Authors: Rebeca Ruiz
“Fine, lets talk about this like adults.” He sits me down.
“You’re over five months pregnant, and I don’t want
our
baby being born in Australia. What if I’m not here when you go into labor? I want you as close to me as possible.” He presses his hand against my stomach, and the child kicks where his hand is. Also takes a swing at my ribs. I was a lot fatter now, but I was always active with my shoots.
“I already talked with my company, as soon as I hit eight months, I will be back in the states with three months maternity leave as soon as our baby is born.”
“I’m just worried about you, Presley. I know what the doctors have been saying. If you don’t slow down with the amount of work you’re taking on, you will go into preterm labor.” He had a point. Work stressed me out a lot, and I went to pregnancy yoga after work almost every other day to destress me.
“I’ll slow down my work load by hiring more interns, I guess.” Not being able to move around like I wanted was really getting to me. I felt fat most of the day, I was lucky I could still, barely, see my feet. That would change in a few weeks most likely.
He kisses my cheek.
“I love you more than life.” I kiss him softly on the mouth..
Chapter Thirty Eight
Mathew Pennington
Two Months Later…
As soon as I was off the plane, that’s when I got all the voicemails. They were from unknown Australian numbers. I listened to the voicemails, one by one, and I increased how fast I was walking.
Presley had fallen during a shoot today. She’s eight months pregnant in two days. I came to Australia to come get her. Now she’s in the hospital, probably terrified.
I got to the hospital as soon as I could, and they directed me to her room. She was laying down on a bed sleeping. She was being monitored along with our baby.
We’re having a baby boy. We found out about a month ago, and we still hadn’t thought about names. Presley assured me that it would come when he was born, that we would know what to name him.
“Baby.” I whispered and kissed her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open, and filled with tears when she saw me.
“I didn’t mean to fall-“ I stopped her.
“I know that.”
“I didn’t see the wire. Doctors said that he’s okay, I fell on my butt, but they said they want me on bed rest until I’m due.”
“Did you tell them that you’re flying back to Chicago in a few days?” She caresses my cheek.
“Yeah, they said it was fine. I just have to walk around on the plane every hour, to make sure to avoid blood clots in my legs. As soon as I land, I have to stay in bed until he’s born.”
I smile.
“Let’s think about names.” I say trying to get her mind off the fact that she’ll be bed ridden for the next month.
Chapter Thirty Nine
Presley Masters
One Month Later…
Veronica was sitting with me, helping me sort through all the baby clothes I got for my baby shower a few days ago. I got lucky. I was due two days ago, I felt like this baby was never going to come out.
Finn is supposed to be here with us. He said he was going to be here half an hour ago, but he was very late. He’s probably getting me chocolate covered pretzels since that’s all I’ve been talking about nonstop.
“I do have to say that I really like Finn’s gift as a first outfit for Oliver.” That’s the name Mathew and I have come up with. I love the name so much, and it’s a name Matty came up with.
I shivered from the cold that just came in from somebody opening up the door. I knew Mathew must’ve just come in. Finn always knocks.
We moved into a big apartment here in the heart of the city. The only reason I agreed was because I talked with my boss. They were thinking of expanding to Chicago, and since they were just about to lose me, they finally agreed to do it. I’ll be in the Chicago office as soon as they get everything settled.
“I like it, too. He told me he chose it himself.” It was the gift he gave me when I told him I was pregnant.
“I’ll put it in here.” We were all set now.
I heard Mathew pause before coming into the room. I stood up, my doctor said it was fine since now I was past my due date. We needed to get Oliver out, but I didn’t want to be induced yet.
“Mathew?” He came into our room and he gave me a kiss.
“Guess who I found downstairs.” I leaned back to see who was behind him, and it was Dessie.
“Dessie!” I hugged her. She’s been at school, and I’ve missed her so much. If I could drive, I would drive down to SU all the time. I saw her at my baby shower, but she was mostly with James.
“You look even more ready to pop then you did a few days ago. Is that even possible?” Dessie asks, and I laugh.
