walk with me?” Jamie asked quietly after a moment, and Josh nodded without hesitation. He swept an arm behind Jamie’s back and took his hand in the other before helping him back into rhythm of walking laps around the kitchen.

They remained mostly quiet, letting the sound of their bare feet against tile and their soft breathing fill the air. Occasionally small bits of conversation come and go, but they let the peaceful night carry them, only pausing to help pinch the tight bundles of pain that came and went from Jamie’s lower back. Soon the kitchen grew too repetitive, and they moved onto making laps of the house, walking through the lounge room, down the hallway, past the bathroom and into the bedroom before circling back to the kitchen. Before they knew it, sunlight was beginning to creep in through the windows as they walked.

It seemed the more they walked, the more the pain settled into Jamie’s hips, pulling deep within him and becoming enough to make him stop in his tracks to breath through the mounting pain. It wasn’t until it came on so strong and suddenly that his knees almost gave out that he started to question his own judgement on the source of the pain, and it seemed he wasn’t the only one based off the look Josh kept giving him.

“I- I’m not so sure that these are just… normal pregnancy pains anymore,” Jamie winces, feeling the last of the pain clench painfully around his overpacked womb, “They might be…”

“-Contractions…” Josh finished, face pinched in a confusing mix of fear and excitement. Jamie just nodded in response. “I think it’s time for a hospital visit,” Josh says, leading Jamie back towards the lounge room before helping him get settled on the couch, pulling his feet up and helping situate a pillow beneath his hips.

“I’ll let them know what’s happening, but they’ll probably want us to come in if we think they’re contractions,” Josh says, pulling his phone from his pocket and calling the hospital, “How far apart have they been, ten minutes?”

“About there, I think,” Jamie nods, eyebrows twisted up as he shifts on the couch uncomfortably, lying on his back becomes quickly unbearable with the weight of the triplets pushing down on him.

“Alright, I’ll- Hi! Yes, it’s Josh, Jamie’s partner and- yes, we know but we think he’s been having contractions pretty steadily for the past few hours,” Josh starts to say, stepping idly around the couch as he relays the information to the nurse on the other end.

As Josh talks, Jamie feels what he can only guess is another contraction building up, pulling tightly at the muscles around his uterus and making his stomach go tight with pain. He tries to pull himself upright to brace himself through it, but as soon as he starts to shift he feels a sudden burst of pressure release inside him, and the unmistakable sensation of a great gush of fluids escaping him, soaking his thighs and the couch cushions beneath in amniotic fluid. The sudden shock of it and the now sharp pain of another contraction had Jamie whining out pathetically as he scrambled to find Josh again.

It took mere seconds of him crying out weakly and reaching out for Josh for him to return to his side, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight while he called out to him.

“Jamie, you’re alright, hey look at me,” Josh said, barely containing his own panic before Jamie’s eyes locked onto his, “Okay, good, that’s good. You’re gonna be alright.”

Jamie nodded again, huffing for breath now as the realisation that this is actually happening set in. Josh returned to the phone quickly, relaying that Jamie’s water had broken, and within seconds was being told to come to the hospital immediately. 

With a quick kiss to Jamie’s forehead and a shared, nervous and excited ‘it’s time’ Josh ran off to grab their hospital bag before returning to help Jamie off the couch. He got his arms firmly around Jamie’s body before helping him step up from the couch, and supported him as he wobbled to his feet. There was a wet sound as more amniotic fluid flooded down Jamie’s legs, gravity forcing more of it out of him as he groaned in discomfort.

“I grabbed a change of shorts if you want to swap before we leave,” Josh said, still holding Jamie, but stepping back enough to reach the hospital bag he’d left on the table.

“I mean, it almost feels pointless since I think I’m just going to ruin them as well, but it’d definitely be more comfortable than these are,” Jamie sighed, eyes closed as he pursed his lips at another twinge of pain as the babies shifted inside him.

