by H. M. Gooden
"I love you, Dad. I only hope I can be half the man you are."
Anders patted him on the back, shushing him.
"Oh, boy, you're already more than you know. Now, go back in there and wait for your bride to wake up. You've got this."
WHEN MAI OPENED HER eyes, she found herself looking at the ceiling in the room she'd been staying in before the wedding, tucked cozily into bed, surrounded by pillows and with a worried Jake watching from across the room. He was sitting in the chair by the dresser but jumped to his feet when he noticed that her eyes were open.
"Are you feeling better? Can I get you a drink? Something to eat?"
Mai blinked fuzzily at him before smiling and covering her face in embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. One minute I felt fine, then..." Mai trailed off, her memory of what had triggered her faint suddenly returning. She had to lie back in the bed and look at the ceiling until she started to feel less dizzy.
"Jake, did you speak with your parents after I had my fit of the vapors?"
Jake looked confused. "What?"
Mai sighed. Obviously that wasn't a common saying anymore. "After I fainted, did you guys talk?"
Jake's eyelids flickered and his eyes shifted before he quickly looked back at her.
"Not really, no. Why?"
"Jake, you're an awful liar. What did they say?"
Jake caved quickly, dropping his head and looking away from her.
"Well, it was mostly my mom who talked, but not much, really. She thinks that in thirty-six days we're going to be parents."
"Ugh. That's what I thought the letter meant. I was really hoping it didn't, but I figured I wouldn't be that lucky."
Jake sat beside her on the bed and took her hand.
"I'm really sorry. This isn't exactly how I wanted to start our lives together, but at the same time, I'm excited. I've always wanted to have children. I couldn't imagine that without you as their mother."
Mai smiled halfheartedly.
"That's nice to hear. I want kids too, but I'm not sure having triplets a month after you find out you're pregnant, immediately after getting married, is something you get used to right away. Did your mother happen to mention whether or not I'm having baby dragon eggs or baby humans?"
Mai shook her head before he could answer. "I can't believe I'm actually hoping I have eggs. Definitely not how I pictured becoming a mother."
Jake exhaled and sat next to her. They looked at each other with matching expressions of disbelief until Mai spoke again.
"Well, I guess we should prepare for this, whatever it is. I'd like to speak to your mother, if you think she'd be willing to talk about this. She's kind of the expert in having dragon children at the moment, possibly the only one alive, from the sounds of it."
Jake stood up.
"Yeah, you're right. I'll ask her to come up. Did you want anything while I'm downstairs? A drink? Something to eat?"
Mai started to decline, but at that moment her stomach growled.
"Um, yeah, actually. Can you find me some meat? I'm suddenly ravenous, but specifically for meat." She looked at him with surprise and Jake laughed.
"Sure."
He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before bounding out of the room.
Mai shook her head at his eagerness before turning to look out the window. Less than a month until she became a mother to a prophecy, apparently. Predicted by her father over a hundred years ago. She'd been alone and lonely in the world until recently and now this. She was going to be surrounded by so much family that the thought almost made her nauseated.
No, wait, she thought, bolting straight up in bed and covering her mouth. Luckily, she made it to the bathroom in time and it wasn't occupied. Locking the door behind her, she sprawled in front of the toilet, emptying out the small amount of food that she'd managed to keep down at the restaurant earlier.
"Okay, so no more fries. Fine. Just try to keep it down in there, okay?"
Mai groaned at her unborn parasites' opinions before standing up gingerly and moving slowly over to the sink. While not a hundred percent, she felt much better already. Weird how it came in waves like that, she thought. Well, at least it's only another month of this. She'd heard horror stories about women throwing up for nine months straight while expecting and was glad of that one small mercy. She wiped her face and rinsed her mouth, before shaking her pale face at herself in the mirror and sighing.
"Yup, we're in this together, that's for sure."
She made sure the bathroom was in the same state as it had been when she'd entered, then returned to her room to lie back down.
