Kasey frowned at his odd behavior, and her argument may have held more merit if her voice hadn't been slurred as she said, “I'm vishting with my friend Holl—Holly. Go 'way.”
Ashwin's face grew even darker as he set his mouth in a straight line, and before Kasey could say another word, he pulled her out of the booth and gently settled her over his shoulder before he strode out of the restaurant. Kasey weakly pounded her fists against his back as she slurred, “Wash your problem, Ash? Put me down now!”
Ashwin ignored her as he stepped into the elevator, choosing instead to hold her even tighter against his shoulder as the elevator slowly climbed to the twenty-fifth floor. Kasey weakly pounded her fists against his back again as she wailed, “You're hurting me! Put me down!”
Ashwin sighed and gently murmured, “I am not. Now be quiet.”
Kasey made a sound of frustration and finally went limp against his shoulder, and moments later she gave an exaggerated sigh as Ashwin unlocked their apartment door and stepped inside. He kicked it shut and walked through the living room and straight into the bathroom, then finally set her down and pointed to the little white stick on the counter. “Would you mind explaining that?”
Kasey's eyes widened as she followed Ashwin's finger to the stick laying on the counter. “Oh...um...that.”
“Yes. That.”
Kasey leaned forward and peered even more closely at the stick before she straightened and shrugged. “Well, um, it looks to me like someone is, um, pregnant.”
Ashwin took a step closer to her as he softly inquired, “And would you have any idea who that someone might be?”
Kasey slowly shook her head as she kept her eyes on the little white stick. “Um, hmm...let me think...uh, me, maybe?”
Ashwin gently grasped her arms and said, “Kasey! When were you planning to tell me?”
“Um...today?”
Ashwin sighed and pulled her against his chest, but his voice was far from gentle as he said, “I better not catch you drinking until AFTER this baby is born! As for the smoking, I better not catch you doing that EVER again! Is that clear?”
Kasey bit her lip as she hung her head and nodded. “I'm sorry...it's just that—well, I was scared...”
“What were you scared of, sweetheart?”
Kasey finally met his kind, concerned gaze as she softly replied, “I've never had a baby before, Ashwin! I mean, what—how--”
Ashwin finally laughed and drew her into his arms again, and his voice was amused and gentle as he replied, “Oh, Kasey, sweetheart...all you had to do was ask! How many times have I told you that I never want you to be afraid to talk to me about anything? You should know by now that I'm not going to let anything happen to you.” He sighed against the top of her head before he added, “I kind of already knew...”
Kasey slowly leaned back in his arms and pinned him with an incredulous look. “What do you mean, 'you kind of already knew'?”
Ashwin shrugged. “Just what I said.”
“But...how?”
Ashwin smiled as he gently tapped the end of her nose and said, “Gas station cheeseburger? Did you really think I bought that for a second?”
Kasey shook her head and began to laugh, and moments later she and Ashwin were laughing so hard that their sides ached as tears slipped down their cheeks. He finally calmed down enough to shake his head and murmur, “What am I going to do with you?”
Kasey grinned and quipped, “I have a list...”
Ashwin grinned as he crushed her against his chest and murmured, “I bet my list is longer...”
CHAPTER 31
Kasey lay in the quiet, dark stillness of her bedroom, unsure of what had pulled her from her restless slumber as she listened to Ashwin's deep, even breathing right beside her. These past seven months with him had been nothing but pure wedded bliss, and just as she'd suspected, he'd barely allowed her to lift a finger once he'd found out about his impending fatherhood. He had put any fears she'd had immediately to rest when he'd assured her that he would be the one to deliver this baby, and now, as a mild, uncomfortable cramp rolled through her belly, Kasey was immensely thankful for his devotion as she finally realized just why she was awake at two a.m. She sighed and gently rested her hand on top of her swollen belly, then glanced over at the clock on the nightstand as she waited to see just how long it would be before she felt another one of those telling cramps. Ashwin had spent the past seven months educating her on what was involved when it came to having a baby, and at the moment she didn't know whether to be thankful or terrified out of her mind as she felt another cramp building deep in her belly. She took a slow, deep breath and curled her hands into fists as she waited for the mildly uncomfortable cramp to pass, and when it did, she exhaled deeply and wondered just when she should wake Ashwin. Fifteen minutes later her body made that decision for her as the cramps suddenly became even more painful, and as she frantically shook his arm he drowsily murmured, “Huh? What is it, sweetheart?”
