Months later…
(Labour day)
She had been having her contraction since yesterday, but she was way calmer than in the first few months of her pregnancy. Her attitude changed, when Cherise suggested her to join the Lamaze class and Prenatal Yoga class.
I have been panicking for the last twenty-four hours, while she was still busy with her breathing exercises. She was taking everything calmly, and carrying on with her everyday activities.
“Lou, maybe we should go to the hospital. It looks painful…”
Louise would stop her walk just to catch a breather, then she would talk and caress her baby bump and regulate her breathing. She would sweat and her face would go all red, but she was taking in all too calmly while I was worried about her and obviously the baby too.
“Allen I’m good… I just need to… oh… err… maybe I’m not, my water just broke.” She said giggling nervously, looking at the wet floor under her.
“Damn it, Lou! how can you freaking smile, you should be panicking… okay, breathe! now if I could only find my phone, stay there… it’s slippery! Shit, Lou!” I cursed as she just did the opposite.
I was panicking at the highest level, we were having a baby! it was finally coming! I was trying to calm myself down.
But couldn’t seem to make it, as I was worried about her, about the baby, about the journey there, fuck! I was even worried, about the doctor not being there on time.
“Allen, you’re holding your phone and I can manage. I need to go get change to dry clothes for the hospital. You need to breathe and call Sam, better yet just call Cherise. She’ll get everything done for you. Now… BREATHE… follow me… inhale, now exhale… BREATHE…” she was smiling and actually being cheeky in between her contraction, finally making me laugh.
“Fuck this Lou… we’re having a baby!” I pulled her in for a deep kiss, before telling her to go get changed and I’ll get her hospital bag.
“Yes, my lovely husband… we are.” She said as she walks her way to our bedroom.
It was months after our grand wedding, and we’re still on our honeymoon phase. We stayed home most of the time, aside from my work, and her yoga, and her Lamaze class.
The wedding went beautifully as planned, everyone we love was there plus another few hundreds of our parents’ colleagues who we didn’t even know. Yet we welcomed and thanked them for their wishes on our marriage.
But this was what I was looking forward to, building the rest of my life with her.
And I finally gave up, she was right. Months of living together she knows me inside out already. I decided to call Cherise, and let her sort out everything.
Then I ushered my new very pregnant wife to the front lobby of our city apartment while carrying her hospital bag. Sam was already waiting, obviously, Cherise had called him up for us.
“You’re right Cherise is too good for us,” I said to her while helping her to the car.
“Sam, the bag please…” I hurriedly give him the bag, while struggling with my phone and hers and the baby bag.
“Allen, chill! here… give me the phones, they’re buzzing. Probably our moms, Cherise must’ve called them. Let me pick mine…” she abruptly pulled my shirt, taking me into the car almost bumping into her.
“Yes, Mam!” I grinned at her, I think I was a stage where I panic and calm down at the same time. Then I was back to panicking seconds later when her contraction was back.
Sam swiftly shifted the car gear and took us smoothly into the afternoon traffic. It took us twenty minutes to reach the hospital. Cherise was already there with her megawatt smile. Both women laughed and hugged, while Sam helped me with the bags.
“Come on, I think it’s time…” Lou said, taking my hand in hers.
“You think?!!” I took her hand to the crook of my arms, making sure that she was not in any pain and trying to comfort her. Though I think it was working the other way around, as she kept on telling me to calm myself down.
Cherise was walking in front, clearing us through the administration work, and getting us directly to her room. She said that Louise was told to wait here until a nurse comes to check up on her.
“What the..? she needs a doctor! where’s her doctor? she’s not here is she? damn it… I know this would happen..” I was pacing back and forth, soonest she was settled in her room.
“My dear husband here needs to learn to relax… Cherise hon, could you get something for him?” she said to her assistant for life, while she seated her sexy pregnant ass on the bed.
“What you need is to get her doctor, what if…” I was still babbling, when Lou cuts me off with her words.
“Allen darling, please… do I need to kick you out of the room? Your panic state is not good for my vibe. Breathe my love…” she took my hand and pull me close to her, and kissed me.
I melted in her arms and relaxed instantly. She just made me forget everything with one little kiss. Yup, she’s just that good.
It was five hours later when the doctor finally came, I was ready to burst when she holds my hand silently telling me to calm myself down. I sighed and relent to her wish.
“Good evening Mrs. Mills we are ready for you and the baby, the nurses have been keeping me up to speed with your condition. I’m sorry about not visiting sooner, all the moms seem to decide to have their baby on the same day.” She smiled at Lou while double-checking her vitals and checking on her opening.
Then they were talking, while she was exercising on her breathing again.
“I must say, I’m very impressed with your calmness as this is your first pregnancy.” She told Louise and took one look at me and smile again.
“Well the husbands also handle the stress differently, she should be just fine Mr. Mills. Women have been doing this centuries before, with less technology. And she’s doing very well for her first pregnancy, you can sit this one out if you’re feeling uncomfortable. I need her to stay calm, and you have to actually make her calm. Can you do that for her sir?”
“Okay, I can do this… for her, for the baby,” I told her doctor, and more to myself obviously.
But three hours later I was struggling, I was holding her hand trying to keep her calm. While I was hoping that I could take the pain away from her. It was excruciating for me, to watch her panting and trying to push the baby out.
She was gripping my hands tightly, crushing them with her strength. But I didn’t feel the pain. I was panicking on the inside, thinking what if she couldn’t make it through this.
“Very good Mrs. Mills, couple of more push, we could see the head already.” Her doctor was cheering for her for the hundredth time that night.
It was getting late, she was getting tired. She was sweating bullets, I was stressing to the point where I wanted to scream my frustration out of the hospital window.
“I am not putting you through this again, I’m buying condoms in bulk after this. Nope… not again.”
I could see some of the nurses smiling hearing my words, but I was truly not going to put her in that position again.
And yet moments later I hear the baby’s cry and see her beautiful smile, and her happy tears, then I started doubting my words.
“Congratulation Mills, you’re both officially a mom and a dad for this beautiful princess.”
“A girl, we have a girl. Thank you… thank you, Lou…” I hugged and kissed her, and moments later the little princess was carefully placed in her arms.
We had asked her doctor not to reveal the gender, we wanted it to be a surprise. And having our first baby girl had definitely been a pleasing one.
“Allen… she’s beautiful… can we have one more? Maybe two?” she said while caressing the baby’s cheek gently.
“She looks just like you… beautiful. Let’s get this one home safely then we will talk about it. I feel so tired from today’s excitement already.” I admitted, making her let out her laughter.
That night I spent hours watching both of them sleeping, and being thankful for them, for my life, and for being the luckiest man alive.