The next morning, Troy was timing Gabriella's contractions, which had grown to be about 12 minutes apart and lasting for a minute. Gabriella had woken Troy up around 3:30am to tell him she'd been having consistent contractions for the last couple of hours. Now, about 5 hours later, she was getting much closer to giving birth.
Troy tapped his labor app as Gabriella signaled the end of her most recent contraction. She looked up at him from the ground, where she had been laboring on her hands and knees – the most comfortable position for her, at the moment.
Catching her breath, she asked, "have you tracked down my mom, yet?"
Troy sadly shook his head. "No, babe. I'm sorry. I'll keep trying."
Gabriella frowned. "Don't bother," she sighed. "You've left enough messages. She'll get them when she gets them. I just can't believe she'd leave the country so close to my due date."
Troy felt terrible. He'd grown used to his mother-in-law's frustrating lack of consideration over the years, all in the name of her professional growth. But this was a last straw for him. He had tried calling her hours ago, only to hear in her voicemail that she was in Warsaw for a last minute symposium, and to send any important messages to her email address, as her cell service would be spotty. This trip was news to her laboring daughter, and Troy knew Gabriella was more upset about it than she was letting on.
But Gabriella had more important things to focus on. She was using all of her energy to focus on her body and work with the contractions. They were becoming very intense – too painful now for her to talk through.
Troy had called his parents, who, unlike Maria Montez, had been waiting for the call for several days. His mom, Lucille, was landing any moment at LAX and his dad, Jack, would be arriving that night.
Troy was focusing on doing everything he could to support his wife. She was remaining strong and steadfast, impressing Troy, immensely.
"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" He asked quietly, rubbing her back and she calmed down from her last spasm.
Gabriella rested her head on their bed, leaning heavily over her belly. "Water," she croaked.
Troy nodded and grabbed her glass from beside her, rushing out to the kitchen for a refill. He returned in record time.
"Thank you," Gabriella whispered from her spot on the ground.
"You're doing so well, baby," Troy said encouragingly. "Do you need anything else?"
"My legs are starting to hurt," Gabriella responded, shifting her weight. "Can you help me up?"
"Yeah, come here," Troy said quickly, helping her to her feet. "Where do you want to go?"
"Hmm," Gabriella sighed, "maybe we can just walk around for a minute."
"Sure." Troy kissed her temple and led her out of the room.
They paced around their house for several minutes before Gabriella felt the familiar tightening begin.
"Troy," she breathed, stopping in her tracks and leaning into him.
"I've got you," he said, hooking his hands around her elbows and bracing himself for her full weight.
"MMMmmm..." she moaned, falling into Troy's chest. "Ohhhh gahhhd..." Her noises were deep and guttural. She felt her legs giving way, but Troy kept a firm grasp on her. "AAAHHhhh, AH-Mmmm..." She felt it intensify, moving from her lower back deep into her pelvis. She squeezed Troy's biceps, trying to ride out the pain.
"Good work, Gabs," Troy whispered.
The contraction began subsiding. Gabriella soon regained control of her breathing, though her hands remained firmly grasped onto Troy's muscular arms. She tiredly buried her head into Troy's chest and let the rest of the contraction wash over her.
Troy kissed the top of her head and led her over to the family room, helping her sit on the couch. "How about a foot massage?" He offered, sitting down next to her.
Gabriella shook her head, "over-stimulation, but thank you."
They settled into the couch, and Troy placed one hand on her belly, smiling.
"What do you think they're going to be like?" He wondered out loud.
Gabriella smiled and placed her hand on top of his. "Maybe they'll be athletes, like their daddy."
Troy grinned down at her. "Maybe they'll be brainiacs like their beautiful mommy. God I hope they look like you."
"Mmm..I want them to have your blue eyes."
They sat quietly for a few moments, enjoying the pain-free peace and quiet of their house. Gabriella's moan soon interrupted the silence. She grabbed Troy's leg, squeezing tight, and another intense contraction washed over her abdomen. Placing her free hand atop her womb, she could actually feel her belly shrink beneath it, as the contraction brought her babies further into her birth canal. "Mmmmmm..." she moaned, closing her eyes.
