Different Is Good

Twenty two

Stevie's due date was fast approaching and being less that an week away was both exciting and scary. She had been plagued by strange and vivid dreams about birth for a month, each time waking up covered in sweat. Lindsey hugged her and comforted her until she feel back to sleep.

All day long, Stevie felt as if she had renewed energy. She folded baby clothes, knocked out the final piece of her school work needed to graduate and cleaned her room from top to bottom. That evening, though, she felt strange. She couldn't finish her dinner and her belly felt hard and tight. "I'm going to go up to bed." Stevie said.

Lindsey looked at the clock. "But it's not even 6:30. Are you alright?"

"I'm just tired."

"Okay, I will join you a little later." Stevie nodded and went upstairs.
Barbara had kept quiet around Stevie, "Lindsey, I think you should join her," she whispered in case Stevie heard.

"Why?"

"With all of those baby books you read you don't recognize the signs of labor? She's had so much energy all day, I was the same way with she and Chris. The next morning both of them came."

Lindsey turned pale, the inside of his mouth dry as he nodded, "O-okay," he stood up from the table quickly, bumping his knee hard without even flinching before he raced up the stairs
He opened the door and Stevie was flopping around on the bed, sitting up and laying down, going from one side to the other. "Can't get comfortable?"

"No" she said, tears in her eyes. "My back hurts, my hips hurt...my stomach is so...weird."

"Weird how?"

"Tight...like a drum."

"Well, Sara has no more room."

"But it's different, Linds. I swear, this doesn't feel normal."
"Do you think..." he trailed off

"I can't do it! I'm not ready!"

"Then we will sit here and we will prepare ourselves for little Sara," taking her hands in his
"What if the midwife is wrong and she's twenty pounds."

Lindsey chuckled. "She won't be. Twenty pounds is a lot different than eight and a half. She would notice something like that."

"What if she doesn't fit? I'm little, Linds. What if she gets stuck?"

"Gloria said we would go to the hospital but it's very unlikely."

"What if I can't breastfeed?"

"Then there's formula. Stevie, please stop scaring yourself. This is going to go perfectly. I can tell."
"What if-" Lindsey cut her off

"Stevie, stop. I am here. Your mother is here. Gloria is more than capable of taking care of you." He told her more sternly

"Okay...."rubbing her stomach carefully, it was so tight she was scared it may burst
"How are you feeling now?"

"I think I'm having contractions. My belly will feel tight then it will go away but they're not that painful yet, just very uncomfortable."

"Then let's try to help you sleep. I will rub your back and your belly and try to take some of the pressure off your hips."

"You're too good to me"
"You're giving me a child, this is the least that I could do," he kissed her cheek. Lindsey applied pressure to her lower back and hips, firmly massaging out the tension
"Ow" She whined and he took his hands off her.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No, contraction."

"Hold my hand, squeeze when it hurts."
"Was that one bad?" Lindsey asked softly, smoothing her hair back