“You’re doing it, T,” Bette said gently, sitting nearby as Tina crouched on all fours, exhaling through pursed lips. “You’re doing great.”

Tina closed her eyes and rested in Bette’s embrace between contractions, their fingers laced loosely together. “I’m tired,” she said.

“I know.” Bette kissed Tina’s forehead. “You’re working hard.”

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Tina sighed, tightening her grip on Bette’s hand.

“Me too.”

Right before 1:30 a.m., with Tina’s contractions coming every five minutes, Bette called Rachel.

“She’s on her way,” Bette said, returning from the kitchen to sit next to Tina on the floor. “Here Baby, drink this.” Bette guided a straw to Tina’s lips and held a glass while she sipped some cranberry juice.

“Did you put vodka in it?” Tina asked.

“Next round, I promise.” Bette brushed back the damp strands of hair from Tina’s face.

When the doorbell rang 20 minutes later, Bette literally sprinted to it, pulling open the door to reveal Rachel and Shane side by side on the Welcome mat. Bette’s relief at seeing Rachel was nearly eclipsed by her gratitude at seeing Shane. There was something so unexpectedly consoling about the familiarity of that lanky tomboy standing in her doorway that made Bette almost burst into tears.

“How is she?” Rachel asked, walking in with two bags.

“Contractions are three to five minutes apart and she’s holding her own.” Bette said solemnly.

Rachel rested a steadying hand on Bette’s arm. “I’m going to give Tina an exam and I’ll also be able to check the baby’s heart to make sure everything’s okay.”

“Rachel,” Bette said, her dark eyes boring into the younger woman’s light blue ones. “That’s my whole life in that bedroom. Everything I love, everything I care about.”

“Hey,” Rachel said. “She’s going to be fine. You can go ahead and start filling the birthing pool. Tina will feel a lot more comfortable once she’s in the water.”

Bette watched Rachel walk down the hall to the master bedroom.

“Tina said you filled the tank in 40 minutes,” Shane said, shoving her hands deep into her jeans pockets.

Bette nodded, slowly turning to face her friend.

“So together we can probably do it faster.”

A smile twitched at the corners of Bette’s mouth. “Let’s find out.”

Rachel was right. The warm water soothed Tina almost immediately. And once Tina was settled in, and Bette got her second wind, Shane headed out to meet Kit and wait for Alice and Dana.

Then Bette’s quiet reassurances, Tina’s measured breathing, and the lapping of the water were the only sounds in the room.

“Remember when we first started this? With slow-mo Shawn?”

Bette asked.

Tina nodded, her eyes bright with fatigue, love, and a hint of fear. “It seems like a thousand years ago.”

“And now we’re going to have our family. You and me and a new little person for us to love.”

Tina clenched her jaw, bracing herself as a wave approached and crested.

“Breathe, T. Nice, slow exhale.” Bette leaned over the side of the pool.

“Bette,” Tina managed, desperately reaching for Bette’s hand.

“I’m here Tina. I’m here. You’re doing so well. You’re almost there, Baby.”

“I need you to get me through this,” Tina whispered.

“Do you trust me?” Bette locked eyes with her wife.

“Yes,” came the certain reply.

“Then we can get through anything.”

Less than an hour later, with Rachel standing by and Bette in the water to coach Tina through the delivery, their new little person, a perfect baby girl, came into the world, emerging from one mother’s body into another mother’s waiting hands.

“Hey Jordan,” Tina said softly as Bette placed the infant on her chest. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You did it,” Bette said, her tears falling into the water that surrounded them, baptizing them all.

“We did it together.”