by Smith, Wendy
“So, you’re happy then?”
I nod. “Yeah. I am.”
“Me too. I might be in shock, but I’ll be okay.”
“Are you sure?”
For a moment, she says nothing. She raises her head from my shoulder, and I see the fear in her eyes.
“Mia, if you’re not sure …”
“I’m sure. I’m just scared.”
I take her hand in mine. “I’ll be with you the whole way.”
She nods. “I know. I just wish I was even a few years’ younger.”
“We’ll make sure you get the best of care. My brother’s an obstetrician, you know.”
A smile spreads across her lips. “I’m so lucky to have you, and your family.”
“Our family. You’re a part of us now.”
Her smile grows. “I am, aren’t I?”
I nod.
“I love you, James.”
I lean over and plant a lingering kiss on her lips. “I love you too.”
It’s our first night together in our new home.
And we couldn’t be happier.
42
James
Eight months later
“How are you doing, Mia?” Drew asks.
We must look a sight: Drew on one side of the bed, and me on the other, each holding one of Mia’s hands.
“I’m okay.”
He nods. “I think I should check your blood pressure again.”
She smiles. “I’m glad you’re here.”
As he stands to grab the blood pressure cuff, he smiles at her. “Me too. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now.”
Mia laughs. “Liar.”
He shrugs. “The most important thing is that you and the baby are safe. I’m happy to be here.”
Mia’s pregnancy has been difficult. There were always going to be increased risks to both her and the baby simply because of her age. But Mia’s struggled with her blood pressure the whole way through. There were also the repeated tests for gestational diabetes that were borderline, and now we’ve reached the point where she’s in labour, she’s bloated and exhausted, and we can’t wait for the baby to be born.
Which is also why we’re in Tauranga Hospital.
While we would have preferred a home birth, this is the safest place for her right now. Drew’s not a part of the hospital staff helping her deliver the baby, but he’s here as part of her support team. It was Mia’s idea, and I just wanted her to be happy and safe.
He grins at her as he attaches the cuff to her arm.
“Can you stop flirting with my girl and check her blood pressure?” I ask.
“Hey, this is my bedside manner. I’ll charm that baby out of her.”
Mia giggles.
I narrow my eyes. “I’m so telling your wife on you.”
He chuckles. “Hayley knows I only have eyes for her. Besides, your lady asked me to be by her side, and I’m not just here to check out her vag.”
I gape at him. “Drew.”
“I’ll be at this end, little brother. You can watch your daughter being born. I promise you, it’ll take your breath away, and nothing will ever be the same.”
I shift my gaze to Mia. She’s smiling at Drew, and her eyes are glistening with tears. I might be giving him shit, but I’m glad he’s here to help reassure her.
“And you.” He looks at Mia. “That baby is going to change your life.”
“I can’t wait. What’s my blood pressure?” she asks.
“Higher than I’d like, but given it’s been a few minutes since your last contraction, I’d say that’ll be helping it rise.”
As if on cue, it hits her. Mia’s expression contorts, and she grips my hand tight.
“I’ve got you,” I say.
I know when the pain fades a little as she gives me a small smile. “You always do,” she whispers.
“Always.”
“I’m so tired.” She leans back on the pillows.
“I know you are, babe.”
Drew’s phone buzzes, and he picks it up off the cabinet beside the bed. “Hayley’s after an update.”
He taps his phone, sounding out the text. “Last check, she was at eight centimetres. BP still high. James accusing me of hitting on his girl. Love you.”
Mia laughs before screwing up her face again. “You must drive her crazy.”
“I try my best. If anything, she should be here with you. She’s a great midwife. Though, I’m not sure if or when she’ll be practicing again.”
I cock an eyebrow. “I thought she was talking about going back when the twins were a bit older.”
He nods, uncertainty crossing his face. “She was. But we’ll have an addition to our family in about seven months’ time. Don’t you dare tell her that I told you that, though.”
Mia lights up. “Really? That’s wonderful.”
He gives us a wistful smile. “We’re both over the moon. She went through a lot having the twins, and I just hope that this all goes smoothly.”
The door opens, and Mia’s midwife comes back in, followed by a doctor.
“Hi, Mia, I’m Doctor McRoberts. I hear you’re having some blood pressure issues, so I’m here to help things go smoothly.” He meets Drew’s gaze. “Drew Campbell?”
“Hey, Jason.” Drew grins.
Doctor McRoberts holds his hand out, and Drew shakes it. “Long time no see. If you’re here, why am I?” He laughs.
“Mia’s my sister-in-law. She wanted me here for moral support. I’ve been keeping an eye on her blood pressure.” He nods toward me. “This is my brother, James.”
I grin as I shake the doctor’s hand. “Small world, then.”
“We all end up at the same conferences, and go for a drink afterward.” Drew laughs.
“Right, Mia. Let’s have a look and see if this baby’s ready to come out,” Doctor McRoberts says.
“She was eight centimetres at the last check, but that was a while ago.” Drew turns to Mia. “How are you doing?”
“You mean apart from the agonising pain every few minutes?”
He smiles. “Apart from that.”