Josh nodded before helping Jamie slide the soaked shorts and underwear down his legs and steps out of them, quickly towelling off the excess fluid before he tugged on a clean pair. By the time they’d finished Jamie was leaning into Josh heavily and groaning as another contraction pulled at him, intensity having increased enough to make him cry out against Josh’s shoulder.

“Keep breathing, you’re doing so well,” Josh soothed, rubbing his hands down Jamie’s back and applying light pressure like he remembered being shown in one of their birthing classes. It was meant to help with the pain, he only hoped that it actually was as Jamie tensed under his hold. It took a few more moments before Jamie finally relaxed enough to support himself again, nodding to Josh between panted breaths.

“Alright… alright, I’m ready,” he said, forcing himself up as straight as he can. Josh nodded back and moved to support his side, tugging the hospital bag over his other shoulder before they started the walk out to the car.

Josh doesn’t expect the walk to be fast, but it surprised him how much Jamie’s gait has slowed down now even compared to the laps they walked before. His back is hunched and his knees bent like he couldn't quite stand up properly, and it seemed like he winced with each step he took out towards the front of the house.

“Ngh… feels like my hips are getting crushed,” Jamie huffed out with a groan, and Josh didn’t even need to ask for clarification, he can see it in Jamie’s movements.

“Maybe the baby’s head is pressing down further now that you’re in labor?” Josh offered while he tugged open the front door and helps Jamie down the step.

“Maybe, either way it hurts like hell,” Jamie’s free arm, that wasn’t clinging to Josh’s shoulder pressed against his lower back, trying to rub out some of the ache that was cramping up there again. He made careful steps down the front porch until they made it over to the car.

“Alright, let me just get everything sorted,” Josh mumbled, helping Jamie to lean against the car before he pulled out his keys to unlock it and toss the bag in the back. He tugged out a towel from it before laying it across the passenger seat. “Ready?”

When Josh leaned back he could see Jamie, face scrunched in concentration and the deep, focused breaths he was taking, clearly in the middle of a contraction. Josh quickly moved to bring his hands up to Jamie’s hips and lower back, continuing to stroke and knead at the overworked muscles under his skin as he breaths.

“That’s good. Perfect, Jamie, good breathing” Josh smiled, genuinely impressed with how well Jamie had been taking labor so far. He’d expected there to be a lot more screaming or thrashing, somehow expecting birth to be a violent thing, but instead he was watching Jamie stay strong in the presence of such a life changing event. The pain was clearly affecting him, but he was putting in all his effort into managing it and keeping a cool head, and Josh couldn’t be prouder of him for everything he’d done.

“I love you,” Josh says, pressing a chaste kiss just under Jamie’s jawline, eliciting a huff of laughter following some panted breaths.

“Love you too,” Jamie sighed out, eyes closed briefly as he caught his breath, “now let’s go have some babies.”

Josh beamed at that, they were finally going to meet their children. Finally.

Josh helped Jamie to sit down in the car, helping him fasten his seatbelt and get comfortable before running around the other side and strapping himself in quickly. He starts the car and pulls out of the driveway with little more than a ‘off we go!’ and headed towards the hospital.

They’d tried to move as close as they could to the hospital when they bought their new house, and while they were much closer than they used to be, they were still a good twenty-minute drive away. Jamie was hopeful that with how slow his labor seemed to progress they’d have plenty of time, but the pains seemed to be gaining in intensity and speed faster than he could keep track of. Only minutes after the contraction he had just before they’d left the house, he was having another one in the car, and then another only a little after that. Ever since his water had broken things had begun to pick up fast, and he was quietly panicking that things were progressing too fast.

“Not too far now, you’re alright, sweetheart” Josh said trying to comfort Jamie while he focused on the road, his hand drifted over to Jamie’s leg to give his thigh a reassuring squeeze.

Jamie wanted to say something back, he wasn't sure what, but any kind of reassuring statement would have been fine to let Josh know he was okay. Instead he felt an unbearable pain and a mounting pressure slide deep into his pelvis, it felt like a bowling ball was pushing its way down into his cervix and forcing everything to stretch to accommodate its size. Coupled with another, stronger contraction ripping into the muscles of his stomach he couldn’t hold back the frantic scream as he held his stomach like it might tear apart if he let go.

