Chapter 28 #2
She hung up the phone and wiped her damp eyes. Teddy was still holding her hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Do you feel better now?”
She nodded. “Yes, you were right. It was good to get it over with.”
“So the key is the mayonnaise. A thin layer under the crumbs keeps the fish moist.” Cody added a drizzle of melted butter and a squeeze of lemon, then covered the fish with aluminum foil and closed the top of the grill.
“It won’t take long, and it will be the best fish you’ve ever had. I guarantee it.”
She laughed. “You’re very cocky about your cooking. We’ll see if it measures up,” she teased him.
“It will. Can you pass me those asparagus?”
She handed him the spears that she’d just trimmed. He put them on a separate sheet of foil, added a splash of olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon, and tossed them together before closing the foil and putting the packet on the grill next to the fish.
It was warm enough to eat outside, so when the food was ready, they took their plates, sat on the deck, and watched the sun set.
“Okay, you can be cocky about your fish. This is excellent,” Claire said.
Cody looked pleased to hear it. “It helps that the fish is super fresh, but thank you.”
They waited a while before having dessert and went inside once the air cooled a bit and the sun went down. Cody flicked on his gas fireplace, and they sat in the living room, side by side on his comfy leather sofa, and ate the cheesecake.
Cody found a detective show they both enjoyed, and they settled in to watch TV for a bit before Claire headed home.
She got up during a commercial break to head to the bathroom, and on her way back to the sofa, she stopped in the kitchen for a moment and grabbed on to the counter.
She felt strange and a minute later understood why, as her water broke and liquid rushed onto the floor.
She let out a surprised yelp, and Cody jumped up and ran into the kitchen.
“Claire, are you okay?” He saw the water on the floor. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I think my water broke. Hand me a paper towel, and I’ll clean this up.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Cody grabbed a roll of towels and quickly mopped up the floor. “Let’s go. I’ll get you to the hospital. Call your mother and have her meet us there.”
It all went very quickly after that. Claire called her mother on the way to the hospital, and she said that she and Warren would be right over, and she’d let Lily know and pick her up from Teddy’s house.
She also said she’d bring Claire’s go bag, the one she’d packed over a week ago that had everything she’d need for when she went in to have the baby.
When they reached the hospital, Cody took charge and told them in the ER that her water had just broken. They took her in a few minutes later, admitted her to a room, and called her doctor.
Claire had just settled into the bed when a fierce pain ripped through, and she screamed and immediately apologized. “I don’t know where that came from,” she said.
The nurse chuckled as she finished putting in her IV and taped it to her arm. “Nothing to apologize for, honey. Giving birth is messy. We’ll give you an epidural as soon as the doctor gives the go-ahead. She’ll be in shortly.”
“Can I get you anything?” Cody offered. “I might walk to the cafeteria and get a coffee.”
“Go ahead. I’m fine. My mother should be here any minute.”
Marsha, Lily, and Warren arrived as Cody returned with his coffee.
“Are you having contractions yet?” her mother asked.
Claire nodded. “Yes. The first one caught me by surprise. I just had another one before you walked in, so I guess they’re ten or fifteen minutes apart.”
“Hmm. You might go soon if they’ve started that quickly. How long were you in labor with Lily?”
“I was trying to remember that. About eight hours, I think?”
Dr. McCarthy arrived twenty minutes later, and everyone stepped out of the room while she examined Claire. “Everything looks good. I’ll check back in a bit and will give you an epidural once you are a few more centimeters dilated.”
The doctor left, and everyone came back into the room.
“Mom, how do you feel? Does it hurt?” Lily looked worried, and Claire tried to reassure her.
“It hurts, yes. But I feel good.” She smiled. “I am anxious to get this baby out. It’s time.” She bit her lower lip and tried not to scream as another contraction came. Claire looked at Cody. “Thank you for bringing me here. You don’t have to stay though. It might be a while.”
He took her hand and squeezed it. “I don’t have anywhere else I need to be. I’m happy to stay. Unless you’d rather I didn’t?”
“Oh no. I just didn’t want you to feel like you had to. I’m happy to have you here.”
He grinned. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. It’s not every day that one of my best friends has a baby.”
The next few hours were a blur as painful contractions came regularly, and Claire was more than ready for the epidural when the doctor said it was time.
Everyone left the room again while the epidural was administered, and Claire felt immediate relief.
She felt pressure after that, but the exhausting pain had let up.
Cody massaged her shoulders to try and help her to relax.
She found his presence comforting and was grateful he was there with the rest of her family.
When the hard labor began, her mother, Lily, and Cody all took turns holding her hand and encouraging her. She was surprised by how comfortable he seemed with it all.
“You’re good at this. Are you sure you don’t have kids?”
He laughed. “Not yet. I was there with my sister though. And I’ve always been good with babies and kids. I can’t wait to meet yours.”
And four hours later, just before midnight, she delivered a baby girl.
The nurse cleaned her off, the doctor checked her over and made sure her lungs were working, and then they wrapped her in a blanket and rested her on Claire’s chest. She looked down at the baby’s tiny sweet face and felt a rush of maternal love so strong that it was breathtaking.
She’d thought of several names depending on whether the baby was a girl or a boy, and she’d had two girl names that she was torn between.
She’d had a feeling that she’d know which name was right when she met her baby.
And as she gazed at her, it was obvious which name she had to choose.
As everyone came back into the room. Claire looked up and smiled tiredly at them. “I’d like you all to meet Madeline.”