I feel this huge gush of water as I’m laughing. I look down. Had I just peed myself?
“Oh, dear.” Veronica said. “I think your water just broke.” I’ve been dilated this past week, I was three centimeters, my doctor stretched me out in hopes I’d go into labor sooner, and I had very little contractions.
“That was my water?” Mathew’s eyes were wide. I could see the panic behind them, but his exterior would stay calm so I wouldn’t freak out.
“Guess all it took was a visit from me.” Dessie giggled.
That’s when the big contraction hit. I felt like my hips were being ripped apart.
“Oh my god. This really hurts.” I never expected this level of pain. I knew it’d be painful, but I was just being really naive about how much it’d really hurt.
“I’ll call Dr. Leon to see if she wants us at the hospital now or in a few hours.” I nodded to whoever was talking, the contraction was fading. I didn’t know how long I had until the next one.
Dessie grabbed a pair of leggings and some underwear, and got me a big shirt. She helped me change as quickly as a forty week pregnant woman could change.
Mathew came back. “She said since you were already a few centimeters dilated, and your water broke, that it’s time to take you to the hospital.”
“Okay.” Veronica cheered and we got ready to go. Before we could get out the door, I heard my phone.
“Shoot, it’s in the bedroom, can you answer it Dessie?” She nods.
“Yup, I’m going to get James as well, so we’ll meet you at the hospital, alright?” She gave me a quick hug.
“If that’s Finn, tell him, too.” She ran back into my apartment and we went into the elevator that took us to the garage.
I was going to go have my baby boy now.
Chapter Forty
Mathew Pennington
No epidural. It was extremely hard to watch Presley in that much pain, and I couldn’t do anything about it.
“Stop looking so sad.” Presley ran her fingers through my head. “It’s only been an hour and a half. Dr. Leon did say I’d have this baby before midnight.” She’s already seven centimeters dilated, it was going to be a fast but painful labor for.
“You’re in so much pain, baby.”
“I know, but I’ll be fine.” She kisses my hand.
There’s a knock on the door and James comes in. The way he’s standing tells me something is off.
“Let me sit with her for awhile, I’m sure everyone in the waiting room is looking forward to an update.” I kiss Presley on her head.
“I’ll see you in a bit, don’t have that baby without me.” She laughs. It’s nice to hear her laughing.
“I wouldn’t dare.” James takes my spot.
“Who’s here?” She asks him.
“Everybody you know. Even dad.” It will make her happy knowing that her dad is here. Her mother still hasn’t accepted us.
I asked Mr. Masters for Presley’s hand in marriage about six months ago while she was in Australia. I want to be married to her, but I don’t want her to think that I wanted to get married because she was pregnant. I decided to wait until after the baby was born.
The second I close the door, somebody pulls me and I see it’s Dessie. Her eyes are red.
“What’s wrong? Did you and James have a fight?” She shakes her head and she continues crying. “Dessie?”
“It’s Finn.” She cries.
“What about him?” He’s been getting on my nerves about Presley, we both want her calm and everything, but he always has to get in our business, and sides with Presley. I think he thinks I can’t protect her, but I’ve been doing a lot to prove myself.
“He’s in a coma.”
“What? I just talked to him this morning.” He wanted to know if I could call ahead at one of our bakeries to get Presley chocolate covered pretzels. They’re her favorite right now.
“A semi-truck hit his car about three hours ago on Lake Shore. They called his parents, and they’ve been trying to reach Presley. He’s brain dead, and on life support.” She sobbed.
My world just changed. As annoying as I found Finn, he was Presley’s best friend. I had accepted him, he was always going to be in our life as long as Presley wanted him to be.
Presley.
She’s in labor. She’s having our baby. If we tell her about this, it will ruin her.
“We need to tell Presley.” Dessie says.
“Not right now. After the baby is born. I’ll tell her as soon as Oliver is born. If she cries or has a panic attack, it can be bad for the baby as long as he’s inside her.” With her history of panic attacks, the doctor always told us to keep Presley as calm as possible. She only had one panic attack this entire pregnancy.
