by Sarah Biglow
“How are you feeling, Chris?”
“Tired. And cold.”
“Try to get some more sleep.”
Shannon started for the door.
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Sorry I got you and the baby sick.”
“That’s okay, honey. We’ll be just fine.”
She slowly made her way downstairs, where Meghan and Tanner were watching cartoons. “You guys need to not bother Christian tonight, okay? He’s still not feeling well.”
“What about you, Mama?” Megan asked.
“Mama’s not feeling very well, either.”
“I want a kiss night night,” Tanner said and tugged on Shannon’s sleeve.
“Daddy will give you extra kisses tonight, okay?”
Tanner seemed disappointed but turned back to the TV. By nine o’clock, all the kids were in bed, and Shannon was pulling the covers up to her chin. She rolled to her side and got comfortable. The Pepto-Bismol seemed to be working, and she’d just taken another dose.
Mike walked in and sat down on the edge of the bed. “You need anything?”
“Just a good night’s sleep,” she answered.
“Okay.”
He started to leave, when Shannon reached out a hand toward him. He stopped and looked at her.
“Tell me something,” she said.
“What?”
“Why is it so hard for you to do things like take the kids to school?”
Mike cleared his throat, stared at her for a minute, and said, “I guess…my father taught me growing up that it was a man’s place to provide for his family, and taking care of the family was the woman’s job.”
“We live in the twenty-first century, Mike. Roles have changed a lot since then.”
“I know. I’m trying, Shan. I know it doesn’t look like it, but I am. Some habits are just hard to break.”
He kissed her forehead and shut the light off as he left. Shannon sighed and settled in for a long night with one hand pressed against her stomach. She hoped Aiden’s immune system was strong enough to fight off the bug. She wasn’t sure she could handle having him sick before he was even born.
30
February 16th
Lisbeth crossed the street and headed into the yoga studio just as her phone showed noon. She hated being late, but getting anywhere quickly these days was an amazing feat. Luckily, she wasn’t the only one straggling into the studio. She dumped her clothes and bag in the changing area and waddled in. She took up a spot beside Renee and tried to focus on her breathing. She could feel her heart thundering in her chest as she tried to relax. It slowed a little bit, but she could still barely catch her breath. The moment she tried to move into the warrior pose, a sharp pain shot across her stomach from left to right. She tried not to cry out as she massaged her side.
“You don’t look so good,” Renee whispered.
“I’m okay. Don’t worry about it,” Lisbeth lied.
The pain was still there every few seconds, shooting across her belly. Instead of slowing, her heart quickened as the pain came more frequently in sharp strikes and slashes against muscle. In a matter of minutes, she was doubled over in agony. She felt hands supporting her as she sank to the floor. She looked up at her friends.
“Let’s get her outside,” Shannon said.
Lisbeth let them lift her to her feet and guide her out to the lobby area. She sat down and gasped for breath.
“What’s wrong?” Shannon asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never felt anything like this. I think something’s wrong.”
“Where does it hurt? What does it feel like?”
“Sharp, shooting pain in my stomach. From left to right. And I can’t catch my breath.”
Before any of them could say another word, she doubled over again. This time, it felt like her stomach was being torn in half.
“Oh God, I think I’m having contractions.”
“But you’re too early. I mean even with twins…you can’t be going into labor now,” Erika said.
“Everyone, stay calm,” Shannon said. She disappeared and then returned with her purse.
“We’re going to go the hospital. Erika, I want you to call Candace and let her know where we’re going. Renee, I want you to ride with Lisbeth.”
“She can’t drive in this condition,” Renee said.
“My keys are in my bag,” Lisbeth said.
Lisbeth waited for Renee to come back. The pain seemed to have subsided now, and she got to her feet. She leaned on Renee’s shoulder while they walked to her car.
“Can you send me Candace’s number?” Erika called from behind them.
“Yeah. Let me get in the car, and I’ll text it to you.”
“We’ll be right behind you,” Shannon said as Lisbeth climbed into the passenger seat.
She texted Candace’s work number to Erika, hoping that Candace wasn’t with a patient. She tried to keep her breathing even as Renee pulled out of the parking spot and sped off into traffic.
“How are you feeling?” Renee asked when she stopped at a light.
“The pain seems to have stopped for now. But that doesn’t mean it won’t come back.”
“Do you think something specific triggered it?”
“I have no idea. All I did was try to do the warrior pose, and the next thing I know, my stomach’s on fire. I don’t feel like the babies are in distress or anything.”
“Hopefully someone at the hospital can help.”
“Yeah. I’m not sure we’re ready for this.”
“I thought you had everything all ready.”
“I mean, to have them this soon. They’ll have to be in the intensive care unit for a while. Who knows how long that will last?”
Renee gave her a sympathetic look through the rearview mirror, pulled into the left lane, and signaled into the parking lot of New England Medical.
“Try to stay calm.”
Renee killed the engine, pulled the keys from the ignition, and climbed out of the driver seat. Lisbeth unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door. Just as Renee rounded the front of the car, the pain returned.
