"Oh I'm getting another one." Jessica whines. "I need to call my mom.  Oh gosh I wish I could have my mother!  Why did you talk me out of a home birth?  OWW!"

"That's why!  Jessie, it'll be okay.  We'll get to the hospital, you'll get an epidural, and everything will be okay!"

Jessica fusses as she calls her mother.

"Hello?"

"Mommy?" Jessica says in tears.

"AL!  It's baby time!"

"How did you know?"

"I know that voice!  We're heading to the hospital Now!  I'll call the rest of the family."

"But mom, you can't go in with me." Jessica cries.

"Honey it's okay!  We're all gonna camp out there anyway."

"Oh my gosh you guys are so sweet!  Danny, they're gonna camp out for the baby!"

"Aw that's nice.  Marlowe is one loved little lady."

**

Both Danny and Jessica's parents arrived at the hospital before them.

"Mom!"

"Jessie!  Oh my beautiful Jessie!" Dorothy hugs her daughter.

"Mom I'm so scared."

"You're going to do great, Jessica!  I'm so proud of you." Dorothy grabs her face between her palms.

"I love you.  I love you so so much."

"I love you too, momma."

Dorothy smiles and kisses Jessica's cheek. "Now go have this baby!"

"I'll try!"

Dorothy and her husband laugh.

"Good luck, sweetie."

"Daddy!"

"Oh right!  Saying that is bad luck! Merde!" He smiles.

"Thank you, Daddy." Jessica smiles and hugs her father.  She then turns to Danny and he holds his hand out for her.

"Ready to become somebody's parents?"

Jessica giggles. "I'm ready!"

**

Jessica arrived at the hospital two centimeters dilated.  That meant she was unable to receive an epidural, and they were in for a very long night."

Luckily so far Jessica's contractions were manageable.

"How do you feel baby?"

"I feel okay.  I'm just nervous."

"That's understandable.  You're gonna do great." He smiles and squeezes her thigh.

"Yeah.. I'll be okay."

Just then Danny receives a text.

"What's going on?" He chuckles and walks over to the window.

"What is it?" Jessica asks.

"No way!  Babe, you have to see this!" Danny runs over to help her out of the bed.

The two then walk to the window.

"They're having a tailgate party to celebrate the countdown to Marlowe!"

"Aww!  Oh my gosh that's so sweet!  Marley they love you so much!" Jessica says placing her hands on her belly.

"They do!  So come out quickly because it's cold out there!" Danny chuckles.

**

Seven hours later.
February 12th. 1:00 am.

Jessica stood on the side of the bed. She leaned over pressing her palms into the mattress as she swayed her hips.

"Yes ma'am. The doctor just came in and checked her... Mhm. Four centimeters."

"OHHHH!"

"Oh gosh, let me let you go Mrs. Lange! I'll call you when something changes... Yes ma'am. I will. Buh-bye.
I'm sorry sweetie!" Danny baby talks.

"I need you to press my hip together." Jessica says in a low and painful voice.

"That was your mom. She says she loves you."

"Lovely. Harder!"

"Is this okay?"

"Harderrr.." Jessica whines.

"I feel like I'm gonna snap you in two!"

"It's fine, just stop talking."

"Sorry."

Once the pain finished rolling through Jessica's body she sat down on the bed and said, "Tell my mom I love her too."

"I will." Danny rubs her back and kisses her head.

"I don't understand."

"What?"

"The baby is a week late, now she's taking forever to come out! I read that labor is supposed to go faster once your water breaks. It's been seven hours and all I've dilated is two centimeters since we got here!"

"Two centimeters is still a lot, babe!"

"No it isn't. Stop trying to make me feel better."

"I'm being serious. I mean I've been here just as long as you have and I haven't dilated anything!"

Jessica looks up to him with a miserable face.

"Sorry, I was just trying to make you laugh..
  Don't be so hard on yourself, baby."

Jessica looks down to the bed and doesn't speak.

"What do you wanna do? We have a birthing ball, we can take a walk in the hall, but you'll have to wear your mask. Or.. do you want me to go to the corner and shut up?"