“Box of fluffies.” Mia turns to me. She might hide from Drew, but she can’t disguise the way she’s really feeling to me. I know that face, those eyes.
“I’ll just have a quick look and we’ll see how close we are.” The doctor says.
There’s quiet for a moment.
“Mia? Do you feel like pushing?”
She nods.
“You’re ten centimetres”
Mia nods. “I want to push.”
Doctor McRoberts smiles. “Okay. Next contraction, push.”
“You can do it, Mia,” Drew says.
“How lucky am I?” she asks. “Two Campbell brothers with me.”
“Don’t you tell anyone else. They’ll all be jealous.” He grins.
She laughs. Then her face contorts, and I know the pain’s hit her again.
“Okay, Mia. Let’s go,” Drew says.
Mia grabs my hand and Drew’s, and squeezes.
It’s the first of what seems like so many pushes. And with each one, we grow closer to our child.
I look at the clock. It feels like it’s been hours for me, so for Mia it must seem like an eternity. In reality, it’s been thirty minutes since she started pushing.
“That’s it, Mia. Next push, she’s out. I promise,” Doctor McRoberts says.
“I hope so.” Mia groans.
“You can do it,” Drew says.
Mia bears down again, and in an instant, my whole life changes. Drew was right.
I see her.
I see the second our daughter comes out of Mia’s body. It’s gross, but beautiful. We made this little human.
She’s worth everything. All the months of secrecy, the sneaking around to protect Mia, telling the world about us even if it meant losing everything. This little girl is our miracle.
“James? Is she okay?” Mia’s tone is worried, and I realise
I haven’t said a word. No one has.
I nod. “Oh, God, Mia. In a minute you’ll see what I do, and you’ll see that she’s more than okay. She’s perfect.” Tears prick my eyes.
“Congratulations, you two.” I hear Drew, but I don’t turn to look at him. I can’t take my eyes off my little girl as she’s placed on Mia’s chest.
“James.” She gasps.
Drew plants a kiss on Mia’s forehead, and I look up as he walks around the bed. I take his extended hand, and he pulls me into a hug. “I’m so proud of you, little bro. I’ll wait outside for a bit, leave you two to enjoy.”
He pulls away. “She’s beautiful, you guys. I’ll text Hayley and let her know.”
“Thanks for everything.”
Drew smiles. “Any time.”
I sit back down beside Mia. Seeing our child leaves me awestruck. I’m her father. I’d reconciled myself to this moment never happening, but I’m so glad that she’s here.
“What do you think, Mackenzie?” Mia asks.
That was one name on a long list of names we couldn’t agree on. “You want to call her Mackenzie?”
“I think it fits her.” Mia grins. “She’s amazing, James. We did this.”
I nod. “We sure did. And I think her name is perfect.”
The midwife leaves us to it for a little while until it’s time for Mackenzie to feed. It takes a couple of attempts to get her latched onto Mia’s breast, but once she does she feeds like a pro.
“That’s my girl,” Mia whispers, stroking Mackenzie’s head.
I pull out my phone and take more photos. There’s a part of me that still can’t quite believe all of this. I’ve done the obligatory family text with pictures and stats, and my phone buzzes from the responses.
There’s a tap on the door, and Doctor McRoberts pokes his head in. “Just checking on how things are going, and it all looks good. We’ll keep you and baby overnight, and if everything’s still fine in the morning, you can go home.”
Mia nods. “Thank you.”
“Congratulations, Mia, and you too, James.” He nods before he closes the door.
Mia yawns.
“Want me to stay?” I ask.
“I’m not sure if they’ll let you.” She laughs softly. “I just want to get some sleep. It’s still early. Go and have a drink with Drew or something.”
“I’m not sure if I can leave.” I grin.
“Go on. Go back to the hotel and get some sleep. When we get out, it’s a long drive home.”
Home.
Home to our little flat with the nursery waiting for our girl.
Home to our temporary place that just became somewhere to stay a little longer.
Home to our friends and family.
I can’t wait to take my girls home.
* * *
Drew’s waiting outside, talking to the doctor, when I walk out. He claps his hand on my shoulder and grins. “I was just saying to Jason that we should go for a drink. You in?”
I nod. “Mia told me to go out with you and then get some sleep.”
“She needs time with the baby. It’ll take a bit to get into their routine.” Drew’s brows furrow. “I still sometimes think about how hard it was on Hayley when our babies were in the NICU and she couldn’t see them for a day or so. I’m glad things went well for Mia.”
“So am I. That whole blood pressure thing was scary. But we knew it went with the territory.” I let out a long breath. “Mia and Mackenzie are safe, and that’s all that matters.”
“Come on then. Let’s go and celebrate, Dad.” Drew grins.
* * *
We sit in the hotel bar, and for the first time all day I feel like I can relax. We’ve been stressed about Mia’s health problems during these past few weeks.
Jason’s really nice. He and Drew talk a bit of shop while I scroll through the photos I took, and when he leaves, Drew and I order one last drink and a pizza to share.
“I’m a dad.”
Drew nods. “Yes. Yes, you are.”
