Chapter 30
Vera
2012
N ew Year’s Eve had ended with a bang for Isla and Vera.
Literally.
They spent the time leading up to the ball drop in New York City wrapped up in each other’s arms. Vera knew Isla was getting close to having the baby, so she wanted to get in as much sexy time with her before then as she could. Especially since Isla hadn’t been craving it as much the last few weeks. It was off for Isla, Vera knew that. But she also knew how much the body changed in preparation for the birth.
Which was why Vera was beyond glad Isla had fallen asleep not long after midnight. She had spent more time the last few nights tossing and turning in a futile attempt to find a comfortable position. Vera wished there was something she could do to make her more comfortable, but she also knew that was part of the last few weeks of pregnancy. Isla had carried both Blake and Mason to forty weeks, but Vera doubted she’d make it three more weeks to get to that point with this pregnancy.
Downstairs, she heard the backdoor open and close as the alarm system in their room chirped once. Vera hadn’t set the alarm before going to bed since she knew Mason and Eden had gone over to Maddie’s house for a party. Although most of her friends had yet to reach twenty-one, Vera wasn’t na?ve. She knew there would be drinking, which was why she was thankful Eden had volunteered to go with Mason to the party.
Eden had been a Godsend to them the last few months. At first, Vera had been hesitant about her sister-in-law living with them for an undisclosed amount of time. They all had their routine and she wasn’t sure how Eden would fit into that. But every day Vera saw how lucky she was that Eden cared about her family so much to want to be with them. She was the best aunt, always making sure Ellie and Brayden were having fun if Isla and Vera had to work late. And she had really been there for Mason and Isla, which Vera loved more than she could express.
But the fact the cabinets were slamming shut downstairs did little to make her love Eden.
Getting out of bed, Vera made her way downstairs and turned on the kitchen light. Mason and Eden froze, looking at her like mice that had just been caught stealing cheese. She put her hands on her hips and tried not to laugh at them holding boxes of cereal and mac and cheese.
“What on earth are you two doing?”
“We needed supplies,” Mason quickly answered.
“She’s not drunk,” Eden added without being asked.
“Well, maybe a little.”
Vera arched her eyebrow at Mason as the smile won out. She walked over to the refrigerator, pulled out two Powerades, and directed for them to sit at the table. Which they did. Taking the box of mac and cheese from Mason, Vera began making it for them as they told her about the party.
After she got them fed and off to bed, Vera headed back upstairs herself. She snuggled back up with Isla, enjoying how she got to be the big spoon now. It made her feel like Isla’s protector, which was a role she took insanely seriously. Placing a hand on her stomach, Vera smiled when the baby kicked.
“Your hands are cold,” Isla mumbled as she cuddled closer to her. Vera kissed her bare shoulder. For weeks, Isla had forgone wearing anything but boxers at night because she always ended up sweating through it.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Isla covered Vera’s hand with hers on her stomach.
“I can’t believe you’re so close to having her.”
“I know. I’m still going to kill Eden when this kid pops out though.”
Vera didn’t have to ask why. Eden had been teasing Isla her entire pregnancy that she was having twins. They both knew Eden was just joking, and it only added to their sisterly bond as Isla pretended to be annoyed each time Eden said it.
“I can’t help it that I'm carrying this way.”
“You’re beautiful, baby.” Vera kissed her shoulder again.
Under her hand, she felt Isla’s belly get tight and hard as she shifted her position. Isla had been having Braxton-Hicks contractions more frequently, but Vera had been monitoring them. And so far, she hadn’t been concerned about them. But the one Isla was experiencing now was obviously making her more uncomfortable than usual.
“Breathe, baby,” Vera tenderly coached as she rubbed Isla’s belly and kissed her shoulder yet again. “You’re doing good.”
“Shit,” Isla sighed as she swung her legs off the side of the bed. Vera got up with her, suddenly in doctor mode instead of wife mode.
“Talk to me.”
“This one is in my back.” She didn’t have to explain what she meant. Vera knew. Getting up on her knees, she began to massage Isla’s lower back.
“Do you want me to check you?”
