by Amy Brent
But even with all of that, he still looked at me as if I was a goddess incarnate, and I would never, ever grow tired of that.
I stretched, giving myself a hearty yawn as my back arched. I felt like I could just sink into the comfort and never-
My eyes went wide as there was a strange sort of cramp in my middle and my lower half was drenched. I paused mid-stretch, my eyes going wide as the cushion below me soaked up the wetness.
Had… had my water just broken?!
I tried to sit up, but a wave of cramps stole my breath away. Oh my God! My water had broken! It had really broken!
Panic set in as I reached for the phone. I called Anthony instantly, but it just went straight to his voicemail.
Dammit! I knew that he would always answer her if he could, which meant he was probably talking to the cops.
Fuck.
What did I do? Sure, we had a pregnancy plan, but it involved both of us being there and not someone breaking into one of his stores. I didn’t want to call an ambulance because one, they took forever to respond in our city, and two, I didn’t want any paramedic trying to override my birth plan. There was a real issue with maternal consent in the states and I needed someone with me to make sure that I got the treatment I wanted.
Thinking back to the last time I was in the hospital, I decided to take a risk and dialed a number I hadn’t used in quite a long time.
It rang once.
It rang twice.
I held my breath, the cramps easing for a few moments only to give rise to more panic. What if no one answered?
“Hello?” Rachelle asked, her tone clearly on edge.
“I need your help,” I wheezed, trying to control my breathing so I didn’t sound like some stalker on the phone.
“Isn’t Anthony there to help you?” Ouch. Anthony. She wasn’t calling him Dad anymore? Oh well, there would be other times to worry about that. There was certainly something more pressing happening at the moment.
“No, there was a break in at one of his shops.”
“Then just wait for him to go home. I can’t-”
“Rachelle, my water broke! I’m having the baby!”
Her retort died instantly, and I heard something clatter to the ground.
“I’m on my way. I can be there in forty-five minutes. Are you sure you don’t want an ambulance?”
I nodded then I realized that she couldn’t see that through the phone. “Yes. I’m sure. I’ve heard enough horror stories and besides, the average response time for ambulances is and hour and seven minutes in this city.”
“Okay. Call me if you need anything, I’ll route you through my car’s Bluetooth.”
Relief flooded through me and I felt tears come on again. “Thank you, Rachelle. Really. I mean it.”
“Just be ready once I get there.”
“I will.”
I finally lurched to my feet, stumbling up the stairs for where we kept my baby bag. I was immensely grateful once again for Anthony’s insistence that we have it ready so early, and I threw my purse, my phone and my phone charger into it.
The cramps were coming back again as I walked to the front door, grabbing my keys from the shelf in the foyer. I knew that it was just my contractions, but goodness they were increasing in frequency and intensity like my baby was in a huge hurry.
“Calm down, little Tony,” I whispered, putting a hand on my belly. “It’s gonna be okay, so you can take a chill pill, alright?”
If he heard or understood me, he didn’t let up.
I finished my little trek outside and sat down on the steps, focusing on my breathing. Even with all of my online work and tutoring, Anthony and I had gone to several birthing and couples’ classes together. I was definitely grateful for them now, forcing myself to follow the pattern that they had taught me.
It was all about being calm. Just letting my body go through the natural flow. There wasn’t really much to be concerned about until the train really started chugging along.
I kept waiting for Anthony to call back, but my phone stayed silent. How long were these police taking up his time? Was he okay? Ugh, it was hard to fight off the frustration when I just wanted to punch a hole in every wall in the nearest vicinity.
No one had ever told me that pregnancy could fill me with unchecked rage, but that was right about where I was when lights shone at the end of the drive. It was only then that I realized Rachelle couldn’t drive, so who was…
It didn’t matter. Relief flooded me once more as I saw her hop out of the passenger’s seat and I stood, my stomach giving a sharp note of protest as I did.
“Hey, you okay?” she asked.
“As good as I can be considering the situation.”
“Good. Dad call you back yet?”
Oh, she was back to ‘Dad’? Interesting. But I didn’t comment on it, instead letting her help me to the car and buckle me into the passenger’s seat. I was surprised to see a strapping young man in the driver’s side, dressed in his pajamas.
“Uh, hi,” I murmured, completely surprised.
“Hi,” he answered back. “I hear you need a hot ride to the hospital?”
“Yup,” I replied before a groan shook me.
Rachelle jumped into the backseat and slammed the door of the car shut. “Stella, this is Reggie, my boyfriend. Reggie, this is my… this is Stella.”
Ow.
“Nice to meet you. Buckle up, please. We’re gonna go pretty fast.”
I did, and true to his word, we took off like a freaking rocket. I held onto the armrest, my heart in my throat, but Reggie looked at ease and certain.
“Aren’t you worried about being pulled over?” I asked, voice shaking.
“Nah, my mother’s the sheriff here. Normally I don’t like to abuse that power, but I think this is an appropriate situation.”
Well, at least he was taking everything seriously. It was strange to find out that my best friend had a boyfriend that I had never met, but I guess nine months had passed since we had been truly involved in each other’s lives.
