Unconventional

Serenity

The early morning air was thick with tension, the house eerily quiet save for the occasional rustle of wind outside. Jennifer clutched her stomach, the pain sharp and relentless. She had been trying to ignore the contractions for hours, hoping they would pass. But now, as another wave of agony washed over her, she knew it was too late. Her breath came in short, desperate gasps, her body trembling as she realized she was going into labor.

Emilio was nowhere to be found, likely out in the yard, doing whatever it was he did to occupy his time. Maria was upstairs, probably sleeping soundly. Jennifer was alone, bent over the kitchen counter, gripping it for support as she tried to breathe through the pain.

Another contraction, more intense this time, ripped through her body, and she let out a low moan, sinking to her knees. "No, no, not like this," she whispered to herself, panic settling in as she realized she was about to give birth—right here, on the kitchen floor.

As the minutes passed, the contractions came closer together. Jennifer's vision blurred as sweat trickled down her forehead. She could feel the babies coming, her body giving her no choice but to push. She screamed, the sound filling the empty house.

Finally, the door burst open. Emilio stormed in, his face dark with annoyance, clearly irritated by the sound of her cries. Behind him, Maria appeared, eyes wide with shock.

"What the hell is going on?" Emilio snapped, looking at Jennifer writhing on the floor. "What is she doing?"

"She's having the babies!" Maria screamed, rushing over to Jennifer's side. "Oh my God, why didn't you take her to the hospital?"

Jennifer's mind was a haze of pain and fear as Maria knelt beside her, trying to offer some form of comfort. The first baby was already crowning, and Jennifer gritted her teeth, trying to focus on pushing through the pain.

Maria shot a furious glance at Emilio. "She needs medical attention! She's going to die if she does this here!" Maria shouted, panic in her voice.

Emilio crossed his arms, standing over them, cold and indifferent. "Jennifer doesn't deserve the hospital. She's fine here," he said dismissively. "She can handle it."

"She's having triplets, Emilio! She's bleeding! Get help, or she's going to—"

"Shut up, Maria," Emilio barked, cutting her off. "I'm handling this. She's strong enough. This is her job."

Tears streamed down Jennifer's face as she pushed with every ounce of strength she had left, her vision darkening around the edges. She could barely hear Maria arguing with Emilio over the sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.

The first baby came, a tiny cry filling the room. Maria quickly wrapped the newborn in a towel, her hands trembling as she did her best to comfort Jennifer. But Jennifer didn't have time to rest. The second baby followed only minutes later, and then the third, each arrival more harrowing than the last.

By the time all three babies were born, Jennifer was barely conscious, her body limp with exhaustion. The room was filled with the cries of the newborns, but all Jennifer could hear was the pounding in her head, a dull ache spreading through her body.

Emilio, towering over the scene, looked down at the babies, his expression a mixture of pride and control. "I'll name them," he announced, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He pointed to each baby in turn. "This one will be Manuel, after my father. That one will be Carlos. And the girl," he paused, looking at the tiny, wailing infant, "she'll be Lucia."

Maria stared at him in disbelief, her face flushed with anger. "You selfish bastard," she hissed, holding the newborns close to her chest. "You didn't care if she lived or died. All you care about is your control!"