Last Place in the Chalet

by Sue Brown

  Even Maria laughed at Noel’s sigh of relief. He’d never been down the business end of a woman, and he intended to keep it that way. He climbed onto the bed and took her hand. “Have you called Joe?”

  She nodded wearily. “The first flight he can get is this evening. He won’t get here in time.”

  “I’m so sorry, Maria. You should have your husband, not a bunch of strangers.”

  “I expected a cesarean and to wake up with a baby, but Mother Nature is a bitch, ya know?”

  He nodded. “Would you like a drink?”

  “Scotch on the rocks?”

  “I don’t think—”

  “Water it is,” Angel said firmly.

  She made a face. “Damn.”

  “I’ll drink one for you,” Noel suggested, but Angel shook his head again. “You get coffee, mister.”

  “I’m on it,” Charlie called from the hallway.

  Maria managed a laugh. “The poor guy’s going to be run off his feet.”

  “What did the hospital say?” Angel asked.

  “They said to hold on.” Maria gasped, and her grip on Noel’s hand tightened painfully.

  Angel waited until she’d panted her way through the contraction, and then he answered. “The answer is no. You’re almost fully dilated. There’s no way you can wait.”

  “But it’s… six weeks… early.” Her face was pinched with worry. “What happens if something goes wrong?”

  “Don’t you focus on anything except your gorgeous baby,” Angel said. “You’ve got me, Noel, and Charlie to help you. You’re not on your own.”

  Noel noticed he didn’t promise everything would be all right.

  Childbirth was something Noel never expected to encounter in the flesh. Once he realized he was gay, he never thought much about family and children. He knew it took a long time and it was painful, but he’d never really worried about the mechanics of a woman giving birth. In TV and movies, women yelled a lot and gave a couple of pushes and it was done.

  This was nothing like that. It seemed to come in waves, and just when Noel thought it was nearly done, the contractions would calm down again and Maria would start laughing and joking. They drank coffee, sat on the bed, and talked about movies and sports. Then Maria’s face would contort, she’d be rubbing her stomach, and Noel would know recess was over.

  After a while she asked if Noel would get behind her and hold her as she delivered the baby. Noel looked at Angel, who nodded.

  “Whatever Mama wants… except a Scotch,” Angel added as Maria opened her mouth.

  Noel climbed on the bed, sorted out the pillows, and drew Maria back against him. He was there for Maria, and Charlie was Angel’s helper.

  “I wish Joey was here.” Maria started to cry.

  “Why don’t you talk to him?” Noel suggested.

  He took her phone from the nightstand and handed it to her, but she fumbled with the buttons and asked him to do it. A few taps later and the phone rang in his ear.

  “Mare? Are you all right? Is the baby here?” Joe sounded frantic.

  “Hi Joe, my name’s Noel. We’re here with Maria. She needs you right now. Can you talk to her?”

  “Put her on.”

  Noel put the phone to Maria’s ear and held it for her.

  “Hey baby,” she said, tears dripping down her cheeks. “Yeah, I want you here too. That was Noel. Yeah, he’s cuddling me right now.” She tilted her head to look at Noel. “He says to keep your hands to yourself.”

  “It isn’t my hands you have to worry about.” Noel tipped his head toward Angel, who growled at him.

  God, he was adorable. Noel was falling for him even more in the middle of this bizarre situation.

  “He’s doing the hard work.” Maria’s tears had cleared and she was smiling. She clutched her phone as though it were a lifeline.

  “Is Joe still there?” Noel asked.

  Maria nodded and held out the phone.

  Noel took it and took a deep breath. “Joe, it’s Noel. I need your help, man.”

  “My help? I’m two thousand miles away.”

  “Can you stay on the phone?”

  “I can.” Joe sniffled, and Noel felt for the man. He must be devastated, unable to be with his wife at the birth of their child.

  “Then you talk to Maria as if you were here beside her. Talk, sing, whatever it takes. I’m going to hold her, and my friend Angel is going to deliver the baby. He’s an EMT, and training to be a paramedic. He’s got Charlie as his assistant.”