Troy sat still, letting his wife use him for whatever support she needed to get through the wave of pain. He silently noted the time on his phone...8 minutes from the last one. That was significant improvement. He let her finish her contraction before he spoke.
"Gabs, that was only 8 minutes in between."
Gabriella looked up at Troy with surprise. She hadn't realized she was progressing so effectively.
"Why don't we get in the shower and get everything ready to walk out the door," he suggested.
She nodded in agreement. Troy helped her up and they walked slowly back to the master.
"Are you coming in, too?" Gabriella asked. She was undressing slowly, swaying from side to side, which helped alleviate some of the pressure building in between her hips.
Troy nodded and got the water started, then quickly disrobed and held his hand out for Gabriella to follow him into the shower. The water relaxed her muscles and she quickly leaned against the wall, drawing a deep breath.
"Rub my back?" She requested softly.
Troy quickly began the ministrations on her tailbone and hips. He could feel the tightness of her pelvis beneath his fingers.
"Scale of 1-10," he said, "how uncomfortable are you?"
"Mmmf," Gabriella grunted as Troy dug into her back, "it's getting more intense. I'll be happy when we can go to the hospital...the pressure down there is starting to make me nervous."
Troy leaned over and kissed her neck, pushing one last fist into her lower back. Then he grabbed the shampoo and pulled her into the water. "Let's get washed up before the next contraction."
Gabriella nodded, allowing Troy to wash her hair and body while she braced her back and continued swaying left and right.
Exactly 10 minutes later Gabriella was hit with another contraction. Yelling for Troy who was still drying off in the bathroom, Gabriella braced herself on the bed.
"Rub my back!" She ordered. This contraction was stronger than any of the others, forcing her into a deep squat against the bed.
"Unngh..." She moaned. "Nnnnggh!"
"Breathe, Gabi. Just breathe," Troy whispered.
"Hooo, hooo, Nnnggh...hooo..." Gabriella grabbed the sheets and focused on deep breaths. "God, this hurts," she whispered breathlessly. As the contraction ended, Gabriella rested her forehead on the bed and looked down and her belly. She couldn't believe how low it was hanging now. She was feeling movement from within after that last contraction. The pain was subsiding, but she was feeling intense pressure all of the sudden.
"Troy," Gabriella said slowly, unable to stop her voice from shaking. "Can you take me back to the bathroom?"
"Yeah, baby," he whispered, hopping up and reaching down for her. "Are you okay?"
"I...I don't know. I think I need to go to the bathroom." Her body was visibly shaking now, panicking Troy.
"Okay, come on. You're okay," he assured her. He lead them across the room back to the bathroom. They had taken only a few steps when Gabriella stopped and squeezed Troy's arms, involuntarily bearing down with a small grunt.
Splash!
Troy and Gabriella immediately looked down. A large puddle of clear liquid was forming on their hardwood floor.
"Oh, God," Gabriella whispered. She looked up at Troy. "That's my water, right?" She knew it was – her bag of water had just spilled out from inside of her, releasing a wave of pressure that had been mounting in her pelvis. She felt her baby drop lower as she rubbed her belly. She didn't know what to do, and continued looking up at her husband for direction.
Troy gulped, staring wide-eyed at his wife. His feet were soaked in her amniotic fluid. Maintaining a firm grasp on his wife, he shook the moisture off of his feet and led them out of the puddle, towards the toilet. Gabriella, still in only a post-shower robe, left a trail of liquid behind her.
"Okay," Troy said, trying to maintain any ounce of calmness in his voice, lowered his wife onto the white porcelain seat. "You sit here. I'm going to grab my phone and call Ludaks. Are you okay? Any pain?"
Gabriella shook her head. It felt good to sit on the toilet. She spread her legs and rocked her hips as more fluid slowly leaked out of her.
Troy ran into the kitchen, grabbing his phone off its charger when the doorbell rang.
"Who the hell is that?" He exclaimed under his breath. Still clutching his phone, he glanced through the peep hole only to see his mother standing in the landing, suitcase in tow.