Isla shrugged. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
“Have you been having contractions?”
Isla’s silence answered for her.
“Isla,” Vera gently scolded. “Was this your first contraction today?”
“I might have had a few since we had sex.”
“Define a few .”
“Like maybe three?” She grimaced. “Or four.”
Getting off the bed, Vera motioned Isla to lie back down. She quickly went into the bathroom and washed her hands before examining Isla. “You’re still at two centimeters.”
“That’s where I was when you checked me last week.”
“I know.” Vera put her hand on her knee as she looked down at her beautiful wife. “I just need you to tell me if you’re having contractions.”
Isla arched an eyebrow at her as she smirked. “You’re a very bossy doctor. I like it.”
“I can’t deal with you.”
As they snuggled back up in bed, Vera stayed awake until she was sure Isla was back asleep. She didn’t feel the need to worry about Isla since she was still at the same stage as she was last week. But something about the way Isla looked during the contraction told her it was stronger than Isla let on. Vera tried not to overthink it as she fell asleep.
Vera had no idea how long she had been asleep until she finally rolled over and checked the clock. It was after nine, which was normal for a Sunday. They usually slept in late and then made brunch for the kids before starting their day. Rolling over, Vera was surprised to find Isla not in bed with her.
“Isla?” She called out to no response.
Getting up from bed, Vera made her way downstairs to find Ellie, Brayden, Mason, and Eden at the kitchen table eating breakfast as Isla stood by the coffee pot. Vera took in the sight before her. Her family was everything to her. She loved watching Ellie and Brayden laugh with Mason and seeing how much love Mason had for them. It was easy to see even Eden was crazy about them.
“Morning, babies.” Vera kissed each of them, even Eden, as they all said a round of good mornings to her. Walking over to Isla, she put a hand on her lower back as she watched her stir the creamer into the coffee. “Is that decaf?”
“Yes, because my doctor is so demanding.” Isla kissed her, and Vera felt her heart fluttering as she smiled. How Isla still had that much power over her with a single kiss was a mystery Vera never wanted to decipher.
“Yes, but the doctor is just looking out for you and the baby.” Vera cocked her head a little as she lowered her voice. “How are you feeling?”
Looking at the table where the kids were already back into conversation, Isla shook her head slightly.
“Can you help me with the laundry?”
“Oh, geez,” Mason groaned dramatically from the kitchen table, “not the code .”
Although they’d known their code had been deciphered by Mason years ago, they still kept it in place for when they needed alone time. It didn’t always mean they needed a quickie: sometimes they just needed to talk about from little ears. Vera playfully stuck her tongue out at Mason as she and Isla headed upstairs to their bedroom.
“I’m still having contractions, but I don’t know if they’re real or just Braxton-Hicks.” She put her hand on her lower back. “Some are back here, and some aren’t. And they’re not consistent. I haven’t had one in an hour.”
“Well,” Vera was trained to stay calm, but on the inside she was torn between freaking out and exclaiming with joy that Isla was in labor. “I can always check you again. But we really need to start monitoring them.”
“Already on it, Doc.”
Pulling out a small notepad from the pocket of her robe, she handed it to Vera. Isla had scribbled the times and intensity of each contraction on a scale of one to ten. Vera couldn’t have been prouder.
“This one,” Vera pointed to one at 7:03 that Isla had written a 7 beside, “what did it feel like?”
“Painful.”
Vera arched an eyebrow, letting her know that wasn’t the answer she wanted.
“Exactly like the contractions I remember with Blake and Mason.”
For a moment, Vera concocted a plan in her mind. Although Isla’s due date was three weeks away, Vera had been prepared for the home birth for weeks. She knew they had everything they needed when it was baby time. Which, if Vera’s gut instinct was correct, would be sooner rather than later.
“Okay,” she firmly nodded. “I’m going to check you again and if you’re more dilated, we’re going to treat this like labor, okay?”
Isla nodded, but less firmly than Vera. Her brown eyes did little to cover the panic that entered her expression, so Vera put a hand on her stomach.
“I have you and I have our baby. I won’t let anything happen to either of you.”
“You think this could really be it?”
