Thrive - Side 2

It’s been nearly a week and in that time, the nursery has been finished and Abby’s bag is packed and situated on her side of the bed for whenever she starts having contractions.

“You want ice cream?” I asked at seven that evening.

“Ooh... yes please. Cookie dough, please with extra syrup.”

We stay stocked with ice cream at all times.

“I’ll be back.”

I came back into the living room a few minutes later with two bowls in tow.

“Yay! Thank you.” she said, kissing my cheek.

“My pleasure.” I said, turning to kiss her.

She kissed me back before digging into her ice cream. We had just gotten into a movie on Netflix and were comfortable and content.

“Let me take the bowls. I’ll put them in the sink.” she said ten minutes later.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I need to pee anyway. I’ll be right back.”

She took both of them while I patiently waited for her. In a matter a seconds, I heard bowls crash onto the kitchen floor followed by her crying out in pain. I got off the couch in record time to help Abby.

“Alex!” I overheard.

“Abby!”

“Are you having contractions?” I asked, kneeling.

“Grab my bag please.”

“You gonna be okay till I get back?”

I rushed up the stairs and grabbed her bag and ran back down. She was by the front door and trying to get her shoes.

“I need my shoes.” she said, reaching for them.

I quickly grabbed them and put them on her feet.

“Thank you.”

I picked her bag up, opened the door and helped her outside. Another contraction hit her when we got in the car.

“Godfuckingdamnit.”

She buckled her seatbelt and sat back.

“Are you-“

“Go.”

I drove as fast and as safe as possible to the hospital. I went to the front desk and talked to the receptionist while she leaned against me. She did not seem that relaxed even in a hospital bed which was upsetting.

"She's not supposed to be here for another four weeks." she said with tears in her eyes.

Both of us knew that most babies born at thirty six weeks are fine, but there's also a possibility of her having to go into the NICU and a list of complications Scarlett was possibly was going to have to face.

"Everything's gonna be fine." I said, holding her hand.

"How do you even know that?"

"I just do."

I wasn’t the only one in some state of anxiety, but I had to at least try and keep it together for the both of us.

"Abby?" her doctor said, knocking on the door.

She had an ultrasound machine with her.

"Hi."

"Alex."

I nodded.

"I was hoping to not see you two for another month, but unfortunately, here we are."

Abby sighed.

"Luckily, I've delivered babies this early, so this isn't anything new for me. You shouldn't worry."

But, she is.

"Do we know anything yet?"

"You are in active labor, but I need to check on the baby."

She held my hand as her ob took a look. When she smiled, we both felt somewhat relieved.

"She seems to be just fine and very active. I'll check back in an hour."

Once her belly was clear of gel, she left and Abby laid back.

"I know I said last week that I was sick and tired of my sore joints and the difficulty getting up, but do you think she heard me and-"

That relief for her didn’t last long.

"Abby. Relax. She may be smart, there's no doubting that, but you can't think like that."

"Why do I go to those places, especially when this has otherwise been a great pregnancy minus what my father did to me, of course?"

“It’s hard not to after all that’s happened.”

“How are you so calm right now?”

“I’m freaking out a bit, believe it or not, but I’m trying to keep it together. You know how my anxiety can be.”

“I appreciate that. At least one of us needs to keep it together.”

I leaned over and kissed her.

“I love you.” I said.

“I love you, too.”

“Should we call anybody or should we wait?”

“I think we should wait, but I know we have to call my parents, knowing the time difference.”

She nodded and placed her other hand on her belly.

“I love you, Scarlett.”

“I love you, too.” I said, kissing her belly.

An hour later, there was no change and the same two hours later.

“I’m gonna sleep. I can’t stay awake any longer. You mind?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“Goodnight. Love you.”

“Night. Love you, too.”

I felt a hand touch me sometime while I was sleeping; I instantly woke up.

“Abby?”

She made a face.

“I’m feeling a lot of pressure.”

“I’ll get a doctor.”

She came walking in a minute later.

“How bad is it?”

“It’s worse than it’s ever been.”

“First of all, let me see where you’re at.”

She was obviously referring to Abby’s cervix.

“You’re at six centimeters, so if you’d like an epidural, now would be the time.”

“I would.”

“You sure?”

“100%.”

Abby kept a tight hold on my hand while they administered the medicine.

“What time is it?” she asked me after they left.

“2 in the morning.”

“You gotta be kidding me. I’m gonna try and sleep. See what happens.”

Nearly an hour passed when she woke up again.

“Ugh.”

“Can’t sleep?”

She shook her head.

“Not really.”

She was checked again and went up three centimeters.

“Shouldn’t be too long now.”

Once her doctor left again, she opened her mouth.

“I can’t believe this. Probably an hour from now, I’ll have to start pushing.”

A half hour later, that came true. She got her doctor back in there and apparently, it was time for her to push.

“Ready for this?” I asked, holding onto her hand.

“Yeah. Are you?” she said, nodding.

“Yes.”

I kissed her cheek right before she started. After two hours of pushing, screaming and nearly crippling my hand, she arrived and we heard loud cries.

“She’s got a nice set of lungs.” she said, laughing.

“That she does.”

I cut the cord and was in tears while doing so.

“Do Mom and Dad have a name?”

I’m someone’s Dad. Holy shit.

“Scarlett Aurora Gaskarth.”

“Ready to hold your daughter?”

“Yes.”

She was calm as they handed her to Abby.

“Hi, Scarlett. I’m your mommy.”

She looked up at her with the bluest eyes.

“Well, aren’t you the cutest baby in the world? Don’t tell that to your cousin, Luca.”

I laughed.

“I’m gonna hand you off to Daddy and see what you think of him.”

I had a huge smile on my face as she handed her to me.

“Hey, baby girl. You are so beautiful, just like your mommy.”

When I touched her cheek, she giggled and my heart melted.

"Looks like someone's a hit." Abby said.

"She's pretty much a spitting image of you. No thick eyebrows to speak of."

I laughed.

"Our son will likely have them and look as handsome as his daddy."

I blushed.

"I love you." she said, going in to kiss me.

"I love you, too."

Scarlett whined.

"We didn't forget about you, pumpkin." I said.

When it came time for her to be breastfed, someone came in.

"Would you like to try breastfeeding now?"

"Absolutely."

After adjusting a little, Scarlett was handed to Abby and tried each side to see which nipple she would latch onto; it was the right one.

“How will I know when she’s done?”

“When she pulls away.”

Abby nodded. And when she did, we knew it was time for her to be burped; she was a natural.

“Oh, you burp like Daddy does.” Abby said after she was done.

So true.

“Would you like her to stay with you while you try to get some sleep?”

“That sounds lovely. Thank you.”

She left her with us and walked out of the room.

“Just you, me and Scarlett.” Abby said with our sleepy daughter in her arms.

“How about we text everyone then try and get some sleep?”

“Ok.”

I took her out of Abby’s arms much to the dismay of Scarlett.

“Oh, sweetie. You’ll be fine.”

Once she texted the most important people, she set her phone aside and shut her eyes. About two hours later, I heard loud crying and woke up. I was already awake and at her side, checking to see if she had a dirty diaper before Abby even woke up.

“Is it dirty?”

“No. I think she’s just hungry.”

“Hand the princess to me please.”

I handed her to Abby.

“Is someone hungry? So’s Mommy.”

“Good morning, baby girl.”

She didn’t stop crying until her breasts were showing.

“There we go.” Abby said as she stated to suckle.

We were exhausted, but this was a beautiful experience.

Notes