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“Aight, little niggas. Y’all need to hurry up,” AJ told her stomach, making me laugh.

By the time midnight came around, Tori had been at the hospital for nearly twelve hours. She was exhausted, and even with the epidural, she’d started feeling more pressure as her labor progressed.

I was sitting beside her when she reached for my hand.

“Ajoni, I’m so tired,” she whispered.

I looked at her and saw tears gathering in her eyes.

“I know, beautiful,” I replied, kissing her forehead.

“I just want my babies out,” she cried. “I’m ready for this shit to be over.”

That broke me. I’d been trying to hold myself together all day, but seeing her cry because she was exhausted and hurting had tears running down my own face.

I leaned over and wrapped my arms around her, holding her while she cried.

“You doing good, baby,” I told her, my voice cracking. “I’m so proud of you.”

She pulled back and looked at me.

“Ajoni, are you crying?” she asked.

“Shit, a little bit,” I admitted, wiping my face.

She laughed through her tears.

“Baby, please don’t start. I can’t handle both of us crying right now.”

I laughed and kissed her before sitting back down. I wasn’t even about to pretend I had my emotions under control anymore.

A little while later, the nurse came in to check Tori’s progress and announced that she was fully dilated. It was finally time.

Because she was delivering twins, they prepared to move her to an operating room where the team would be ready in case either baby needed assistance. Both boys were positioned well, and their heart rates remained strong, so the doctor was comfortable proceeding with a vaginal delivery.

I leaned down and kissed my wife before they moved her.

“I love you, mama,” I told her.

“Love you too,” she replied, touching my face. “Now get yourself together. I can’t be worrying about your grown ass while I’m tryna have these babies.”

I laughed and kissed her again.

“You got it, mama.”

Once everything was ready, I stood beside Tori’s head, holding her hand while the doctor guided her through pushing.

Watching her struggle through each contraction had me nervous as fuck, but I wasn’t moving from her side.

After several pushes, she leaned back and looked at me.

“Ajoni, I swear to God, if you get me pregnant again, I’m leaving your ass,” she warned.

“I know,” I replied immediately.

She closed her eyes until the next contraction started, then gathered her strength and pushed again.

A few minutes later, the doctor announced that our first baby was coming. I leaned closer as Tori pushed with everything she had. Then I heard him cry. The doctor lifted our son into view, and I couldn’t stop the tears that started falling.