“I don’t think I can walk,” Lisbeth gasped.
She watched as Renee flagged someone down. Lisbeth heard a car pull up on the other side, and two car doors slammed.
“How is she?” Erika asked.
“Not good,” Renee answered as someone approached. “We need a wheelchair,” she said.
A voice crackled on a radio, and the person Renee was talking to stepped around the passenger side door.
“Ma’am, can you tell me what’s wrong?” he asked.
“I think I’m having contractions. I’m thirty weeks.”
“We have a wheelchair coming.”
“I got Candace. She’s on her way,” Erika said.
A second attendant arrived with a wheelchair.
Lisbeth managed to get into the wheelchair without a problem, and they raced into the hospital. They pushed her into an elevator and went up two floors to the labor and delivery floor. By the time they reached a room, she was gripping her stomach with both hands and breathing hard.
“Let’s get you on the bed,” the first nurse said.
Ten minutes later, she laid situated in the bed with monitors hooked up. The pain had dissipated again, and Shannon, Erika, and Renee were allowed into the room.
“Hey, how are you?” Shannon asked, reaching for Lisbeth’s free hand.
“Okay. They’re monitoring what’s happening before they do anything. They think it’s probably false labor, but they want to be sure.”
The door opened, and Candace came in. “Are you okay, honey?”
“Yeah. I think we’re all okay. Yoga today just wasn’t the right thing to do.”
“What did the doctor say?”
“Not much. They’re monitoring the babies. They seem okay.”
“Excuse me,” a female nurse said, approaching with a bag of clear liquid.
“What is
that?” Lisbeth asked.
“Magnesium sulfate to stop the contractions.”
“It won’t hurt the babies, will it?” Candace asked.
“There are some possible side effects, but we’ll be monitoring them closely. The doctor will be in shortly to talk to you.”
Lisbeth grabbed Candace’s hand and squeezed tight. The pulse-ox made her grip awkward, but Candace didn’t seem to mind.
“We knew there could be problems with multiples,” Lisbeth said to Candace, though it was more to reassure herself.
“I know.”
For the first time in months, Lisbeth’s thoughts turned to the reduction. Would we be here right now if we only had one baby to worry about? A knock drew her attention, and a doctor with shoulder-length blond hair walked in. The doctor’s entrance banished all thoughts of singletons from her mind.
“Lisbeth?” she asked.
“Yes?”
“I’m Doctor Melissa. It seems you had some preterm contractions this afternoon. We’ve got the magnesium sulfate to slow those down and hopefully stop them.”
“The nurse said there are some possible side effects for the babies?”
“Muscle tone weakness, slowed heart rate, but we’ll be monitoring the babies the whole time. We’ll also be giving you some steroids to help their lungs mature.”
“We aren’t having them now, are we?” Candace asked.
“No. We’ll keep them in there a little longer. We would like to keep you on bed rest until you deliver, though.”
“That’s going to be a long time,” Lisbeth sighed.
“It’s what’s best for the babies,” Candace told her.
“I know. You’ll have to call the school and tell them. I hadn’t been planning to leave until March.”
“Well, we will keep you as happy and comfortable as we can until you have your babies,” Doctor Melissa said. She turned to the rest of the group. “She’ll be fine. But visiting hours end in a few hours. We don’t want to overdo it.”
“We’ll be heading out shortly,” Shannon assured her.
With that, Doctor Melissa left the room. Shannon walked over to the bed and gave Lisbeth’s hand a pat.
“We’ll be by when we can. You just relax and try not to get too bored in here.”
“I’ll do my best,” Lisbeth said, waving goodbye to her friends.
“You want me to stop at home and pick up some clothes?” Candace asked.
“Yeah. But you don’t have to go right now.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Candace promised, sitting down beside her.
“I hope you didn’t have to cancel too many patients,” Lisbeth said.
“They all understand. I can take some time off now if you need me to.”
“No, I’ll be okay. Just visit me every day.”
“You won’t be able to get rid of me,” Candace teased.
Lisbeth smiled and settled against the pillow. Despite the early hour, the urge to sleep tugged at her conscious thoughts.
“I think I’m going to crash for a little bit,” she said.
“Okay. I’ll stay awhile longer before I head home and get your things.”
“This is going to be a long two months,” Lisbeth muttered and tried to sleep.
31
February 28th
Renee sat down in the locker room, exhausted. Every inch of her screamed in agony. Even her hands hurt. She bent down and rubbed her ankles. Standing and walking around even for a half hour took its toll on her. But she’d do it for as long as she could. She needed the money.
“Do you want someone to cover your next tour?” Pam asked from the doorway.
“How long do I have?”
“Half an hour. Forty minutes, maybe.”
“No. I’ll be fine. I just need to take a little breather.”
“How are things at home, Renee?”
Renee shrugged. “Okay. We’re ready for the baby when she comes. But it won’t be for another couple months.”
