It was a lovely day, the sun shining brightly with an occasional cool breeze every few minutes. The end of spring was around the corner and despite being paired up with Chloe, it was a pleasantly slow day and they were having sandwiches from her favourite deli, both women enjoying the amazing weather out on the hood of the car parked by a park – Gail was thoroughly enjoy her lunch break.
"Hey…" Chloe broke the peaceful silence between them even after Gail told her not to speak for at least 15 minutes while she was eating.
"What now, Price?" Gail rolled her eyes.
Chloe pointed at a pregnant brunette sitting on a park bench, reading. Gail squinted at the direction the redhead was pointing at.
"Isn't that… Holly?"
Gail squinted harder, a hand over her eyes trying to block out the sunlight. She could make out the long wavy dark hair, the glasses, the tanned skin, but she was definitely not familiar with the huge baby bump. Shit, it was Holly.
"What the…" The blonde trailed off, hardly believing her eyes.
"That's your Holly, right? Dr. Stewart?" Chloe turned to look at Gail, her big wide eyes looked like they were going to pop out of its sockets. She couldn't believe it either.
Gail glared at her partner until she had to look away from the life threatening glare and take a sip of her coffee. "You should go talk to her." Chloe mumbled into her cup.
She expected another icy glare from Gail, maybe some vicious words thrown at her, but Gail simply walked towards the trash can and threw away the rest of her sandwich before making her way to Holly. Her body was on autopilot, there was still magnetic pull between the two women after all these years. She couldn't help as her legs brought her to the woman she once loved.
As she got nearer, Gail's heartbeat was increasing, her ears hot and her throat dry. She tried taking deep breaths to calm herself down but failed to do so. Gail adjusted her utility belt and cleared her throat when she was just within a few feet away from Holly. The brunette looked up and gasped at the sight in front of her.
Gail's platinum blonde hair and beautiful pale face glowed under the sunlight, her blue eyes brighter than she remembered, and her soft smile warm enough to make her heart melt like those many years ago. Gail literally took her breath away, like she always did in the past.
"Gail," It was nice to say her name after all these years. Holly didn't know why she was surprised to see the blonde around here, she was a police officer after all. Holly was bound to run into her. But it was still a shock to see Gail Peck in the flesh. It had been almost three years but she still looked the same. Holly put her book down and blinked a few times. "it's nice to see you."
Gail sat down on the bench when Holly offered. She couldn't take her eyes off of her massive stomach. Holly knew the other woman was obviously surprised to see her in town and very pregnant, so she spoke again to kill the awkward silence.
"How are you doing?"
Gail frowned, still unable to wrap her head around this new revelation. "I'm fine." She mumbled under her breath.
"You look the same," Holly shifted in her seat, Gail's intense gaze at her baby bump making her a little uncomfortable. "in a good way, of course. You look great as always."
Gail had kept her hair short and it was only recently that she dyed it back blonde. Maybe that was what Holly meant. She finally looked up at Holly, the warm smile back on her face again. Holly was one of those women who looked amazing even with a human growing inside of her. She looked radiant. "You look… very pregnant."
"Yeah, 2 weeks to due date. Anytime now." Holly subconsciously rubbed her stomach fondly. "I figured since the weather is so nice today, I'd squeeze in some alone time before the baby is born."
Gail frowned again. "Did you drive here? Alone?"
"Nah, I stay right across the street." Holly shook her head and pointed at the apartment building opposite them.
"Still, you shouldn't be walking around by yourself." Gail's concern was endearing and Holly tried to bit back a smile.
"It's fine, Gail."
Before she knew what she was doing, Holly placed a hand over Gail's and her thumb rubbed the top of Gail's pale hand reassuringly. They stayed like that for a while, hands touching and eyes never leaving each other's face, as if trying to remember any part they had forgotten. The moment was broken when a golden retriever barked loudly in the vicinity. Gail jumped and immediately pulled her hand back to herself.
Gail shook her head. "How… how are you pregnant?"