“Ashwin,” Kasey whispered as she shook his arm again. He blinked at her and slowly sat up before he switched on the bedside lamp, and one look at her face told him exactly why she'd woken him up at two-thirty in the morning. He leaned down and gently framed her face with his hands as he gently inquired, “It's time, isn't it?”
Kasey bit her lip as she slowly nodded, and she couldn't stop the ragged gasp that escaped her as another, more intense cramp viciously took hold in her belly. Ashwin gently placed his hand on her belly as he leaned over her, and his voice was gentle yet authoritative as he softly commanded, “Breathe, sweetheart...that's it. All you have to do is get through one at a time.”
Kasey went limp with relief when the cramp finally dissipated, but she knew that more were on the way as she glanced at the clock. Ashwin got out of bed and dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt, and after rolling the sleeves up, he turned back to Kasey and gently announced, “You know I have to examine you, right?”
Kasey groaned and bit her lip, but she said nothing as Ashwin disappeared into the bathroom and returned moments later with everything he would need to deliver his child. He'd covered everything with a towel so as not to terrify Kasey, but the look on her pale face was bad enough as he donned a pair of gloves and gently patted the foot of the bed. Kasey resigned herself to the fact that by the time this child was born, any sense of modesty she possessed would be non-existent. She reluctantly slid down to the foot of the bed and nearly jumped out of her skin when Ashwin gently pushed her knees apart, and his voice was gentle and full of understanding as he murmured, “Relax, sweetheart. I'm your husband; there's no reason for you to be shy around me or afraid of me.”
“I've never given birth to your child. In front of you, no less. So there. Those are two perfectly good reasons.”
Ashwin shook his head and said, “There's a first time for everything, sweetheart.”
“Gee, I sure seem to hear those words a lot.” She gasped as another contraction settled itself firmly in her belly, and for the next twenty-five seconds, Kasey's world was turned upside down as she struggled to comprehend just how she was going to deal with the seemingly endless pain. As the contraction finally faded away, she exhaled deeply and tried to relax when Ashwin began to examine her. She immediately tensed, which prompted Ashwin to glance at her face as he murmured, “Relax, Kasey...I don't want to hurt you, and if you don't relax, that's what will happen.”
“Please stop,” Kasey begged as tears slipped down her cheeks. Ashwin slowly shook his head as he gently replied, “I can't, sweetheart. Am I hurting you? If I am, tell me right now, and I'll stop.”
Kasey shook her head as she sobbed, “No...please, Ashwin...I can't do this...”
“Yes, you can, sweetheart. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere until I know that you and this baby are one hundred percent fine.”
Kasey gasped again as another contraction began building in her belly, and the pressure of Ashwin's hand between her legs only served to increase the pain from i
ntense to almost unbearable as she literally arched off the bed and gave a strangled cry of desperation. Ashwin sighed as he removed his gloves and slowly got to his feet, his concern increasing when he realized just how terrified Kasey was. He walked into the bathroom and soaked a washcloth with cold water, then returned to Kasey's side and gently wiped her face with the cool, wet cloth. Kasey finally opened her eyes and blinked up at him, which prompted him to gently murmur, “Better?”
Kasey slowly nodded and said, “Thank you,” right before she felt the tell-tale pain building in her belly. Ashwin saw her look of terror and pain and realized what was happening, and as he gently placed both of his hands on her swollen belly, he softly commanded, “Just relax, sweetheart.”
Kasey sighed at the feel of his warm, gentle hands on her belly, and almost immediately the pain began to fade as he sat beside her, gently stroking her belly with those wonderful hands of his. The painful cramping seemed to stop as long as he had his hands on her belly, but Kasey knew that he wouldn't be able to sit there like that all night. He leaned down and dropped a gentle kiss to her forehead, then murmured, “Please don't be afraid, sweetheart. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, and that's a promise.”
