Seven months later
"Cass?" Maya called from the kitchen of their apartment. "Cassidy?"
Cass wandered out of the bedroom, holding two baby outfits. "Which one should I put in the hospital bag? I don't really think we need both—" she took one look at Maya and promptly dropped both outfits. "Maya!" She threw Maya's arm over her shoulders and eased her onto one of their rickety kitchen chairs they'd found on Facebook Marketplace. Cass had moved off-campus to live with Maya, and their meager income hadn't yet yielded any amazing furniture.
"I think my water just broke." Maya said, wincing, indicating the puddle on the floor. Cass' heart began to race.
"Ok, uh, what does that mean? Is something wrong? Do we need to go to the hospital? You wait here, I'll go start the car!" Cass jumped up, but Maya grabbed her arm.
"Cass, there's no need to rush. We'll get there in plenty of-" Maya gasped and screwed her eyes shut as a contraction overtook her. Cass began to genuinely freak out. She grabbed the outfits off the floor, fungoes them into the awaiting hospital bag, snagged her keys, and began hurrying Maya out to the car as quick as she could.
Cass didn't remember how she got to the hospital, or anything that led to Maya ending up in a hospital bed. Finally, one of the nurses suggested that maybe Cass would like to sit down for a minute, and Cass dropped into a chair by Maya's head.
"C'mon, Maya, you can do it." She said, trying to calm her own self down. "You can do it!" Maya cried out in pain and squeezed Cass' hand as if her life depended on it. The doctor came in. She proceeded to check Maya's progress, then nodded.
"Okay, young lady, on your next contraction I want you to bear down and push! Ok?" Maya nodded, sweat beading her forehead and bags protruding under her eyes, showing the strain of the many hours of labor.
"You're almost done, Maya. So close!" Cass encouraged, and Maya set her face in a look of grim determination. She cried out as the next contraction started, and pushed. This repeated a few more times, Cass' hand going numb from Maya's grip. When it seemed like Maya could push no more, a shrill cry cut the air.
"It's a girl!" The doctor cheered, and Maya burst into tears. The baby continued wailing, and was placed on Maya's chest after being dried off. Cass stared in wonder at the crying infant, and hugged both of them close. Finally, it was all over.
"Hello, little one. Hello, Emmogene Faith." Maya crooned, stroking the baby's face. "Welcome to this world."
YOU ARE READING
Gathering Roses
RomanceCass had thought she and her daughter Emmy would finally be safe in Lincoln. They had settled down, began a new chapter in life, and actually made friends. She should have known it was too good to be true. A frightening appearance one afternoon se...
