“A couple of minute’s more angel. We’ll be there soon and we’ll get you comfy. I love you so much Abigail, God so much,” I see his hand reach to his eyes a brush away a fallen tear. The gesture melts me, turning my insides to goo. His love for me and his nearly born child is outstanding; I’d never known a man to have such a big heart and so much love to give.
I was silent the rest of the journey, other than the one other contraction I had that was rather mild in comparison to the previous ones. I frequently look over to Leighton to find him watching me with utter love; his bright green eyes looking so deep and soulful.
“We’re here angel.” He parks the car outside the maternity unit in a disabled badge space. A parking ticket is the least of his worries. Leighton has money spilling from his arse.
He collects me from my seat once again, carrying me through to the maternity unit front desk.
“Hi, my fiancée’s waters have broken, her contractions are about four minutes apart and are lasting an average of forty-five seconds.” He mumbles the words out fast and panicky.
“Okay, Sir, what is your fiancée’s name?” the snobby receptionist asks.
“Abigail Adams.” He replies, impatience in his tone. I hear the receptionist typing away at her keys on the computer, clearly searching for my name.
“Okay, brilliant, if you could please help Miss Adams into the wheelchair we’ll take her through to the delivery suit so the doctor can examine her.” A chair is placed behind my bum and Leighton assists me to sit back into it. Another contraction comes, forcing tears from my eyes and screams of pain from my throat before dissipating once again.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Leighton had booked a private suite at the maternity unit; it is very posh and clean. Pale pink walls with an en-suite bathroom, lots of fluffy pillows and a birthing pool, greet us. I have always said from the beginning of my pregnancy I was adamant I wanted a water birth.
My midwife arrives a few seconds after I am seated on the bed safely, riding out another very painful contraction.
“Hello Abigail, how are we?” she asks me kindly, another fucker I would love to rip the head off of! Why the second and third person narratives all the time. And secondly, how does she think I am when I am screaming, crying and cursing my head off? Oh I know I look perfectly dandy.
“Been better.” I reply, clutching my tummy.
“Right let’s see how far along you are shall we, then we’ll get the bath run and get you in.” she perches between my legs, lifting them onto the stirrups so she can look properly. Leighton holds my hand to his lips, clasping it in his. His soft lips warm my skin, my soul and also warm my heart.
It is going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay.
I look to the door and see Lisa standing there, the biggest smile is on her face, but laced with sympathy for me.
“Hey baby girl.” She walks to my other side of the bed; the side Leighton isn’t patrolling, and strokes the damp hair from my forehead before leaning in and planting a gentle kiss upon it.
“Hey, I’m so glad you’re here.” I tell her, smiling back at her.
I feel the doctor’s fingers within my vagina, moving around and examining me.
After a minute she stands, removes her latex gloves and disposes of them.
“We have good and bad news.” The bad news part doesn’t sit well with me, what bad news could it be?
“Go on?” I am beginning to panic, what would she say is wrong?
“Good news is your nine centimeters dilated so you have a few minutes, twenty minutes tops before this little one wants out,” she smiles at me.
“And the bad news?” I ask anxiously.
“There is no water birth for you Abbi; it’s too close of a call.” Oh thank God I thought she was going to say something is wrong.
“Okay, that’s fine.” I sit up sharply as an electric stab pulsates through my womb, the worst contraction I have had this entire time. A sick feeling rises in my stomach and before I know it I am spewing into a kidney bowl.
“It’s okay baby, you’re doing so well. It’s not long.” Lisa’s soothing voice penetrates my ear drums.
“Mum, please, stop the pain, aww fuck please, take it away.” I beg her. I look into her eyes, the tears are pouring from them. It is in this moment I realise I had called her mum. I have always referred to her as Lisa.
“It’s okay Abbi; it’s all going to be okay. I’m so proud of you baby girl, really proud. Shhh, push through it, I know it hurts but you can do it.” I grab a hold of her arm as a second contraction follows almost immediately after the first.
“Leighton, wet that cloth for me under the cold tap please son.” Lisa commands Leighton, who has remained silent since the midwife had told us our child would be here within the hour. I think his nerves have gotten the better of him.
