You know when you make the decision to have or want a baby you don't think of the agonizing hours of pain you have to go through to get that little bundle of joy. All we do think about and I did to at the time before I became obsessed about conceiving is the cute little baby that smells so good and them dressed in their cute little clothes, and then all the ooohing and ahhhing of the friends and relatives that come to see your amazing accomplishment.

When they finally rolled me into my birthing room, I watched as nurses and techs came out of the wood work. Each one threw their names at me and sat about doing the task they were assigned. After the flurry of excitement I was wired to an IV, a contraction monitor, and a baby heart rate machine, and a whole slew of other lines and contraptions.

"Is all of this really necessary to have a baby?" I asked Carlos as the last of the people left my room

"Yes Babe, they all help do something" he told me looking around the room at everything they had me hooked up to

"How are you doing?"

"I'm ok for now the last contraction died off a few minutes ago" I told him as he kissed my forehead

I contracted every ten minutes for the next two hours. During that time Carlos would hold my hand, comb thru my wet hair, and even climbed into bed with me to help me with the pain. He never failed in coaching me as I went through this awful process of having our baby.

"You're doing great Babe" he assured me through a really bad one

"I don't know if I can do this. I'm not actually having the baby yet and I'm already so exhausted just from the contractions and its going to get worse"

"You are actually having the baby this is all a part of it and I know you can do this, you have to if you want to see your son soon"

"It feels like he is ripping my insides out"

"Shhh Babe just rest your next contraction will be coming soon and you will need all your strength for later" he gently told me rubbing my back as the door to my room opened

"Hi Guys how is everything going?" Dr. Masso asked as she came in the room

"She's contracting still every ten minutes"

"yea I'm sorry this part could take the longest but the good news is you done most of your laboring at home, you're in the home stretch "

I gave a sweaty weak smile to my Doctor. I watched as she walked over to the sink in my room and washed her hands, she then took several pair of latex gloves out of the box that lay next to the sink. I was so accustomed and so familiar to seeing them coming towards me that you'd think I'd be used to then by now, but every time I heard the snap they made I cringed and wanted to hide.

"I'm going to expose you now" Dr. Masso said trying to make light of the situation

Dr. Masso rolled up the flimsy hospital gown that I was wearing all the way up until it rested under my breasts. She began by pushing on my hard stomach and smiled as she told me my son was in position and confirmed it next with an ultrasound.

"Ok Steph" she said taking that set of glows off and snapping another pair on "now for your favorite time" she said nudging my legs apart. For a little I should deny her any access at all.

"When this baby is born I'm never gonna have another pelvic done for as long as I live"

"Well I'm afraid you won't be happy then because you're not done having them. You will need a couple after you have the baby so we can see that you're healing from the birth"

"Uggg" I said in disgust laying my head back allowing her to finish the exam

"Ok everything looks right on track, it shouldn't be long now" Dr. Masso said finishing up "I'm gonna leave you two alone wile Steph completes this phase a nurse will be in and out to keep a check on you, I'll be back when it's time to get the show on the road" she said saying goodbye to us and that was over five hours ago.

When my doctor left it wasn't long until my contractions became harder and then after that they started coming only minutes apart. Once the head nurse was called and checked me out the door to my room opened and all the nurses and techs that were here when I first came in returned with a vengeance. They nearly stripped me and got me ready for the delivery then they started bringing in stuff for when the baby came. Dr. Masso bustled in and set up the bed and patted my knee in encouragement.

"Ok Baby Manoso wants to come out. Let's bring him into the world"

"I love you and I'm right here with you" Carlos said kissing me

"Ok Stephanie on your next contraction we're gonna push all right?"

"Ok" I said waiting for a minute until I felt a contraction build "ok" I said

"PUSH Steph until I count to ten"

"Push Babe" Carlos said as I dug in and pushed with all I could

"Good Steph again next contraction"

I pushed two more times and quickly exhausted myself; I fell back against the bed totally done.

