Ed strummed on a guitar. Lorraine sat across from him, reading her Bible. Something seemed different.

   "Ed, Hun...I think--"

   "Hm?" he was still strumming.

   "I think I'm having contractions."

   He glanced up at her questioningly, as if she had spoken in a different language. "You want to go to the hospital?"

   She nodded, closing her Bible and placing it beside her on the couch. She stood, and Ed took her arm, gently swaying alongside her. "Was that the first one?"

   "There were two. We have some time, but we need to be ready."

   Their bags were already in the car.

   He walked her to her side of the vehicle before shimmying to the driver's side. He kept glancing over at her as they were driving, and it was making her nervous. "I'm fine, just keep your eyes on the road," she chided, placing a hand over her swollen womb. She laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.

   They reached their destination fifteen minutes later. Her contractions were getting closer together, and she was taking deep breaths in an effort to fend off the pain.

   Her water had not broken, yet the doctor gave an encouraging few words in her favor. It was when he left to check on another patient that Ed started to pace.

   "Hon..."

   "Yeah?"

   "Please sit."

   Lorraine was sitting on the side of the bed, steeling herself against another contraction. He planted himself beside her and she winced.

   "My water just broke."

   He planted a kiss on her forehead, then moved to the chair that was at the head of the hospital bed. She switched positions, laying vertically on the bed. She glanced back at Ed. Sweat poured down her husband's face-- she smiled, realizing that she was right-- he was nervous, although he denied it beforehand.

   The doctor came back in to check on her. "Five centimeters dilated. You're almost there."

   A couple of nurses swerved in and out of the room, checking and rechecking Lorraine. One nurse paused and muttered something to Ed. He turned to his wife and spoke in a hushed, gentle tone. "Hey, Hon, we're about to go to a different room, but they need me to change clothes if I'm going to stay, alright? I'll be right back, I promise."

   A sudden burst of fear fluttered in her chest. "Don't go--" she gasped. "I need you here," she pulled at the collar of his shirt. The cross around his neck swung back and forth.

"I'll be back before anything happens, okay?"

   She nodded, gritting her teeth against the fire that was overtaking her body.

   The time passed quicker than either of them thought it would. Only thirty minutes later, they were taking her to the delivery room. The place was already set up and prepared with everything that the doctor needed to successfully assist in the birth.

   Ed moved to the right side of the bed and took his wife's hand lovingly. His other arm was placed under the pillow; when the doctor ordered, he would lift her up to allow leverage for her to push. Another contraction wracked her body, then another, and he encouraged her to breath. "I must sound like I'm dying," she admitted, before crying out again.

   She thought she must've sounded miserable. The pain eased slightly before washing over her again, and she groaned. She blinked furiously, and brushed away the feeling that she was being observed like some odd form of entertainment. "Ten centimeters dilated. Go ahead and start pushing, slowly." Lorraine allowed herself a glance at Ed. He still seemed nervous, yet he held her gaze and returned it with a loving one.

   "Hey, it's okay," he whispered, realizing that she was eyeing him worriedly; there were tears brimming her usually calm gaze. "We'll do this together." She sucked in a breath of air, and nodded. She pushed, and, although she had never done anything like this before, her body seemed to recognize the situation.

   "The baby's crowning."

   She pushed until her chin was tucked into her chest. Ed lifted her up, and there was slight relief-- she received assurance from his steady gaze. "Alright, again," this time she swore she was bearing down for an eternity. Another cry escaped her mouth. "Almost there." They assured her. Her vision began to swim. She turned her head to look at Ed, who was holding her up again; his expression convinced her that he must've felt it, too. She squeezed her husband's hand so hard that his skin broke.

   "C'mon, you've got this, Lorraine," he paused, "I can hear her already."

   She whimpered, and his expression was full of sympathy. She nodded. With one final push, her grip loosed on his hand as she realized that it was over, and that her child's cry broke the silent air. "It's a girl. I know it."

   "She's right, you've got a baby girl."

   Although her pain was slightly eased, the room still felt busy and Lorraine's head was spinning. "Is she alright?" she asked Ed, searching his face for clues to their baby's wellbeing.

   "She's okay," he told her. "She's beautiful, and loud," he reached for his wife's hand again, noting her pale skin. "You alright, Honey? They're bringing her to you..."

   The baby was laid on Lorraine's chest. Her vision focused on the tiny human being, who was slowly starting to calm. She wrapped her arms around the newborn, gasping. "Oh..." was all she could say.

   "So, it's Judy then?"

   "Hm?"

   "You told me when we were kids that if you had a baby girl, you wanted to name her Judy."

   She looked down at the child and nodded. "Judy's perfect."

   He kissed her neck. "Your mother and Clare are here. I called them shortly after I changed. Had to cut it short with your mother, otherwise I think I would've missed this."

   She smiled. "She's gonna be so happy."

   Georgianna and Clarice visited her. The three women chatted with Lorraine, asking her how things went.

   "She did great," Ed told them.

   "So you decided to stick around, huh?"

   "We did say we would do this together," he said, taking his wife's hand. She noticed the marks on his hands and made a mental note to apologize later for squeezing him to death.

   "Well, I'm proud of both of you. It takes a lot to have a baby, and you two are doing good so far."

   Clare was the next to speak. "Might I ask where you got the name Judy?"

   Lorraine blushed, and Ed wiped his eyes. "Uh, we..."

   "I came up with it--"

   "We came up with it together..."

   Lorraine's mother chuckled. "Well, no matter where you got it, it's a beautiful name for a beautiful child." And, with that, everyone's gaze drifted to the newborn that was laying in Lorraine's arms.