He could feel Josh’s shock, his hand practically jumping off his thigh as he tilted his head back against the seat and screamed bloody murder. It dragged on and on until the contraction passed and then he was panting for breath, trying to regain some level of control after such excruciating pain. It was only then he realised Josh was practically chanting under his breath, face terrified as he kept his eyes on the road, only stealing short glances over to Jamie when he could.

“It’s okay, you’re okay,” he was saying over and over again, like he was also trying to convince himself of the fact. Jamie moved his hand to clasp at Josh’s on his thigh, lacing their fingers together and catching his glance for a second.

“We’re okay, you’re taking good care of us, right?” Jamie smiled, watching Josh’s face lose his fear and replace it with determination. He was going to help support Jamie through everything, especially the birth of their children.

“Of course, I am, just hold on a little longer” Josh nodded, turning the car around a corner, not far from the hospital now. Jamie didn’t know how well he was following the speed limit, but with the pressure of their first child’s head so low in his hips, he didn’t really care to find out.

The hospital was just coming into sight when Jamie felt it. The baby’s head was slipping down, stretching his vagina over the width of it as it dropped without his permission. He choked on gasps as he felt the burning stretch inside him, and another contraction squeezed it further down until he could feel his lips bulging with it.

“You’re alright, Babe, we’re almost there. Just remember to breath,” Josh says nervously, noticing the sudden shift in behaviour as they pulled closer to the hospital.

“C-can’t! Can’t! ohh, Josh!” Jamie wheezes, pressing his whole body back against the seat and digging his fingers deep into the cushion to brace himself for the impending birth of his baby, “It’s coming! Josh!!”

The news sent immediate shivers down Josh’s spine, they were barely at the hospital and yet the first baby was already on its way? They wouldn’t make it in time for them to prep him for surgery, at this rate they’d be lucky to just get him into a bed.

“Hold on! Almost there!” Josh practically screeches as he roughly pulls up to the entrance of emergency, hastily unbuckling his seatbelt before throwing himself out of the car and running to Jamie’s side, all while he frantically called for help.

He just caught sight of two nurses making their way through the doors as he rounded the car and yanked open the passenger side door. Immediately he was faced with Jamie crying out, braced against the car seat, face contorted in so much pain it was like he wasn’t even aware Josh was right next to him.

“Hey, it’s alright now, we’re here. The nurses are gonna get you all sorted” Josh tried to calm him, but Jamie is already shaking his head, voice breaking out in a sob.

“It- it’s coming!! Josh, I c-can’t!!” Jamie wails, already straining into his shorts as he can’t help but follow his body’s need to push. Even with the mind-numbing pain ripping through his groin he couldn’t stop himself from pushing as the baby’s head dropped further.

The nurses rushed over before Josh can even find the words to say, one crouched down to eye level with Jamie while the other stops next to Josh.

“Hi, Jamie, how’re you feeling?” The crouched nurse, who Josh recognized from plenty of their check-ups. He thought her name was Sarah, if he remembered correctly.

“Th- the baby! Please!” Jamie cried, unable to get out anymore words through his gritted as he pushes again at his body’s demand.

“How close are his contractions?” The nurse beside Josh asked, and it startled him out of his terrified vision of Jamie’s suffering. He started to rattle off information about when Jamie’s water broke and the intensity and speed of the contractions since then as she listened calmly.

“Alright, I’m just going to see how dilated you are before we try move you inside, is that alright?” The nurse asks with a calm control that Jamie would be impressed by if he wasn’t currently freaking out over the fact that he could feel his baby’s head trying to come out of him. Jamie nods frantically with a choked out “yes.”

She moves her gloved hands up until one of tugging back his waistband and the other slips between his legs, fingers deftly moving between his lips. Only, instead of being able to slip inside, her fingers bump into the slippery curve of the baby’s head. She tugs her hand back quickly with a more surprised look than she’s allowed herself since they’d arrived.