He returns with the cold flannel and presses it to my forehead, cooling the sticky burning skin. “I need you Leighton.” I beg him to help me. I need his comfort, his warmth, and his face. Just him being here helping me is enough for me.
“I’m here angel, I’ll always be here. Just think in an hour we’ll be holding our little boy or girl, in an hour it’ll all be over with.” I nod at him as tears fill my eyes.
“I love you so much Leighton, so much baby.” I reassure him placing my hand on his cheek, my sweaty palm slides almost instantly. Leighton’s own hand comes up to hold onto mine keeping it planted to his face.
“And I you Abigail. I love you always.” A tear falls onto my hand and I smile up to him.
“Oh God, I need to push,” an intense feeling surrounds my vagina, I feel full and I need to empty it.
“Okay Abbi, let’s take a look and see if you’re ready?” the midwife places herself between my parted legs again and places my ankles up, placing her gloved hand inside of me she says “Right, ten centimeters, you’re ready Abbi, next contraction I want you to give me a big push. If you two can hold her legs up for me it’ll make this a whole lot easier.” She instructs Lisa and Leighton.
I feel their cool hands under my knees lifting them toward my chest.
I feel the contraction approach and as it rips through me I bear down and push as hard as I can. I can feel the blood vessels in my head beginning to burst.
“That’s it Abbi, that’s good, hold it and keep pushing as long as you can. That’s it the heads almost out. A couple more pushes and you’ll probably be done. Right here comes another contraction, push hard now, I can see the baby’s head coming.” I feel the second spasm hit and I bear down again, gritting my teeth together, pushing with all my might.
“That was good, but we need another one, I need you to push hard Abbi, we need to get this baby out.” my fatigue is getting the better of me, I am finding it hard to keep my eyes open let alone push a human from my vagina.
“I can’t, I’m too tired and I need sleep.” I beg her, my hair sticking to my face and my eyes watering.
“Come on Abbi, baby’s head is almost out now Give me another push, really hard for me and hold it. Ready and go.” I take another deep breath and pushed fiercely. “Keep going, keep pushing, we’re nearly there.” the midwife encourages me to keep going as I feel my baby’s head pop out of me.
I take another breath and with the contraction the slimy feel of my baby’s body slipping out makes me feel an immense relief.
“Well done baby, she’s here.” She? We have a daughter.
“It’s a girl?” I ask my eyes wide.
“Yes, baby, she’s a beautiful little girl; she’s so perfect, so tiny and
so
beautiful.” His eyes are streaming tears, marking his handsome face.
“Do you want to cut the cord daddy?” I hear the midwife, who has just delivered my angel, ask Leighton.
“Yes, please.” He replies through his tears.
I look down as Leighton takes the scissors and separates our daughter from her placenta.
“Thank you Leighton, thank you for her. For everything.” His lips come onto mine firmly, the saltiness mingling on my skin.
“No Abigail, thank you. She is just so perfect.” The nurse places my tiny little girl onto my bare chest, her head nestling onto my breast, her lips wrap around my nipple instantly and begin to suckle. The feeling is out of this world. I can feel the pull deep inside my stomach.
“God, she’s amazing.” I burst into a sob in the middle of the delivery suite, cries of happiness and outright love. My emotions are scattered all over the place.
“Just like her mother.” Leighton simply states before snuggling on the bed with me to gently stroke his daughter’s mop of dark blonde hair.
Her deep moss eyes are wide open and staring at me as she feeds from me for the first time. Her little tiny fingers are wrapped around Leighton’s large index finger.
Drops of water land in her hair as we both weep over the arrival of our child. The most amazing gift and feeling in this entire world.
I turn to Lisa to see her standing at the foot of the bed staring at Leighton and I with complete and utter devotion. “Thank you Mum, thank you
so
much for being here.” I smile tenderly at her, letting her know that in every sense she is my Mother, she is the grandmother of my daughter and I love her with everything I possibly can.