“I’m going to go talk to his dad then, convince him to keep him on life support long enough for her to have Oliver and then say goodbye to Finn.” She wiped her tears.
“Will you be there with me to tell her?” I ask her. I couldn’t tell her alone, it terrified me.
“Yes.” I went back into the room, but I took a deep breath before going back in there.
Presley smiled at me, and I smiled back even though it was so hard. I was hiding information.
Presley was in a deep sleep after delivering Oliver, he arrived January 20th at 12:01 am. She did so great, it went very fast for her. Oliver was a beautiful baby. He was wearing a blue outfit that I know Finn got for him.
At the sound of him starting to cry, her eyes shot open. She looked around the room and saw me with him. I was giving him a bottle because her milk hadn’t come in yet.
“Can you tell me what’s wrong?” She asks quietly.
“What are you talking about?” Had she overheard me with Dessie? Did James mention something?
“Your eyes. I can tell something is wrong.” I looked down to Oliver, he opened his eyes, they were blue like his mothers eyes. “Mathew, what’s wrong?”
“There was an accident.” I saw her trying to keep calm.
“Is everyone okay?” I shake my head and I see her trying to blink away the tears.
“Finn is in the hospital.”
“I want to see him.” She made the motion to move, but I knew she was sore. It was all over her face. All though she didn’t tear, she did just push a seven pound baby out of her.
“I’ll take you in a wheelchair, but you have to prepare yourself. He’s connected to a lot of machines.” I think that’s when she understood what I was trying to tell her.
“He’s on life support.” It’s not a question. “When did it happen? Was he racing trying to get to the hospital?” She was trying to make sense of this, what person wouldn’t?
“He was on the way to the apartment. From what I was told, the road was slippery, and a truck slid into his lane.” We were well into January and still getting snow storms. When roads got icy here, they became very dangerous.
That’s when she burst into tears. I let her get it all out, it was going to be a hard day today.
Chapter Forty One
Presley Masters
It took some convincing, but I wheeled to the ICU where they had Finn. The nurses had Oliver in the nursery. My milk came in and I fed Oliver and pumped so the nurses could keep him happy so I could see Finn.
Mr. Riley, the only parents Finn had, was outside of the room and I could see how hard he had been crying. It was his only son.
“Presley.” He leaned down and hugged me.
Mathew was a few steps back. He wanted to be there for me, but we both knew I had to say goodbye alone.
“I know that you’re with that fellow over there, and you just had his child, but you were Finn’s best friend. He didn’t want to let you know, but he had met a girl he really liked. She was here earlier, and I wish you could have met her. You would’ve agreed that they were meant for each other just like you were meant for your son’s father.” I could barely see him, tears were clouding up my vision.
“I’m going to miss him so much.” I cried out.
“We all are.” Mr. Riley wheeled me into the room, Mathew stayed behind, and the sight of Finn was heartbreaking.
My best friend was confined to a bed with machines coming out of everywhere, they were keeping him alive. It didn’t even look like Finn in that bed.
“I’ll give you a moment.” Mr. Riley said.
I let it out as soon as I was alone. I couldn’t stop crying. When I finally calmed down enough, I started talking to him.
“Thank you for being the best friend I could ever have. I know that we didn’t talk for a while, but I’m so glad that you stuck with me in this pregnancy. I know that the only reason you were tough on Mathew was to make sure he was the real deal for me. Thank you for everything.” I grabbed his hand.
“I was such a lucky girl to have you in my life. I’m never going to find a friend like you ever again. I hope I don’t. No one is ever going to replace you.”
Even though at times I had a hard time believing in God or in an afterlife, I truly believed that Finn Riley was in that room with me. I took comfort in that.
I put Oliver down for his nap and I jumped into bed to catch up on sleep. Mathew walked into the room and laid down next to me.
“Hard day.” He said, spooning me from behind.