“Looks like this baby wants out now, we’re not going to be able to move you just yet I’m afraid” She says with only the slightest hint of concern in her voice, she quickly turns back to the other nurse, telling her to go grab some things before turning back to Jamie as she runs off.

“Let’s get you turned around so I can get a closer look here” the nurse says, helping Jamie to turn and shuffle until his legs hung out of the car door. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew this wasn’t good, his first child was already coming, and they hadn’t even made it inside the hospital. He’d admit that in the car was not where he’d envisioned the birth of his first taking place, but with pain still muddling his mind all he could think of was pushing and making the pain stop at any cost.

He was already trying to shuffle out of his shorts before he felt hands come up to help slide them off his hips and down his legs. As soon as he was free of them, he felt his legs spread automatically as another contraction forced down on his overstuffed womb and made the baby’s head stretch him open even more.

“Oh! There’s the baby” The nurse says with a short laugh at the sight of the baby near crowning. The novelty is lost on Jamie as he sobs at the end of the contraction, chest heaving with effort already. “Alright, dear, looks like you’re already pushing well, just keep taking those nice big breaths and push with your next contraction.”

He didn’t have to wait long until the next contraction was squeezing him tightly, making him whine and sob before he started to push for real this time. He’d held back for so long, trying to keep the baby inside long enough to make it to the hospital, and unable to push with the restraints of his clothes, but now finally being allowed to push and not hold back made him try harder than he thought was possible. Feeling the motions of his body working to get the baby out of him was indescribable, but he kept pushing despite the pain until he felt the contraction die off.

“Amazing! Good push, Jamie! Almost there” the nurse encouraged, he could feel her gloved hand rub gentle circles into his thigh as he breathed through the breaks between contractions. “Another big push just like that when you’re ready, dear, you’ll have your baby in your arms in no time!”

It was scary and exhilarating to think that so soon he’d be a parent. He’d spent months worrying and dreaming and fearing the day, the moment when he gave birth, and now in the throws of agonizing labor he wasn’t sure if he was ready for this, even as he felt his baby come closer and closer to entering the world.

As the next contraction surged, he pushed again, harder than he thought he was even capable of doing. He felt the precise moment when the baby’s head reached it’s widest as the sharp, searing pain shot through his body making him scream out even as he continued to push. With another final push as the contraction eased off, he felt the rest of the head follow behind, finally giving him some relief for the first time since he’d felt the baby’s head drop.

“Head’s out! You’re doing so well, Jamie!” and he was grateful for her enthusiasm even if he didn’t have the energy to respond to it, but he did see her turn to Josh, who’d been frozen behind her in shock, and say “Would you like to help deliver your baby?”

Josh startles after a second, only just realising that he’s being addressed and not Jamie. He’d been unable to move as he watched the love of his life bring their first child into the world, that he hadn’t been any help at all. He looks up to Jamie and their eyes quickly lock.

“Please… Josh, please” Jamie begs, nodding his head. He wants Josh to be a part of this, wants him to remember the birth of their children as vividly as he will. “Help me.”

Josh nods, finally losing some of the terror that had taken over his features before kneeling beside the nurse. The nurse began to give him instructions on what to do, but Jamie heard almost none of it as he felt the next contraction begin, muscles tightening and contracting as he tensed with the pain. He started to push again, feeling almost nothing until the width of the shoulders begins to breach. For a second, he almost thinks that he can’t take the pain anymore, but as the shoulders stretch him he finds the baby moves much faster now. With another strong push he can feel the shoulders pass and the rest of the baby following as Josh and the nurse help the baby out.

Jamie slumped against the car seat, panting for breath as he finally looks down. His eyes welling with tears as he finally saw his baby, being cradled in Josh’s arms as the nurse adjusts them and checks them over. The baby’s cries are loud and strong, and they seemed to pluck at the strings of Jamie’s heart, making tears flow before he even realised that he was crying. One look at Josh’s face tells him he’s crying too.