“What about…Bryce?” Pam asked.
Renee groaned and shook her head. “I tried to call him, but it just went to voicemail, and he didn’t call back. I don’t know what’s up with him. He’s like ADD or something.”
Her boss walked into the room and sat down on the bench beside her.
“You’ll figure it out. You’re a smart girl.”
“I just wish he would make up his mind. He’s driving me crazy. What if he’s like this after the baby comes? I can’t rely on him if I can’t even get in touch with him.”
“Just see how things go. Keep trying to reach out to him.”
“It doesn’t seem fair that I have to do all the work when he was the one who up and left.”
“Not everything in life is fair. You just have to take the good with the bad and make the best of it.”
“I guess so,” Renee muttered, standing up.
She dug her knuckles into her lower back, trying to loosen the muscles. After pacing around, she headed back out to the aquarium. At least the winter tours were shorter. Usually smaller groups, too. Renee strolled past the tanks with all the tropical fish.
“You have the easy life,” she said.
Twenty minutes later, she met her mid-morning group and led them through the indoor area. A few of the kids begged her to take them outside, but their parents scolded them.
“Most of the animals are sleeping right now,” Renee explained.
“I want to see bears,” a little boy, about five years old, said.
“Please?” a chorus of tiny voices begged along with him.
“We don’t have bears here, guys. I’m sorry,” Renee said.
A few of the kids groaned in disappointment, but they brightened when she dropped them at the gift shop.
“Thank you,” a little girl said.
“You’re very welcome.”
Renee checked her watch and sighed. Lunch time. She headed into the locker room to pick up her purse and jacket, and one of her coworkers raced in.
“There you are,” he said.
“What’s up?”
“Someone’s looking for you.”
Renee’s mind immediately flew to Lisbeth in the hospital. She couldn’t have had the twins yet. Her heart pounded a little faster as she looked at him.
“Who is it? Did you get a name?”
“A guy. Just said he needs to see you.”
Momentary relief flooded her body. At least she didn’t have to rush to the hospital. But she had a feeling she knew who was waiting for her, and her emotions quickly ebbed to anger.
“Thanks.”
“Sure.”
Renee walked to the front of the aquarium, and sure enough, Bryce stood there waiting. She walked past the entrance and stopped a few feet from him.
“Hey,” he said.
“It’s my lunch break. So we’re going to have to talk while I eat.”
“Okay. I can drive.”
They walked to his car and headed for a diner a few miles away. Renee looked out the window as they passed over a bridge. The car stopped, and she got out without looking at him. He didn’t seem bothered by it until they were seated.
“I tried to call you,” she said.
“I know.”
“You said you wanted to be in my life, Bryce. In our daughter’s life. But when I reach out to you, you aren’t there.”
“I’m sorry, Renee. I mean it. I should have called back. I guess…well, I showed up, and your roommate was there with a bunch of people, and this guy basically told me to fuck off.”
Renee smiled a little. “That’s Dane. Erika’s boyfriend.”
“Oh. Well, he’s kind of intense.”
“Yeah. So…what’s it going to be?” Renee asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Are you in, or are you out? You have to make up your mind. I don’t want excuses for why you weren’t there before. I need to know you’re really going to be committed to this going forward.”
&n
bsp; “I’m trying.”
“Not from where I’m sitting.”
“So, maybe we just…start fresh from here. Today.”
“I guess we can do that. Look…you can see her. But not all the time. Not whenever you want.”
“What? Like weekends or something?”
“And holidays. Like Christmas and birthdays.”
Bryce scratched the back of his head as he thought about her proposal. Their waitress came back with drinks and took their orders.
“Okay. That…that’s good. But like…every weekend?”
“Are you still working the same schedule?”
“Yeah.”
“Every other weekend. Does that work for you?”
“Yeah. When um…does this all start?”
“She’s not due until April. And I’m not sure I want her sleeping in different places until she actually sleeps through the night. Besides, she’ll need to be fed every few hours.”
“I can do that. Like a bottle and stuff. Just give me a chance, Nee. I can do this. I’ll prove it to you.”
“Let’s take it one step at a time, okay? See where we go.”
“Sure. Do you want me there? For the birth?”
“I…hadn’t really thought about it. I don’t know how many people they allow in the room. And I already told my mom she could be there.”
The waitress returned with their meals and, after making sure they had everything, darted back toward the kitchen. Renee focused on her sandwich, hoping that Bryce would be occupied by his food and not talk more about the baby.
“What’s her name?” Bryce blurted.
“What?”
“Well…does she have a name yet?”
“Yeah. She does.”
“Are you going to tell me?”
“I haven’t really told anyone yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because I just haven’t.”
“I want to know.”
“You and everyone else.”
“She’s my daughter, too. Renee. I deserve to know. And I want to be there when she’s born.”
Renee chewed on the crust of her sandwich, thinking. She had been waiting to share her baby’s name until she was born. But it couldn’t hurt to tell Bryce now. It’s not like she would let him convince her to change it.
