Delia Bay

by Lauren Cooper

I held Luna’s hand the whole way to the hospital, the near fractured knuckles there were screaming in pain each time she squeezed down on them too tightly but I daren’t complain.

  I wanted to keep my head and my balls thank you very much.

  The nurse led us into a dimly lit room with a larger than average bath tub in the middle, the water already filled to the top. It hadn’t surprised me one little bit when Luna had asked for a water birth, after all she was practically a fish anyway. I dumped the bags in the corner of the room before helping Luna out of her clothes and into the water.

  “You’re doing well Luna, it won’t be long I don’t think” The midwife smiles after checking her over. I was under the strict instruction to stay up wind of her and not to cast my eyes between her legs, but god knows I’m only human and if I want to watch my baby being born they I will. I’d gone to get the Pre-Op checkup I should have had well over a year ago a few months after we had the scan and sure enough the whole thing was a fuck-up and I’d been as fertile as any man could ever be. I never truly believed that the baby wasn’t mine anyway, how could I?

  With Luna resting her head on the side of the tub, her long blonde hair tied up in a knot at the top of her head and her breathing heavy but with purpose I could never second guess anything this woman does for me. I roll my sleeves up and sit in front of her, smoothing fly-away strands from around her head as she sucks on the Gas and Air slowly. Through all the anti-natal classes we’d been to Luna was totally free-spirited about the birth. There was none of that no painkillers shit, if she needed them she was having them she’d decided. We’d learnt breathing techniques and the best positions to ease labor pains but right now this whole situation was in Luna’s hands and I could just help her as best I could.

  “You’re doing great little dove” I plant a kiss to the top of her head as another contraction takes over. With one hand squeezing mine and the other firmly secured around the tube of gas Luna muffles a pained cry making my heart clench. It’s the one thing I noticed when I was reading all those damned birthing books, no one tells you how heart-wrenchingly painful it is for someone you love to watch you go through all that pain and not being able to do anything about it. It fucking sucks.

  Not that I was about to go offering to give birth, but I’d sure take some of the pain if I could.

  The midwife checks Luna over and over again, glancing at me and smiling softly as a sign of reassurance. It feels like minutes are passing by in hours, each painful contraction becoming more and more unbearable for my girl. The night sky dances with stars out of the window, the moon high over the bay just a few miles away. I try my best to help Luna, rubbing her back when she allows and whispering sweet nothings in her ear when she calms. My own beating heart doesn’t let up for a single second throughout the night, not even when the sky breaks into an array of color as the Sun begins to rise and Luna brings the best damned gift of all into the world.

  “Oh my god” I breathe as the sun washes through the window, landing straight on Luna and the tiny baby that’s laying on her chest.

  “You did it baby” my lips land on her cheek as my hand goes to the tiny baby’s head. Luna weeps, her tears mixing with the water and landing softly on the crying baby’s head.

  “Looks like a healthy baby girl, congratulations both” the midwife smiles at us before busying herself around us.

  “A baby girl” I whisper, trailing my thumb down the chubby little cheek that’s already flushed with her mothers’ pink skin. As if on instinct the little one moves its mouth in the direction of Luna’s full breasts and latches on almost instantly. Luna chuckles but then winces slightly.

  “Exactly like her daddy”

  “You okay?” I scrunch my eyebrow down as I watch my woman feeding my baby.

  “Yeah, feels weird” she glances down at the baby, suckling away gently with eyes wide staring up at her mama.

  “I love you” I say, watching as Luna turns her head towards me slightly, the smile on her face along with her tired eyes makes her more beautiful than ever.

  “I love you too blackbird”

  A LITTLE WHILE LATER after I’d cut the cord, separating our baby girl from her Mama for the first time and after they’d both been cleaned up and checked out we’d been moved to another room where Luna could get some rest and I could snuggle up to the tiny human who’d stolen my heart already. Wrapped in a white blanket with a matching hat on, the dusting of dark hair on the top of her head was covered as I rocked her slowly back and forth in my arms.

