by Ashlyn Chase
Gabriella took a deep breath and said, “Of course.”
The two women braced Ruth on either side and walked her out to Kizzy’s vehicle. Kizzy handed Gabriella the keys and helped Ruth into the back seat. Gabriella seemed hesitant but eventually got behind the wheel, turned the key, and revved the engine.
“I’m glad this is an automatic.” Gabriella put it in drive, and the three of them took off at a crawl. Eventually, when Ruth began moaning in the back, Gabriella picked up speed.
Ruth couldn’t see what was going on, but Kizzy would glance out the window at the road once in a while, and her face said it all. Ruth quickly cast a protection spell around Kizzy’s vehicle too.
The car zigzagged back and forth. At least they were getting to the clinic, even if they were all shaken like martinis.
“Geez, Gabriella, do you know how to drive?” Kizzy asked.
“Um, I never needed to drive in Boston. Antonio would drive, or I would take the subway everywhere.”
“Do you even have a license?” Ruth asked.
“Not exactly. It expired years ago. I had to get a true ID to come here,” Gabriella said sheepishly.
“Oh my Goddess!” Kizzy and Ruth exclaimed as one.
“Almost there,” Gabriella called out. She careened into the parking lot and slammed on the brakes. If Kizzy hadn’t been kneeling next to Ruth and bracing her, she would’ve wound up on the floor of the back seat.
“Thank the Goddess,” Kizzy muttered under her breath. “We’re here.”
The two anxious women escorted Ruth into the clinic. The rain had let up a bit, but it was too late to get to the hospital. Her contractions were coming fast and furious now. This child wanted to be born immediately, and Ruth wanted her out just as badly!
Her. They had never asked about the sex of the baby, but Ruth just knew. She was about to have a little female witchette.
* * *
A young man in black pants and a white shirt came rushing to the door. The nametag on his lab coat said Dr. José Ortega. Just as Kizzy was helping Ruth through the door and into the clinic, Ruth collapsed. Dr. Ortega reacted quickly and caught her, preventing her from hitting the floor. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her, asking questions in Spanish over his shoulder.
“Do you speak English?” Gabriella asked.
“Yes. Quite well.”
“My sister needs a C-section. I can do it. I’m a doctor,” Kizzy said, following him through the double doors.
There seemed to be only one person behind the desk, and she stopped Gabriella, thrusting a clipboard and some paperwork in front of her. “Go on, Kizzy. I’ll stay here and fill this out to the best of my knowledge.”
Kizzy didn’t think Gabriella would be able to fill out much except Ruth’s name and Aaron’s as next of kin, but she was grateful she wasn’t detained. She had to stay with Ruth.
The doctor set Ruth on a gurney, then turned to Kizzy. “That’s it. You can go no farther.”
Ruth grabbed Kizzy’s hand and cried out, “No! She’s my sister and a doctor too. She goes with me. Do not take her away from me.”
Kizzy smiled. “You heard the girl. I go where she goes.”
“I’m sorry. You can’t. I don’t even know who you are. We have rules, not many, but those rules are important to protect our patients.”
“I’m important to protect this patient.” Kizzy hung on to Ruth’s hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “I’m not leaving her. Not for anything.”
“My sister really is a doctor, and I’m a labor and delivery nurse. I need her. Please.”
The doctor just sighed. “Fine. Come with me.” He rolled the gurney up to a pair of double doors where a nurse met him and helped them through. At last, they entered a clean-looking room. There was not much in there but a metal table, sink, and some basic equipment.
Ruth’s eyes were half-closed, and she started mumbling. “Don’t leave me, please.”
“I won’t. I won’t leave you. Don’t worry.”
The doctor glanced at the nurse, who glanced back at Kizzy and then back at the doctor. “Give her a sedative. She can’t be awake for this.”
A quick look at the color draining away from Ruth’s face alarmed Kizzy. She grasped her sister’s wrist and checked the clock on the wall. “Her pulse is rapid and thready.”