Kasey nodded and closed her eyes as she went from being terrified to utterly relaxed, but after what seemed like just a few minutes, Ashwin got up and gently informed her that he needed to examine her again. As soon as he'd gotten to his feet, though, an intense wave of pain washed over Kasey and forced a weak, agonized scream from her. She wrapped her arms around her belly and rolled onto her side in a desperate attempt to make the pain stop, and Ashwin frowned as he stood gazing down at her. He hadn't planned on giving her the medicine quite so soon, but he couldn't stand that terrified look on her face, nor could he stand knowing that she was in excruciating pain and would be for hours on end, since this was her first baby. He gently rolled her onto her back and covered her with the blanket before he checked her vital signs, and afterwards he gently stroked her fine, blonde hair as he murmured, “Kasey, sweetheart, I'm not going to sit here and watch you suffer all night. I hope you know that.”
Kasey weakly clutched at the front of his shirt as she softly moaned, “Oh, God...please, no...don't tell me you're going to put a needle in my back...and no hospitals...please...”
Ashwin shook his head as he leaned down and gently wiped her damp cheeks with the washcloth. “No, sweetheart. I'm not going to put a needle in your back, and I have no intention of taking you to the hospital. This baby will be born right here, from your body into my hands. No outside interference needed.”
“Then what—how--”
Ashwin reached over and retrieved a small Styrofoam cup from the nightstand, then slid his arm beneath Kasey's neck as he put the cup to her lips. “Shh. Just drink this, sweetheart.”
Kasey weakly nodded and slowly drank what was in the cup, and moments later she fell back against the pillows as her mind became pleasantly fuzzy from whatever it was he'd just given her. The last thing she remembered before drifting off into the deepest sleep she could ever remember was the feel of Ashwin's lips against hers before she heard him murmur, “I love you, Kasey. When you wake up, you'll meet our child for the first time. Thank you for this most profound gift you have given the both of us. Sweet dreams.”
Kasey sighed and wearily closed her eyes, then drifted off to dream of her wedding day and the ethereal honeymoon she and Ashwin had shared in one of the most beautiful places on earth. She suddenly found herself dreaming of a laughing, blonde-haired child that was running through a sun-drenched meadow, followed by another laughing child with dark hair and beautiful brown eyes that looked startlingly like Ashwin. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her foggy mind slowly made the connection, but they were tears of joy as she watched the children laugh and romp and play with seemingly endless energy. The meadow seemed to stretch for miles, and her feet seemed to barely touch the ground as she chased the children through the meadow, laughing as they all played hide and seek in the vibrant, larger-than-life trees and colorful, perfectly trimmed bushes that dotted the meadow. They seemed to play forever until the sun began its slow descent to the west, and more tears streamed down her cheeks as the children suddenly waved goodbye before they faded into the gray shadows of the forest.
“Kasey...wake up, sweetheart...you have a couple of visitors.”
Kasey slowly opened her eyes at Ashwin's gentle urging, and as she slowly sat up, she gasped when she saw him holding two tiny, sleeping, pink and blue bundles against his chest. He gave her a tender smile as he carefully sat down on the bed, and as Kasey peered at the warm bundles in his arms, he laughed softly and murmured, “Say hi to your children, sweetheart.”
“Children?” Kasey echoed as she gave him a shocked look. He nodded as his smile widened. “Yes, sweetheart. Children.”
“You mean as in...twins?”
Ashwin's smile turned into a wide grin as he nodded again and supplied, “Yes...but fraternal twins. Not identical. One boy and one girl.”
Kasey gasped when she saw the baby with blonde hair, as well as the baby with dark hair. They were the happy, laughing children from her dream, and as tears slipped down her cheeks, Ashwin pressed his forehead against hers as he gently inquired, “Is something wrong?”