  “Do we have a name?” The midwife asks, carrying some forms in on the clipboard in front of her. I glance at Luna in the bed, her hair now brushed into soft curls around her beautiful face. We’d had a million and one conversations about baby names, some for boys and some for girls. We’d agreed on Lucia for a girl but apparently Thor for a boy was not an option.

  “Lucky for you she’s a girl” I smirk in her direction, glancing down at the tiny human in my arms with eyes as wide and as blue as her Mama’s.

  “Lucia” I say her name and she wriggles her tiny body in my arms making me laugh.

  “I think she likes it” I move to sit on the side of the bed beside Luna, handing her the baby.

  “Is she having a middle name?”

  “No”

  “Aurora” Luna says over me and any wind I thought I might have in my stomach gets knocked out of me.

  I turn my head towards her, the mop of hair on the top of my head that was only cut a few weeks ago but has grown too long already falls into my eyes and has me raking it back with my fingers.

  “What?” I ask, my mouth agape.

  “Lucia Aurora Archer” she smiles sweetly, her plump lips turning up at the corners as she glances down at the tiny bundle.

  “Little dove...” I shift my weight towards her.

  “It’s okay Reid. I love the name. That’s if you want it?” she turns her baby blues towards me, such depth and kindness behind them.

  “It means so much babe” I shake my head a little, this woman never ceases to amaze me.

  “Then that’s her name” she nods towards the midwife who jots it down on her clipboard, the lump in my throat and the swell in my heart is almost too much to handle, but somehow, I just curl up next to my girls and just appreciate having them both here. One with a tiny bit of Aurora in her forever.

  A few hours later the entire town descended on the delivery room, okay, not the entire town but it might have well as been. Mrs. Perry was the first one to hold Lucia, then Gus who was proud as punch at having his first grandbaby. I daren’t delve into politics with him, if the guy wanted to play Pop’s to my girl then I was more than fine with that. Lucia needed all the family in the world and she’d have that right here in Delia. I remember those words that Luna had once told me, how it was Tough Shit about not wanting a family because it’s true. Here in Delia, we’re all family and I know that from now on, I’ll never be alone again.

  The rest of the gang turned up later on, Rachel with her new beau Austin and Cash. Austin was the one who’d bought Luna’s apartment and he and Rach had shacked up there. I didn’t know the details because I didn’t need to know, that was Luna’s expertise anyway.

  “She’s perfect Luna” Rachel cooed over the baby from her seat next to the bed.

  “Of course, she is” Luna huffs making me smile. With crossed arms us guys just stood back and watched the girls have their moment.

  “Where did you come up with her name? I’ve never heard it before” Rachel smooths her finger down the sleeping baby’s skin.

  “It’s an old name, one given to babies born at day break” Luna stops to glance my way,

  “That time of day is special to us” she smiles softly but says no more. Honestly, this woman was sweet enough to make all my teeth fall out and my balls to shrivel up for any other woman on the planet.

  Wyatt dropped his head around briefly, the poor kid had no idea what to do with a baby, his innocence reminded me of ho
w things used to be, but that didn’t matter now. All that mattered were the two girls in this room, the two who put my broken pieces back together again and glued them shut.

  Woohaa’s & Battle Scars

  I COULDN’T WIPE THE smile off my face, no matter how hard I tried. It had been pot luck that my waters would break when Reid was up in town and I couldn’t find my phone anywhere. I was two weeks early but that was okay, I’d read all the books and stuffed my brain full of the information my Mama said would be useless anyway. Motherly Instinct she’d said would take over and the second I laid my eyes on Lucia I knew what I had to do. I was exhausted by the time everyone had come to visit the baby, Reid must have noticed because he’d ushered everyone out the door. Because my birth had gone well we were allowed to go home later that day, with Lucia bundled up in her car seat, wrapped in blankets and the tiny bobble hat her Aunty Rach had bought for her perched on her tiny head. Reid couldn’t stop looking at his new baby girl, his smile was so wide he looked like he had a coat hanger in his mouth.

