Chapter 26
Vera
2006
O ne last weekend getaway before the twins were born was all Vera wanted. She knew it was risky going to the beach house three hours away from her doctor, but Vera needed one last weekend at the house with just her, Isla, and Mason. Isla had reluctantly agreed. Of course, she’d also made her protests known, but Vera assured her she wasn’t having contractions, and at her last appointment, she wasn’t dilated yet. Things were fine.
Or.
Well.
Had been fine.
The first contraction was so light it barely made Vera shift her position in the recliner. But that was the last easy one she’d had. The last few, however inconsistent in timing, had grown in intensity. They felt like intense cramps that Vera had to mentally work through.
Putting her hand on her huge stomach, Vera took a long, slow breath as she worked through another contraction.
“I know, babies. I know. You’re ready to come out. Mama’s ready, too.”
By the time the sun started to come up over the ocean, Vera knew they had to get home. Isla had stayed the night in the bedroom downstairs, knowing Vera couldn’t make the stairs up to their usual bedroom. Waddling into the bedroom, Vera tapped Isla on the shoulder.
“Isla?”
“Hmm?” Isla groaned, still asleep
“Wake up, honey.”
“Why?” Isla mumbled against the pillow. Before Vera could say anything, Isla sat up in bed and swung her legs off the side. “Are you in labor?”
“Well,” Vera grimaced, “not actively. But I am having contractions. Nothing consistent, but I think we need to get home.”
“Oh, you think , hmm?” Isla teased as she stood and put her hands on either side of Vera’s thirty-eight-week-pregnant belly. “I’m so telling Stacey it was your idea to come here, not mine.”
“Stacey doesn’t have to know.”
“Then you better keep your legs closed until we get to the hospital.”
Vera smirked. “Well, that’s the first time you’ve ever said those words to me.”
Thankfully, Vera's contractions remained manageable as they drove back home to the Cove. Mason had fallen asleep in the backseat, annoyed to have been woken up so early. In the front seat, Vera held onto Isla’s hand as they drove. Isla rubbed small circles on the back of Vera’s hand with her thumb.
“Oh, fuck ,” Vera tried to keep her voice down so as to not wake Mason. She knew if she made a big deal about how much the contractions were really hurting it would scare Mason. That much had been evident the first time Mason had watched Vera have a Braxton-Hicks contraction.
“Keep breathing, baby. You’re doing so good.”
Vera waited until the contraction eased up before pointing at the clock. “They’re getting closer.”
“That one was eight minutes apart.”
“How far are we from home?”
“Another hour.”
“Okay.” Inhaling sharply, Vera tried to calm her nerves before the next contraction came. “We got this.”
“You’re doing great.” Isla lifted Vera’s hand to her lips and kissed it.
“I’m getting scared.”
“It’s okay. I’m right here. It’s going to be okay.”
Isla smiled over at her, reassuring Vera.
Barley five minutes later, Vera felt a contraction so strong she couldn’t help but let out a scream of pain. “ Fuck !”
“It’s okay, it’s okay.”
“What happened?” Mason called from the backseat as Isla pulled the car off to the side of the road. With the car pulled over, Isla unbuckled her seatbelt and put her hand between Vera’s legs. She had a pair of shorts on, but they were now soaked.
“Mama’s water broke.”
“Is she okay?” Mason’s sob broke Vera’s heart. As the contraction continued, Vera held her hand back to Mason who quickly took it. “I’m here, Mama.”
“Mace, hand me one of the clean beach towels from the back.” Not letting go of Vera’s hand, Mason grabbed a towel and handed it to Isla. Isla placed it between Vera’s legs before patting her thigh. “How you doing, Mama?”
“That one fucking hurt.”
“It was also less than five minutes after the last one. Should I find a hospital near here?”
“No,” Vera shook her head. “I think I can make it.”
“You sure?”
Vera nodded. “I’ll make it.”
“And if you don’t?” Isla’s question made Vera quickly snap her head at her. She was about to snip that she knew her body when Mason answered for her.
“I will jump out of the car,” Mason laughed, lightening the moment.
Leaning over the back of the passenger seat, Mason put her arms around Vera. Isla merged back onto the interstate as Vera placed a hand on Mason’s arm. She kissed it gently, letting Mason know she loved her without words. With the other hand, Vera still had a tight grip on Isla’s hand. As each contraction came, Vera was conscious to only squeeze Isla’s hand.