She must have dozed off, because the light was different when she next opened her eyes. She saw a plate of sandwiches sitting beside her with a glass of what smelled like iced tea. Hunger pangs stabbed insistently at her and she sat up, thankfully nausea-free. She ate slowly and waited to see what would happen, but had no further return of the violent attack of nausea that had hit her so suddenly earlier.
Once her stomach was satisfied, she sat up and smoothed her hair down before going downstairs to see where the others were. As she'd expected, they were all gathered around the table downstairs. The smell of warm food assailed her suddenly too-sensitive nose and she felt her stomach lurch once before grudgingly settling down as she breathed through the discomfort. When the others noticed her, she blushed, not enjoying the spotlight that seemed to be shining on her all the time.
"How are you feeling?" This time, Astrid spoke first.
Mai could see that she was genuinely concerned. It felt nice to have that motherly warmth directed at her.
"Better, thanks. I have a lot of questions I'm hoping you can answer. You know more about this than anyone else I can think of."
Astrid inclined her head. "Of course. Why don't we sit down after supper and talk more? There are a few things that you should know, as well as some things you'll need to prepare for the upcoming events."
"Thanks. Thank you for everything Astrid, and you too, Anders. Thank you both for welcoming me into your home and raising such an amazing son. I can only hope that I do as good a job with these kids as you have with yours."
Anders beamed at her before returning to his food, but Mai watch as Astrid became teary before waving away her thanks.
"You'll do just fine. Now, sit and eat something. You'll need your energy for the coming days."
Mai almost deferred until a growl from her stomach hit her again.
"I don't mind if I do. It smells wonderful."
CHAPTER 19 WHAT TO EXPECT
The next few days passed in a blur. Mai began to feel that she was living life in fast forward with all of the changes happening to her body. She quickly lost any hint of a waistline and felt constant uncomfortable stretching sensations in her pelvis and her breasts. It was, for all intents and purposes, a normal pregnancy, just at ten times the normal speed. This meant that she was tired almost all the time, that everything hurt, and that while her relationship with Jake got stronger, her love life was placed on hold for the foreseeable future.
She didn't have the energy for a replay of their honeymoon, and Jake was so worried about hurting her that he'd choose to rub her feet or back instead of giving her the passionate kisses she'd grown attached to. She was grateful and too tired to worry much about the lack of passion. When she did complain about feeling unattractive one day during a weak moment, Jake had emphatically reassured her that it wasn't the case. Mai remained content after that, knowing that this would only be a temporary lull in their physical activity, based on the way he'd continued to watch her with his molten gaze whenever he'd given her the chaste rubs that she'd come to enjoy on her aching body.
Astrid had filled her in on what to expect in the pregnancy. As Mai had suspected, she was going to be having baby dragon eggs. It made sense. Having eggs would likely be a lot easier than having three fully grown human babies after a six week gestation. The part that worried her the m
ost as Astrid had explained all of the details about what to expect, was the obvious fact that this would have to be a home birth.
Mai knew many women who'd died in childbirth. She'd been very happy when she'd found out how rare it was now for that to happen and had been excited to learn about epidurals. But the minute Astrid had explained what was going to happen her bubble had been firmly burst. Obviously, she couldn't give birth to three eggs in a traditional hospital or there was the very real possibility that she'd be locked up in a zoo, or considered to be a science experiment. Astrid had reassured her that she knew a midwife, the same one who'd delivered her children, and that she'd be able to come soon to meet with Mai and answer her questions.
And this was why, three days after finding out that she'd be a dragon mother in only a few weeks, Mai and Astrid were scoping out locations for her to lay her eggs. It felt bizarre, like something out of the sci-fi movies that she'd come to love watching since being with Jake. But at the same time, it felt so incredibly domestic and normal. Astrid knew the local real estate well and had a few places for Mai and Jake to look at, but it really came down to where Mai would be the most comfortable.
