Authors: Meredith Greene
Grabbing the mop, Michelle moved it methodically around the kitchen floor ‘til the burnished wood shone with cleanliness. Disposing the mopping-pad in the trash, Michelle put her cleaning things away, feeling tired. The spike of energy was waning fast.
“Time for a hot shower and a nap, she thought. A nap sounded incredibly good. Michelle could not remember if they had something planned tonight; she did not care at the moment. In waiting for the baby to come, one day rather flowed into the next.
Ambling down the hall, Michelle passed her man’s home office, into the baby’s room, across the hall from theirs. Michelle most liked the new apartment’s bedrooms; they’d been built in a whimsical, round shape, with little closet spaces where the normal ‘corners’ of a room would be. She felt the rooms were like a hobbit den or lighthouse; the tall, thin windows let in just enough to keep the lights off most of the day. This room was simply decorated in slate blue bedding with gray accents and white trim; little nautical designs were here and there, from the baby quilt to a small, framed picture of sailboats racing on a blue bay. Three wooden seagulls--painted white--hung from the ceiling over the rocking chair, waiting to receive mommy and baby for feeding time. There was an empty corner by the crib just perfect for William’s rocking-horse. The room made Michelle feel calm, her aches and pains momentarily forgotten.
Stepping to the rocking-chair, Michelle sat down; she let out a long sigh. William’s earlier words about a name for their son came floating back to her; she smiled. Every time she and William discussed names, all the suggestions would invariably remind either him or her of someone they knew, and did not especially care for. Pushing her toes against the floor Michelle rocked the chair slowly, looking up at the seagulls.
“Just a few days now,”
she thought, a soft smile on her face. Soon she’d have two men in her life, though one very new and little. Her hands caressed her expanded mid-section; it was always amazing to feel how firm her baby belly was. It felt like a highly pressurized basketball was tucked away under her shirt. Smiling, Michelle closed her eyes, still rocking the chair slightly.
William found his wife several minutes later. He came in, munching a piece of pilfered gingerbread; he’d located the forbidden treat by looking over every inch of the kitchen. It was tucked behind the egg-basket, double wrapped in plastic zipper bags to keep in the scent. William had almost missed the yummy bread altogether; it was cleverly wrapped in a cloth which very nearly matched the wall tile.
“Michelle?” He stepped to the rocking-chair, looking down on his ladylove. She appeared to be asleep; her hair was still pinned back for cleaning and her face looked a little pale and tired.
“She’s been doing too much,”
William thought, mentally kicking himself. Finishing off the gingerbread, William knelt down and
looked at his wife a moment; she held her stomach protectively, her slender hands curved to their precious baby within.
Leaning forward, William kissed the back of Michelle’s hand, then again. Eyes fluttering, Michelle roused herself from sleep; her eyes rested on William. He was looking at her with concern.
“You’ve been working too much, love,” he said, getting up. “All nesting aside, I want you to rest.”
“Aye, aye Captain,” his wife said, sleepily. William chuckled a little. Even tired out, his pretty minx still had a spark of fun in her. Folding his arms, he looked down on her, scaring up a frown.
“Captain, eh? What was that for?” Michelle giggled.
“Because the Captain is the only one whom can burgle the larder of gingerbread without getting the lash,” she said, with a teasing tone. Her husband laughed; the sound of it rang gently in Michelle’s ears. “Your breath betrayed you.”
“Come on... let me help you up,” William said, taking her hands. “I bet you want a nice, hot shower.”
“Oh... yes,” came his wife’s reply. For answer, William guided her to the bedroom and ran the shower. He heard Michelle sigh contentedly as she sat down on the shower floor, relaxing back against the dark-blue tiled wall. Smiling, William got out a clean towel for her and put her clothes into the laundry hamper. As soon as the water shut off, he walked into the bathroom and helped Michelle stand up again; he could tell from the way she moved that the baby was getting bigger and more cumbersome.
“Better?” he asked, draping a towel around her shoulders. Michelle nodded, wrapping the towel around her breasts and tucking the edges down.
“Much better, thank you,” she said, stepping carefully on the wet floor. Seeing she was alright, William ducked out of the room a moment, on a secret errand of his own.