Finally, they arrived at the hospital. Isla had called Stacey to let her know they were almost there. They were waiting for them when they arrived. Melanie had a wheelchair and a bemused look on her face while Stacey had her hands on her hips. Stacey opened Vera’s car door with an I-told-you-so smile.
“You know, I’ve heard you yell at patients for doing the exact same thing you just did.”
“I know,” Vera sheepishly laughed as she let Stacey help her out of the car and into the wheelchair. “But in my defense, you were never supposed to know.”
Although Vera had helped get countless women into the hospital, assessed, and into their own room, she’d never been on the receiving side of so much attention. They hooked up two monitors to monitor the babies’ heart rates and took Vera’s vitals. Another even stronger contraction came as Vera lay in the bed waiting for Stacey to examine her progress.
“ Fuck, ” Vera groaned in pain as she lay on her side and squeezed the bed’s railing. The pain was so intense that Vera was having a hard time focusing on anything but the pain. But when her eyes landed on Mason, Vera knew.
She was scared.
Vera could see it written all over her face and the way she was nervously wringing her hands.
“Mace,” she breathlessly said as she motioned for Mason to come to her. “Hey, look at me.”
Mason had tears in her eyes as she looked at Vera, which broke Vera’s heart.
“I’m okay. I know this is scary. I’m scared, too. But I’m okay, and the babies are okay, and that’s all that matters right now, okay.”
Mason nodded, but Vera still knew how scared she was.
“Come here.” Vera pressed her forehead into Mason’s as she begged the contraction currently trying to tear her body apart to just wait a minute. It took a moment for her to regain her breath to talk. “I love you so much, Mason, and I know you want to be here for me, but it’s okay if you want to wait outside.”
“But I told you I’d be here for you.”
“And you are, baby.” Vera framed her sweet cheek in her hand. “And the decision is yours. But I’ll be honest with you: It’s going to get a lot more intense before it’s over. And it’s okay if you’re not ready for that.”
“You won’t be mad at me?”
“Never, Mason. Never.”
Nodding, Mason hugged Vera. “Let me know as soon as they’re born.”
“We will. I love you.”
“I love you, Mama.”
Cameron had already offered to stay with Mason while Vera gave birth, and Vera was thankful for that. Although they didn’t get to hang out as much as they used to, Mason still saw Cameron as her Aunt Cameron. As Isla took Mason out of the room to find Cameron, Stacey started her exam.
“How you doing, Mama? How’s the pain?”
“Intense.”
“I’ll say. You’re almost seven centimeters. The babies look good; both are still heads down. We should have them out in a few hours.”
When Isla came back into the room, she helped Vera out of bed and onto the birthing ball. Vera’s contractions kept increasing in intensity until the word fuck no longer seemed appropriate enough to convey her pain level.
“Fucking holy hell,” Vera breathed a sigh of relief as another intense contraction ended. “Man, this pressure is getting crazy.”
“I know, it’s rough.”
“It’s awful, ” Vera tried to laugh it off but the pain and pressure made it uncomfortable. “Help me up.”
Isla did, gently swaying with Vera, her hands on her hips. They’d alternated between that position and the birthing ball for the last four hours as Vera labored. She had to stay close to the machine for the baby monitors but didn’t want to be stuck in the bed.
“Oh, fuck, ” Vera moaned as she leaned hard into Isla. She could hear Isla tell her she was doing good but all Vera could focus on was the intense pressure building between her legs. Vera didn’t have to wonder what was happening. “Button.”
“What?” Isla’s brow furrowed.
“Button. Push.”
Thankfully Isal seemed to understand what Vera was trying to convey. She helped Vera sit in the nearby rolling chair before pressing the button by the bed for the nurse. It wasn’t long at all before Melanie came rushing in.
“How’s it going, Mama?”
“I need to push. Like now,” Vera groaned as another contraction came.
“You okay to get in the bed so I can check you?”
Before Vera could answer, Stacey came in and laughed. “Silly woman. That’s my seat today.”
The joke made Vera laugh, and for a moment, she could forget the pain she was in. Isla and Melanie helped her into the bed as Stacey gloved up and got between her legs. She helped coach Vera through a half-hour of pushing before she lowered the bottom of the bed slightly. Vera didn’t want the stirrups, and that seemed to be just fine for her body.
