The timing of her labor was fortunate. The hospital was quiet at night, with only a couple of doctors and nurses on duty, making it easier to conceal their plan. It seemed their baby knew how to help.
But it meant Yvonne would have to endure a lot.
Emma said, "I'll have the staff at home make some soup and send it over. Yvonne can have it as soon as she's done giving birth."
Yvonne had entered the delivery room at one in the morning. Bennett, Frank, and Emma waited outside the entire time.
They waited until dawn, but the baby still hadn't arrived.
Bennett's face was dark, and he was losing his composure, pacing back and forth in front of the delivery room door.
"Stop pacing, you're making me dizzy. Can't you just sit still for a minute?" Frank said, pressing his aching temples.
"Why isn't Yvonne out yet?" Bennett said.
Frank replied, "Giving birth isn't that fast. Your mother was in labor for a whole day when she had you."
"My labor was only difficult because an accident forced me into premature labor. Yvonne is young and healthy, she should be out soon."
Emma shot Frank a glare and warned in a low voice, "Watch what you say. Say something auspicious."
Frank nodded and wisely kept quiet.
At six in the morning, there was finally some movement from the delivery room.
The door opened, and a nurse walked out holding a swaddled bundle. "Yvonne’s family? The baby is here. A girl, six and a half pounds."
"She's born! She's finally born! That's wonderful!" Emma walked joyfully to the nurse's side and took the baby in her arms.
Newborns are always wrinkled and red-faced, and this one's eyes were closed, her eyelids swollen.
Just as Emma was about to take the baby back to the room, Dana arrived.
"Dana, what are you doing here?" Emma asked.
"I called your house this morning, and the staff told me Yvonne was in labor, so I rushed over," Dana said, then looked at the little baby girl in Emma's arms.
"Is this our Thompson family's little princess? Oh, she's so cute." Tobias looked at the baby, then asked, "Where's Yvonne? Why isn't she out?"
Emma replied, "She's not out yet."
"Wasn't it a natural birth? The mother and baby should come out together," Dana said, a little confused. But the last time she'd been in a maternity ward was when Nicola was born years ago. Maybe things had changed.
"I'll take the baby back to the room first. You all wait here," Dana said, handing a thermos she was carrying to Bennett. "This is some soup I had made for Yvonne. Giving birth takes a lot of energy. Have her drink it while it's hot when she comes out."
"Okay, thank you, Aunt," Bennett said, taking the thermos and thanking her quietly.

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