Kasey slowly shook her head and carefully took the sleeping children from him, then met his kind gaze before she softly replied, “Nothing's wrong at all, Ashwin. You have literally made my dreams come true.”
“I'm glad to hear that.” He leaned down and gently kissed her full on the mouth, then wiped her tears away with his finger before he added, “Here's to the best mother in the entire world.”
Kasey gave a soft laugh and winced before she said, “See if you feel the same way in about, oh, eighteen years.”
Ashwin gently framed her face with his hands before he murmured, “I already know that I will.”
Kasey smiled up at him before she wearily inquired, “What did you give me?”
Ashwin glanced at the sleeping babies in her arms and quipped, “Two children, apparently...”
Kasey's smile widened as she said, “I already know that. I meant earlier...before these two made their appearance.”
Ashwin gave her that mysterious smile and replied, “You said yourself that you never knew I was so full of surprises. Remember?”
Kasey slowly nodded. “Ah, yes. Now that you mention it...”
Ashwin shook his head as he glanced at his sleeping children. “Any ideas as to what you'd like to name them?”
“Why don't I name the girl, and you can name the boy?”
Ashwin nodded. “Alright. Do you have any names in mind for the girl?”
Kasey smiled as she glanced down at the two precious bundles in her arms. “How does Meadow sound?”
Ashwin smiled. “I love it.”
Kasey gave him a tired smile right before her head tipped forward, and Ashwin wasted no time in gently taking the sleeping infants from her arms and placing them in their respective bassinets before he got Kasey comfortably settled beneath the comforter. He smiled as he watched her sleep, then quietly got up and walked over to the bassinets to admire his newborn children. His life had finally come full circle, and he couldn't have been a happier man.
EPILOGUE
“A-lu-li, it's so nice to see you! How have you been?” Ashwin inquired as he leaned down to give his mother a gentle hug. She stood on tip-toe and craned her neck as she struggled to glance over her son's broad shoulders, and her impatience was evident as she excitedly queried, “OK, where are they?”
Ashwin laughed softly as he straightened and pinned his mother with a serious look. “Where are who?”
Goga frowned as she leaned to the right and left, peeking around her son as she tried to get a glimpse of her brand-new grandchildren. “You know who I'm talking about!”
“Oh, you must mean these two,” Ashwin replied as he stepped aside to allow Kasey into the living room. He put
his arm around Kasey and smiled at his mother before he added, “A-lu-li, meet your grandchildren, Meadow and Degataga, or Dega for short.”
Goga beamed as she stepped forward and gently removed the sleeping bundles from Kasey's arms, and as she cooed softly over each tiny bundle, Ashwin glanced at Kasey and gave her a tender smile. He glanced up when Dakota entered the room, and he was all smiles as he embraced Ashwin and Kasey before he turned his attention to the bundles in Goga's arms. “Well, well! What have we here?”
“They're called babies, Dakota,” Ashwin quipped as he grinned at his mother's and Dakota's reactions over their grandchildren. Dakota waved his comment away as he joined Goga in cooing at the sleeping babies, and Ashwin sighed as he glanced at Kasey and murmured, “Seems we've been promptly forgotten. Would you like to grab some coffee in the kitchen?”
Kasey smiled and nodded as she followed her husband into the warm, inviting, familiar kitchen. She sat down as Ashwin prepared two cups of coffee, and moments later he joined her at the table. He glanced up when Dakota entered the kitchen, and as he sat down Ashwin inquired, “How have you been, Chief?”
Dakota nodded. “I've been doing quite well, son. Those are two precious little babies you brought into this world.”
Ashwin simply smiled. “I know. Thank you.”
Dakota turned his attention to Kasey and gave her a warm smile. “And how are you doing, young lady?”
Kasey gave him a demure smile and replied, “I'm fine, thank you.”
Dakota nodded and sipped his coffee, then glanced at Ashwin and casually stated, “Little Bird, Sani, and the baby are here for the weekend. Sani was excited when I told him you were coming for a visit.”
Ashwin gave a pleased smile and said, “Tell him I said hello. Are they coming over for dinner?”
The Medicine Man, Book 2 Page 31