That thought had a bitter twang to it, but it was quickly forced out of my head as another wave of cramps rolled through me. Oh boy. Even with all my preparation, this was going to be one hell of a night.
We rushed through the city, buildings and lights whipping by. I wondered how the roads could be so relatively empty, but then I realized that it was Christmas Eve and most people were either asleep or hastily wrapping presents that they had procrastinated on putting under the tree.
We arrived at the hospital way faster than what should have been possible, and then I was being admitted. That whole process certainly wasn’t quick, yet Anthony still hadn’t called me by the time they had me in the birthing ward, hooked up to a billion and one monitors.
“Wow, your baby is coming hot and heavy,” the nurse said. “We’ll get a doctor to you ASAP.”
“Please, Doctor Malcrish if he’s available, and if not, then Dr. Csapo!”
“You’re in luck, Dr. Csapo is in. We’ll get her tout suite!”
I managed a nod, but I tried to clamp down and force myself to stop. I couldn’t give birth while Anthony wasn’t here. I didn’t want him to miss the birth of his son because of some sort of stupid criminal!
“Hey, you okay?” Rachelle asked.
“You need to get your father,” I gasped. “I don’t know how. But get him.”
She nodded, and I collapsed against the bed, sweating.
I could do this.
I just had to hold on a little harder.
Stella
Everything was pain and sweat and awfulness.
I’d been in some bad spots before. When I broke my book as a freshman and tried to hide it from my parents for two weeks, so they wouldn’t punish me for generating a hospital bill. When I had first gotten my period and had to bike to the grocery store to get myself feminine products because it was my body and therefor my responsibility. When I’d gotten the worst flu of my life
as a freshman in college.
But none of that compared to trying to stop my body from doing what it had specifically evolved to do.
“Honey, I need you to relax and breath, alright?” A nurse said, her tone as soothing as honey.
“NO!” I snarled, almost like a wild animal. “I don’t do anything until Anthony is here! Not a thing!”
“This really isn’t good for you,” Dr. Csapo said, eyeing me with concern. “You went through the trouble of making your own birthing plan, shouldn’t we stick with it?”
But all of their sweet, concerned words fell on deaf ears. I wouldn’t do this without Anthony. He needed to be here.
Although he didn’t talk about it much, I had been in Rachelle’s life long enough to know how many babies he had lost. How many children had been snatched from his grasp before they ever got to actually be children. I wasn’t about to rob him of a moment that life had already taken so many times.
But dammit, if it wasn’t the hardest thing I had ever done.
My limbs were shaking, I was drenched in sweat, and it felt like a watermelon was trying to push itself down my body.
“Stella, you can seriously injure yourself if you keep this up.”
I looked to Rachelle, who was holding my hand with a stony expression on her face. But it wasn’t a mean one, or one layered in hate. No, she was being strong for me. She was letting me draw from the impenetrable fortress that she always had been. For once, I was grateful for her stubbornness and I tried to let as much of it as I could seep into me.
“You said he was coming, right?”
She nodded. “He called an hour ago and one of the cops said they would bring him right over.”
“An hour ago?” One of the nurses asked. “Just how far does your husband work? And does he know it’s Christmas Eve?”
“Well… Christmas now,” Rachelle remarked idly.
“He’s not at work for actual work,” I gasped, each word its own extraordinary effort. But talking was good. Talking got me to focus on something other than the pain surging through me. “One of his locations got broken into.”
“Of course,” the nurse said after a beat of shock. “It’s always around the holidays that real losers decide to ruin it for everyone.”
I tried to keep the conversation going, but the pain was too much. Of course, I would have to be like the female equivalent of a water slide with little Tony Jr. all to eager to bust his way out. Why couldn’t I have been one of the women who spent sixteen hours in labor complete with naps?
The door flew open and my head snapped over to see Anthony standing there, panting hard.
“Stella!” he cried, running to my side.
“Hello, Mr. Sternlicht,” Dr. Csapo said. “He’s here. Can we get this show on the road?”
Anthony looked confused and relieved but didn’t say anything. He just offered his hand, which I grabbed onto with all of my strength.
I didn’t think it was possible for my pain to increase, but the moment I let my body do what it wanted to do, it was like I was on a whole new roller coaster.
They gave me pain medicine, but they told me it might not kick in before things got rolling, and to me it felt like it wasn’t doing anything at all. My entire lower half was on fire, just stretching and stretching wider and wider until I was screaming.
But I kept on fighting, spurred on by both Rachelle and Anthony with me. Their strength buoyed me, allowing me to keep breathing, keep pushing, and keeping baring down.
And then, in a final cacophony of screams, sweat and assurances that I was doing great, our little boy finally slid into the world.
I couldn’t believe it. I collapsed back against the bed, utterly spent, and that was when things got a little wobbly.
There was a great deal of hubbub around me, with people going this way and that, and then the sound of a baby crying. I heard Anthony let out a happy sort of sob and then I slipped under, the drugs kicking in just as I knew my baby was okay.