“If we had had more time to prepare, we could have arranged a better situation and she could be conscious, but it will take longer for a local anesthetic.”
“I understand,” Kizzy said. “Go ahead and put her under. And have your nurse show me where to wash up.”
“Oh no, I’ll be doing the procedure. My nurse can hand me the instruments. And you can stay by her side and keep your sister safe from us heathens.”
Kizzy’s jaw dropped. “I never said… I—I’m sorry. I don’t mean to doubt you. I just know my sister, and this isn’t the most ideal situation. Please let me assist.”
The doctor nodded to his nurse, and she helped Kizzy wash up and put on a mask and gown. The doctor placed a mask over Ruth’s nose and mouth and administered some gas, and Ruth was asleep in seconds.
Without monitors or anything but the basics, Kizzy knew it would be a risky procedure, no matter how she looked at it. “The baby’s in distress. Ruth knew it before she went under.”
“Why didn’t you get her to the hospital as soon as she went into labor?”
“We…ah…we thought we had plenty of time. It’s her first. She wanted to be comfortable at home for the first few hours. And she wants me with her for the whole thing.”
“Are you a surgeon?”
“I’m an emergency room trauma specialist.”
The doctor nodded. “That’s good. That will help.”
The nurse went to work getting Ruth’s belly washed, and she sterilized the area as quickly as she could with some antiseptic solution.
Kizzy stationed herself next to the physician and held her sisters legs open. “How can I help?”
“Just do exactly what you’re doing. Be ready when I hand the baby to you. I’ll need to clamp off the vessels and sew her up. Meanwhile, you can care for the infant.”
As he went to cut into Ruth’s belly, it stilled, as if the baby was giving up the fight to get out. “Hurry!” Kizzy cried.
The doctor took a deep breath and moved his scalpel well below Ruth’s umbilicus, then drew it across her abdomen in one sure slice. She would have a bikini scar.
The baby was limp. Kizzy saw the cord wrapped around the baby’s neck, and the baby looked blue. “Oh my God and Goddess!”
The doctor glanced up at her. His thick eyebrows lifted, and his brown eyes caught hers for just a moment. When would she be able to say “Goddess” without people getting all wigged out?
Even after they got the cord away from the infant’s neck, it was clear the baby was not doing well. Kizzy also saw Ruth had lost a lot of blood and her face was extremely gray. “Save my sister!”
“I intend to.” The doctor lifted the baby into Kizzy’s waiting arms. She used her one save, and soon there was movement. Then at last, the baby opened her mouth and wailed. Her color grew pinker and her cries stronger.
“Thank goodness! Oh, thank goodness!”
“I need your help. Hand the baby over to my nurse and clamp off this vessel here.”
Kizzy quickly but carefully gave the infant to the nurse, who had a blanket waiting. She grabbed the clamp and did as he asked.
Ruth seemed to be bleeding more than expected. The doctor said, “Here, put more pressure here.” He looked up at Ruth and realized he was losing her. “Do you know how to close up?”
Kizzy was surprised he’d ask but didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I can do it.”
Dr. Ortega put his hand on Ruth’s abdomen above the wound. Suddenly, the opening grew smaller. The
blood stopped flowing. The placenta was delivered, and she was ready to be closed up, but she still didn’t look good. Her skin was ashen.
He said, “I want to save your sister, but you cannot tell anyone what you see.”
For some reason, Kizzy knew she could trust him, so she just nodded. Besides, what choice did she have?
The doctor placed his hands on Ruth’s abdomen, and the small bit of pressure he applied knitted her vessels back together. He removed the clamps, and the color returned to Ruth’s face.
Kizzy checked her pulse and was relieved to find it much stronger. She turned to the doctor, and after making sure the nurse wasn’t listening, she whispered, “What are you?”
Answering her also in a whisper, he said, “The name on my island is Santeria. But I prefer not to use a label. I’m simply a doctor doing the best I can each day with whatever is available and within my power. I get to save one soul per day who wouldn’t have made it. Today was your sister’s turn.”
