Ice

by Lyn Gardner

  “Yes,” Alex said, looking around. “Where’s Maggie?”

  “Oh, we ran out of milk, so I sent her to the store. She should be back in a few minutes.”

  “And the boys?”

  With a grin, Jean nodded toward the window. “They’re in the backyard with their grandfather, trying to make a snowman.”

  Pushing herself out of the chair, Alex walked over and peered through the frosted glass. Laughing, she watched as Douglas Campbell tried to keep up with his three-year-old grandsons. Merrily running through the snow, the little boys filled their tiny hands with the white powder and then dashed back to their grandfather, who piled it atop the small snowman, before playfully demanding that they run and get more.

  “He adores them,” Jean said with a grin, looking at her daughter-in-law.

  “They adore him,” Alex said, opening the refrigerator to look for a snack.

  Taking a package of biscuits from the cabinet, Jean motioned for Alex to sit. Filling a plate, she placed it in front of her hungry daughter-in-law, along with a cup of tea. Joining Alex at the table, Jean took a sip of tea and said, “It’s a shame that Maggie couldn’t have any more.”

  “Yeah, she wanted more, but with the fevers, it’s just too risky for her to try again.”

  “And how about you?”

  Laughing, Alex looked down at her enormous belly, rubbing it gently as she smiled at the concerned grandparent, “I’m fit as a fiddle, as they say.”

  Debating for a moment, Jean said, “I have to tell you, Doug and I were a bit concerned when Maggie told us that you were going to do this.”

  “Why, because I’m contrary, stubborn and don’t always think before I act?”

  Laughing out loud, Jean nodded her head. “Yes, basically,” she replied wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes.

  “Well, if we’re speaking truths, I should tell you that I was scared shitless.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah,” Alex said, nodding her head. “I mean, it’s one thing to watch someone else carry a child, or in our case, two, but to go through it myself? I can’t tell you how many times I tried to talk myself out of it.”

  “So what changed your mind?”

  “Maggie and the boys.”

  “How so?”

  “Maggie went through a lot to get pregnant, you know? All the tests and procedures, and after each attempt failed, she became more and more depressed…and then finally it happened. I remember how she cried that morning. Crying because she was pregnant, crying because she was happy, crying just because she could cry. You know how they say that women glow when they’re pregnant? Well, Maggie’s light was damn near blinding,” Alex said with a smile.

  “It wasn’t long after that when the morning sickness started. I remember thinking how stupid it was to call it that because for Maggie, it lasted most of the day. And then the cravings began, and each time she asked for something, I’d run out to the store for it. You can’t imagine the looks that you get when you’re buying pickled herring, sardines and ice cream at one in the morning, but then she started to bleed and was put on bed rest, and things got scary.”

  “Yes, I remember that,” Jean said. “We were all worried sick about her.”

  Nodding her head, Alex said, “But do you know what? Through it all, she never once complained. Not once! Through the morning sickness and the cravings, through the bloating and four months bed rest, and even though those two little boys out there did their best to kick the shit out of her, she never said a word. Not one bloody word!” Alex said, shaking her head in amazement.

  “And then they were born,” Alex said, her voice cracking with emotion as she remembered that night. “Maggie was in so much pain and they got all twisted up inside, and then the doctors had to…had to cut her…” Choked by emotion, Alex stopped and took a deep breath. Wiping the tears from her face, she offered Jean the weakest of grins and sniffled back another tear. “When they had to cut her, she took my hand and tried to calm me down. Me! Can you imagine? My wife is lying on a table with her belly cut open, and she’s trying to console me.”

  Shaking her head in disbelief, Alex took a sip of tea. “And then, there they were. All bloody and wrinkled, and next to their mother, they were the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I remember looking down at Maggie, both of us crying and laughing, and then she said thank you. Thank you? I don’t know that I’ve ever felt so small in my life as I did at that moment. There I was, standing in complete awe of her and all that she went through, and she’s thanking me…for what? For holding her hand or going for groceries?”