She fell in love with a small two-bedroom cottage near the bridge where they'd been married. Within a few days, they'd moved the sparse belongings they'd brought with them from San Francisco or received at the wedding to the already fully furnished place. Their friends had left, going back through the Summerland gate with promises to come back as soon as the babies hatched. Mai had been sad but also excited to see them leave, knowing that she was one step closer to a new family life and wanting to have fewer people around her at the time of delivery. If it was a delivery. Maybe she should call it a laying? Mai shook her head, still confused about what to expect and how to refer the upcoming event.
Astrid had warned her that her pregnancy would be far shorter than if she was having a human baby. Yet even with that knowledge, Mai was having a hard time with the physical changes she was experiencing. She'd have intense bouts of nausea and vomiting, but randomly, and not always at the same time during the day. Her abdomen had quickly enlarged to the point where she could barely see her toes and her ankles were swollen within a few weeks.
Along with the size changes, which she'd expected, she was also breaking out like crazy, which was arguably the hardest part for her. It was one thing to feel like crap, but looking like crappier pizza version of herself on top of everything else was a cruel joke. The midwife, Brunhild, was very knowledgeable and reassuring, which helped allay some of Mai's concerns, but she knew she wouldn't be able to relax until the pregnancy and delivery were over. Mai found herself spending as much of her time as she could in her dragon form, which was the only way she could begin to feel even slightly comfortable.
So this was why, only weeks after the wedding, Mai found herself feeling the urge to make herself a cozy nest in the true meaning of the word. Jake walked in one day after fishing with his father and brother to the sight of Mai, in her dragon form, making a blanket fort in a corner.
"Hey, honey, um, whatcha doin'?"
Jake stopped in the doorway of the bedroom and cocked his head curiously, waiting for her response. Mai looked over at him dismissively as she continued to arrange the blankets.
"I need to get everything ready. I don't know why, but it feels like time for me to get everything in place."
Jake nodded his head a few times, not saying anything as he let her words and the scene in front of him sink in. Mai continued to gather all the blankets and cushions that she'd been able to find in the house and had by this time made a cozy space about six feet in diameter. It contained most of the cushions, which had been placed on the floor, entwined with some softer, velvety blankets that she'd found in a closet. They smelled a little like mothballs, but she felt that with some fresh grass and flowers they'd lose that scent quickly. She hummed tunelessly to herself and felt sudden intense pressure in her lower abdomen.
"Oh!" Mai started, her hands reaching down to hold herself, discovering that her lower abdomen was as hard as a rock.
Jake was beside her instantly. The look on his face was equal parts excitement and fear. "What is it? Are you okay? Is it the babies?"
Mai looked at him calmly, almost absently. "It's time. Go get your mother and the midwife. I need to finish this. Oh, and I need some grass and flowers. Ask your mom if you don't know what to get. She'll know." Mai smiled at him before patting his cheek and turning back to continue working on her nest.
It was odd, she thought, how calm she felt right now. She wasn't looking forward to the discomfort, but felt ready for it. She wanted to meet her babies, and thought, no she knew, that everything was going to be just fine. Mai felt a peace descend on her that was strangely like distant memories of her mother's warm embrace and knew that this had all been foretold long before she'd been born. Therefore, everything would work out, because it was much, much bigger than her.
Stepping back to look at her nest from the outside, Mai nodded with satisfaction. It was perfect. She stepped into the nest and sat right in the middle, after feeling the need to turn clockwise, then counterclockwise three times. Hmmm, she thought, maybe I have a little cat in me as well. She smiled at the thought before curling up into a round dragon ball, feeling the tingle of anticipation ripple as she settled into her azure shape and closed her eyes, falling asleep immediately.