“Congratulations, you two, you’ve got one very enthusiastic little girl here” The nurse chuckled as the baby writhed in Josh’s hold, squishy limbs flailing as she wailed and cried.

Josh finally looked up to Jamie, sniffling as tears slid down his face, “She’s so beautiful, Jamie. You’re incredible.”

“I wanna see her” he said, still tired from the birth, but sniffling and smiling as he watched Josh, the man he loves so much, hold his tiny little screaming daughter.

“Let’s get you out of this car first, then you can have a cuddle, hm?” The nurse smiles, standing and ushering the other nurse over to help lift Jamie out of the car and into the provided wheelchair. He winces as he sits, sticky and sore, but as soon as they have him seated, he’s making grabby arms to Josh, wanting his baby.

“Here’s daddy” Josh said with a smile to the small baby as he gently placed her in Jamie’s arms. If he wasn’t crying before, he was sobbing now. He hadn’t known what to expect when he finally got to see one of the babies he’d been carrying, but her familiar weight, and small, tender features squeezed his heart like a vice and he couldn’t have contained his emotions if he had wanted to. 

He cuddled her tight to his chest, feeling how small she felt in his arms, and how not small she had felt coming out of him. He laughed at the thought, but he could still feel the weight of her siblings inside him. His hand roamed down his still swollen stomach, and he knew it wouldn’t be long until he would meet all three of them together.

“Alright, now Jamie, it’s very important that you don’t push until we get you sorted again, okay? If we’re lucky the other two might be back far enough, we can still get you prepped for surgery and have those babies out in no time” One of the nurses smiled while the other began to wheel him in through the hospital doors.

Jamie nodded, not daring to take his eyes off his daughter, he’d given birth to one of them naturally and felt that after that he’d done enough. The faster they got here and the less pain he was in the better in Jamie’s opinion.

“Any names decided yet?” The nurse asked as they walked down the hospital hallways, and Jamie and Josh looked at each. Josh nodded, he knew what Jamie wanted to call them, and as silly as it felt he was fine with it.

“Yeah, her names Alice” Jamie said as he smiled down at his daughter. The only thing left now was to find out the order of the next two to decide on their names.

“Alice, that’s a lovely name” The said, giving Jamie’s shoulder a gentle rub as the kept walking, “How are you feeling, contractions still consistent?”

Jamie had almost entirely forgotten about the contractions, the miraculous moment of his daughter’s birth making him forget almost instantly about the heavy, tight weight he still felt inside him. Contractions still throbbed through him, but with his baby in his arms he refused to let that distract him.

Jamie nods, hand pressing low into his belly again, and feeling the strange difference of only carrying two children inside him. His belly already felt a little softer, even if it was still round and heavy.

“Yeah, still there” he confirms, the nurse turning them into a room to the right. It’s spacious enough, with the appearance of any other hospital room. The nurses swap words quickly, one of them leaving presumably to get a doctor, while the other steps in front of Jamie.

“Alrighty, were just going to give Alice to dad for now so we can get you on the bed, okay?” and as reluctant as Jamie is to let go of her, he lets the nurse pick her up and place her back in Josh’s arms. She then helps Jamie back onto his feet before they make the short shuffle to the bed before he’s positioned lying down with his knees propped up.

“Just have to check the other babies positions now” The nurse explains as her hands press against his stomach, feeling low around his belly before she felt for his cervix. Jamie chewed on his bottom lip as she worked, trying not to squirm as her deft fingers pressed into his already sore body. “Second baby feels low, already pushing against your cervix. You might be able to deliver the others naturally if things go well.”

It shouldn’t have scared him as much as it did, he’d just delivered a baby in the front seat of their car, so it wasn't like it was something he couldn't do, but it still scared him. Knowing how much it had hurt and still feeling the effects of that on his body made him want to do anything but push another baby or 2 out of him. At the same time, however, he didn’t want to admit that weakness. Josh was looking at him with such admiration, and seeing tiny Alice snuggled in his arms gripped at his heart. As much as it scared him, he knew he’d do anything for his children.