Kizzy grinned. “I think we found a fellow witch. My sister is a nurse. Saving one patient who wouldn’t make it otherwise is one of our powers. She made me promise to save the baby. I was so afraid I was going to lose her.” She threw her arms around his shoulders. “Thank you. Thank you for my sister.”
Then she walked over to the nurse, who had just finished cleaning up and wrapping the baby in a new warm, clean blanket. She settled the little bundle into Kizzy’s arms.
Looking down, Kizzy sighed. “Hello, little niece. We were so lucky today. Thanks to this wonderful doctor, you and your mommy are going to be fine.”
The baby opened her eyes a bit, and Kizzy could have sworn she saw a tiny smile.
* * *
Misty had been watching from the ether. Now that Ruth and the baby were doing well, she’d be off to locate Aaron.
She concentrated on his energy and found him up in the mountains in the rain forest. Odd place, she thought. Regardless, she zeroed in on his location and appeared nearby. She walked through the trees and smiled when she saw him.
“Misty! What are you doing here?”
“I just came to congratulate you, Grandpa.”
Aaron stood still, shocked. “Ruth had her baby?”
“She sure did. It was touch and go for a while. I was watching from the ether in case I was needed. But between Kizzy and the doctor at the clinic, everything went better than expected. Mother and baby are doing fine.”
“Oh, thank the Goddess.”
Surprisingly, the Goddess herself appeared. “Misty, can you give us a few moments?”
“Of course, Gaia. I’ll be at the Fierros’ home. That’s where they said they would take her when she was ready to be moved. Take them, I mean.”
“Wait!” Aaron said. “Is it a boy or a girl?”
Misty smiled. “It’s a beautiful girl.”
Aaron groaned. “Wonderful. Another female more powerful than I am.”
The Goddess took a step back. “Seriously? You’re upset with your daughters having more power than you?”
Aaron laughed. “Absolutely not. I was being facetious. I love the fact that my daughters are so capable and can take care of themselves. I worry less, but I still worry. They’re my…well, they’re my world.”
Gaia nodded. She glanced at Misty, and Misty seemed to understand. “I’ll see you guys later.”
As soon as Misty disappeared, Gaia took a step toward Aaron and held out her hand. He took her hand in his.
“I’ve missed you,” she said.
“I’ve missed you too. What should we do about that?” He smiled.
Gaia grinned. “Maybe we should kiss and make up? I hear that’s what people do after having a disagreement.”
Aaron’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, some people do that. Usually people in a relationship. Are we in a relationship?”
Gaia stiffened, then relaxed. “I think…I would like to be. May I ask you out on a date?”
Aaron’s jaw dropped, then he grinned. “You may.”
Gaia cleared her throat. “I guess I should ask you out to dinner and a movie. I understand that’s a common date night.”
“I would like that very much. When should this date occur?”
Gaia tipped her head and thought. “I imagine you want to see your daughter and granddaughter first.”
“Absolutely. How about tomorrow night?”
“Yes. I will plan for that—unless the earth decides otherwise. Until tomorrow night then,” Gaia said and took a step back.
“Wait a minute. What about our kiss to make up?” Aaron asked.
Gaia smiled shyly. Her cheeks heated, and she knew she must be blushing. It was now or never. She stepped forward, draped her arms around his neck, and leaned in, closing her eyes and puckering up, as she had seen many mortals do.
Aaron met her lips with his own, gently applying pressure. After angling his mouth and with the gentle pressure of his tongue, he teased her mouth open. They swirled their tongues together, and Gaia felt as if butterflies had invaded her tummy. So this is what everyone feels that I’ve been missing. No wonder love is so popular around the world.
When they finally let their lips and bodies leave each other, they grasped both hands. “Until tomorrow night,” Aaron said. “I need to drive back to the Fierros’ house and check on my family.”
“Drive carefully,” Gaia said. “May I dry the road for you?”
Aaron smiled. “No need. Now that the rain has stopped, I can navigate the roads, and I promise to be careful.”
