Always the years between us

Chapter 12

Maggie's POV: Months had passed on, and I was nearing my due date. I was 37 weeks and 4 days. OA and I had been married for a blissful 6, almost 7 months. It was still secret that we had eloped, so everyone; besides Isobel thought we were still engaged. I had been on maternity leave for 3 weeks now. OA was partnered with someone from Scola's past, I couldn't remember her name. I was nearing the end of this pregnancy, so I was grumpier. But wouldn't admit it. I was sitting in the baby's nursery folding the last of their clothes to put away.

My hospital bag was packed. Now all we had to do was welcome this little one into the world safe and sound. I and OA both were saying boy, based on the way this one caused me to be sick for almost this whole pregnancy. But we were going to be happy either way. He checked in with me when he could. I always told him that everything was okay. And this baby and I were perfectly fine. When we felt their first kick, it was bittersweet for both of us.

I was over being pregnant. But I wasn't considered full-term until next week. Who knew? Would the baby be stubborn and be late? Would they be early? I was getting Braxton-hicks all the time. I didn't want a Christmas baby, then it would ruin our Christmas. Our last Christmas with just us. We wanted to cherish this last one with us and then we would welcome our newest addition. Hopefully. Christmas was in 6 days.

The days went on, and the baby was nice and comfortable through Christmas. It was December 27th. I was 38 weeks and 3 days. The Braxton-hicks that I had been having the last week were getting more frequent. Isobel knew that I was getting close to my due date, so she gave OA paternity leave early. My lower back was killing me. And it was mid-afternoon, and it was getting worse. The Braxton-hicks that I had been having didn't feel like those anymore. I pulled out my phone and started timing them.

I was leaning against the bathroom counter as the pain worsened. OA was downstairs, doing god knows what. He was probably sitting on the couch. I groaned in pain as I stopped the timer. My contractions were 5 minutes apart, but would probably get closer as the time passed on. I sat down on the toilet and caught my breath. Another contraction came, and it was still 5 minutes. I had lost my mucus plug the day before, so I knew I was going into labor any day.

I had heard footsteps coming upstairs, so I knew it was OA coming to see if I was alright because I was quiet. "Babe? Is everything okay?" he said, coming into the bedroom. I couldn't speak. Another contraction came. That one was closer. "Mags?" he says again. I looked at him standing there. "We need to get to the hospital. This baby's coming," I whispered. He took a deep breath. "Ok. Let's get you into the car and I'll grab the bags on the way out," he said, trying to stay calm.

I leaned into him as we walked down the stairs. That's the one thing I hated since I found out I was pregnant, the stairs. As we got to the bottom, another contraction came. I put a death grip on his arm as I breathed through the contraction. "Just take deep breaths," I heard OA say. I couldn't talk. These contractions hurt like hell. I slipped on my slippers mid-contraction and waddled out to the car. I knew OA was coming behind me. He shut the door for me once I got in the car.

He threw the bags in the backseat next to the car seat. He got in and backed out of the driveway and drove off. I knew he grabbed my phone because it was in the cupholder with his. He mentioned that he had already called the hospital and told them that we were on the way. I was in so much pain from the contractions. So I didn't remember much. It all came to me when I was being wheeled into the hospital by an L&D nurse, OA following behind me. They immediately gave me an epidural, so the pain was gone. Now it was the waiting game. "Did you want me to tell the others?" OA asked me, who was sitting on the uncomfortable hospital couch bed that they had for him.

"No, this will be our surprise for them," I say, trying to find a comfortable position. They had started me on Pitocin, which would hopefully speed up the labor. They had all sorts of wristbands on me. Fall Risk, the one with my name, and a couple more that I couldn't even name. The baby's heartbeat was beating ever so loudly on the monitor I was connected to. I was being checked every hour. I was at a 5. So I was halfway there. It was only 6:24. The sun was getting ready to set. It was coming up at 11:00 pm when the doctor came in to check me again.

It was time. It was time to push. OA got pushed back a little so they could start getting everything set up. They spread my legs apart and draped a towel over me. They gave me an oxygen mask a little bit ago. I held that with my left hand and he gripped my right hand. I was ordered to push. And I did. I was then told to stop. I heard them mention that I was crowning. So I had to wait until the next contraction. A couple of minutes had passed when it was time to push again. I felt OA move to look to see if he could see the baby's head.

And sure enough, he did. It took one more big push, with all of my might. And at 11:25 pm. Our baby was born. "It's a girl!" OA cried, with a single tear falling down his cheek. I leaned back and started crying as the nurses cleaned our daughter off. A nurse pulled my hospital gown back and set her on my chest as she was still crying. I and OA looked at each other. I did it. We did it. She was here. Safe and sound. "Now we have to figure out a name for her," I tell him. "We have time, besides we want it to be special," he said, grabbing ahold of her little fingers.

The doctor had left, but a nurse was still there because she still had to get the measurements. A second after she was off my chest, she started crying again. I smiled at the sight of OA standing next to his daughter. 7 pounds 4 oz. 20 inches long. And a full head of hair. The nurse handed her back to her and we decided to see if she would latch. And right away, she did. I could already tell that I would be obsessed with her.

Once she finished eating, I handed her off to OA. He had a big grin on his face, and from what I could tell. He was still crying. "Bellamy," I blurt out. He looked up at me. "Bellamy. That's her name, Bellamy River Zidan," I tell him once again. He looked down at her, "I say, that fits her perfectly," he says. He eventually did skin-to-skin with Bellamy. We were a family now. She was here. And it was blissful.