During Sara's ultrasound the doctor seen something that upset him, Sara's placenta was dangerously close to her cervix.
"It is a condition called placenta previa," the doctor told her, "There is a chance that it may straighten its self out."
"If it doesn't?" Sara asked, tears falling from her eyes.
The doctor gently touched her shoulder. "For now everything is fine. We'll do another ultrasound at 20 weeks and talk more about it then," he told her.
Gil had to go back to the lab but when she got home Sara immediately went to her computer and looked up everything she could find on the subject. Over dinner she told Gil what she had found.
"It depends on how far along you are in pregnancy. Don't panic if your mid-pregnancy ultrasound shows that you have placenta previa. As your pregnancy progresses, your placenta is likely to "migrate" farther from your cervix and no longer be a problem. (Since the placenta is implanted in the uterus, it doesn't actually move, but it can end up farther from your cervix as your uterus expands. Also, as the placenta itself grows, it's likely to grow toward the richer blood supply in the upper part of the uterus.)," Sara read from the paper she had printed off. "If placenta previa is seen on your second-trimester ultrasound, you'll have a follow-up ultrasound early in your third trimester to recheck the location of your placenta," she continued, "If the follow-up ultrasound reveals that your placenta is still covering or too close to your cervix, you'll be put on "pelvic rest," which means no intercourse or vaginal exams for the rest of your pregnancy. And you'll be advised to take it easy and avoid activities that might provoke vaginal bleeding, such as strenuous housework or heavy lifting. When it's time to deliver, you'll need a c-section."
Gil listened to all she had to say, "Lets not get ahead of ourselves. There is a chance that things will be alright."
Sara smiled, "Not with my luck."
Gil kissed her, "You have me, that was a piece of good luck."
Sara smiled at him, "That was persistence."
That evening Sara slept cuddled in his arms but Gil was having a hard time sleeping, tears were starting to form as he processed all that happened that day.
A voice snuck into his head, it was his mother. "Sometimes a man needs to cry," she had told him that day many years ago. Gil closed his eyes and thought back to the first time he cried.
The 8 year old boy stood against the tree with his hands over his eyes. "1 ..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10 Ready or not here I come," he yelled at the top of his voice. Hiding behind a bush was the boys father, giggling as the boy ran past him several times. The boy stood in front of the bush, hands on hips, looking first to the left then the right. "Daddy, where are you?" he called. The father moved quietly around the bush and grabbed the boy, tickling him. "Daddy stop!" the boy laughed. Standing in the kitchen looking out the window a lady smiled as she watched her husband and son playing. The lady walked out the door onto the back porch and rang a dinner bell. "Time to eat son," the man said scooping up his son and carrying him to the house. Later that evening the boy knelt beside his bed, "God bless Momma and Daddy. And help me pass my math test tomorrow, and please let me have a new bike for my birthday. Amen." The boy crawled into his bed and pulled the covers over himself - after all, he is 8 now and doesn't need Momma to tuck him in. A little later his mother come in and kiss the boy good night, the boy was to big for his father to kiss him. Sometime in the middle of the night the man woke up, after using the restroom he walked to the boys room, smiling he walked over to the boy. Moving a lock of blond curls from the boys forehead the man leaned down and kissed the boy. "Good night, Gilbert, I love you." The man walked back to his room, his wife had woken she was propped up against the headboard waiting for her husband. When he came in she lay her book down. "A bicycle," the lady signed, "He'll break his neck." The man moved next to her and wrapped his arms around her and kissing her pulled her down next to him. One week later the boy stood wide-eyed as his father presented him with a brand new bicycle for his birthday. One year later the boy stood next to his mother, tears in his eyes, as his father was lied to rest. The boy looked at his mother, "Don't cry Momma, I'm a man now, I'll take care of you from now on."
Sara's next ultrasound showed no improvementand she was put on a high risk pregnancy list.
"Now what?" she asked the doctor.
"We'll keep a close eye and things and baring any complications I will deliver Miss Grissom by c section as close to 37 weeks as possible. As of now you are on what we call pelvic rest."
Sara smiled, "I read about it."
The doctor gave her a few instructions and a follow up appointment. "Stay positive, Sara," he told her.
Sara walked into Gil's office, the look on her face told it all.
"It's going to be alright," he said.
Sara smiled, "I know."
That evening Gil wrapped her in his arms.
"You know that pelvic rest means we can't make love," she told him.
"I'm happy just holding you," he said.
Sara kissed his chest then moved her hand down to his crouch, "But I can still do this."