"Do you really need me to go over how babies are born?" Holly's trademark smile formed on her lips and Gail was reminded by how much she missed the brunette's lopsided smile. She couldn't help but smile back too.
"I mean, why are you pregnant? Why are you back in Toronto?" Gail noticed Holly's ring finger and realized she wasn't married either. Was she planning to be a single mum? Like Gail did years ago? The thought of Sophie still made her heart hurt.
"I've always wanted to be a mother and after San Francisco… I'm ready to become one, even if I have to do it alone and I wanted to do it back home, here in Toronto."
It was true. Holly was great with kids and she always wanted to have a baby. It wasn't the adoption that ended things between them, it was the distance. They knew they weren't giving each other the best chance they both deserved by hanging on to one another, that they wouldn't survive the distance, so they decided to end it before Holly left for San Francisco.
Gail nodded absently, thousands of thoughts running through her mind. Then she asked while pointing at the brunette's left hand, "You're not married, do you at least have a girlfriend? Someone to take care of you?"
Holly smiled and shook her head. "I'm perfectly fine by my own."
"At least tell me whether it's a boy or a girl?"
"It's a girl." Holly touched her stomach again, the smiled still plastered on her face. Gail's eyes lit up at the news and the brunette could feel the once familiar fluttering of her heart in her chest.
They sat in silence then, a cool breeze helping to soothe Holly's slightly flushed cheeks. She turned to find Officer Price in the squad car, trying to look away and act busy as if she wasn't watching them.
"So… what about you? Seeing anyone?
Gail simply shook her head in response.
"What about Sophie? How is she?"
Gail's demeanour changed, something inside her hardened, her walls went up the way Holly remembered the blonde used to do back when they were friends and even when they were dating.
"It didn't happen," She shrugged, trying to control her emotions. "I wasn't fit to be her mum."
Holly's heart sank, she tried to reach out to comfort Gail but decided against it. She was a cat, after all. "Oh, Gail. I'm so sorry."
Gail shrugged again. "It was a long time ago. She's happy now."
Holly wanted to say something, a million things, her head tilted to the side and her brown eyes warm and kind, but no words came out between her lips. She wanted to ask Gail why didn't she tell her about the adoption, why didn't she pick up the phone to call or at least send a text message, but then she realized she had lost the right to be Gail's confidant and friend when she told her it was best if they stayed off contact as soon as she left for San Francisco. Holly needed a clean break if she was going to get over Gail, and Gail understood completely. Gail was heartbroken about it, so many times she had wanted to hear Holly's voice again but she'd remember the deal they made and would continue to keep all her emotions bottled up inside.
Holly was getting a bit tired and hot, the sun hanging lower as the afternoon progressed and the cool wind gone.
"I think I'm gonna go home to take a nap." Holly yawned, a hand coming up to cover her mouth. "I have the energy of a sloth these days."
As Holly tried to stand up, Gail hopped to her feet to help the pregnant brunette. "I think that's perfectly acceptable." Gail looked at her watch. She still had some more time before lunch break was over. She looked over at the squad car to see Chloe smiling brightly at her. "Let me walk you home."
Holly waved her off. "It's okay, I walk just fine by myself. You should go protect the city."
Gail shook her head, putting a tentative hand on Holly's back. "I insist."
They walked slowly in silence, Gail's hand never leaving Holly's back even as they came to a stop outside the building. When Holly cleared her throat, the blonde moved her hand away and at the loss of contact, Holly craved Gail's touch almost immediately. Gail's heart ached slightly too and she frowned at herself for being so pathetic.
"So I'll see you soon?" Holly hesitated at the front door, unwilling to say goodbye to the blonde just yet.
Gail nodded. "Yeah, see you soon."
As Gail turned to walk back down the street, she heard a loud splash and an 'oh my god' from the brunette and she quickly whipped her head around to see that Holly was standing still, her eyes wide and mouth agape.
Gail ran the short distance back to Holly, worried something was wrong. "What's wrong?"
"My water just broke."