Many things happened all at once when the doctor returned with two more nurses. Cots were brought in and Alice was taken aside for some testing as Josh watched curiously over the nurse’s shoulder. The nurse relays some information to the doctor before she settles down at the end of the bed between Jamie’s raised legs.

“Been an exciting day for you I’m guessing” She smiled as she tugged on a pair of gloves, “Let’s see how baby is” she says before probing inside Jamie again, making him wince once more. He moans softly as he can feel his contraction squeeze around the doctor’s hand as she feels for the baby’s position before finally retreating.

“Looks like someone is a little eager to meet you” She smiled up at him again, and while he knows she means the gesture as calming it sent a shiver down his spine. “Give me a big push please, Jamie.”

He looks between the doctor and Josh quickly, before finally deciding to call his name. He immediately turns to look at Jamie and practically sprints to him when he sees the look on his face.

“Hey, hey, you’re okay. I’m right here, yeah?” Josh soothes, grabbing Jamie’s hand and kissing his temple and cheek. “You’ve done it once, you can do it again, baby, it’s alright.”

Jamie swallows thickly, more nervous than he was the first time he gave birth somehow, but he pursed his lips and began to push anyway. Immediately he felt a shift and the baby was sliding down into his birth canal, pushing his walls apart as it descended.

“That’s good, deep breaths and we’ll push again when you’re ready.”

It takes a little, a good two more pushes before the contractions started to pick up again, enough that Jamie couldn’t ignore that pain or the desperate need to push. Which only makes it harder to stop when the doctor suddenly prompts him to stop pushing just as he felt the baby reach his lips. He whines and squirms, restless with pain and the need to keep pushing when he’s not allowed to.

The first thing that brings his attention to the fact that something is wrong is Josh’s grip tightening painfully around his hand. He gives him an annoyed, pinched stare until he sees Josh staring intently at the doctor like he’s holding his breath. Jamie’s breath catches in his throat as he looks down too.

“W-what’s wrong?” he whimpered, ten thousand ideas racing through his head in worry. There were so many complications, so many things that could have gone wrong and Jamie was already blaming himself before he knew what it was.

“Posterior breach, baby’s coming out backwards. It’s common in multiples, and we’ll have them out in no time, don’t worry. It’s a lot harder for all the babies to get in the right position with multiples, so it’s nothing unexpected” the doctor explained without taking her eyes off her work.

Jamie can feel something, he’s not sure what but there’s twisting and pulling and he makes a million different unpleasant faces as he feels the tugging inside him. It’s only when the doctor exclaims that the legs are out that he sags back, taking in deep breaths. A nurse hands her a towel that she wraps around the baby’s torso before prompting Jamie to resume pushing.

“Slowly, now, I want small pushes” and Jamie followed as best as he could, groaning as he pushed slowly, feeling every centimetre of the baby slide of from him into the doctor’s hold. “Good, almost there…”

Suddenly everything hurt a lot more than it had, and Jamie tugged harshly at Josh’s arm as he keens forward, whining and panting from the strange, wrong sensation of the baby moving down backwards. It hurt as he felt the arms catch on his lips before they were worked out gently, and it hurt as their head started to crown, but suddenly there was that same drop and release as the baby was pulled from his body. He felt like he had turned into water as he panted, body so tired he could barely lift his arms off the bed, but he tried his best to crane his neck to look at his baby.

A nurse was wrapping the baby in a towel and taking them over to the other side of the room, and the lack of cries has Jamie’s chest collapsing on itself.

“Wh-what…” is all he can manage to puff out, but the doctor gives him a sympathetic look.

“Another baby girl, she’s just in a bit of shock from coming out the wrong way” and just as she stops speaking there’s a shrill cry and a breath of relief floods the room, “See? She’s a tough one, bounced right back.”

Soon enough, his second daughter was brought over to him, carefully deposited on his chest as she let out little upset cries. She was just as small as her sister, but quieter in her cries. He pulled her closer so he could stare at her face and touch her small fingers that flexed and curled on reflex, fresh tears filling his eyes at the sight of her. Josh shared the same awed expression when he looked up at him, just as amazed at her existence as he was with Alice.