Sara grabbed his swollen member and began stroking him. His eyes closed as she stroked more firmly. Gil groaned and kissed her while she pleasured him with her hand. As much as he enjoyed what she was doing to him, he ached to be inside her, but he knew for the heath of his child it couldn't happen. Sara kisses her way down to his rock solid erection. She lowers herself to kiss his head, and gently flicks her tongue round it then slips his manhood into her mouth. Sara sucks at the head as with one hand she continues to stroke the shaft, her other hand gently fondles his balls. Sara pulls her mouth from his manhood and kisses down his length to wrap her mouth round his balls after cupping them. She gives them a gentle suck. Sara moves back to his manhood, sucking at the head as her hand stroked the shaft, each stroke was faster until he begged her not to stop he is near climaxing. Gil moaned as his manhood jerked. Sara tasted the tanginess of him taking all he had to offer.
Gil pulls her up next to him, "That was fantastic. I just wish…"
Sara kissed him, "Pleasing you makes me happy. I'll be fine."
Sara closed her eyes.
"It's no fair you know," he told her.
"What?" she asked. "You have to make all the sacrifices," he said.
"But it is worth it," she told him, wiping the tear from his eye, "It is all worth it."
That night he dreamed.
Between the fathers pension, the life insurance and some investments the couple had made the woman and her son were able to maintain the middle class life they were used to, but young Gilbert kept his promise to his mother, he never asked her to pay for anything for him. Gilbert took odd jobs until he was old enough to get an after school job as a bag boy at the local super market. Gil had been in love with Nicole Daley ever since he was in second grade and she was in first. He had meant her when her family moved in next to them, he was sure he was in love when, for her birthday, he gave her a bug and she didn't scream or run away. Gil had asked her to marry him and she had said yes, he had snuck his grandmothers ring out of the house and gave it to her. Gil cried as his mother told him to get the ring back. "Your much to young son," she had told him. Gil had saved all his money to buy a car, he wanted to be able to drive Nicole to his senior prom in HIS car, not one he had barrowed from his mother. He wanted to buy Nicole's corsage with HIS money. The evening was perfect, Gil and Nicole were crowned king and queen. As they danced Gil whispered, "I know I asked you to marry me when we were small and you said yes." Nicole giggled as she remembered the sad look on his face when his mother made him get back his grandmothers ring. "I don't think Mom will object this time," he said, as he slipped the ring on her finger. Nicole kissed him, tears rolling down both their faces as she said "Yes". They had agreed to wait until next year after she graduated, they would get married and then it would be off to UCLA. Gil was going to study entomology and Nicole wanted to teach elementary school. The next year on their way home from Nicole's senior prom a drunk driver ran a stop sign and plowed into the passengers said of Gil's car, Nicole was killed on impact. Once more tears fell from his eyes as he said good-bye to someone he loved.
Sara was now 36 weeks into her pregnancy, her c-section would be next week. Even though he insisted that he was fine Sara regularly seen to it that Gil's needs were satisfied. "Just look at all you'll own me when we can," she had told him laughing.
Sara woke in the middle of the night, the sheet under her was wet. Sara reached between her legs and found a pool of blood. "Gil," she cried shaking him awake.
Gil looked at her, Sara's face was white, the blood dripped down her fingers. Gil slipped on his clothing, wrapped Sara in a blanket and carried her to the car, in a matter of minutes she had been whisked of to surgery.
Gil paced the floor in the waiting room, so many things running through his mind. Was this why he had been thinking of all those that he had loved and lost? Was he going to lose Sara or his daughter?
Gil fell into a chair and choked back tears as he buried his face in his hands.
The tender touch of a hand brought his face up, Gil found himself looking into a set of soft blue eyes, the woman sat next to him. "Sometimes a man needs to cry," the woman signed to her son. Gil buried his face into her shoulder and cried freely.
After what seemed like forever the doctor walked in. "Mrs. Grissom needed a blood transfusion, it was touch and go for a while but she will be fine, we will keep her here with us until we are sure everything is alright. Give them a little to get her settled in her room and you can go see her."
"My daughter?" Gil asked.
"Miss Grissom is fine. The nurse will take you to the nursery," the doctor said.
Gil and his mother followed the nurse to the nursery window.
"Name?" the nurse inside the room.
"Grissom," Gil said.
She smiled and walked over to tiny crib and lift up the child and carried her to the window.
"She is so beautiful," Gil said, shedding tears of joy. His mother touched his arm and smiled.
A little later Gil was shown to Sara's room. He went to her bed, "Hey."
Sara opened her eyes and managed a weak "Hey".
Gil bent down and kissed her, "I love you."
"The baby?" Sara asked.
"Just as beautiful as her mother," he said, "And perfect in every way."
Later that evening the nurse brought Amy Nicole in to her parents. Gil took the child from the nurse and handed her to Sara.
"She is perfect," Sara said. It was then that Sara noticed Gil's mother standing at the foot of the bed, Sara handed Amy to Gil and nodded toward his mother.
Gil took the child and handed her to his mother. Mrs. Grissom cried as she kissed her granddaughter.
Gil chuckled, "I guess mothers cry for lots of reasons."
THE END
