Sharon was glowering at her but the midwife was not taking a blind bit of notice. He felt Sharon tensing up and knew another big contraction was on its way. She was squeezing his hand as she bore down, sounding like a dog in pain as she tried to squeeze this new life out of her body.

‘You’re crowning, girl! I can see the head coming.’

Sharon was panting once more and getting ready for another big push. When the child’s head emerged, Ray Donovan understood why women gave birth and not men. No man would do this more than once. Once she heard the baby cry, Sharon laughed with delight and demanded to know if it was all right. It was as if all the hours of labour had been nothing.

The cord was cut and tied and the child was wrapped in a blanket. It was covered in vernix and blood and he had never seen anything so incredible before in his life. He had a daughter – a beautiful, red, angry-looking, screaming daughter – and, as she was placed in his arms, he felt a rush of love so intense he thought he would actually pass out. Never before had he felt such emotion. He showed her to Sharon, who was laughing and crying at the same time.

‘Oh, Ray, she’s beautiful! Give her to me.’

He watched as his Sharon gazed at their child and didn’t even murmur as they put in a few stitches. The whole experience had been a complete awakening for Ray Donovan. He looked at Sharon as she cradled their child, and he felt he could never love her more than he did at this moment.

‘Kathleen. Kathleen Donovan. What do you think, Ray?’

He smiled his agreement. She had a head of black hair like his, and startling blue eyes like her mother.

‘Kathleen it is, darling.’

The afterbirth had been one step too far for him – especially when it was mentioned that in some cultures it was actually eaten. Thank fuck Sharon wasn’t peckish; he could not have coped with that. It was a messy business this giving birth, but it was also a miracle. He would go to Mass with his mum and Ivy later and give thanks for this safe delivery. They were keeping her in for twenty-four hours, so they would be home with him tomorrow and he could look after them both properly. He was impressed with Sharon, and so pleased that her travail was over. He knew that one day they would look back on this and laugh at her antics.

When he finally took his leave of his daughter he knew that life had changed irrevocably. This was the day he had officially become a father. It was a good feeling.

Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Two