Although her due date was June 1, Piper started cramping the week before Memorial Day. She went to the doctor with Alex, who told her she was having Braxton Hicks contractions. This condition was a bit odd so late in her pregnancy, but she was only dilated 1 cm, so there was likely nothing to be concerned about. The doctor also told her she should refrain from driving or traveling long distances, and it would be a good idea to have a bag packed and a plan in place in case she went into early labor.
She and Alex had established a plan, but Piper hoped they wouldn't have to put it into action. Her parents were flying to Seattle in a couple weeks so that they could at least stay with Benjamin while Piper was in the hospital and help Piper with the newborn a few days after they were home.
Higher powers had a different plan: at 1:30 in the morning on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, Piper's water broke.
"Hey, Button?" she called from his bedroom doorway, one hand on her hip, the other on the door jamb. "Benjamin, sweetie, I need you to wake up."
Of course her water would break when it was her turn to take care of her son and her ex-husband was out of town.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"My water broke, and I had to call an ambulance." She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on The Plan rather than the pain.
"Does that mean you're going to have the baby?" His voice was hoarse.
"Yes, and I need you to help me. Can you do that?"
He nodded and scooted out of bed.
"I don't think I can make it downstairs," she began, holding his shoulder and walking back to her bedroom. "Help me sit in this chair, and then go in my closet and get the purple duffle bag."
He lowered her into the chair. "Does this mean I get to ride in the ambulance?"
"It does." She tried not to moan through the pain, but it was almost impossible. "Will you bring me my phone, and then take the bag downstairs?"
He did as he was told.
She hit the call button, and it rang four times. Please pick up.
"Piper?" a sleepy Alex answered. "Are you ok?"
She put a hand on her belly, wincing at the discomfort. "My water broke, Al."
"Ok, um…ok." It sounded like something fell as she got out of bed. "Have you called 9-1-1?"
She bit down hard on her back teeth. "Yeah."
"Where's Benjamin?"
"He's with me." She took in deep breaths through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. "Everyone I know is out of town. This wasn't supposed to happen today."
"I know, babe." She heard running water. "We have a plan, remember? He'll ride with you to the hospital, and I'll meet you there."
Tears streamed down her face. "It hurts so much."
"You're the strongest woman I know, Piper," she said, voice bold and clear as if Alex wanted to jump through the phone and make her believe it. "You can do this."
She nodded even though Alex couldn't see her.
"Do you want me to stay on the phone with you until the ambulance gets there?"
"Yeah." She sniffed.
Benjamin walked in. "Mommy?"
"Go get dressed, honey." She quickly wiped her eyes. "You have to be fast; the EMTs will be here soon."
"How's he doing?"
"Fine, I guess. Excited to ride in the ambulance." She let out a quick, wet laugh.
She heard Alex jingle her keys. "Gives him something to brag about at school next week."
Someone rang the doorbell.
"They're here," Piper announced, and then pulled the phone away. "Button, they're here. Will you open the door and send them upstairs?"
She heard him race down the stairs.
"I should go." Piper tried to stand on her own, but that wasn't happening. "See you soon."
"I love you. Hang in there."
Piper tried focusing on Benjamin's fascination with the ambulance instead of the pain in her abdomen, and, for the most part, it worked. They arrived at the hospital, and she was already in active labor phase, cervix dilated to 7 cm. Alex had signed all kinds of papers the week prior so that she could be with her every step of the way, and she greeted Piper minutes later in the hospital room.
"Hi." Alex crossed the room and took her hand, kissing it. "How are you doing?"
She squeezed it. "I'll be much better after they give me the epidural."
Benjamin's perplexed look almost made Piper smile. "What's Ms. Vause doing here?"
"I'll explain later," she said, turning to her son. "Right now, she's here to help mommy with the delivery."
He scratched his head. "Oh."
"Hi, Benjamin." Alex squatted down. "Are you excited to meet your little sister?"
He nodded. "I got to ride in the ambulance!"
She smiled. "That must've been pretty cool."
"It was. They let me listen to mommy's heartbeat through a stepascope."
A nurse walked in, filling them in on what was going to happen, and announcing that Benjamin would have to leave during the epidural, but he could return to the room after that and before Piper was transported to the delivery room.
"Do you want to go down to the cafeteria and get a cup of hot chocolate?" the nurse asked, hand on Benjamin's shoulder.
He twisted his head back towards Piper. "What about my mommy?"
"She needs a shot, so we should give her some privacy."
"I'll be fine." She reached for him. "Go with Nurse Misha. You can even have marshmallows on your hot chocolate if you want."
"Ok. I don't like shots," he replied, taking the nurse's hand. "I got one in my butt once, and it hurt."
"We'll be back in about an hour." The nurse opened the door. "He'll be in good hands, don't worry."
"Thank you." Piper's eyes filled with tears, watching her son walk out of the room in his mismatched outfit. She'd forgotten to pick out clothes for him to wear to the hospital, so his choice of light blue shorts and a maroon turtleneck was what he'd chosen.
Alex sidled up next to her. "How are you feeling?"
"Not exactly comfortable." She squirmed in the bed. "Will you check on Benjamin later?"
She kissed Piper's forehead as a doctor breezed in. "Of course, I will."