Gaia nodded, wishing she could help, but she had made that mistake before. She was going to ask before she just jumped in to save him from minor inconveniences.
She disappeared into the ether and stayed there a moment to sigh privately. He was different from all the other people she had met. And she wanted the date to go well. She would have to figure out how to make that happen. There must be someone who had long-term relationship success.
Suddenly, a woman popped into her mind. Gabriella. Her new muse of parenting. She had certainly stayed in love with her Antonio, and it was very clear her love was returned tenfold. Gaia nodded to herself. “That’s what I’ll do. I’ll talk to Gabriella.” And then she remembered that everyone was going to the Fierro home to visit Ruth, the baby, Kizzy, and Aaron. The conversation would have to wait, but she would speak with her as soon as she could. This one relationship had to go well.
* * *
Aaron drove as fast as he could until he reached a place with some cellular reception. He pulled over and called Kizzy.
“Hi Dad, or maybe I should say Grandpa!”
“I just heard, Kizzy. How is she? And how’s the baby?”
“They’re good. We’re still at the clinic and could use another driver.”
He heard a giggle in the background. “Oh. Misty said you’d be at the Fierros’.”
“Yes, that’s where we’re heading soon.”
“I feel just awful I wasn’t there. I’m sure I could’ve helped. I understand it was touch and go for a while…at least that’s what Misty said.”
“She’s right. But everything’s okay now. In fact, it’s a little better than okay.”
“Do you want to tell me what that means?”
There was a pause on the other end, and at last, she said, “I’ll tell you when you get here. You can meet him.”
“Him? Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Aaron hung up and drove a little faster than he should have to get to the clinic. He had to know what happened. What does him mean? Did Gordon come looking for Ruth? Was she going to go back to him?
She’d better not.
Aaron never liked the jerk, and after dumping his eight-months-pregnant daughter…well, the guy was a coward. Thank goodness Ruth had erased his memory of their family’s secret.
/>
Pulling into the parking lot, Aaron saw Kizzy’s car. He wondered why they would need another driver, but he’d find out in a minute. He slammed the car door and charged into the clinic.
“I’m Ruth Samuels’s father. Can you tell me where she is, please?”
The woman behind the desk pointed to the double doors on her right.
“Thank you.”
Aaron hurried through the double doors and checked the hall before he came to a room with three beds. His daughter and granddaughter were lying in one of them. Kizzy and Gabriella stood on either side.
“Hi, Dad!” Ruth handed the baby to Gabriella.
Aaron rushed over to Ruth, leaned over the safety rail, and gave her a big hug. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here, honey. Are you all right?”
“Never better. Do you want to meet your granddaughter?”
“Absolutely.” He rounded the bed and met Gabriella at the foot of it. She handed him a little pink bundle of joy. The baby seemed healthy. Pink cheeks and a shock of brown hair and eyelashes. He parted the blanket a bit and saw ten tiny fingers. He was betting there would be ten toes under there too. “What a beauty. Well done, Ruthie. But who is this ‘he’ Kizzy mentioned?”
A handsome young doctor strolled into the room. Kizzy brought him over and said, “Dr. José Ortega, this is my father, Dr. Aaron Samuels.”
José took a brief glance around the room and then whispered, “Is he a witch too?”
Aaron’s jaw dropped. Before he could fumble the baby, Gabriella grabbed her back and brought her to Ruth, who anxiously reached for her.
“You did the delivery?” Aaron asked José.
“Yes, I did. Your older daughter assisted as well.”
Kizzy smiled and said, “Ruth wouldn’t be here if not for Dr. Ortega. He saved her life.”
Aaron’s eyebrows rose. He extended a hand and shook José’s hand. “I can’t thank you enough, Dr. Ortega. That’s my precious baby girl lying there, holding her precious baby girl.”
“Thank heavens for both of you,” Gabriella added.
José moved over to Ruth’s side and asked, “How are you feeling, Miss Samuels?”