  “What about the hospital?”

  “Don and the wise guys are helping to clear the roads. They’re racing to beat the arrival of little Joey.”

  Noel knew he didn’t just have to take care of Maria. He had a worried husband to look after too. He handed the phone back to Maria and tried not to listen to their conversation.

  Angel walked up to him and kissed him on the lips. “How are you doing?” he asked quietly, not wanting to disturb Maria’s whispered conversation with Joe.

  Noel cupped Angel’s neck and kissed him again. “I’m fine. How’s Mama doing?” He nodded toward the end of the bed.

  Angel’s lips twitched at his lack of description. “She’s doing just fine. The baby is taking his time, which is good.”

  “It is?” Noel asked doubtfully.

  Angel patted him on the arm. “You leave that end with me. It was a good idea to call Joe. It gives them both a chance to calm down.”

  Maria gasped and stiffened in Noel’s arms. “I think….”

  “We’re on again,” Angel said brightly and skipped down to the bottom of the bed.

  She glared at him. “We?”

  “It’s a team effort,” he assured her.

  Noel plucked the phone out of her hand and said, “Joe, contraction time. Do you want me to call back or leave the line open?”

  “Put me on speaker,” Joe demanded.

  “Okay.”

  Noel did as he was told, put the phone on the nightstand, and held Maria as she panted her way through another contraction. This one was stronger than before, and Noel knew his hand was going to be bruised or torn off before the baby arrived. Maria had a hell of a grip.

  “Fuck, that hurt,” Maria said when she could speak again. She flopped back in Noel’s arms. He kept his mouth shut, but he was very glad he was a man. He tried to flex his hand discreetly when she let go. Angel caught what he was doing and smirked at him.

  “You’re doing great, babe,” Joe said, his voice tinny.

  Maria smiled. “I am. I’ve got a great team here, Joe. You should see them.”

  “Take photos,” he suggested.

  So Angel took a photo of Noel holding Maria on the bed, and Noel took a photo of Angel and Charlie. It was strange, but then the whole thing was bizarre. Maria was tired, so Noel sent them to Joe.

  “Thanks guys,” Joe said. “I wish I were there.”

  “We do too,” Noel said, and they all laughed, even Maria, until her face tightened and she clutched at Noel.

  “Another contraction,” Angel said.

  He coached Maria through it while Noel held her tight and Joe told her how much he loved her. They were a team.

  By Noel’s reckoning, the contractions were less than two minutes apart. Surely the baby was on its way.

  Angel seemed to agree, and when the next contraction came, he said, “I can see the baby’s head, Maria.”

  “I can feel the baby’s head,” she gritted out. “It’s the size of a watermelon.”

  “You’re giving birth to a watermelon?” Noel teased.

  “With claws,” she agreed.

  “You’re all being very mean about my baby,” Joe said.

  “You give birth to it, then,” she snapped, but there was no heat in her tone. “Here’s another one.”

  Angel smiled at her. “Okay, Maria, when I tell you, I want you to push.”

  “I can do that,” she gasped.

  Noel held her hand firmly. “You push
against me.”

  She nodded, having lost the ability to speak.

  “Push,” Angel ordered.

  Maria yelled at the top of her lungs and pushed. Noel held her and Joe yelled his encouragement.

  “You’re doing great,” Angel assured her. “When I tell you, push again.”

  Then her grip tightened on Noel’s hand, Angel gave the order, and she pushed again, her face crimson with the effort.

  “Here he comes,” Angel said. “Oh, good girl. Here he is.”

  “My baby’s there? Is he all right? Talk to me,” Joe demanded.

  “Let Angel check him over,” Maria managed.

  A cry filled the room. Noel was flooded with relief and wonder. The baby was crying. It was alive.

  “He’s perfect,” Angel said. “A little small, but that’s to be expected.”

  “Can I hold him?” Maria asked.

  “Of course you can, Mama.” Angel stood and placed the baby, still with the cord attached, into her arms. She undid the buttons on her nightgown and placed the baby against her breast. He nuzzled against her nipple and started suckling.