"Steph you gotta push" Dr. Masso commanded

"I can't, it's too hard"

"Stephanie you have to push you can't give up now"

"Come on Babe our son needs you"

"Ranger I can't" I said using his serious name

"Stephanie you can and will" my husband firmly told me

"Ok let's do this, Carlos sit behind your wife and push her forward on her next push. Steph hon. you gotta push the heads just right there I can see it"

Ranger got into bed with me and then I was told to push again. I dig into everything I had in me and bit down to push as Carlos pushed me forward from behind.

"THAT'S IT, THAT'S IT PUSH" I heard and then felt a lot of pain as the baby's head passed through " ok hold it" I was told as they turned my son " ok one more good push for the shoulders"

"CONGRATULATIONS IT'S A BOY" Dr. Masso announced to the room as she pulled the baby from me and suctioned his mouth and nose. When I heard that first cry, I fell back onto my Husband exhausted, relived, and happy. Our baby the one we tried for so long for was here.

"OH MY GOD BABE YOU DID IT IM SO PROUD OF YOU"

I didn't have anything to say, I was too tired to talk. Since Carlos was trapped beneath me Dr. Masso cut the cord and handed the baby up to me, he was not a very happy little boy. Once I had my baby in my arms, I instantly fell in love; I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Checking him over I found him perfect with ten little toes and ten little fingers.

"Shhhh my son, no need to cry your Mommy and Daddy got you" Carlos told him as he touched his little hand. Our son instantly stopped crying and opened his eyes at us causing my heart to sink. His eyes, his eyes were green. My baby was really a Santos.

"He has green eyes"

"Yea" I said worried Ranger would suspect something and start questioning me

"Well my cousin has them too so it must be one of them rare genes"

"Yea"

After I was all fixed up and cleaned up, I was allowed to put on some real pajamas and was moved over to a room on the floor that looked just like a hotel room. As I lay in the huge comfy bed, I watched as Carlos held his son talking softly to him. My Husband was so happy and so in love with his new son. As I watched them and saw the happiness of him holding our son my heart swelled for him and I felt my decision was right not to tell him that there could be something wrong with him. Seeing him now I just couldn't have taken that away from him.

"Babe" he said when he heard me yawn "go to sleep and get some rest"

"You sure what about little man?"

"yea I'm sure, you have been through a lot today and I think I have a hold on things here" he said and I knew he did he hadn't put our son down from the moment he came back from getting checked out.

As soon as I closed my eyes, I think I was out. I had been through the ringer and was completely done in. I don't know how long I slept but when I woke up I was in a state of panic, Lester was sitting in a chair by the window staring at my son and my son was staring wide eyed back at him. There was no way that Les didn't know now, my son had the same eyes of him and by the look he was giving him you could tell a mile away that he knew.

"Lester" I managed to say and he tore his eyes away from the baby and stared at me

"Les where is Ranger?"

"Hungry so I came in to see you and offered to keep the baby until he gets back"

"Les I…" I said but he dismissed anything I had to say with a wave of his hand

I watched in fear as Lester stood and carefully walked over to the bed and handed the baby to me. We locked eyes and I could see so many emotions playing in his eyes. Taking one more look at the baby that he now knew was his, he stood up to leave.

"Les no wait" I said grabbing his wrist with my hand halting his leaving "Please understand I'm in love with another man and what he couldn't give me was the one thing that you could" I told him with tears streaming down my cheeks

Lester's eyes turned dark as he realized what our night really meant. I had used him, I had used his love for me, and now I had destroyed him. Lester jerked his hand from mine like it was on fire. I heard the door open but Lester walked back to me.

"This may sound sick but if you would have just told me the truth about what was going on I still probably would have done it just to help you because I loved you and would do anything to help you" he said and then walked out of the room for real this time

I looked towards where Lester had stood and then I looked down at my son who was sound asleep in my arms. I cuddled him to me and cried. I don't know what is going to happen next but I just hope they can forgive me.

THE END!

Thank you everyone that really supported me in this Story. It was a very hard story to write and very different for me to do one like this. The Song that I based the plot of this story on was Heart's All I wanna do is make love to you.

Tuesday or Wednesday of next week after Memorial Day I will start posting another Story. This time it will be a Steph and Tank Story (one that I usually write). Hope to see everyone come along with me on their journey.

Karren