So This Is Love?

Part 25: Silent No More

"So, Freema- Ryan: I hope you don't mind the informal address." Tabitha says as she sets up her recorder and reporting materials on the table in the conference room. Freema, who sits nervously next to Ryan, feigns confidence as she watches Tabitha click her pen and her coworker set up the camera from the bad.

"We're typically informal people." Ryan says casually- Gracie asleep in his arms comfortably.

"Good- formal can be so...bothersome when talking personal lives."

"How long have you been at Entertainment?" Ryan asks cautiously. He doesn't recall any of his friends being interviewed by a Tabitha and he certainly has never seen her name on any articles.

"Two years. This is the first month I actually get to get out of the copy room and start writing. Journalism in college never actually gets you a position writing. That should be in their pamphlets." She jokes and Ryan relaxes- just a bit. But he still doesn't feel 100% right about this whole thing. "So, Freema, you said you and Ryan are engaged?"

"Y...yes..."

"That's so sweet. How long?"

"Um...about..."

"Just a bit under a year." Ryan steps in.

"I see. That must be exciting. New baby. Wedding to prepare for. A show that is almost number one on the charts. You both must be exhausted."

"Haha, I wouldn't say exhausted."

"But having a new baby in the mix must be a bit of a challenge. Which- I don't recall reading about her birth at all. In fact it wasn't until today that I knew she was a girl."

"Well, we keep a private life. We are both very reclusive and cautious." Freema states and Ryan jumps in.

"Especially when it comes to our child." His tone is a bit harsh- and Freema pinches his hand under the table slightly.

"Completely understandable. So what hospital was she born in? She was premature- wasn't she?"

"Yes- she was born 10 weeks early. And I actually had her in my home at nearly 2:30 in the morning haha. She apparently couldn't wait to see everyone."

"Well that must've been an adventure. Ryan, when you were home what was your first thought." Tabitha asks and Ryan sits back in his seat a bit. Gracie still perfectly sound asleep against him.

"Well...well I wasn't at Freema's home." He says and Freema feels her mouth go dry.

It certainly doesn't look good.

"Where we're you?"

"At my apartment. She called me and told me she thought she was in labor- so I rushed across town to be with her." Tabitha writes something down and then smiles up at them both.

"So when you arrived- what happened next?"

"Well I was already dilated to almost nine centimeters when he arrived- so we both knew that there was no way I could get to the hospital to deliver. He had called an ambulance- but it wasn't going to make it."

"So you gave birth at home without any kind of drugs or training? Wow- that's insane. You are a tough woman, Freema."

"It was scary and very painful. At one point I just kept pushing because I just wanted it to be done and then there she was- right as the EMTs showed up."

"So what was it like holding your baby girl for the first time? That whole experience must've been wild."

"I didn't get to hold her just then."