  “See, he knows what to do already,” Angel said.

  “He’s just like his papa, already likes a drink,” she groused but grinned at the same time.

  “Maria? Are you there? Is he all right? Is my baby all right?” Joe sounded frantic, desperate for someone to answer him.

  “Where else would I be?” she groused, and then she smiled. “He’s gorgeous, Joe. He got lots of black curls, just like you and me,” Maria said.

  “I’ll take pictures.” Charlie picked up the phone from the nightstand.

  “If I move, you can rest against the pillows,” Noel said.

  He slid out from behind her, and settled her and the baby back against the pillows.

  Charlie took picture after picture and sent them to Joe, and they listened as he cried openly when he looked at the first images of his son.

  “He’s my boy,” Joe choked out. “I love you, Maria.”

  Charlie was about to hand the phone to Maria so the new parents could have a private conversation when there were voices outside the room.

  “Hallooo,” Don called. “I’ve got the paramedics here.”

  “Too late,” Maria muttered, and Noel laughed.

  Charlie went out to guide them into the room, and then the room was filled with a man and a woman in uniform. They took over swiftly as Angel explained the birth and his actions. Noel left the room to give them space to examine Maria and the baby. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. He’d never experienced anything as wonderful and scary as watching a new life come into the world.

  After a short time, the paramedics wheeled Maria and the baby away, and Angel promised to follow with supplies for her and the baby.

  The room was quiet when everyone was gone except for Angel and Noel.

  “The bed looks like a murder scene.” Noel grinned at Angel, who’d just washed up in the adjoining bathroom.

  Angel gave a bark of laughter, and then his face crumpled and he reached out. Shocked, Noel was there in an instant, wrapping his arms around him, drawing him close against his chest.

  “Hey, what’s wrong? The baby’s fine. Maria’s fine. You did a great job.”

  Angel shuddered and buried his face into the crook of Noel’s neck. Noel could feel the tears run down his neck as Angel sobbed. He had no clue what had prompted the storm of tears, but he wasn’t going to let Angel go until he was ready. He stroked Angel’s hair to soothe him as Angel fought for control. It took a long time until he calmed, the sobbing subsiding to long shuddery breaths, and finally Angel raised his head to show wet eyes and puffy cheeks.

  “Sorry. You must think I’m stupid to cry when everything is okay. I’ve delivered many babies.”

  “Probably not like this,” Noel suggested.

  “No, but it’s not that.” He huffed out a breath. “The last delivery didn’t go so well. We lost the mom and the baby.”

  “Oh Angel, I’m so sorry.”

  “We were trying to help the baby when she had a postpartum hemorrhage. She bled out before we could stop it. The dad didn’t arrive home in time. She was asking for him right up to the end.” Angel wiped his eyes as fresh tears spilled onto his cheeks. “I was so scared, Noel. If it had happened again, I’d never have forgiven myself.”

  Noel couldn’t imagine what horror that must have been for Angel. He wrapped him in his arms again, determined never to let Angel go. “You didn’t show it, and you were amazing.”

  “So were you.” Angel’s voice was muffled against Noel’s chest. “God, I need a drink and a shower.”

  “How about coffee?”

  Angel sniffed, raised his head, and nodded. “Let’s clear up the room first.”

  “Deliver the baby and provide janitorial services? I’m not sure about that,” Noel huffed, but he did as he was told—stripped down the bed and placed everything in a plastic sack Charlie had provided earlier.

  Don appeared in the doorway. “Hey guys, brunch is ready in the great room if you want it. Pancakes and bacon.”

  Noel’s stomach rumbled loudly, as if on cue.

  “That’s a yes from Noel,” Angel smirked.

  Noel nodded eagerly. He didn’t want to mention food in front of Maria, but he’d been hungry since he woke up, and that was hours ago. “What time is it?”

  “It’s nearly eleven,” Don said.

  “No wonder I’m starving.” Noel held out his hand to Angel. “Food?”

  Angel nodded and laced his fingers with Noel’s. “Food.”