Jessica looks up to Danny and chuckles softly.
"I'll go for a walk.."

"Okay.  Whatever will make you feel a little better."

"Getting this baby out of me would make me feel better."

"Well then legs up and I'll see what I can do."

"Shut up!" Jessica laughs.

**

During her walk Jessica's pain increased.

"I can't do this anymore.." Jessica breathed heavily.

"You're doing so well, Baby. She's almost here.."

Jessica whined as she squeezed Danny's arms.
"I hate you." She mumbled.

"I know that's not true, love." Danny rubbed her back.

"No, it is. It is true."

"Well.. I love you—"

"SHUT UUUUP!"

Danny zips his lips and stands there silently.

**

The hours rolled by and Jessica became more and more frustrated. She just wanted to have this baby already.

It is now 4:00 pm on February 12th. Twenty two hours since she first arrived at the hospital.

"Hey! Jessie look! We've got everyone on FaceTime, they're still here! Evan and Sarah are here too."

Jessica responds with a throaty groan.

"She loves you guys." Danny smiles.

"She still hasn't gotten her epidural?" Jane asks.

"She doesn't want one. And believe me she really does not want one. I tried to convince her and now I've learned not to question a woman in labor."

"Oh I wish I could be in there!" Dorothy says with tears in her eyes. "How many centimeters is she, Danny?"

"Last time she was checked they said she was at a seven!"

"Wow!"

"We're getting there, huh baby?"

"Go to hell, Daniel!"

Danny smiles into the camera. "I know she loves me."

"I already told you I Don't!"

Danny chuckles and says, "I better go you guys. Next time we talk we might have a baby! I'll be a dad!" He smiles.

"My baby has no father!" Jessica shouts.

"Okay. Well bye guys!"

**

Finally after twenty six long hours of labor it was time to start pushing.

"I can't do it, Danny. I really don't think I can."

"Look at me! Yes you can. You've done so well without any pain relief. You're a fucking freak!"

Jessica chuckles softly. "Thank you."

Danny kisses Jessica's forehead and pushes her leg back. "Ready? Five, Six, Seven, Eight and PUSH!"

Jessica laughs loudly. Danny loved hearing it after hearing her in pain for so long.

**

"Keep going, keep going. Push, push, push! Good, deep breath in and push again. Harder, harder, harder.."

Jessica throws her head back and breathes heavy.
"I can't do this!"

"Yes you can! Come on, she's almost here, babe!"

"I can't do it!" Jessica cries.

"Jessica, Marlowe wants to come out and meet us, come on!"

"No she doesn't!" She sobs.

Just then she gets yet another contraction. "Oh God!" Jessica moans.

"Jessica, give us one big push!"

Jessica takes a deep breath and pushes once again.

"I can't do it. Not like this. Please, can I change positions? She's never gonna come out like this!"

"Jessica-"

"NO! Let me squat, please!"

"Jessica, we're gonna move the bed so you'll be sitting upright." One of the nurses says.

"They had mentioned in our birthing class that she could hold like a sheet or something? Can't that help her?" Danny asks.

"Yes I want that! Ugh just HURRY! Why is everyone dragging their ASS?!"

The nurses move quickly so Jessica can continue pushing.

"This baby needs to get out. If you don't have her in the next two pushes we'll have to take you in for a c-section."

"NO! I'm gonna get her out!"

Danny watched as Jessica grabbed a tight hold of the sheet and pushed as hard as she could.

"Come on, Marley! Please work with me here, baby.."

Danny placed his hand on Jessica and looked down as Jessica's pushed.

"Oh wow! That's her head!" His eyes went wide.
"Jess, you're doing so good! She's coming, she's coming!"

Jessica focused on her breathing and pushing.

"Heads out." The doctor says.

Danny watched in amazement.
"Wow.  You're doing this Jess!"

Jessica took a deep breath and pushed again.  She was no calm and focused.

Danny saw his daughter inching her way out.  He's always loved Jessica, but he has never loved her more than he does right now.

Jessica let out a tiny moan before the room filled with Marlowe's strong cry.