Gail looked down to see the large wet spot under Holly's maternity dress and had to hide her growing panic. She reached for Holly with one hand as the other reached for the radio. "Price, I need you to drive over here right now," Gail could still see the squad car from where they were. "Holly's going into labour."
It took less than 10 seconds for Chloe to drive down the street toward them. The car came to a screeching halt and Chloe got out to help Gail bring Holly to the back of the squad car. Once Gail and Holly were seated, Chloe ran back to the driver's seat, turned on the sirens and sped down the street headed for the nearest hospital.
After passing the second set of traffic lights, Holly started to cry in pain. Gail automatically reached for Holly's hand and tried not to yell at the death grip.
"Just breathe, okay? We're almost there. Breathe. Breathe with me" Gail breathed in, hoping Holly would do the same. They continued the breathing exercise for a whole minute before another scream came from Holly.
"Step on it, Price!"
They finally got to the hospital in what felt like hours. Gail was pretty sure her hand was numb by the time the squad car came to a stop. Her hand never left Holly's even when the nurses came with a wheelchair to escort Holly to the delivery room.
"I'm sorry, officer. You can't go in there. We'll take over from here."
The nurse stopped Gail by the double doors, but before Gail could say anything Holly spoke up. "She's with me."
Gail saw how Holly pleaded with pained eyes and nodded. She couldn't find it in her heart to say no.
They had to part when they arrived at the delivery room for the nurses to prepare Holly for labour, but once the brunette was settled on the bed, she reached for Gail and Gail immediately moved to her side, holding her hand again. Holly's screams were getting louder this time, and as the doctor finally entered the room, Holly was beginning to panic.
"Oh my god, I'm having a baby. I'm going to be a mum." The last word came out as a scream.
"Holly, breathe okay? You're starting to panic. Everything's going to be fine." Gail tried to comfort Holly.
"Everything's not going to be fine! There's a baby coming out of my vagina! Oh my god, what made me think I could do this," Holly yelled again and Gail had to wince at the high pitched scream. "alone!"
"Holly, you gotta breathe through your nose, and out through your mouth. And when you're ready I need you to push as hard as you can, okay?" The doctor instructed the now hysterical woman who was having a hard time listening to doctor's orders.
Gail had to do something. Hand-holding wasn't enough. She smoothed Holly's messy hair and tucked sweaty strands behind her ears. She didn't know what possessed her to do it, but she moved closer to the bed to bump her forehead against Holly's sweaty one, trying her best to distract her from the pain.
"Hols, you are not alone. I'm right here. You can do this. Listen to the doctor, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Do it with me. In… Out… In… out…"
When Holly finally started to breathe properly, the screaming died down and she was looking calmer. Gail smiled at the brunette. "You're doing so well, Holly." She stroke Holly's cheek a few times, her hand staying on her face.
"Now Holly, after I count to 3 I want you push." The doctor piped in, she could see the baby's head slowly emerging. "1, 2, 3, push!"
Holly pushed, and pushed, and pushed until they heard the loud cry from the baby. Gail's hand was probably broken by the force of Holly's grip, but that could wait. They looked on as the nurse wrapped the still crying baby in a towel before putting her in Holly's arms.
"Congratulations, it's a girl."
Holly let out a relieved sigh and released her hand from Gail's to carry the new-born. Gail rubbed at her hand and watched as mother and daughter meet for the first time. She watched Holly introduce herself to her daughter and cooed at the baby girl. It was a heart-warming sight and Gail had tears in her eyes. Holly never looked so beautiful – matted hair, tear stained cheeks and sweaty skin.
"Gail, I want you to meet Elizabeth Marie Stewart."
Gail moved so she could take a better look at baby Elizabeth, using the hand she used to stroke Holly's cheek earlier to stroke the baby's. She had dark hair and brown eyes like her mum, she had a smile so sweet it could melt the sun. Elizabeth was so tiny and so beautiful. Gail gave up and let the tears flow. She looked up from the baby - her index finger still caressing the soft cheek - and kissed Holly's forehead gently.
"You did good, Holly."