The Way We Were

The Way We Give Birth (Again)

Marcy rubbed her stomach as she led the horse around the corral. "Keep your knees tight and your back straight."

The seven year old on the horse did exactly that.

Marcy increased the speed of her rubbing but kept talking to the horse in a nice, calm voice. "You're both doing a good job."

After another five minutes of walking around the corral, Marcy let the little girl off the horse. She led the horse back into the barn and put him in his stable before rubbing him down and giving him a treat.

The horse neighed and shifted around. Marcy calmed him but suddenly she felt something. "Oh crap!"

Her water broke.

She finished with the horse and went to get her son from playing with the bunnies. She put him in a golf cart they used to get around camp and drove towards their house. Her junior counselor could handle the kids coming back from the trail.

"We goin home, Mommy?" Mally asked.

"Yeah, we're going home for a little bit. Mommy has to change her clothes."

Mally grinned up at her.

She parked outside of the big ranch style yet two storied house and exited the cart. Mally trailed behind her as she went inside. She went upstairs and took a quick shower then put on a summer dress. She'd been wearing them and adult diapers for the past two months.

She didn't like getting "baby juice" everywhere when her water broke so she'd taken to wearing the diapers. They also helped when she unexpectedly had to use the restroom and was too far away. Pregnancy bladder was a mess.

She grabbed her hospital bag and her son's hand and exited the house. She went to the cart and drove to the animal barn. She went inside with Mally and watched as Mal taught the kids about frogs and other amphibians.

While he was teaching, her cell went off. She answered it in the corner. "Hey, Kadee."

"Where are you? I brought the girls back but you weren't here." The fourteen year old sounded frantic.

"I'm at the animal barn. Calm down. I'm going to the hospital."

"What?! Why?!"

"The baby's coming." Marcy made sure to whisper.

"What?!" Kadee screeched.

"Calm down. I need you to take care of things for me. Can you do that?"

"Yes! Yes, I can! Good luck!"

"Thanks. Bye."

"Bye." Both girls hung up.

Marcy turned back to the class and saw Mal handing a frog to Mickey. "See how even a two year old can handle Freddie?"

A couple kids were squeamish.

The frog jumped but Mickey held on. A couple kids shrieked.

"It okay!" Mickey said. "Freddie nice!"

"He's non poisonous." Mal reminded the group. "He can't hurt you."

"Okay. Who's ready for arts and crafts?!" Their counselor clapped his hands.

The kids began jumping around. "I am!"

"Let's go!"

The large cabin emptied out. Mal washed his and Mickey's hands after putting Freddie back in his tank. He walked over to his wife and son. "What's up? Why aren't you with your kids?"

Marcy accepted his kiss. "Because I'm in labor."

"What?" He looked at her like she was crazy.

"I'm. in. labor." She said slowly.