  Raising her eyes to meet Jean’s, Alex said, “You asked what changed my mind. I love Maggie and I’ll do anything for her, and that’s the reason I’m carrying her babies inside of me.”

  “And you never found out what she was thanking you for?”

  “No, I just figured it was the drugs talking,” Alex said with a laugh.

  “It wasn’t the drugs,” Maggie said, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Surprised, both women turned in their chairs as she walked over and smiled down at Alex. “I was thanking you for pulling me out of a plane against my will. I was thanking you for carrying me when I couldn’t walk, and for not allowing me to die in that cabin. I was thanking you for all the laughs that we’ve shared and the love that we’ve made, and I was thanking you for allowing me to be your wife.”

  Placing the grocery bag on the table, Maggie leaned down and kissed Alex on the mouth. Although Jean was quite used to their displays of affection, she found herself needing to look away as the kiss deepened. Finally, they pulled apart, and Maggie slid the bag in Jean’s direction as she removed her coat and sat down.

  “How you feeling?” she asked, her eyes dropping to Alex’s extremely large baby bump.

  “I feel enormous, and like I’m carrying sumo wrestlers instead of two girls.”

  “You should try boys,” Maggie said with a wink, rubbing Alex’s belly. “Did you get a nap?”

  “Yes, dear,” Alex answered in a sarcastic twang.

  “None of that, Blake, or no ice cream and pickles for you tonight.”

  “Ouch.”

  “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

  “Nothing, just a stitch,” Alex said, rubbing her side. Struggling to stand, she said, “And I need to use the loo…again. Be right back.”

  As Alex waddled up the stairs, she quickly moved to one side as Sandy and Peaches bounded down the stairs, with the littlest, Tulip, in quick pursuit. Scooping her up before she could pass, Alex laughed as the teacup terrier wiggled in her hand, licking and nipping as she tried to get away and catch up with those that had stolen her toy.

  “I love Doug and Jean to death,” Alex said to the pup. “But I would never have given you a handle like Tulip.”

  Placing the fur ball on the stairs, she laughed again as Tulip bounced, rolled and thumped her way to the bottom, all the while yapping at her sister and mother.

  ***

  “Is there anything I can do?” Maggie asked, pouring herself a cup of tea.

  “No, I’ve got it all under control, dear,” Jean said as she checked a pot on the stove. “The reason we invited you up was so that you and Alex could relax. In a few weeks, you’re going to have your hands full.”

  “Isn’t that the truth,” Maggie said, rolling her eyes. “But you’re still planning to come down and stay with us for a while, aren’t you?”

  Smiling, Jean said, “Don’t worry, Maggie, I doubt that you could keep us away even if you tried. Thank God you bought that huge house.”

  “It’s not that big.”

  With a snort, Jean said, “It’s not that small either.”

  “Maggie, could you come up here for a minute please,” Alex called from upstairs.

  “Probably can’t get off the toilet,” Maggie said with a giggle, winking at Jean as she left the room and jogged up the stairs. Entering their bedroom, she walked up to the bathroom door. Snickering, she said
loudly, “What is it, sweetheart? Need help getting up?”

  “Um, can you come in here for a minute?”

  Maggie’s heart dropped. Quickly opening the door, she rushed inside and found Alex sitting on the edge of the tub, surrounded by a puddle of water on the floor. Confused, Maggie asked, “What happened?”

  Raising an eyebrow, Alex stared back and watched as the penny dropped.

  “Your water broke!”

  “No! You think!” Alex shouted, still quite flustered at the gush of water that had soaked through her trousers.

  Chuckling, Maggie tiptoed to the tub. “Sweetheart, you knew that this was going to happen.”

  “It didn’t happen to you!”

  Tickled by the fact that her normally unflappable wife was freaking out, it was all Maggie could do not to laugh. Sitting on the edge of the tub, she patted Alex’s knee. “No, it didn’t happen to me, but you knew there was a chance. What’s wrong, sweetheart? You seem almost angry?”