Jessica looked down to her baby as she caught her breath.

Danny smiled to the baby and kissed Jessica's forehead. "Look at her, Baby. She's here!"

"She's so beautiful." Jessica says as they place the baby on her chest.

"She's perfect, Jessie. Thank you so much."

"Heh! You're welcome..
Hi Marlowe. Welcome to this.." Jessica takes a deep breath. "To this crazy world. It's scary right now, but daddy and I will protect you always. We promise you, Marlowe."

The baby calmed down and made the cutest little noise.

Jessica looked up to Danny and giggled.

Danny chuckles and kisses Jessica.
"I love you so so much."

"I love you too, Danny." Jessica then looks back to the baby. "She is absolutely perfect."

"She is.. who do you think she looks like?"

"Well.. she's a lot bigger than I thought she would be so I'm gonna say You." Jessica looks up to him with a cute face.

Danny laughs. "No, she's beautiful. She's all you. But yeah, she definitely has my head and I apologize greatly."

Jessica laughs. "It's okay.. I did good, didn't I?" She smiles up to him.

"You were awesome! It was unbelievable. So crazy!"

"Thanks." A giggle escapes Jessica's lips.

**

Soon Danny cut the umbilical cord.

"Aw. Well there you go, Princess.
Hey Danny?"

"Yes baby?"

"You wanna hold her?"

A huge smile appears on Danny's face.
"I'd love to."

"Here. Then you can take her to the window and show her off to all of her adoring fans."

Danny chuckles. "Of course. Come here my Princess."

Jessica handed him the baby and Danny instantly fell in love. "Wow! Hi baby girl. I'm daddy." He smiles.

Jessica smiles and wipes her cheek.

"You are just gorgeous.
Man.. if you would have told me I'd be having a baby with my best friend in the middle of a global pandemic I would tell you you're bonkers!  But there's nowhere else I'd rather be. You're the one good thing that came out of this pandemic. It's you, Marlowe.  Of course being in a relationship with your mommy was another amazing thing that's happened!" Danny chuckles.

"I was gonna say."

Danny smiles and turns to the baby.
"You're our light during all this mess, Marley.
  I just can't believe you're Finally here."

"Finally!" Jessica chuckles.

**

Jessica grabbed Danny's phone and texted the group.

"Okay I told them to look up at the window.  Cover her little private parts please."

"On it." Danny chuckles.

Marlowe was not very happy being away from her mommy, but Danny planned on making this quick.

Meanwhile down in the parking lot..

"Danny just said to look at the window!" Dorothy shouts. "LOOK AT THE WINDOW!"

Everyone looks up and sees Danny appear holding the baby.  Of course everyone screamed and honked their horns.

"She's here!" Dorothy cries and hugs Albert.

"Aw look at her!  She looks so big!" Ann chuckles. "Poor Jessica!"

"I can't wait to see that chubby face up close!" Sarah says.

**

"Okay, okay.  I wanna see my baby." Jessica reaches her hands towards them.

"Alright.  Marlowe say Bye Bye.  Bye bye guys!"

"She's angry." Jessica laughs. "And probably cold.  Let them wrap her up."

"Oh yeah and can you tell us how much she weighs?" Danny hands her to a nurse.

"Jess I never imagined she'd be chunky."

"I know!  She's little but she has thighs, cheeks and belly.  Hey maybe she does look like me!"

Danny laughs. "You're shrinking down already, honey."

"Thanks." Jessica smiles.

...

"Alright She weight eight pounds, five ounces."

"Wow!  She's a healthy girl.  Plus she's a week late.  That week did you good, huh baby?" Jessica smiles.

Soon Marlowe was wrapped and ready to see mommy.

"Here you go.  She's a little upset being away from you." A nurse says handing her over.

"Aw.  Marlowe, it's okay.  Mommy's here."

The baby immediately calmed down.

Jessica looked up to Danny and smiled. "Wow!  She likes me."

"I think she loves you."

Jessica giggles and looks down to the baby.
  Marlowe stared up to her with her big beautiful brown eyes. "Heh!  I think you may be right."