  These past few months had been beyond hectic, the flat was emptied and sold to the two lovebirds, the cabin was extended and fitted with new bedrooms and a bathroom. Moonbeams had taken to online sales and business was booming for my little shop. Reid was still contemplating the idea of having his own shop, a tattoo shop he’d said but he was still nervous about spending the money Gus had gifted to him. In all these months the man has grown ten times his original size since he got to Delia. With each passing day he surprised me with things I didn’t expect him to be doing, it was as if since that day back in December when we’d visited Aurora and his parent’s graves he’d seen something that made him realize he could be happy, here, with me. With us.

  “Can you go slow over this road please?” I grit when Reid turns my Chevy onto the dirt road leading up the cabin.

  “I’ll try” he laughs a little, but my death glare has him slowing right down. I’ve just given birth for crying out loud, the last thing I want is to be bounced around on a dirt road.

  “My woohaa feels like it’s going to fall out anyway” I grit, gripping the door handle a little too tightly.

  Reid tries and fails to hide his laugh as he pulls the truck into the driveway.

  “I’m sorry” he glances at me over the car seat between us.

  “You’re woohaa? Your pussy will be fine. You’ll be good to go in no time” he winks making my jaw drop open.

  “You’re unbelievable” I shake my head before opening my door, ready and waiting to start my life with my little family in our cabin.

  The fridge was fully stocked with home-made dishes thanks to Mama, my favorite mac & cheese was wrapped up in film just waiting to be dived into. Reid carried the bags and the baby in before gathering up the mountain of gifts we’d received in less than twenty-four hours and the three balloons all for our baby girl. I unwrapped her much to her annoyance before I bundled her back up again the pod-like basinet we’d gotten for her in the living room.

  The next few days passed in a blur of diapers, boobs, visitors and ample amounts of calories. Lucia was a dream, sleeping for periods of time that meant both Reid and I could catch some shut eye, but when she wasn’t due for a feed and decided that she wasn’t going to sleep Reid would be up with her, walking the length of the cabin and pointing out random objects to her. I couldn’t help but lie there awake, listening to him telling his baby girl about Aurora, about the guitar and how he was going to play to her every day until she could hold one herself. One night he’d spoken to her about how he’d found me and how much he loved me. I had to bite my tongue and keep my head rooted to the pillow to stop myself from pouncing on him.

  This morning was no different, the tiny human had refused to go back to sleep after her last feed and Reid had gotten up with her, so I could get some more sleep. I could hear them from the living room, or rather hear Reid mumbling to Lucia. Stretching, I relish in the fact that my soreness seems to be fading and my body is getting back to some normality. Throwing the covers back I drag one of Reid’s T-shirts over my head before making my way to my man.

  “I love you baby girl” Reid whispers before placing the softest of kisses to Lucia’s button nose, her eyes closed as he cradles her tiny body in his palms. I approach on hushed footsteps, not wanting to disturb their moment before I wrap my arms around Reid’s neck, glancing over his shoulder at the perfect little life we’d created together.

  “We love you” I kiss his stubbly cheek, before going in search of coffee, albeit decaf.

  “Rachel is coming over today to finalize some things for the wedding” I say quietly over my shoulder so as not to wake the sleeping little demon. Okay, she wasn’t a demon, but how many times was she expecting to feed off her Mama and then get cuddled by her Papa? I was just a human cow to her for sure. I loved her all the same though. Rachel had taken over planning our wedding from the second I’d told her about Reid’s Christmas Day engagement. I’d bought my dress before my belly had gotten too big and I was set for another fitting in a few weeks. Rachel was my perfect wedding planner, she knew exactly what I wanted and how I wanted it to look, we just had to hope the unpredictable weather of Delia would hold off for us.

  “Do you need me to do anything?” Reid comes up behind me after placing Lucia in her basinet.

  “Just make sure you have your suit” I smile turning to lean back on the counter as I wait for the coffee to brew.