  “I just had a pain that made me see stars, for Christ’s sake. I thought I had to pee, and then suddenly – whoosh – I’m a two-year-old again! My trousers are soaked through, not to mention my knickers, and I can’t stand wet knickers!”

  “Since when?” Maggie joked, laughing out loud when Alex gave her a dirty look. Pulling a towel from the rod, Maggie covered the puddle on the floor. “Let’s get you to hospital, okay?” she said, taking Alex by the arm and helping her stand.

  “Not until I change my trousers.”

  “Alex—”

  “Margaret, this is not up for debate. I’m not going anywhere until I’m wearing dry knickers!”

  Biting her lip, Maggie tried her best to hide her grin as she guided Alex into the bedroom and helped her changed her clothes. A few minutes later, as they were about to leave the room, another labor pain rocked Alex, forcing her to stop in her tracks and grab hold of the door jamb until it passed.

  “Are you all right?” Maggie asked in a whisper, the amusement she had felt a few minutes earlier having disappeared at the sight of Alex in pain.

  “Yeah,” Alex replied, taking a few deep breaths to clear her head. “But that one was worse than before.”

  “How much worse?”

  “A lot.”

  “Are you timing them?”

  Nodding her head, Alex looked at her watch. “Four minutes.”

  Maggie’s eyes flew open. “Four minutes! Alex, that’s fast.”

  “Yeah, well you know me. I’ve never been known for my patience.”

  “Well, you’re about to be a patient. We need to get you to hospital. Come on.”

  Hearing voices, Jean came to the landing. When she saw Maggie holding the small overnight case for the hospital in her hand as she carefully guided Alex down the steps, Jean rushed outside and called for her husband. Gathering his grandsons in his arms, Douglas rushed into the house, depositing them in the kitchen, before hurrying to the front hall.

  “Oh, Christ. Is it time?” he asked, helping Alex down the last two steps.

  Before Maggie or Alex could answer, another pain ripped through Alex and this time, she couldn’t stop herself from crying out. Grabbing hold of the railing, she began taking rapid breaths as she waited for it to pass.

  Grabbing his keys from the table, he forced them into Maggie’s hand. “Take these and go start my car.”

  “Dad, our car—”

  “Maggie, it’s snowing and mine is safer, so stop arguing and do what I ask!”

  Taking the keys, Maggie ran out the door. Jumping into her father’s SUV, she started the ignition, adjusting the seat and mirrors while she waited for the defogger to clear the windows. Turning the heater on full blast, she scrambled out and ran to the house. Halfway up the walk, she stopped in her tracks when the front door flew open, and her father came out with Alex in his arms.

  “She just had another contraction and almost hit the floor,” he explained, carefully walking down the snow-covered path. Gingerly placing Alex in the front seat of the car, he waited while Maggie climbed back into the driver’s seat.

  “I’ll stay with the boys, and Jean is going with you,” he said.

  “Dad—”

  “Don’t worry sweetheart, I’ll call Jean’s sister, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  Kissing Alex on the cheek, he winked at his daughter and shut the door, quickly jogging into the house in search of his wife. Seconds later, Jean ran down the path and got into the car.

  “Maggie, I’m scared,” Alex said quietly as Maggie carefully backed out of the driveway.

  “I know, sweetheart, but it will be okay. I promise.”

  “But what if it’s not?”

  “Since when do you think like that?” Maggie snapped, stopping the car and putting the gearshift into park.

  “Maggie, dear, I really don’t think you should stop,” Jean chimed in from the back seat.

  “I’ll move when I’m damn well ready,” Maggie growled, her temper thickening her accent like it always did.

  She had read all the books. She had been with Maggie from conception through birth, yet nothing could have prepared Alex for the emotions now coursing through her body. In a short time, two little girls would emerge from her, and she was terrified.

  Glaring back at the woman with a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face, Maggie said, “What’s wrong, Alex?”

  “I guess I’m just scared.”

  “Of what?”

  “Of not being as strong as you.”

  “What?”

  “You know, how you went through all of this with the boys like a champ.”

