A new life

It's happening,Alpheo shouted in his mind, his heart pounding as he paced back and forth in the long hallway outside his wife's room. His boots struck the polished stone floor in a rhythmic pattern, but there was nothing rhythmic about the turmoil in his chest. The shouts of pain from inside the room pierced through the heavy oak door, filling the air and his ears with an intensity that made him feel pain between the legs too.

He had taken every precaution he could, ensuring that the midwives washed their hands meticulously with soap, that all the towels were disinfected, and that the room was prepared with the utmost care. Yet, despite his best efforts, he knew just how high the risks were for an infant. The fear lingered like a shadow, slipping into his mind as easily as water pouring from a cracked pot.