Letters From Laura

23

Dear Journal,

My room is practically flooded from multiple windows that were broken during the storm. Luckily I was able to get my mum's diary out of my wardrobe with no water damage. Things like my bed and my desk and the floor are what was damaged the most. It seems that most of the damage was confined to the west wing. Although dad and Claire's carpet does needs to be replaced but their window was already fixed so they can still sleep in there.

For now the whole west wing is under construction and I sleep in the baby's room. It feels wrong to be in a place that once held such hope and now only serves as a reminder of death.

I will continue the story now.

Claire and I were trapped in the loo. She tried to open the door once more to see if exiting would be safe but the door was stuck.

"Well, someone will eventually notice we are gone and come for us. For now this is the safest place to be." Claire said and I believed her. There were no windows in there and it was spacious enough not to feel cramped.

I was still not quite sure what to make of Claire's comment about my mother. But if we were gonna be stuck in there, maybe I could gain some information.

"Did you know my mother?" I asked

"No. I've seen pictures of her though. You look just like her. I think that's why I haven't seen or spoken to you much since you've been here. I was jealous." She said.

"You were jealous of me?" I couldn't believe it.

Claire chuckled sadly. "It sounds ridiculous. A woman my age to be jealous of a child but...your father loved your mother very much. I don't think he ever really moved on from her. So when you came here, I was worried. I already feel as though I'm sharing him with another woman: your mother. And you came here looking just like Susan and I panicked." Claire was spilling her guts to me and it made sense now.

Father never stopped loving my mum. That's why his favorite book was the one she gave him on their wedding day. That's why Claire has been so hostile to me. She didn't want to lose her husband.

"They were only married for 3 months. My mum didn't even know about me until after she left." I whispered. "Wait. Did you call my mum Susan?"

"Well that's her name isn't it?" Claire said looking at me. Before I could respond she grunted and squeezed her eyes shut tight "Oh, God." She said.

"Are you alright?"

She opened her eyes and was breathing heavily.

"I've been having abdominal pains since last night before supper." So that explained the weird atmosphere the night prior.

"Is the baby coming?" iasked, suddenly scared.

"Oh God, no." She said immediately. "No, I'm not due until next month yet. And this feels different than it did with Victoria. I don't know. I suppose I should call the doctor when we get out of here. If ever." She shook her head dismissively.

We could hear the water coming into the bedroom, along with sharp gusts of wind and thunder. Now wasn't the time to question about my mother.

"I just..." Claire looked at me trying to find the right words. "I want you to know that Victoria likes you very much. She talks about you all the time. I can see now that I was wrong about you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me, Laura."

"I forgive you." I told her. I felt bad for every mean thing I had ever said about her.

Claire suddenly grasped her belly and screamed. It wasn't a moan or a grunt. Her eyes were shut tight and she was screaming.

"Are you okay?! Claire?!" I scrambled across the floor to her and held her hand until the screaming stopped.

"Oh, God. That- that was a contraction." She said looking at me.

I was trapped alone in a bathroom with a pregnant woman in labor, and I had no idea what to do.

I ran to the door and tried to open it but it was still stuck. I banged my fists and shouted for help while Claire screamed again but the storm covered our sound.

"Laura!" Claire yelled. "They can't hear us, they're not coming!" She reached and took my hand. "But the baby is. Now. So I need you to help me."

Claire told me to help situate her in the bathtub. As she had one leg in, her water broke. "Okay, Laura. You need to time my contractions, okay? See how long they last and how far apart they are." So every time she screamed in pain, she gripped the edge of the bathtub until her knuckles turned white and I counted.

6
5
4
3
2...

"OH MY GOD!" Claire screamed. There were little to no breaks between contractions now and it was time for her to push.

Everything was set up as Claire told me to. My hands were in medical gloves, we had an abundance of towels nearby and finger nail scissors to cut the umbilical cord with. It was the best we could do in there, but it was not a hospital.

Two people had entered the loo half an hour ago but it was up to me for three people to exit. I felt as if the whole world was resting on my shoulders. And in a way, it was. Claire's world. Dad's world. Victoria's and especially the baby's world.

"You can...ah...you can do this, Laura. OH!" Claire was trying to be encouraging to me while pushing a baby out of her. God bless her I thought and knelt in front of her.

I was seeing way too much of my stepmother right now. But I was ready to catch it, hold it, do whatever.

Claire started pushing and pushing.

"Do you see the head yet?! Oh, God!" She yelled.

I looked down but didn't see a head.

I saw a foot.

The baby was breach.

-L