  They found the wise guys at the table. The three men looked exhausted, and Noel realized they’d worked just as hard shoveling snow for hours. But they all smiled when Angel and Noel sat down.

  “Congratulations,” Marv said. “We had a baby boy?”

  Noel beamed at them. “We did.”

  He smiled at the thought of a chalet full of gay men celebrating the arrival of a newborn.

  Charlie placed a stack of fresh pancakes and a pile of bacon in front of Noel, whose stomach rumbled again.

  “Eat up,” Charlie said.

  Noel scarfed the pancakes and bacon as though he hadn’t eaten for a week. When he looked over, Angel was doing the same thing. For a slight man, Angel ate enough for a stevedore.

  “More?” Charlie raised an eyebrow at the empty plates.

  Angel made a noise—part agreement, part growl—and Noel just nodded his head, his mouth still full.

  “Does that include us too?” Goldie asked hopefully.

  Charlie laughed. “Same again for everyone.”

  “I’ll help you,” Don said as he got to his feet and vanished back into the kitchen with Charlie.

  Noel hoped Maria had been fed, because she was missing out on Charlie’s cooking, and that was not a good thing. He sat back in his chair and sipped coffee. He didn’t feel much like talking, and even the wise guys were quiet. Frankie admitted he was going for a nap after brunch. From the spark in Marv’s eyes, he didn’t think Frankie would get much sleep.

  “Hey.” Angel nudged his foot.

  Noel smiled at him. “Hey you.”

  “How do you feel?” Angel asked.

  “Tired,” he admitted.

  “I want to go visit Maria as soon as we’ve finished here. Just to check she’s all right. I’m worried about her being on her own. Do you want to come with?”

  “Yeah, I do.” Although Noel felt he could sleep for a week, he would like to see Maria and maybe cuddle the life he helped bring into the world.

  “That’s a wicked grin,” Angel said.

  “I’m just thinking of my mother’s reaction to me being present at a birth.” Noel saw Angel’s confusion. “My mom thinks I hate women.”

  “Because you’re gay?”

  “Kind of. I always liked the male teachers and her guy friends more than the women.” Noel shrugged. “I li
ke women well enough. I just prefer to be around guys.”

  Angel nodded. “All my best friends are women, but I’ve got male friends too. My friends are into anime and manga like me. I was never into football and sports in high school. The jocks thought I was a waste of time, except when they needed help with their homework.” Angel gave a wry twist of his lips. “They quit bullying me for at least a week.”

  “I was the one who needed help with my homework,” Noel confessed. “Then we had a math teacher in grade school, Mr. Hollis, and he made math fun. It was as if everything fell into place. My grades improved, and my parents quit nagging me.”

  “I bet he was hot too.” Angel smirked at him.

  “He was a hotter Ricky Martin,” Noel admitted. “I would have done anything for him.”

  “I would do anything for you.”

  It was so quiet, Noel wasn’t sure he was meant to have heard that. Before he could respond, Charlie and Don arrived with the second round of pancakes and bacon and the moment was lost.

  “You guys better leave room for dinner tonight,” Charlie ordered.

  “We will,” Angel promised as he helped himself to more pancakes.

  Chapter 14—Day 6

  Christmas Day lunchtime

  “CHARLIE’S A miracle worker,” Angel declared as they went into the hospital to visit Maria. “Where did he find premature baby clothes?”

  Noel grunted under the weight of the bags in either hand. “I feel like the donkey carrying Mary.” He caught a couple of people looking at him strangely and realized he’d said that out loud.

  “You did that earlier,” Angel assured him. “Now we’re more like the three kings delivering gifts.”

  “We should have sent the wise guys.”

  Angel chuckled. “They’re coming later.”

  “Or sooner.” Noel had distinctly heard sex noises from their room, even though they said they were going skiing after lunch.

  Noel and Angel went to reception and asked to visit Maria.

  “Are you family?” the receptionist asked. She had that officious gatekeeping expression, and Noel girded himself for a fight.

  “We delivered the baby,” Angel said with the sweetest of smiles.

  Her expression changed immediately, and she beamed at them. “You’re the boys who helped Mom?”