Because she could feel the ring of fire building into the worst pain she’d ever felt.
“Oh, fuck. Fuck. Fuck, ” Vera roared as she felt the baby’s head pop out. Instinctually, she reached down and felt the baby’s head. “She has so much hair.”
“Vera,” Isla sobbed as she looked at the baby and then kissed Vera. “You're doing so great.”
Isla was holding one of Vera’s legs up and back while Melanie was doing the same to the other.
“One more push, Vera.”
And that’s all it took. Before Vera knew it, Stacey was lifting the baby onto her chest. “It’s a girl,” she cried as she looked up at Isla. “Eleanor.”
Vera cried as she marveled at the baby on her bare chest. Beside her, Isla was crying as well. Vera looked up at her and smiled as Isla said, “Ellie. She’s perfect, Vera.” Isla kissed her sweaty forehead. “You’re doing so great.”
Stacey let Ellie stay on Vera’s chest as she got ready for the second baby. With one hand on her daughter’s back and the other squeezing tightly onto Isla’s hand, Vera birthed a son barely fifteen minutes later.
“Brayden,” Vera felt her whole body finally relax with both of their babies safely outside of her. She held them close, perfectly content to have them never leave her. “We did it.”
“ You did it, babe. I love you.” Leaning down, Isla kissed Vera as their tears mixed together.
After getting everything cleaned up and having their precious golden hour of skin-to-skin with Ellie and Brayden, Vera was finally settled into a room. She’d successfully gotten both babies to latch on for feeding and was feeling relieved that in a few moments, she’d have all her family together.
A soft knock at the door made Vera smile ear to ear. Mason hesitantly walked in with two balloons—one blue, one pink—trailing behind her. She noticed Isla asleep on the nearby couch, but Vera motioned her inside. Patting the bed beside her, Vera smiled at Mason.
“Come here and meet your brother and sister.”
“One of each?” Mason quietly exclaimed. “I was right!”
“You were right.” Vera pulled Mason into a hug and a kiss. She held her as tight as she could as she placed several kisses on her forehead. “I love you so much, Mason.”
“I’m glad you and the babies are okay.”
“Me, too. Do you want to meet them?”
Mason nodded and Vera pulled the bassinet closer. She picked up Ellie and carefully handed her to Mason. Although momentarily hesitant, Mason held her like a pro.
“This is Ellie.”
“Hi, Ellie,” Mason cooed as Vera noticed tears in her eyes. Vera soaked in the moment before picking up Brayden.
“And this is your brother, Brayden.”
“Hi, Brayden,” Mason cooed as she gently ran her finger over Brayden’s small hand. “They’re so tiny.”
“They are. I can’t believe they’re so small for how much weight I gained.”
“Oh, hush, Mama. You’re beautiful.” Mason looked at her and smiled. “You did good.”
“I did, didn’t I?” Vera laughed, even if it hurt a little. “They look like you.”
It was the first thing Vera noticed when they were born. They both looked like the baby pictures of Mason and Blake she had seen.
“You’re going to be the best big sister, Mason.”
Resting her head on Vera’s shoulder, Mason snuggled into her as Vera wrapped an arm around her. Holding her three babies meant the world to Vera. Everything seemed right in the world. Even if the thoughts of Blake and Cole filled Vera’s mind. A part of her heart would always be missing for the child she didn’t know and the one she never would. But it wasn’t the time or place to be sad. Blake would want them to be happy; Vera knew that in her soul to be true.
And one day, Blake would be back in their lives. Vera just knew it.
Isla stirred awake in the chair as she stretched her arms over her head. She smiled at them before climbing into the bed beside Mason.
“I love our little family,” Isla commented as she kissed Mason’s cheek.
“Me, too.”
“Me three,” Mason added with a smile. “What do you two think?”
Although Eleanor and Brayden were sound asleep, Mason pretended to wait for their answers. She nodded firmly; her smile still wide on her face.
“Exactly. They agree.”
“I mean,” Vera chuckled, “how could they not?”
Vera soaked in the memories of her small family and squeezed Isla’s shoulder to get her attention. She mouthed I love you , and Isla said it back. They really had the best family.