Vera felt her eyes sparkling as she looked at Isla. “It could be.”
Before they could say anything else, Isla had another contraction. Vera could see it on her face it hurt, and she quickly put her hands on her hips as Isla wrapped her arms around her neck. They swayed slowly, Isla humming softly as she worked through it. Once it was done, they stayed in that position for a moment.
“On a scale of one to ten…”
“Eight.”
After it had passed, Vera checked Isla again. She was three centimeters, which made Vera believe she was probably getting ready to be in labor—which, of course, proved to be right. Isla’s contractions grew stronger and more frequent as the day went along, but they’d decided not to tell the kids or Eden just yet.
By lunch, Isla’s contractions were to the point Vera knew they’d have to tell Mason and Eden soon. But they found out on their own as Isla had what seemed to be her most painful contraction yet as they were in the kitchen making lunch. Ellie and Brayden, thankfully, were distracted in the living room with their Christmas presents and a movie so they didn’t hear Isla’s pained moans.
Mason was instantly at Isla’s side, as was Vera.
“It’s okay, Mom.” Mason kissed Isla’s cheek. They each had a hand on Isla’s lower back, and Vera moved hers slightly to touch Mason’s. She loved her mom so much, and Vera needed her to know she was okay. “You got this.”
“Shit,” Isla groaned as she leaned over onto the counter. The contraction wasn’t letting up, and Vera wished she could take the pain away from her wife.
Finally, the contraction ended and Isla tried to stand up straighter. She smiled at Vera, trying to act like she was okay for Mason, Vera was sure.
“Okay, yeah,” she laughed and looked at Mason, “I’ve been having contractions all day.”
“We know,” Eden and Mason said in unison.
“Really, Mom,” Mason arched an eyebrow at her, “I know you. I could tell you have been having them since breakfast.”
For the rest of the day, Vera, Mason, and Eden took turns helping Isla through contractions while also keeping the kids distracted. But by the time dinner was over, Isla’s contractions, which had been consistently strong all day, had started to stall out. Vera knew they needed to get them going again, and had some ideas on how to do so.
“You know,” Isla breathlessly laughed after sex, “I’ve always said you do your best work on your knees.”
“Shut up,” Vera rolled her eyes with a laugh. “That’s how we jump-started labor for you, so hopefully, that and the nipple stimulation will start the contractions back up soon.”
“If not I guess you’ll just have to do it more.”
“You know I would.” Vera kissed her, savoring the feeling of Isla’s lips on hers.
Thankfully, Isla’s contractions intensified and didn’t let up for hours. She progressed so quickly that Mason and Eden had taken the kids over to the garage apartment for the night so Isla wouldn’t wake them. And it was a good thing, too. Isla’s contractions were so brutal that Vera could feel the pain in her voice.
“Fuck, this wasn’t this bad either time before.” Isla breathlessly leaned back onto the shower wall where she’d been sitting since her water broke. Vera was glad they’d installed the built-in seat in the shower, especially now. “I really thought this one would just walk out after two births. And the pressure,” Isla groaned, “I don’t remember it being so intense.”
Vera chuckled to herself, but her heart went out to Isla. The last time she’d checked Isla, she was almost ready to push. “You wanna start practice pushing? That might help relieve some of the pressure.”
Isla nodded, and Vera helped her get dried off and over to the bed. The warm shower had helped Isla immensely, but it was game time now. Helping Isla onto the bed, she laid on her side as Vera helped her lift a leg up. She pushed for a half hour before Vera could see the baby finally starting to emerge.
“Honey, you’re doing so good.” Vera kissed her knee as Isla pushed through another contraction. Once it passed, Vera carefully sat her leg down and stood. “I’m going to go put the towels in the dryer so they’ll be warm when she’s born. I’ll be right back.”
Once she arrived back in the bedroom, Isla had moved to sitting on the edge of the bed. She was pushing, and Vera instantly got down on her knees between her legs.
“You’re doing so good, Isla.”
“This pressure can go fuck itself.”
“She’s right there, Isla. Reach down.”