Michelle bundled herself in a comfy knit skirt and a long sleeved button-up t-shirt. Though the shirt was a little tight, Michelle liked how she did not have to wear a bra with it; William seemed to appreciate that part as well when she did so, especially when a few buttons were left undone. One very nice perk about pregnancy was Michelle’s cup size had increased substantially; her doctor said it would diminish back down a little once she stopped breast-feeding, but for now, Michelle enjoyed feeling like an underwear model. The downside was her breasts were incredibly sensitive, hence the no-bra status; Michelle left it off as often as she could, or as company would allow.
William came back into the bedroom to find his wife sitting in the middle of their bed, rubbing her long hair gently with a towel.
“I ordered some Sichuan,” he announced, grinning. Michelle’s eyes lit up; her new found fondness for Chinese food amused her man but he liked it almost as much as she did. There were several take-out places nearby, and almost as many Thai restaurants. Apparently, British people loved Asian cuisine more than any other foreign food; the variety was endless.
“Yummy,” Michelle said, clapping her hands with delight. Food was extremely enjoyable lately. Chuckling, William rolled childishly onto the bed, getting a laugh from his wife. Her lovely eyes were bright and she skin had regained some color.
Sobering, William sat down on the bed by his lady.
“I know you feel antsy, love but I want you to take it easy these next few days,” he said, gently. “The last thing you need is to be exhausted when you go into labor.” Michelle bit her lip; William was right. The baby would need her to be rested and strong.
“True,” she said. “I didn’t even think of that. I just don’t want to get overweight, you know.” William’s eyebrows rose up a little.
“I don't think there’s a danger of that. Some weight is good, love,” he said. His eyes dropped to her partly unbuttoned shirt; her slightly swollen breasts were all but spilling out of it. “Especially in some places.” His voice took on a lower tone; Michelle saw his expression and blushed.
“You, however, still look very fit,” she said, smiling. “In spite of your avid consumption of sweet things.” William grinned at her.
“Speaking of consuming sweets...” he said, nuzzling her neck. “We have several minutes until the food gets here. Good heavens, you smell good...” Michelle sighed, slipping her arms around her man’s neck.
“I love that you still want to touch me,” she said, feeling absurdly happy. “I hope very much that you never stop wanting to.”
“Bloody hell...” came William’s reply. “You’re so soft and lush I can’t help myself.” In answer Michelle laughed softly and kissed him.
THE CALL came during a seemingly endless and involved meeting at William’s office. Still settling down in the new job, he’d attended a marathon of meetings to familiarize himself with the various staff members, current mergers and clients of the main Felix-Maclane London branch. Even though he’d interned there with the previous company William still had to adjust from the fast-paced, free-wheeling style of the New Yorkers to the more exacting, stiff and proper style of British attorneys. He was just about to excuse everyone for a coffee-break when his cell phone vibrated. Looking down at the tiny screen, he saw a new text message. One click and the screen flashed a single word: ‘BABY’.
Three of Felix-Maclane London's senior staff sat across from William at the conference table. They looked up as their new ‘boss’ stood up suddenly. The huge smile on William’s face looked out of place in the stately, serious room with its stately, serious people.
“Gentlemen... I apologize in advance but I must exit this meeting immediately,” he said, opening his briefcase. He swiftly stacked the various reports and dropped them inside, snapping the case shut. One partner cleared his throat. At the sound William inwardly smirked; the man was an older attorney, terribly stuffy and resented his presence there altogether.
“Something amiss, Mr. Montgomery?” the man said, stiffly. William kept his composure, though his mind felt as if it were reeling with anticipation.
“Not a thing, Mortimer,” William replied, purposely using the man’s first name. “My very pregnant wife just texted me. Apparently, I am about to meet my son.”
“I know the American put you in charge, Montgomery,” Mortimer intoned, “But a minor family matter is hardly a reason to take a day your first month here.” The man tapped his pen on the desktop as he spoke. William snorted and picked up his briefcase.
“Tell me something,” he began, fixing the older gentleman with a stern look. “Do you have children?” The man nodded. “And... where were you when your first child was born?”
“China,” Mortimer replied, nodding his head sagely. “Heading the Atherton Corporation buyout.” William grinned.
