Epilogue #2
“I’ve been using it to hold my brushes and other art supplies to take out to the studio. It works much better than a plain grocery bag.”
Chase held out his hand. “Are you ready to go, my love?”
Meri held still for a minute, closed her eyes, and let the major contraction stop before moving again. Then she kissed her mother on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”
Carole took Meri’s face between her palms. “Of course. We’ll come see the baby soon. Rose and I will take shifts, like usual.”
“Great. I was going to change clothes, but I need to go now. These contractions are getting worse and coming closer together. I don’t want Chase to deliver his son on the side of the road.”
Chase’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. “I don’t want to deliver my daughter at all.”
Laughing, she placed a hand on his arm. “Don’t worry. I’m just teasing you. If I was in that much of a hurry, I would have told you to take the kittens back to the barn until later.”
He swept a hand across his forehead. “Whew. You had me going there.”
“Bye, Mom. Bye, rugrats. I’ll see you in a couple of days with your new baby sibling.”
“What’s a sibling?” asked Jenny.
Meri stopped and talked to her oldest child. “It’s a brother or sister. Since we don’t know what the baby will be, I’ll call him a sibling for now. Mommy’s got to go now. I love you.”
The children hugged her.
She took Chase’s hand and walked with him to the garage.
He carried the overnight case and diaper bag with his other hand.
“Let’s take the Land Rover. It’s easier for me to get in and out of than the new Charger.”
“Okay.” He helped her into the car and then put her overnight case and the diaper bag in the back seat before climbing behind the wheel.
Once they were on the road to Bozeman, he reached over and took her hand. “You can squeeze my fingers if you need to.”
“I’m okay, but the contractions have speeded up considerably. I would guess they are only about three minutes apart. You might want to drive faster.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He pressed on the accelerator pedal. “If I get stopped, I’ll tell the officers they he might have to deliver a baby if we don’t get to the hospital. I bet they’ll give us a police escort.”
“I’d rather not have to stop for anything, or you might be telling the truth. Ahhh!” She squeezed his hand as hard as she could.
“You should time them.”
“I don’t have my phone. You’ll have to bring it to me later. What time is it?”
“The time’s on the dash. It’s three-twenty-two.”
They drove along until the next pain hit. “What time is it now?”
“Three-twenty-five. You were right. Three minutes apart.”
She continued breathing through her pain.
“Chase, speed up.” Another pain hit her. “Owww. Oh, God.”
“It’s three-twenty-seven and a half. They’re getting closer, but so are we. Only about five miles to go.”
“Thank you, Lord,” she said in a prayer.
Chase finally pulled into the ER at the hospital. “Let me get a wheelchair.”
“I can definitely wait.”
He came back a couple of minutes later with the chair. “I’ll take you inside, and you can check in while I park the car.”
“Okay.” She turned her legs to the side and placed the right one on the ground while clutching onto the back of the seat. Then she lowered the left leg and pushed herself away from the vehicle.
Chase helped her into the wheelchair. Then he rolled her to the check-in desk for the ER.
“How may I help you?” The woman was in her late fifties with glasses on one of those chains. She smiled, and Meri was pleased to see the smile reached her moss green eyes.
Meri liked her immediately. “I’m having a baby. My contractions are two minutes apart, and I think I feel the head crowning.”
The woman immediately became all business. “Oh, my goodness. Let’s quickly get you checked-in.”
Chase approached and stood next to Meri.
The woman called the maternity ward and requested a CNA to take Meri up to the delivery area. Stat. Then she went through the questions to check Meri in.
A young woman arrived, sporting tattoos on both arms and a small ring in her nose.
It didn’t surprise Meri anymore. All the nurses at her doctor’s office sported one or more arm tattoos and some had facial piercings, too. Besides, she was an artist and enjoyed how people expressed themselves. She liked to express herself through her art.
“Here we go, Mrs. Harper.” She released the brakes and took Meri to the delivery rooms of the maternity ward.
Chase held Meri’s hand as they traveled through the wide corridors.
Meri had requested a room that looked like a home instead of a hospital. She would deliver the baby there and remain for the twenty-four hours she had to stay after the baby was born.
The room was lovely. The bed was a full size, so Chase could lie down with them if he wanted to.
The CNA took the wheelchair out.
Chase helped Meri sit on the bed. “Are you doing okay, sweetheart?”
She nodded, unable to talk through the contraction. She was so ready to give birth.
A nurse came. “Good day, Mrs. Harper. How are you today?”
“Trying not to take off everyone’s head when they ask that question,” snapped Meri.
“I know you’re hurting right now, so I don’t take it personally,” the girl said cheerily.
Chase put his arm around Meri’s shoulders. “Come on, my love. Let me help you into your hospital gown so you can bring forth our child into the world.”
Doctor Vance came into the room. She was already in scrubs and a paper hat covering her long gray hair. “Meri, how are you?”
“Ready to have this baby.”
The doctor chuckled. “I bet you are.”
The nurse handed Chase the hospital gown. He tied the gown in the front. “I’d say she’s more than ready, Doctor Vance. She’s snapping at everyone…as usual.”
The doctor’s bright green eyes showed above her mask. “Let’s get you onto the bed so I can have a look.”
“It feels like he’s coming, and it hurts like heck.”
Meri laid back on the bed and raised her knees, opening them wide so the doctor could check her progress.
“I’d say you’re right, Meri. But I need to measure to be sure.
” She sat on the bed and measured Meri’s vaginal opening.
“You’re at twelve centimeters and I can see the baby crowning, so I need you to push as hard as you can.
” She looked again. “Very good, keep pushing. We need to get the head out. Come on now, bear down hard.”
Meri did as asked. The pain and pressure as she bore down almost made her want to quit, but she knew she couldn’t. The baby needed to come out, and now was the time for that.
“Push again, Meri. Push.”
After pushing for what seemed like hours, she felt the head pop out.
“There we go,” said Doctor Vance. “We have the head, now we need the shoulders. Rest a moment and then push for all you’re worth.”
Meri pushed until she thought she couldn’t take it anymore. Finally, she felt the baby slide from her body. She sighed with relief.
“Well?” she asked the doctor. “What is it? Boy or girl?”
“You have a beautiful baby boy.”
The doctor laid the baby on Meri’s belly, waiting to cut the umbilical cord for a minute or two.
Meri didn’t care why they did it, just that she loved having her son on her chest where she could touch him and hold him and love him.
He looked up but didn’t cry. His dark hair and dark eyes stared at Meri.
She looked up at her husband. “Chase, do you see? Our son. I was right all along. We have another son.”
He smoothed his hand over the baby’s head. “A boy. You were right.” He leaned down and kissed her on the lips. A sweet, soft kiss. “I love you, Meri Harper, and our children, with all my heart and soul.”
“And I you, my love. And I you.”