She watched as Isla did, feeling the baby that was about to be born. If even for a moment, she seemed to relax as she realized it was almost over.
“I need to stand,” Isla groaned. “Sitting and laying down are hurting too much.”
Vera didn’t dare protest, but logistically she knew she couldn’t help Isla stand and deliver the baby at the same time. Grabbing the phone off the nightstand, she called Eden.
“Hey, she’s about to crown and I need help. Grab the towels from the dryer and come up here.”
She didn’t wait for a response as Isla leaned onto the bed and pushed.
“Good, Isla. Right there.”
“I’m here,” Eden rushed in, handing the towels to Vera. Eden didn’t ask any questions; she simply walked over to her sister and held her arms out to her. Isla instantly looked relieved as she wrapped her arms around Eden, and Eden put her hands on her hips. “I got you, sis.”
Although Eden had been there when both Blake and Mason were born, she was just a kid. Now, Vera knew she understood the significance of being there for the birth of her niece. Even if she might have had a tighter grip on Isla than Isla did with her. And when Isla screamed as she pushed, so did Eden. Vera knew she shouldn’t laugh, but Eden being obviously nervous somehow made them all distracted.
“Oh, my God,” Eden groaned. “No wonder Mason didn’t want to be here.”
Changing positions, Isla used Eden for support as she squatted. Vera could see the panic on Eden’s face. She was essentially holding Isla up, and the weight of that was apparent on her face. Literally.
“God, you weigh a ton.”
“Eden,” Vera scolded.
“She’s right,” Isla said through a pained laugh. “I’m sorry, but this just feels the best.”
“And I know why.”
Within two pushes, Isla had the baby’s head out. Both Isla’s and Eden’s legs were shaking from the position but neither of them moved. As Isla birthed their daughter, both she and Eden breathed a sigh of relief.
“Shit,” Isla sighed as she stood slightly and Eden helped her sit on the bed. Eden flopped down beside her as Vera held their baby girl against her chest. She unbuttoned her top and placed the baby onto her skin as she grabbed a nearby towel. Isla sat up on her elbows and looked down at her. “Is she okay?”
“She’s perfect.”
Vera cried happy tears as she handed the baby to Isla. Isla cradled the baby against her chest as Eden moved to sit behind her. Eden smiled at the baby over Isla’s shoulder.
“You did good, sis.”
“Thanks.” Isla reached behind her and put a hand on Eden’s cheek. “Thank you for being here. I couldn't have done that without you.”
“Absolutely.” Eden kissed Isla’s cheek. “I wouldn’t have wanted to miss your least attractive moment for anything.”
As Isla rolled her eyes, Vera playfully swatted at Eden’s leg with a laugh.
Since it was late, Isla and Vera decided to wait to tell Ellie and Brayden the next morning. But Mason needed to know now. When she softly knocked on the door less than an hour after the baby was born, she instantly started crying. She went to Isla and snuggled up beside her in bed as the baby nursed.
“Mom,” she cried happily, “you made that.”
“ We made that,” Isla corrected, taking hold of Vera’s hand. She looked at Vera, who nodded.Vera knew what she was asking without words. “Would you two like to know the name?”
“It better be Eden since I basically birthed her myself.” Eden was on the nearby rocking chair, half asleep as she rocked it.
“Her name is Everleigh Claire.”
Vera watched Isla’s words register with her sister. Eden smiled, as Mason grinned ear to ear.Standing, Eden slowly walked over to the bed and sat facing Isla.
“Well, shit,” she wiped tears from her eyes. “I didn’t mean literally.”
“We actually had the name picked out for a few weeks.”
“Wait,” Mason’s eyes narrowed at them, “did you pick that name because I had it on my list?”
Isla sheepishly smiled. “When we saw Everleigh circled, we knew.”
Smiling, Mason leaned down and kissed Everleigh on the head. “Hi sweet, Everleigh. I’m your favorite sister, Mason.”
As they laughed, Vera savored watching Mason with Everleigh. Their lives felt complete with the newest addition.
Well.
Almost.
Blake .
Isla must have sensed her thoughts because she gently squeezed her hand. “I love you.”
“I love you more.”