“You get years to study the law,” he said. “...and your whole life to practice it and to make money. You have just one shot to be a father. I won’t be making your mistake.” With that William left the conference room, opening his cell phone.
One hour later, a taxi drew up outside the hospital emergency room. William hopped out, Michelle’s traveling bag in hand; turning he helped his gasping wife from the back of the cab. Michelle held her stomach with one hand, clutching onto William’s arm with the other.
“Oh... my... stars!” she panted, her face white with pain. “This is far worse… than the book said…. I’m burning that book… when we get back…”
“You can do it, love,” William said, soothingly. “I’m right here.” In spite of the pain, Michelle gave her man a grateful look. At least, she did not have to do this alone.
“What would... I do... without you?” she managed to say. Giving her an encouraging smile, William saw a waiting nurse just inside the doors, with a wheelchair.
The door opened automatically as they entered; the nurse stepped forward.
“Michelle Montgomery?” she asked. Michelle nodded, unable to speak. Her face was almost gray “Let’s get you upstairs.” the nurse said, with a kind smile. “You’ve pre-registered right? Just sit here and we’ll do the rest.” William walked next to the rolling wheelchair. Michelle refused to let go of his hand; he was a little concerned by the pale tinge of his wife’s face, but was careful not to show it.
The maternity ward appeared to be somewhat modern and well-designed with a large waiting area surrounded by clear, separating doors to keep out possible infections; the nurse rolled the wheelchair past the nurses’ station and into a ’birthing room’. The room looked comfortable enough; William was glad to see a couch in it, undoubtedly one that had comforted many an expecting father before him. He could see Michelle was in a pain-induced haze and could care less what the room looked like.
“Mr. Montgomery, if you could help her get her things off and into this gown; I’ll pull the curtain and fetch the doctor. We’ll check you, ma’am in a few minutes.” Michelle nodded at her and tried to remember her breathing exercise. Lamaze class seemed a distant memory all of the sudden.
“That’s it, love...” came William’s wonderful voice. “Long breaths.” He rubbed her back with one hand, helping her unzip her sweater with the other.
“You’re awfully talented... at that,” Michelle said, trying to scare up a joke; she wanted her man to know she was not defeated. William chuckled.
“Yes, well I’ve had plenty of practice taking off your clothes, now haven’t I?” he answered, gently pulling her shirt over her head.
“That’s how we got here... in the first place,” Michelle reminded him; she gave her husband a small smile.
“Keep breathing, minx,” William told her, smiling back; the affection in his voice was unmistakable.
Getting the ‘gown’ on was no trouble; it seemed to be designed to put on at a moment’s notice, though Michelle rather disliked the shapeless garment. She was nonetheless glad to be in a clean, safe place to have her baby.
“Can you imagine... having to have our baby... in a shack, on a dirt floor?” she panted out as another contraction seized her; it took all of her control to not scream out in pain.
“I cannot,” William replied, kissing the top of Michelle’s head. “I grateful we live in a country with quality health care.” Rubbing Michelle’s back, William waited for word on the doctor.
After a minute the nurse returned and informed them the OBGYN was already in the building, delivering another patient’s baby at that moment. Relived that her doctor was nearby, Michelle relaxed a little.
“Do you want something for the pain Mrs. Montgomery?” the nurse asked; Michelle was very tempted but shook her head.
“I will regret this later, I know… but I want to have at least one baby naturally,” she said, quickly. William smiled a little.
“I’m very proud of you, love,” he said, keeping his arm behind her shoulders; he sat on the edge of the hospital bed, letting Michelle lean against him.
When the contractions hit, she’d curl up in pain, count to twenty out loud, then relax a little as the pain waned. The knowledge that millions of women had successfully navigated childbirth did little to allay his fears for Michelle. He knew she was strong, but he had no intentions of leaving her side. Not for anything.
“16... 17... 18... Doctor Martinez!” Michelle cried out, enormously relieved to see the cheerful lady doctor walk through the door; the woman wore light green scrubs and looked amused at Michelle’s reception. William had met Doctor Martinez once before, at the ultrasound; he felt equally glad that the woman was here. Michelle seemed to take heart at her appearance and straightened up a little.