Troy sighed with relief, throwing the door open.
"Mom!" He greeted her, throwing his arms around her and then grabbing her suitcase. "You're early."
Lucille grinned. "We landed about a half hour early and I was able to hop in a cab right away. I tried calling and texting you that I was close by!"
Troy led her inside and glanced at his phone screen. 2 missed calls and a text from 'Mom.'
"Sorry," he explained, "we've been a little busy here."
Lucille quickly sized up her son. He was breathless, shaky, and shirtless. His face was pale and his eyes were full of nervous emotion.
"Well of course," she said calmly. She rubbed his shoulders. "Are you two doing okay, here? Where's Gabriella?" She glanced around, looking for her daughter-in-law.
Troy ran his hand through his damp hair, trying to clear his head.
"She's in the bathroom. Her water just broke. I have to call the doctor."
"Oh my gosh!" Lucille exclaimed with excitement. "Okay, okay. What can I do?"
Troy shook his head as he began dialing numbers. "Let me go get Gabi cleaned up and see what the doctor says. Can you just stay here for a second?"
Lucille waved off her son. "I'll go get settled in the guest room. You go take care of Gabriella and holler if you need me."
Troy nodded, already running back down the hallway towards his wife.
Gabriella was right where he'd left her. "Is that your Mom?" She asked nervously. "She's not coming back here is she? I need clothes!"
Troy chuckled. "No, no..she's unpacking." He held the phone up to his ear, listening to it ring. "What can I bring you?" He asked softly, covering the speaker.
"My navy Lunya cardigan and matching shorts. Not the short-short ones, the longer ones. Any tank top. And can you bring me a pair of the black underwear in the corner of my drawer. They say 'Thinx' on the label...they're the ones I wear during my period. Um..and some grippy socks."
Troy nodded, fetching her clothes as Mary, the receptionist, answered.
"Dr. Ludaks' office. Mary speaking. How can I help you?"
"Hi Mary, Troy Bolton. We spoke on the phone yesterday. My wife, Gabriella, her water just broke and I'm wondering if we should come in? Her contractions are about 10 minutes apart, give or take."
"If her water broke, head to the hospital. No need for panic. It sounds like you still have plenty of time. But Dr. Ludaks will want to monitor Gabriella's fluid levels."
Troy drew a deep breath. "Wow. Okay. So this is it."
He heard Mary chuckle softly. "It sounds like it, Mr. Bolton! I'll page Dr. Ludaks immediately. She's actually already at the hospital. She had some rounds there this afternoon. Now you stay calm and take your time."
"Right," Troy responded. "Thank you."
He hurried back to Gabriella to help her with her clothes, now jittery with anticipation.
"It's go time, baby!" He said with a grin. "Ludaks' office says head to Cedar."
Gabriella, now fully clothed, straightened up from the toilet. "Oh, wow," she whispered. She looked down at her massive belly, trying to soak up these last moments of her pregnancy. She lifted her tank top up to expose her skin and rubbed it, looking up at Troy. She swallowed hard and she gazed into his anticipatory eyes, all words escaping her.
Troy understood her gaze. This was the biggest moment of their lives. They were about to walk out of their home as a family of two for the last time. He reached out and stroked her cheek, and leaned in for a tender kiss. Their grins broke apart their lips.
"You ready, sweetheart?" Troy asked.
Gabriella took a deep breath and pulled her tank back down. "No going back now!" She placed one hand atop her belly and braced her back with the other. "Let's wait for my next contraction to pass before we get in the car though, okay?"
"Okay," Troy agreed. "I'm going to get this puddle cleaned up. My mom probably wants to say hi." He motioned for the hallway.
Gabriella slowly waddled to the front of the house to greet her mother-in-law, leaving Troy to fetch a roll of paper towels.
Lucille was in the kitchen, arranging several gift bags that she appeared to have brought when she caught sight of Gabriella making her way down the hall. She jumped and ran over to Gabi.
"Oh! Sweetheart! Look at you!" She cried, cupping Gabriella's face in her hands and kissing her cheek. "Are you okay? Can I do anything for you?"