  “Really?” he cocks his eyebrow in my direction before walking towards me on bare feet and dressed in nothing but his black slacks.

  “Really” I say, my words coming out breathlessly as he brushes his hips against mine. The sound of the coffee brewing behind me with the quiet tweets of the birds from outside make my head swim as he places his lips on mine, the kiss gentle yet loving, needing but still withholding. It’s only been a few days since I gave birth, but Jesus do I crave him already. My low hum of approval has him hardening against my belly almost instantly and I get lost in his mouth, in his touch before the small cry from the living room has us laughing and pulling apart.

  “Few days old and a cock-block already” Reid rolls his eyes before hunting down our precious gem and hoisting her up in his arms as I finish the coffee, decaf for me. I place our mugs down on the coffee table before Reid hands me the hungry little princess, her tiny mouth open and already searching for my nipple.

  “She’s just like you” I laugh, hoisting my top down and settling in to feed her. Reid had moaned and groaned about my maternity pillow, but I’d won him over and it had set up shop on my yellow armchair in the living room, it was the perfect accessory for helping me feed.

  Blue Skies & Rainbows

  I’M PRETTY SURE I BLINKED to get to this day. Lucia babbles away on her soft play matt on the floor whilst Rach fusses with my hair. I’d sat here all morning getting my make-up done only to go for the natural look anyway. Lucia had been good as gold, feeding whilst Rach had dabbed this and that all over my face. I’d left my hair down, into the flowy, loose curls I know Reid loves so much and added a daisy headband around my head. All of the wedding flowers were daisies, my bouquet and Rachel’s, the men’s lapels even had the giant daisies picked fresh from the meadow pinned to them.

  “Ready for your dress?” Rach asks as she sorts a strand of hair out at the back of my head. My reflection staring back at me doesn’t look half as rough as the one I’ve been seeing most mornings the past few weeks. While Lucia sleeps soundly it’s her daddy who’s the one keeping me up all night long wanting to put another bun in the oven.

  “Yes” I smile, turning towards the gorgeous bundle on the floor, her dark black hair just like her daddies curling at the ends. Those chubby cheeks and chunky legs are donned in a stunning lace dress that Mrs. Greyson from the fabric store had made for her. It closely resembled my own gown, the lace and the tiny details here and there made for a very beautiful baby.

  “You look gorgeous baby girl” I poke my tongue out at her, earning
a happy squeal and a wide smile fit with the drooling tongue. The sun streams in on the far end of the room, the floor to ceiling windows we have there overlooking the bay and casting the glorious weather right into our bedroom. Rach unhooks my dress from the hanger over the door, before bringing it to me. Reid had insisted on having a bedroom door that we could forcibly lock the little gremlin out once she was on the move.

  From the second Lucia was born he’s been this happy, smiling, overly-affectionate pain in my ass but after everything he’s been through I’ll take this any day. Besides, once today was over there was no escaping me, after all, today I was becoming his wife.

  I couldn’t stop the smile spreading across my cheeks as I stepped into my off-white dress with the lace capped sleeves and train to match. It was fitted to my curves, cinched in at the waist but not too tightly because I had no idea how quickly I’d bounce back after having Lucia and I wasn’t risking it. The dress was the one and I wasn’t leaving the store without it.

  We had a marquee set up in the meadow, Mayor Brown had let us clear a small patch to accommodate our guests if we promised to look after the ground once we were done. Lucia and I had been out there almost every day, lying in the shade on a blanket whilst waiting for Reid to get home from work. The ceremony would take place on the edge of the meadow at the point where it falls away onto the beach. My shoes had to be appropriate for the terrain and so I’d opted for converses. I’d gone as far as to stich Bride into the backs of them to make them a little more wedding appropriate, but Mama had loved the idea.

  The zipper at my back pulls tightly around my boobs, the poor things still filled with enough milk to feed a thousand Archer babies but somehow Rach manages to get it up.

  “All done” she smiles at me over my shoulder, her own hair and make-up perfect and her lace topped satin gown that flows right to the floor blends with mine perfectly.