𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕(𝙰𝙲𝙾𝚃𝙰𝚁)

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔴𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔶-𝔣𝔦𝔳𝔢

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

age: 30

    With the war going on, Elio would disappear on the battlefield for a few weeks, then come home to check on me for a day or so. I was left pregnant and alone for the last two months of my miserable pregnancy. 

     I had sobbed to him, begging him to stay the last time he had come to visit. I was so scared he would miss the birth of the twins, and leave me to go into labor without him. He had felt bad leaving me, but claimed he had no choice. 

     I had gone into labor in the middle of dinner, causing Eden to go into a full panic. She had helped me walk through the corridors to my bedroom, which happened to be on the other side of the manor.

     She had left me alone for only a moment while she went to fetch Kirsten from the infirmary.  

     The two of them had been by my side for the last six hours while I sobbed, blood soaking the sheets. 

     Eden placed a warm, wet towel on my forehead, then wiped the tears from my eyes. 

"Almost there, Eve," Kirsten promised me. "You're so close."

      I screamed as I clutched my stomach, feeling like my body was going to fail from exhaustion and pain. I rolled over, tears streaming from my eyes as I pushed as hard as I could.

"Stay still," Eden warned, flipping me onto my back again. I couldn't find the words to apologize. 

     I let out a yell of pain as I tensed my muscles up again, squeezing my eyes shut as I did so. A horrifically painful contraction coursed through my body, one much more intense than the others. 

     I shrieked, hitting the bed repeatedly with my hand. It was absolutely unbearable. I was beginning to become grateful that Elio was not here, because I would absolutely strangle him for putting me in this horrible position. I told him I was not mentally or physically ready for this, and he hadn't listened. 

     Eden brushed my hair away from my sweat-soaked forehead, then took one of my hands in hers and pressed a kiss to it. 

"I can't do this," I sobbed, glancing up at her concerned face.

"It's okay. You're almost there," Eden insisted, kneeling by the bed.

"No, I can't be a mother," I cried, shaking my head. "I'm not ready. I'm so scared, Eden."

"Hey, you can do this," she promised, taking my face in her hands. "You are going to be a great mother. I know you can do it."

     I whimpered, using all the strength I had left to push again. My face screwed up in agony as I felt the head emerge, causing an unbearable sensation that made me scream and sob like I never had before. 

"This is the worst part, Evelina, but you can get through it," Kirsten encouraged me. I could only let out a shaky sob as a response, pushing my way through the agony. 

     There was a final release as I pushed one last time. I plopped back onto the bed, utterly exhausted. I could hear my baby's cries, but I was just too weak to sit up, in too much pain to care.

"Oh, my," Kirsten smiled, picking it up. "It's a girl."

     Just as she was about to hand her to me, another pain hit me. I gasped, collapsing onto the bed again.

"The other baby's coming," Kirsten announced.

"No, no, no. I can't do that again," I pleaded through my tears desperately.