“She’s such an angel, Drew. Her little fingers and toes—just perfect.”
He picks up his glass, and I clink it with mine. “Are you sure? Did you count them all?”
“Are you trying to cast aspersions on my daughter?”
Drew laughs. “No, just winding you up. You guys did good. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks. And thanks for being here. I know it was a little weird of us to ask.”
He shakes his head. “I’d rather be here when you needed me than not. If anything had gone wrong, there’s no way I’d want to be back home and not able to help.”
“You took such good care of Mia.”
He shrugs. “I know you would do the same for me with Hayley if I asked.”
I take a sip of my drink. “You bet I would. Congrats to you too. Another baby.”
“It’s just one this time. Which I’m thankful for.” He leans back in his seat. “Less risk of what happened last time, but it doesn’t make me less worried. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“You guys will be fine. I’m sure of it.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “I always wanted a big family, but this’ll be the last one.”
I nod. “Mackenzie will be our only one. Mia’s not doing this again, and I’m happy for that. Hell, we didn’t even think we’d have one at all.”
“And now you have a beautiful little girl to love.” He grins. “It’s so worth it, James. The early days are hard, but one day she’ll give you a dazzling smile, and you’ll fall even deeper in love.”
“I can’t wait.”
He sighs. “Just get as much sleep as you can. And make sure Mia gets a lot of rest. She needs it. That labour took a lot out of her.”
“Of course. I can’t wait to get home.”
“I bet. At least at home you’ll have uncles and aunts to help with the load. And Dad. Dad’ll be over the moon to be there for the baby.”
I grin. “I can’t wait for him to meet her.”
“It’s an amazing feeling, that’s for sure. Are Mia’s parents close?”
I shake my head. “No, and they don’t have a lot to do with her. They didn’t approve of her past marriage.”
“That’s a shame. Maybe the little one will help bridge that gap.”
“Maybe. She hasn’t spoken in them for so long they don’t know she’s divorced. Or that she was pregnant.”
He nods. “That’s sad, but I think I can understand her reluctance if they rejected her. I hope it works out the way she wants it to.”
“So do I. I think she’s just scared of being rejected again.”
The pizza disappears so fast, I think it barely touches the sides for either of us. But after his drink, Drew stands. “I’m going to my room. I could drive back tonight and skip the hotel, but after a couple of drinks and the excitement of seeing my niece being born, I could do with a good sleep. Besides, I need to call Hayley, and I’ll need some privacy for that.” He grips my shoulder. “I’m so proud of you. I hope you know that. We all are.”
“Thanks, Drew. Good night.”
“If I was you, I’d get some sleep too.”
I nod. “I will.”
* * *
I can’t let go of what Drew said.
Is Mackenzie what Mia needs to resurrect her relationship with her parents? Or has it been so broken for so long that there’s no hope?
I don’t know much about her parents, but I do know their names. After loading up the White Pages on my phone, I look up Stokes in Wellington.
There are a ton of hits.
I search my memory for their first names. Anthony and Meredith.
When I spot an Anthony and Meredith, I grin. Surely, it has to be them. I dial. Mia’s already estranged from her parents. I can’t make that worse. Surely.
“Anthony Stokes speaking.”
I take a breath. “Hi, Mr Stokes. Are you Mia’s father? Mia Scott?”
“I am. Is Mia okay?”
“You don’t know me, but I’m James, Mia’s partner.”
There’s silence for a minute. “James? You mean, she’s not with Garrett anymore?”
“No. She hasn’t been for quite some time. They’re divorced.”
I hear the hesitation in his voice. He hasn’t spoken to his daughter in so long, and I don’t want to push him too far. All I want to do is to tell him about the baby.
“What can I do for you, James?”
“Nothing, I guess. I just wanted you to know that you have a granddaughter. She was born this afternoon.”
“I … I …” There’s silence again, and I guess he’s at a loss for what to say.
“I know it’s not really any of my business, but I thought I’d let you know. She’s beautiful, and Mia and I are over the moon. Her name’s Mackenzie.”
“Thank you for calling.” The emotion’s clear in his voice now. “I appreciate it more than I can tell you. I’ll let Mia’s mother know.”
“Thank you. If you want, I can leave my number if you want to get back in touch with Mia.”
“I think I’d like that.”
I can’t help the grin on my face. “If you have email, I can email you through some photos.”
“That would be wonderful.”
I’m not sure if this will reconcile them, but I’ve got to give it a go. Right?
* * *
Mia’s looking refreshed in the morning, despite a lack of sleep. Her blood pressure’s back down, and we’ve got the okay to leave.
It’s just as well. She’s itching to get Mackenzie home and for us to just get on with it.
“Your bag’s packed already?”
She laughs. “I’m so outta here. We have the okay to go, and I’m not hanging around.”
I grin. “Fair enough. I haven’t seen Drew this morning. I think he went home early.”
“He popped in to say goodbye. One night away from Hayley and the kids was a lot for him to deal with.”
“One night away from you sucked.”
Her smile’s radiant. “Well, tonight I plan on sleeping in my own bed. With my boyfriend. And possibly my baby, if she has a night like last night.”