I couldn’t wait to meet him.
I woke up half expecting the past eight hours to have all been a dream, but as my eyes fluttered open, I saw that I was indeed in the hospital.
I snapped to consciousness quickly, but I didn’t quite have the strength to sit up.
“My baby!” I rasped, not even really seeing the room. My mouth felt like cotton and my tongue was approximately a thousand pounds, which I guessed was an effect of the drugs.
Suddenly there was someone at my side and I blinked until I was able to see Anthony’s face.
“Hey there,” he murmured, love written so thoroughly across all of his features. “How are you feeling?”
“Our baby.” I repeated, my mind slowly coming back to itself.
“Are you ready to hold him?” Anthony asked, smiling at me so sweetly that it made me want to burst into tears.
“Yes,” I whispered, hardly daring to believe that this was true. “Please. Let me see him.”
Anthony left my vision, causing a slight bit of panic within me, but he returned shortly later with a tightly swaddled mass.
I reached up for him, and Anthony gently placed him on my chest. I looked down at the little guy and instantly my breath was stolen away.
How could any human be so perfect? And yet that was exactly what he was. From his squished little nose, to his wrinkly little face, to his slight shock of curly, dark hair. He was beautiful. He was magnificent, and he was my little baby.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, completely reverent. It was like the entire world had been condensed down into just the little boy resting against me. The perfect little boy with chubby cheeks and adorable little lashes.
“He’s perfect, isn’t it?” Anthony asked, bending down to kiss the top of my head.
I couldn’t help it. The tears started flowing and didn’t stop, even as Rachelle came up and gently took him from me so I could compose myself.
“Hey there, little brother,” she murmured, bouncing him ever so gently as Anthony found a tissue to wipe my face. Goodness, there were a whole lot of tears and snot, wasn’t there? Normally I would have been embarrassed about that but considering that my vagina had just been nearly ripped in two while my baby’s big head shot out of it, it was hard to whip up some self-consciousness. “It’s me, your big sister. Do you remember me? You kicked me once. It was one hell of a way to say hello.”
“Hey, Rachelle,” Anthony said as she walked in small circles. “Where’s your boyfriend?”
“He went to get us coffee,” she said, her eyes never leaving her brother. “He should be back soon.”
“I’m going to go see if he needs any help. Would you be okay with that, Stella?”
I nodded, my gaze on Rachelle. It made my heart soar to see her so incredibly enraptured with her little brother. It felt like all of the tension, and all of the anger she felt for us had just faded away, leaving us with only love for the incredible miracle she held in her arms.
For the first time since all of this had gone down, I felt really and truly peaceful. I had Anthony, I had my little boy, and I had my best friend again.
It was like we were a real family. All of us.
Reggie and Anthony came back a few moments later, the later carrying three cups of coffee. It smelled heavenly, but I knew that wouldn’t be on the menu for me any time soon. Which sucked, but I would do whatever I needed to make sure my little boy got the best diet he needed, and for the time being his diet was whatever my body produced.
But as Reggie set the coffees down, he pulled his phone out. “Hey, we should get a family picture of the four of you,” he said, grinning broadly. For having seen a total stranger in a pretty important part of their life, Reggie had certainly managed to keep his cool. “Scoot in, Rachelle.”
She did so, and I reached to take Tony Jr back, but Anthony caught my hands. “Do you think you’re ready to sit up?” He asked. “We could swing your legs over the side of your bed and put a blanket over them.”
“I mean… I can just lay here,” I said, still both sore and exhausted.
“Trust me, it’ll make a better photo. If you’re up for it, that is.”
He was being weird, but I guessed being a new dad was making him a bit overexcited. It was nice to see him so eager, with flushed cheeks and big smiles.
It took a couple of minutes for us to get all arranged, but eventually we did, and Reggie raised his phone once more.
“Dad, what are you doing?”
I was so busy staring ahead at the camera that I hadn’t even noticed he had moved. But when I looked to where he had been standing, I saw that he wasn’t there anymore. No, instead he was kneeling on the ground beside me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, eyes wide.
He didn’t answer, instead reaching behind him and pulling out a pretty red box. My breath caught in my throat and I just stared at him like he was an alien.
“Miss Stella Lawrie, before you walked back into my life, I thought that I had it as good as it could get. But then you showed me that wasn’t the case at all, and now I’m happier than I ever thought possible.
“I know that maybe we didn’t start off on the best foot, and we definitely skipped a few steps, but I’m asking you for a lifetime to make up for all of that.” He took a deep breath, his own eyes shining. “Miss Lawrie, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
“Yes!” I cried, my voice cracking. “Oh my God, yes! Of course!”
The world was spinning in the best way possible. Never in a million years had I thought that this was possible. He wanted to marry me? The no account girl from the trailer park who got knocked up at twenty had someone like Anthony wanting to tie himself to me for forever?
He stood, crushing me in a hug, and then we were kissing.
I could hardly breathe, but who needed to? I had everything I needed in the entire world. It was like I was living in a fairy tale come true.
