Nathan, Natalie, Noah, Carol, and Don got ready to leave Leah's (Carol and Don's daughter) wedding. They all got into Don's Jeep Grand Cherokee; he shifted from park to drive and drove away.
Carol began to look out of the window and gaze away as Don drove
out on an open road.
"What a beautiful night it is! Just as beautiful as our daughter's wedding was," Carol said as a gentle smile spread across her face. "Indeed. So much like ours in a sense," Don joked. "That is until my water broke." Carol chuckled. Nathan smiled at his mother.
"Everything ended so abruptly," she continued. "I take it that I was the interruption of that moment of happiness?" he added. "No, my boy. You added onto the happiness that night," Don said. He smiled and gazed over at his wife; she smiled back. Natalie began to squirm in her sleep. She placed her hand on her stomach as she'd awaken. "Ow," she quietly cried out in pain. She frowned. Nathan began to rub her leg. "What's the matter, babe? Are you okay?" he asked.
Natalie exhaled lightly. "I'm fine. Just a little discomfort." She looked down at her stomach as she rubbed it in a circular motion. "Oh, I'm sorry, honey if what I said made you uncomfortable," Carol said. She looked back at Natalie with a worried look on her face. "No, Mom. It's okay. You didn't say anything to trigger the pain."
Natalie's discomfort began to worsen. She then let out an even louder moan. Nathan grabbed Noah and carefully placed him into the spacious part of the trunk. "Sweetheart, are you sure you're all right back there?" Don asked as he looked at his daughter-in-law through the rearview mirror. Before Natalie could respond, her water broke. "Does this answer your question?" she asked the older gentleman. Carol and Nathan both looked down at the partially wet seat. "Oh, my goodness!" Carol shouted. "We'd better speed it up," she continued. Don stepped on the accelerator and began to speed down the road.
As he sped, he ran over a huge and seemingly unnoticeable shard of glass. The front tire bust. "What was that?" "No clue." He came to an abrupt stop and got out of the truck. "Don, what was it?" "I ran over some glass and it busted the front tire." Don sighed with frustration. "You have a spare I hope," Carol said. "I'll check the trunk." He walked to the back of the car and saw a tire directly in the back of the seat, right next to a sleeping Noah. "Any luck?" "Yeah. I've got one," he shouted. He grabbed the tire out of the trunk.
"Nate, I am so not ready. I'm really nervous," Natalie said. Her voice trembled a bit. "We don't have a choice but to be, babe. Baby's on the way." He grabbed his wife's hand; she held onto it tightly. "Just focus on your breathing and try to relax," he continued. As Natalie continued holding onto her husband's hand, she held the bottom of her stomach and let out another moan. "Nathan, let me back there. You go and help your father." The two got out of the truck; Carol got into the backseat with Natalie and Nathan went where his father stood to prepare to fix the busted tire.
"Natalie, honey, I need you here with me, okay? I know it hurts but I need you to focus and just breathe." Natalie looked into her mother-in-law's eyes and silently nodded her head in agreement. She then checked her cervix. Noah awakened to the sound of the tire being replaced. "What's going on?" he said sleepily. "Everything's all right, sweetheart. Your father and your pa are getting the tire fixed so we can get your mom back home in time" "Mommy? In time for what? Are you okay?" "Mommy's okay, honey. Go on back to sleep," Natalie said to her son. Noah didn't hesitate and immediately fell back to sleep. "Tire's all fixed. Let's head home."
Natalie insisted on having a home birth for her second child. The family finally made it back to the Sullivan residence.
"I need to someone to call Jessi. I need her here. She'll keep me calm during this process," Natalie said as Nathan and Carol helped her out of the car. "Grab her arm, dear while I dial Lydia." Don gently grabbed Natalie's arm; Lydia's phone rang. "Hey, honey. What's up?" "Is Jessi around you by any chance? Natalie is in labor and she wants her to be here for the birth" "Yeah, she's right here" "Mom, what's wrong?" Jessi asked. "Jessi, Natalie wants you here. Are you able to come?" Carol asked her over the phone. "Okay, sweetie. See you soon. Bye." Carol hung up the phone. "She's on the way, honey" "Okay," Natalie said.
Natalie was now near 10 centimeters dilated and couped up in the queen-sized bed in her and Nate's bedroom. The midwife re-entered the room ready to deliver the baby.
"Okay, everyone," Leann, the midwife began. "We can get this started now that Natalie's 9 centimeters dilated." Jessi arrived at the residence and got out of her car. She entered the home and went up to the bedroom. She walked into the room finding Carol over by her side and Nate on the other side with his hand in hers. Carol went to sit where the midwife was and Jessi got to Natalie's side; she grabbed her hand.
"Okay, honey, on the count of three, I need you to give me a great big push, okay?" Leann said. "1,2,3." Natalie began to push. After 10 counts, she stopped and rested for a moment.
Several pushes later, the cries of a newborn baby filled the room. Natalie had given birth to a healthy baby girl; she named her Nia Hope Sullivan.
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