Gabriella smiled and she leaned in to embrace Lucille. She had always had a special bond with her mother-in-law, even before she and Troy were married. Lucille always treated Gabriella like a daughter, especially when her own mother went MIA.
"I'm so glad you're here," Gabriella sighed.
Lucille smoothed Gabriella's hair and looked intently at her. "How are you doing?" She asked softly.
Gabriella shrugged. "Good, considering I've been in labor for days and my back is on absolute fire."
Lucille frowned. "Oh, dear. Back labor?"
Gabriella nodded. "We've been trying to flip her, but she won't budge," referring to posterior Baby A.
"Well, is Troy being helpful? Is he rubbing your back? Supporting you? You know there are any different positions you can try to help you get more comfortable..." Lucille rambled.
Gabriella smiled, rubbing her stomach. "You should be very proud," she assured Lucille. "Troy is being absolutely perfect, like always. He's spent more time rubbing my back than not, these last couple of days."
"I'm so happy to hear that," Lucille replied. She rubbed Gabriella's shoulder. "Any word from your mom?" She asked sheepishly, not wanted to upset Gabriella.
Gabi's face fell. Lucille immediately felt terrible for bringing it up.
"She hasn't gotten our messages yet," Gabriella explained. "At least that's what I have to assume seeing as how she hasn't called back, yet."
"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry," said Lucille. "I'm sure she'll call soon. In the mean time, I'm here for any motherly needs you may have. Now what did the doctor say?"
Troy interrupted their conversation, having made his way back to the front of the house. He carried their hospital bags, Gabriella's pillow, and her purse. "She said 'head on out!'"
"Right now?" Lucille asked.
Troy nodded. He placed the bags on the floor and rubbed Gabriella's back. "You doing okay?" He asked. "Comfortable?"
She nodded. Troy glanced at his timer. "Do you want to sit down?" A contraction was about a minute away, if it stayed on time.
Gabriella shook her head. "Definitely not. Sitting down is almost as uncomfortable as the contractions, themselves."
Lucille pursed her lips. She adored seeing how caring her son was towards his wife; and yet the moment was so bittersweet as she knew Gabriella was in a great deal of pain.
"We're going to ride out Gabi's next contraction here before we leave," Troy explained to his mom.
She nodded in understanding. Deciding to give them some privacy, Lucille offered to load up the car, and grabbed their bags, excusing herself to the garage.
Like clockwork, Gabriella felt the tightening in her abdomen begin right on time and turned toward the kitchen to lean against the cold marble countertop.
"Mmmmpf...mmmmfff," she moaned. "Uhhhh god. Ow, ow, owww!" Her noises were becoming more intense. Every one of them drove a dagger into Troy's heart. "Unngh, Troy, my back!" She groaned. He responded by pressing even harder into her lower region. "Uhhh," she sighed, "that's helping. Harder." Troy obliged.
Lucille returned inside to catch the tail end of Gabriella's contraction. She gave them a moment to recover before she spoke up. "The car is all packed up," she said quietly, walking back into the kitchen. "What do you want me to do? Do you want me there? I can drive you? Do you want me to stick around here? Is there anything I can do?"
Troy smiled at his mom's consideration. "You can stay here for now, Mom. Let us get settled in and figure out how long this is going to take. I'll call you when we have an update. That okay?"
"Of course," Lucille responded. "I'll make myself busy. Plus, your father lands in a few hours. Now you two get going." She patted her son's shirt and tried to hide the tears forming in her eyes. Sighing, she swallowed a whimper and stood back, looking at her son and daughter-in-law.
"I love you both, so much," she whispered.
Gabriella felt tears of her own forming as she hugged Lucille tightly. "Thanks, Mom," she whispered.
Troy hugged his mom, too. "Find Maria," he said under his breath, hoping to hide the demand from Gabi. He felt Lucille nod as she patted his back.
"Okay," she said, wiping a tear. "Get going. Go make me a grandma!"
Gabriella laughed and took Troy's hand as he led them out the door. He saluted and assured Lucille, "We'll call you when we know anything."
With that, the two set out to the hospital, eager to meet their daughters.