A beginning with an end…
**Ashley’s POV**
As I approached my delivery date, I could feel my anxiety hitting me progressively harder the more I counted down the days. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was making me anxious, but I would often find myself feeling anxious at random times throughout the day.
George was such a godsend because he never let my pregnancy mood swings and seemingly ridiculous requests get to him. He would spend time with me, doing everything he possibly could to make me feel better whenever I was down. The mating bond obviously wasn’t going to fade just yet, and so things progressively became much harder for me to cope with, given the fact that I was constantly yearning for both Lucas and Simon. Every time I felt the urge for their touch again, I had to suppress the feelings because there was simply nothing I could do-I was never going back to them.
All in all, the journey was long and hard, but having George always come through for me, no matter how busy and stressed he was, significantly reduced my burden. The house had been prepared, and the midwives were invited to stay with us the week of my due date to help and be present when I went into labor.
The day of the delivery arrived, but nothing about it went as planned. The early labor pains started mild, a manageable discomfort that allowed me to breathe through each contraction, but by the afternoon, they hit me with such force that I could barely stand. Every muscle in my body seemed to clench in revolt, and the hours dragged on, each contraction worse than the last.
By evening, I was already drenched in sweat, my body shaking with exhaustion. The midwives had been monitoring me closely, whispering to each other as the labor progressed, but I could see the concern on their faces. This wasn’t normal. The baby should have come by now. Infact, it was way overdue for it to come.
George stayed by my side, holding my hand, though I could see the helplessness in his eyes. Every time a contraction came, it felt like my body was being torn apart from the inside. I had thought I knew what pain was, but this was a whole new level of agony. My breaths came in ragged gasps as the midwives instructed me to push, but no matter how hard I tried, nothing seemed to change.
Hour after agonizing hour passed. The sun had long since set, and the house was eerily quiet except for the sound of my labored breathing and the occasional murmur of the midwives. I felt as if I were stuck in some kind of timeless limbo, where pain was the only constant. Every time I thought I couldn’t take any more, another contraction would seize my body, and I would scream through the tears.
It had been nearly twenty hours since my labor had started when the midwives finally said it was time to push. By then, I was barely conscious, floating in and out of awareness, the pain so intense that I felt like I was losing myself to it. George squeezed my hand, whispering words of encouragement, but they barely registered.
I pushed with everything I had left, my body convulsing with the effort. After what felt like an eternity, a sharp, piercing cry broke through the fog. My baby, finally my baby has finally come out and this made my heart swell with relief, however the sensation was short-lived. Another wave of contractions followed almost immediately, more intense than before.
The midwives exchanged worried glances, and I could hear the tension in their voices as they rushed to help me. “There’s another one,” one of them said, her voice tinged with disbelief.
I was too exhausted to process what was happening, but I pushed again, harder this time, driven by sheer instinct. The pain was unbearable, a searing, endless wave, but then, miraculously, I heard another cry. I took deep breaths, feeling the exhaustion hitting me hard. However there was apparently still another
I thought it was over-I was ready for it to be over-but the midwives weren’t finished. They were talking urgently now, their movements quick and efficient as they prepared for something more.
“There’s a third!” one of them exclaimed.
I couldn’t believe it. A third? How could there possibly be another baby? My body felt like it had already given everything, but somehow, I found the strength for one final push. Every muscle in my body screamed, and with a final, desperate effort, the third baby entered the world. This time it was not just the cry of the baby that came out but also mine as well. Hearing that this one that followed was weaker than the others, I managed to console myself, a deep worry immediately hitting me as I turned to see the midwives already catering to the babies. I looked at the third child who’s crying seemed rather weak compared to that of the first two but it was there-a tiny, fragile sound that brought tears to my eyes.
I collapsed back against the pillows, utterly spent. My entire body throbbed, my mind barely able to comprehend what had just happened. Three babies. Triplets. I could hardly breathe as the midwives worked quickly, cleaning and checking each baby, while George stood frozen, his face a mask of shock.
“They’re healthy,” one of the midwives said softly, placing the first baby in my arms. I barely had the strength to hold her, but as I looked down at her tiny face, a wave of emotion unlike anything I’d ever felt washed over me.
George knelt beside me, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Triplets,” he whispered, his voice shaking. “Three… how did we not know?”
I didn’t have the energy to respond. All I could do was gaze at the three tiny lives I had just brought into the world, each one a miracle in their own right. The exhaustion, the pain, the fear-it all faded in that moment, replaced by an overwhelming sense of love and awe. This fuzzy feeling was however soon replaced with the thoughts that still followed me even to this dire moment. Without any caution, I let the tears fall from my eyes as the pain came at me once again
“Hey Ashely, don’t cry, it’s fine. I know you’re feeling very overwhelmed right now but trust me you did great, okay?”
