The moment

2 a.m.



We arrived at the hospital, where I was attended to by the on-duty doctor, Ruy, who guided me to the triage room and performed that horrible dilation test to check how far along I was.



"Well, you're dilated three centimeters, and you need to reach ten for the baby to be born," Ruy explained, seriously. "You can go to the delivery room to prepare and wait for further exams."



I went to the delivery room to prepare. I waited with Carlos for Rúbia to arrive, and she came immediately to my room.



"So, Juan has decided to be born?" Rúbia asked, conducting another dilation exam. "Just to confirm, it will be a normal delivery, right?"

"Yes, definitely," I replied. "I've always wanted a normal delivery because I'm terrified of surgery. I want an epidural, and that's it. I don't want any actions taken without my authorization. I want this delivery to be as natural as possible."

"Whatever you want," Rúbia said, looking at the nurse. "Administer the epidural and proceed with all the procedures. Now, we just have to wait for Juan to really want to come out."



After the epidural, they connected electrodes to monitor my and Juan's heart rates. Carlos stayed in the room with me. I still felt the pain, but it was milder and more manageable because of the epidural. Then Rúbia returned and performed another dilation exam.



"You're now dilated five centimeters, but the baby is doing great," Rúbia said, smiling. "Now rest because we have a long and arduous journey ahead."



Carlos started playing with my hair, and I drifted off into the magical world of dreams.

***

6 a.m.



An unbearable pain woke me up, causing me to jerk forward. Carlos got up and came towards me, holding my hand.



"What's wrong, my love?" he asked.

"Pain... I need more epidurals," I replied, struggling.

Carlos called the nurse, who came with the anesthesiologist and administered the epidural. But the pain intensified, and the epidural no longer had any effect.

***

9 a.m.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" I screamed in pain on the bed. I looked at Carlos, who was still holding my hand and squeezed it, causing him to furrow his brow. "Get him out of me!!!!!!! Gooooooooood!"

"Calm down, love," Carlos pleaded, calm. "Breathe... breathe..."

"Screw calm!" I yelled at him. "Try breathing... when you're... having a baby pushing... wildly through your vagina, you son of a bitch!"

"Calm down, Dália. Everything will be fine," Carlos said, completely ignoring my anger. "Swearing is good."

"I hate you!!!!! Damn it! Fuck! Shit! I hate you!!!!" I cursed with gusto. "I'm going to die!!!!!! He's killing me!!!!!! Get him out of here!!!!"



Then I felt something wet between my legs. I lifted the sheet, and a puddle of water appeared: my water had finally broken. Carlos took the opportunity to call the nurse, who came, changed my sheet, and examined me.



"Now we're getting close," she said, thinking it would calm me down.



*****

11 a.m.



"SOMEONE GIVE ME AN EPIDURAL, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!" I screamed as I felt my body being torn apart from the inside.

"Dália, it's not worth it to give you another one because the baby will be born soon," Rúbia explained, trying to calm me down.

"Of course, it's worth it, please, just a little bit," I begged.

"Hold on," Rúbia said, leaving.



It's easy for her to say when she doesn't have a child playing boxing with her uterus.

***

Noon.



"We're at nine centimeters dilation," Rúbia announced, conducting the dilation exam. "We're ready to bring Juan into the world."



They quickly raised the bed and positioned me for delivery. I no longer felt anything; all I wanted was for Juan to be born as soon as possible. Carlos remained by my side, enduring my fury, curses, and hand squeezes.



"Come on, Dália," Rúbia said. "Give it your all."

"Ohh, my God!" I screamed, pushing until I felt him crowning. Then I collapsed onto the bed, without any strength left. "Get him out of there!"

"One more time, Dália," Rúbia requested.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I screamed as I felt his head come out. Then I collapsed onto the bed, seemingly in slow motion. I saw Carlos looking down and then at me, filled with emotion. He said something, but I didn't understand... until I heard a whimper. The nurse approached with a green cloth and placed it in my arms.

Nothing in the world compares to the feeling of having Juan, who was inside me for nine months, in my arms, searching for my breast. He sucked strongly, looking at me as if he had known me all along. At that moment, I felt like the most complete person in the world.

***

3 p.m.



Juan Carlos Salazar is the most handsome boy in the whole world, born exactly as I dreamed. His black hair, rosy cheeks, fair skin, it's all there. His brown eyes stared at me all the time. I could spend my whole life just looking at him.



"Look who came for a visit," Carlos says at the door with my parents.



They approach, wanting to see my son. My father holds him in his arms, and for the first time in months, I see him smile. He rocks Juan, who doesn't seem to enjoy his presence much... proving to be my son.



"Did you come to make sure he wouldn't need sunscreen?" I joked, not letting the dinner banter pass.

"Of course not," my father says. "I came to meet the next in line of the Penedo family."

"Juan is beautiful," complimented my mother. She approaches me and says, "Just a piece of advice: Never take your eyes off your baby after birth."

"Why?" I asked, concerned.

"Because children always surprise you, and not always in a good way," my mother says, seriously.

"I'm here," my sister says at the door. She quickly goes to Juan and takes him from my father's arms. "Who's the little heartthrob of Auntie?"



They stay for a while until the nurse sends everyone away and allows me to rest.

***

6 p.m.



"It's time to get up, little mom," the nurse calls, waking me up. "You need to get up and take a shower before dinner."

"Alright, but what about Juan? Who will watch him?" I asked, concerned. "My husband hasn't come back from home yet."

"I'll watch him while you go take your shower," the nurse said.



I get out of bed and feel brand new; it doesn't seem like I just went through a normal delivery. I stepped into the shower and relaxed. When I got out, I looked at myself in the mirror. I still have a prominent belly, as if I'm still pregnant, but nothing out of the ordinary. I started combing my hair, and then everything started spinning...



"Nurse," I called.



Then everything went dark.