Mai slept until a feeling of intense pressure in her pelvis woke her up. As she was still in dragon form, she wouldn't have described it as a pain exactly, more like an ache, or an expanding cramping that slowly took over her consciousness. She felt her tongue loll out of her mouth as she took shorter breaths, relaxing after a minute or so had passed and the intensity of the sensation had eased. She sat up a little straighter and looked around the room. The light was entering from a different angle now, so she knew it must be hours later. She looked over to the bed which was now almost bare of coverings and saw Jake, fast asleep.
Mai smiled. "Hey. When did you get here? I must have dozed off."
Jake sat up, bolting upright as though an alarm had gone off.
"What? Mai? Do you need help? Should I get Brunhild?"
Mai flicked her tail once. "No, I'm fine. I just had some discomfort, but it's gone now."
Jake stood up, moving closer to the door with a nervous expression.
"I'll go and get her. She asked me to when you woke up. I'll be right back, okay?"
Mai smiled before putting her head back on her side and closing her eyes. She didn't fall back asleep though. She once more started to feel the same tensing and deep ache that had woken her up, again instinctively panting to get through it. She was completely within the moment and the feeling, not realizing until it had passed again that she had an audience.
Brunhild stood near the nest with an expression of approval. She waited until Mai sat back up again before she spoke. "I see that the birthing has begun. You're doing well, my child. Now all we need to do is wait. Much like with humans, the body almost always will take care of everything if we leave it alone. Of course, sometimes things don't go well, but that's what I'm here for. Are you hungry? Or thirsty?"
Mai sighed and thought for a moment, before shaking her head. "No, just having the most intense discomfort I've ever had. How long will it last?"
She hoped it wouldn't be long, but Brunhild just shrugged.
"It could be a few minutes or a few days. Everyone is different. And because you have three, it may take longer. The first usually is the longest, but sometimes the others take their time as well."
Mai sighed, sinking back down into the nest. While not the answer she'd hoped for, it was what she'd expected to hear.
The rest of the night passed in the same fashion. Every few minutes, Mai would feel the intense pressure and cramping, followed by a few moments of relief. After awhile, the relief between contractions wasn't enough, and she started to feel an intense burning down below.
"Brunhild, something
's changing. What's happening?"
She looked at the midwife, who still appeared calm while Jake continued stroking Mai's back gently.
"Let me see, hmmmm?" Brunhild went to examine her.
Jake looked away, not wanting to see. The midwife clucked a little then looked up with a twinkle, meeting Mai's worried and tired gaze.
"I think you're ready to become a mother, yes?"
Mai let her breath out with relief and felt some of her anxiety leave, now that the moment was finally here.
"Yes, I'm ready. Now what?"
Brunhild stepped back and came around to face her. "The babes will take turns, but once the first comes out, the others often follow quickly. All you need to do is push when you feel that you can't not push. Do you understand?"
Mai closed her eyes and nodded.
"Perfect. Now, we wait until that happens. I'm here if you need assistance, but I anticipate that in your dragon form you'll be quite capable of doing this on your own. Jake?"
He looked at the midwife anxiously.
"Yes? What can I do?"
Brunhild smiled. "You can do whatever Mai would like. For now, you can do what you're doing until she decides that she doesn't want that anymore."
Jake's face was pale, but his mouth was firmly set. Mai could see that he was still worried, although having a purpose appeared to have steadied him.
Mai had just a few moments reprieve until the pressure came back, but this time she felt the urge to bear down, with the overwhelming urge to scream escaping her as she did so. She felt the smooth, hard edge of an egg pass through her body, leaving her with a feeling of emptiness that was quickly filled, then repeated twice more within seconds. There was no waiting for these younglings. They came out quickly, in single file and without pause, until she was spent, laying on her nest of cushions and blankets with the smell of summer flowers in her nose. Jake had done well with the flowers.
The room filled with cheers and Mai heard Astrid come back in. She could hardly open her eyes she was so tired, but she still managed to smile at Jake. He gave her a kiss on the forehead then a hug that couldn't quite reach around her large body, before he bent down to examine his young.