Despite the unimaginable ordeal I had just endured, I knew we would be okay. George, still reeling from the shock despite comforting me, gently kissed my forehead. “You’re incredible,” he murmured, his voice filled with emotion. “We’re going to be just fine.”
I didn’t bother trying to respond, but just weakly nodded in acknowledgment. As I looked over at my three newborns, their small, fragile forms curled against me, I believed him. Tears welled up in my eyes once again as I stared at them, now calm as opposed to their crying not too long ago. Keeping my gaze on them like a mother hawk keeping watch over her young, it was just so crazy to think that a few days ago all three of them were inside my belly. Obviously, no one had expected me to have triplets, and so I was just as surprised looking at all three of their faces. A weak smile appeared on my face, and it was just a matter of time before I finally drifted off to sleep, succumbing to the exhaustion that came with birthing all three children.
After a long couple of hours, I woke up, and the first thing that greeted me was the extremely painful soreness that overwhelmed me. At first, it seemed like my body had lost complete control over itself, as I quietly endured the discomfort with all the bodily fluids that kept leaving me, especially down there. I took my time gathering myself together because childbirth wasn’t just physically exhausting but also mentally and emotionally draining. This further made me intentionally take a little bit of time to prepare myself for what would come next. However, the sight that met me was something I could not possibly have prepared for, especially since it was just a few hours after I had gone to bed.
“Wh…what is going on here?” I asked frantically, stuttering as each word seemed too heavy for my lips to carry. I could already feel my body shaking like a leaf, so George quickly came over to help calm me down.
“Oh my goodness, please calm down, Ashley, this is um…”
“What is wrong with my daughter? Why is everyone looking like this, and why have you all covered my baby’s face? Take it off, TAKE THE BLANKET OFF OF HER!” I cried out, rushing to get up from the bed, but the pain that instantly greeted me dropped me back down. I cried out, knowing fully well what the situation meant, but how exactly was a mother supposed to come to terms with it?
“Please, George, tell them to take that blanket down. My baby would suffocate!” I cried out, pulling on George’s arm as I shook my head in denial. It just couldn’t be. Didn’t I just see this baby crying and even smiling a bit not too long ago? All I did was close my eyes for a few hours, and this happened? Or did I sleep too long? Was she missing me too much and decided to prank everyone to get our attention? Yes, that must definitely be it. I looked up to see George, but he kept avoiding eye contact with me, wearing a sober expression.
“George, you’re not saying anything to these people. Please tell them to take off the blanket from my baby. She’s perfectly fine, right?” I cried out, hitting him hard on his arm to express the extreme pain I was feeling.
“I am so, so sorry, Ashley!” George said, petting my head as he embraced me warmly. I just couldn’t believe it. No, I’m sure it’s all just one big, silly prank. I burst out into hysterical laughter, and everyone in the room turned to look at me.
“You know, if I didn’t know better, I would actually think all this was real. Oh my goodness, George, you guys got me good on this one, okay?” I said, letting out another burst of hysterical laughter, which turned the looks on everyone’s faces from confusion to pity.
“Come on, why is everybody looking at me like that? Oh, it’s because I got it right? You all were just playing a silly prank on me, and now you’re wondering how I figured it out so quickly. But it’s fine-the things we do just to put a smile on everyone’s faces, am I right?” I said, laughing out loud one more time, but this time, following it with fresh tears gushing from my eyes.
“I guess the show is over now. Somebody, please take off the blanket. I’m pretty sure even she is already tired at this point, please?” I cried out, and George held me tightly.
“Ashley, I know this must be hard for you right now, but please just be strong, at least for the sake of your sons,” George said calmly, which instantly made me flare up in return.
“Come on, what’s the meaning of that? I’m talking about my baby girl here, and you’re saying I have to be strong for the boys. What about my daughter? Won’t I be strong for her too? In fact, leave me alone; I want to hold my baby girl,” I said, gathering all the strength I had left as I stood up from the bed. The moment both my feet hit the ground, I felt a wave of dizziness, but I ignored it, as all I could think about was getting to my child. The moment I took one step forward, my body instantly gave up, and I soon found myself going unconscious. However, I wasn’t ready to give up that easily, and so the more I fought, the weaker I became. It was only a matter of time before I finally caved into the darkness. The last thing I remember hearing was the deafening sound of George yelling out my name as he ran to catch me while I drifted off.