“No thank you Abigail, thank you for letting me be here and letting me experience this beautiful little girl’s arrival. I’ll leave you two with her for a while. I know Carl is dying to meet her and see you, but you two need some time on your own for a while.” She walks around the bed and kisses my cheek lovingly, leaning down and brushing her lips against my daughters tiny cheek, while she nestles into me and then turns and places her hand on Leighton’s face, “Congratulations Son, she did good. Your daughter is beautiful and the spit of you.” And as I look down at my Green eyed, blonde haired girl I see her father, she is Leighton in every way.
Chapter Forty
I glance into the clear plastic crib my daughter Melissa is sleeping in, her tiny little body wrapped in pink blankets. A matching pink hat is upon her head, little dark blonde flicks of hair escaping the sides. Her gentle breaths are heard in the silence of the room as I sit with my friends and family watching her sleep.
I am snuggled into Leighton’s side on the bed, Maria and the twins stand by her crib, Antonio in his wheelchair, Debbie upon his knee as they stare down at her. Thomas and Nate stand beside me, emanating the love that this group holds for each other. Each person is watery eyed and emotional at the arrival of our child, our precious little daughter.
My mum and dad visited earlier together, having cuddles with our baby, talking with me and my closest friends who are now enjoying their cuddles. My energy has returned a little after a short sleep.
“So, how much did she weigh and what have you called her babe?” Maria asks me as she leaves the rest to their gawping.
“She was born weighing four pound twelve ounces and her name is Melissa Leigh Maria Lock.” All the important people in my life have been included in her name. Melissa is after my best friend, whose childhood and life had been ruined by my biological sperm donor, Lisa’s name also included in Melissa, Leigh after her father Leighton, the beautiful man in whom she is created from, the love and absolute devotion that brought her to being here, and finally, Maria after her auntie, God mother and my best friend and sister.
I look to my best friend to see her eyes red and dripping tears. “Thank you, I’m honored, such a beautiful name for a perfect beautiful little girl.” She places a tender kiss to my cheek and then returns to coo over the baby.
My room is filled to capacity with balloons, cards and people. My tiny little princess, all less than five pound of her, an atom in comparison to the people surrounding her.
I look into Leighton’s eyes and I know in this second, and for every second to come, that our lives will be fine, we will be fine, and we will be completely happy.
*****
We are allowed to take Melissa home this evening, she is feeding well, her bowels are working fine and her eyesight and hearing are all good.
As Leighton places her in the car seat she is swallowed whole by the contraption. Driving home I can’t stop myself from looking every couple of seconds into the car seat beside me in the back of the car, to see if she is ok. I am afraid this happiness will be destroyed and would vanish any time.
“She’s fine baby, stop worrying.” Leighton tells me, looking at me through the rear view mirror. His beaming smile, that hasn’t left his face since early hours this morning, is staring back at me.
“I know she is, I just can’t help looking. I just have to know.” I shrug my shoulders and settle back into the back seat.
I watch as the green trees and rolling hills of the Surrey landscape rush past. I feel at home again, the same as the first time Leighton had driven me past this luscious scene.
“What are you thinking about sweetheart?” his deep voice disturbs me from my happy place.
“Just the first time I saw this landscape, the day after you found Me.” my heart feels warm and secure in my chest, beating a steady rhythm.
“The best choice I have ever made.” That day nearly a year ago, I wouldn’t have thought I would be here now. I am engaged to the most wonderful human being alive, have just given birth to the most precious little girl there ever was, and living the life of a princess.
“I love you Leighton Lock.” We are talking through the rearview mirror.
“And I love you Abigail Adams, soon to be Lock.” And I can’t wait. I want the wedding sooner than the fifth of June, I want it now. But as I think of how beautiful the grounds will be in the summer, the beautiful flowers, glowing sunshine and my gorgeous little girl at five months old, I resign to the fact we have already picked the perfect date.
We arrive home at around seven in the evening, the winter season having set the sun hours ago leaving the circular driveway lit by the bright spotlights.
Leighton parks the car out front rather than underground, assisting to get me from my seat to the ground, and then reaching in and collecting our little girl, our Melissa.