“Has this little one got a name too?” The nurse still waiting beside the bed asks, watching the three of them with warm eyes.

“Y-yeah, Belle. Her name’s Belle” Jamie laughs with a sob, at least now he didn’t have to worry about their third child’s name. Everything was right in place.

“Alright then Jamie, are we ready for the last one?” The doctor interrupts from below, and Jamie can feel the last child already deep in his pelvis, not wanting to wait a second longer to be born. He reluctantly let the nurse take Belle and bring her over to one of the cots where Alice was. Josh was looking over at them longingly before returning his gaze back to Jamie.

“This is it, Jam, we’ll finally have our babies” He all but sobbed, tears in his eyes and lip quivering in excitement, they’d waited so many long months for this.

Jamie lets out a wet laugh, nodding enthusiastically. He wanted his babies, he wanted to hold them and count their toes and fingers, find the differences between their faces and personalities. See who had his features and who had Josh’s. He wanted to love his family.

“This is it, Jamie. Last baby seems ready to go” and the doctor wasn’t wrong. With a single push he felt the final baby’s head surge all the way down until his lips were bulging with it. It took him by surprise with how quickly the final baby moved, but after two others it only seemed natural. A deep breath and another push has the baby reaching its crown, and before he knew it the baby was sliding out of him and into the doctor’s arms, new set of lungs crying loudly. Jamie all but crumpled as he saw his baby pulled up and laid on his chest, tugging them closely as he cried with them.

“And there’s the boy! Congratulations, you’ve done amazing today” The doctor encouraged, giving the baby a small rub on the back. “Just a little clean up, and you can spend all of your time snuggling the triplets.”

With that the doctor slide back down between his legs, and he could feel her, and the accompanying nurse working to remove the afterbirth and check for any damage. Jamie was barely aware of it though, as he was more enraptured with the sight of his son. He’d never thought he’d see the day he’d have given birth to three babies, but he’d done it.

The nurse who had been taking care of the babies returns to their side with a sympathetic smile before speaking, “I hate to break up your cuddles, but I just need to check baby’s vitals and give him a tag, do you have a name for him?”

“Clayton” Jamie smiles, turning to look up at Josh with the biggest grin he could muster, “ABC, right?”

Josh laughs at that, bending down to push back Jamie’s sweaty fringe and kiss his forehead, “Yeah, we’ll never forget them like that.”

Jamie laughs, breathy and tired, but relinquishes Clayton to the nurse anyway, watching as she takes him to the other side of the room. Josh’s hand is back on his, giving it a squeeze as they smile at each other again.

“You’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met, Jamie” He said, crouching down to be eye-level with him, “Thank you so much for everything. I love you so much.”

“I love you too” Jamie grinned, feeling so much love and happiness that he can’t even stop himself from grinning, “now give me a kiss.”

Josh complied happily, leaning forward to press their lips together. Even if he’s sweaty and gross, Josh loved him even more than he had the day they’d met. This was only the beginning of their life together.

“Alright, all good to go down here” The doctor reports, standing up and removing her gloves, “but I’d still like you to be in for a few extra days observation, you’ve been through a lot, and the triplets will need a little help in the beginning, and so will you two. They’re all a good size for triplets, and respond well to stimuli, but I’d still like them to spend a little time in the NICU just to help them in their first few days.”

Josh and Jamie nodded in tandem, and even if the thought of the NICU sounds scary, hearing that they won’t need much time in there was a great relief on Jamie’s heart. He gave Josh’s hand a shake, and Josh squeezed back.

“Now, who wants a cuddle?” The doctor smiles, and Jamie couldn’t say yes fast enough. Soon the nurses were gently positioning a triplet in each of Jamie’s arms and the final one in Josh’s. Josh passed his phone to a nurse who happily stands back counting them down before she takes a photo.

“Smile!”

It was the happiest moment of Jamie’s life.