We were alone. Completely alone. She was crying, I was crying.
"WHAT THE HELL?" she cursed. Translucent blue liquid was puddling in her shoes.

I picked her up gently, saying things which were so meaningless but so soothing like "Breathe" and "You're going to be fine" and RAN until we got to our home, the warm-colored walls trying to mediate in such a strange situation. She was gasping, crying, screaming things that didn't make sense. "Don't leave me!"

I lowered her into the tiny baby pool (set aside in the kitchen for this purpose) full of water. It was still for a moment. Silent. Her tear-streaked face looked up at me, red, and puffy, and so matronly, almost calm before the storm that was her labor.

"OH HOLY JESUS MOTHER MARY..." the contractions looked hard, and long, and painful. My Love was in pain. I couldn't stand it. I unbuttoned my shirt, and slid out of my pants, and kicked off my shoes, and slid into the pool with her.

She turned her face to me. "It hurts." her voice was brave, but small in her throat. I found myself saying anything to keep her going.

"Your body is ready for this. This is our miracle. Our childbird. Just do what you know how to do best. Breathe. Be brave for me."

She strained and pushed and fought with a beautiful strength I had never seen in her or anyone else. I cheered her on. She was amazing. She was a star.

I looked into the water. "OH MY GOD! I see its hands! Keep going sweet, keep going......" She had almost no breath left, but moments later,the tiny slippery little thing that we had dreamed of for three months slid into my hands.

It was so small, except for its strong thrashing  tail. It was about as long as my hands from wrist to wrist. its eyes were huge and beautiful, two onyx gems set into a tiny face tinted bluish-green. When I finally held my baby,our baby, it let out a noise unlike anything I had ever heard come from someone that small, a sound like a lions roar from underwater. the gills on its sides flexed. My Love broke into fresh tears, and we simply sat in the water admiring this foreign creature that was all ours.

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