  Rolling her eyes, Maggie said, “Sweetheart, this isn’t some fucking competition! If you want to scream and swear, or rant and rave, have at it! It’s totally understandable given the circumstances.”

  “Really?” Alex said, wincing as she could feel another contraction starting.

  “Really,” Maggie replied with a smile.

  “Well, with that being said,” Alex said, stopping to take a few quick breaths. “Could you do me a favor?”

  “Anything, sweetheart, just name it.”

  “Could you please drive me to the fucking hospital? I’m dying here!”

  Laughing, Maggie leaned over and kissed Alex on the cheek. Casting a quick wink at Jean, who was smiling in the back seat, Maggie slipped the car into drive and carefully took her wife, now swearing like a sailor, to the hospital.

  ***

  “Let’s get you out of these wet clothes while we wait for your Aunt Janet,” Douglas said to his grandsons as he began removing the multiple layers of clothing that Maggie had dressed them in.

  “Where’s Mum and Mummy?” DJ asked as his grandfather tugged off his soaked mittens.

  “They’ve gone to the hospital to get your sisters.”

  “I want to go, too!” John stated emphatically as he fought with the zipper on his jacket.

  “No, not tonight, but maybe tomorrow.”

  “I want to see my mum!” DJ shouted, pulling away from his grandfather.

  “Hey, what’s this?” Douglas said, grinning as he pulled the boy into a hug. “Mummy told you that Mum would be away for a day or two. You know that.”

  “But Mum was crying! Mum was hurt! I want to see my mum! I want to see Mum now!” DJ screamed.

  Totally forgetting that the children were in the kitchen when Alex had cried out in pain, Douglas sighed and knelt down beside them. Pulling them into his arms, he tried to find the words.

  “Sweethearts,” he began, looking into their dark-brown eyes. “When a woman has a baby, it sometimes hurts a little.”

  “Like when I fall down?” John asked.

  “Exactly,” Douglas said, nodding his head. “But once Mummy gets Mum to the hospital, the doctors have something that will make the pain go away. I promise. They know what to do.”

  With all the force that a three-year-old could muster, DJ wiggled out of Douglas’ grip. “I know what to do!” he shrieked,
running to the door. “I know how to fix Mum!”

  Before Douglas had a chance to stop him, he watched in shock as DJ opened the back door and ran out into the snow. Jumping to his feet, he strode to the door. “Douglas Jarrod Campbell-Blake, you get in here this minute!” he bellowed, seeing his grandson dart about the snow in his stocking feet.

  Having kicked off his boots after coming back inside, Douglas frantically looked around the kitchen, but just as he spotted them in the hallway, his other grandson rushed past him. “Oh, me, too! Me, too!” John yelled, dashing through the snow to meet up with his brother.

  “Jesus Christ!” Douglas muttered as he looked up at the ceiling. “Thank you God for giving me a girl. Boys are a pain in the arse!”

  The sound of their shrieks of joy changed his focus, and standing in the doorway, he screamed again. This time, adding a bit more emphasis to get their attention. “John Ethan and Douglas Jarrod, get in this house now!”

  His booming voice finally did the trick, and out of breath, but smiling, the two youngsters scampered back to their grandfather, giggling all the way. Ushering them into the house, he ran his fingers through their black hair to dislodge the snow, and then pulling off their socks, rubbed their cold, tiny feet until they were warm.

  Exasperated and confused, he said, “What the hell…um…what in the world did you think you’d find outside that could help your mum?”

  “This,” DJ said proudly, as both he and his brother held out their hands.

  Feeling as if he had been sucker-punched, Douglas sank to the floor. Unable to stop the tears from forming in his eyes, he wrapped his arms around his grandsons and held them close. Placing a kiss on each of their cheeks, he held out his hands…and they filled them with ice.

  The End

  ###

  Ice is my first published book, but I hope to publish more in the coming weeks and months. If you liked Ice, I hope you return to where you purchased it and leave a comment. If you want to contact me personally, please feel free drop me a line at Lyng227@gmail.com Please check out my author’s page on Smashwords which will be updated with blog or website information when it becomes available.