He administered the epidural, and two hours later, she was in the transition phase, cervix dilating to 10 cm. They moved her to the delivery room, and the nurse gave her a short speech about how and when to push. Piper had been through this with Benjamin and remembered what she needed to do. She also recalled the pain of labor and delivery.
Less than an hour later, the baby was crowning, and the doctor and his team gathered around her. "You ready to have a baby, Ms. Chapman?"
All she remembered about the next 30 minutes was lots of grunting and pushing, and Alex never leaving her side, offering words of encouragement and love. She'd lost a considerable amount of blood during delivery and almost passed out, but they were quick to restore her vitals and pump a liter of blood into her. During that phase, they'd asked Alex to step out, and Piper knew she'd worry. "I'm going to be fine, babe," she said before Alex left.
Piper wasn't sure how long she'd been knocked out or asleep when she was awakened by an unfamiliar voice. She blinked slowly and saw Nurse Misha by her side.
"Are you ready for some visitors?"
"Yeah. I think so." She sat up in bed more fully, IV still stuck in her arm. "How long have I been sleeping?"
"Oh, only a little while." The nurse checked her pulse. "Your son has been dying to see you."
That made her smile.
Nurse Misha opened the door. "Go on."
"Mommy!" Benjamin ran into the room and hugged her as best as he could. "Are you sick?"
Alex stood behind him, wide smile plastered on her face.
"Well, I just pushed a seven-pound baby out of my body, so I'm not exactly great." She tried for levity, but was still weak. "How are you doing, Button?"
"I'm ok, but hospitals smell funny and the hot chocolate is the fake kind. When can we go home?"
"Soon." She peeked around his small frame and grinned at Alex. "Hi."
She lifted a hand. "Hey."
"Are you waiting for an invitation to come closer?" Piper's eyelids felt heavy as she blinked. She could tell she was still high from the medication, but at least her legs weren't still numb.
Alex jutted her head towards Benjamin as if silently telling Piper they shouldn't act like a couple around him.
"I don't care about appearances right now." She reached for Alex. "Just get over here."
Alex approached the bed, placing one hand on Piper's forehead and one on her arm. "You need some rest."
"Where's the baby?"
"The nurse is bringing her back any minute."
Benjamin clapped. "I want to see her!"
Piper furrowed her brow. "Is she ok?"
"She's perfect." Alex smiled. "A healthy six pounds, five ounces."
As if on cue, the nurse came in with the swaddled newborn. "Here's your mommy and your big brother."
The baby whimpered, and Piper teared up as the nurse handed her over.
"Hi, little girl." She kissed the baby's nose. "Welcome to the family."
Her son's face lit up. "She's like a baby doll."
"That's why we have to be very careful with her. She's tiny." Piper tilted the baby so her son could see better. "Isn't she cute?"
He nodded. "Can I touch her?"
"You can hold her hand." She pulled her little arm out of the blanket. "There you go."
"Hi, little sister," he whispered. "My name is Benjamin. I'm your brother."
Piper's lips tugged upwards as she watched his first interaction with the baby, and then her eyes shifted to Alex. "And this is Alex," Piper announced, moving the baby in her direction. "Want to hold her?"
Alex held out her arms cautiously. "I've never done this."
"It's pretty simple." She transferred the baby to Alex, and then put her arm around Benjamin.
Alex held her close and gently bounced up and down. "Like this?"
"Just like that." She smiled, rotating her head on the pillow. "Hey, Button?"
"Hmm?" He stood on his toes to try to get a better view of the baby, and Alex bent down.
"Remember when we were in Oregon and you said that maybe Ms. Vause could be my girlfriend some day?"
He directed his attention back to his mom. "Yeah."
"Well, the reason she's here is because that happened."
Alex quickly stood, eyes opening wide.
This wasn't how they'd planned to inform Benjamin about their relationship, but there was no way to explain why his teacher was at the hospital other than fessing up—she refused to lie to her son.
His eyes darted from Piper to Alex, and then back to his mother. "You're girlfriends?"
She reached for Alex. "Yes."
Alex sat on the edge of the bed, keeping a close eye on Benjamin.
"Does that mean Ms. Vause is going to live with us?"
Piper put her hand on Alex's thigh. "Maybe."
"What about daddy?"
"Daddy and I aren't getting back together," Piper tried.
"Is this a little much to take in?" Alex asked.
"I think it's cool," he replied with a shrug. "Do I still have to go to class?"
"Yes, you do." Piper chuckled.
He scratched his head. "Are you going to be my other mommy?"
"Well, you have a mommy and a daddy who love you very much." Alex looked up at her before proceeding. "If you want, you can call me Alex when we're not at school."
"Alex?" he repeated with a quizzical expression.
"That's my first name, just like your mommy's is Piper and yours is Benjamin."
The baby cried, and Alex stood, rocking her until the cries subsided.
He rubbed the blanket between his fingers. "Why only when we're not at school?"
She eyed Piper again. "Because Ms. Vause is my proper name, and when we're at school, that's what all the students call me."
"If you want to call her Ms. Vause at home, you can," Piper offered. "Would that make it easier?"
"I won't know until I try." He shrugged. "But I don't want to mess up."
"You can't mess this up. Don't worry about that." Piper brushed his hair out of his face. "You sure you're ok?"
"I think so." He nodded. "I like Ms. Vause—Alex," he giggled. "And I love you. I could probably love her, too, if that's ok."
Piper's smile widened. "That would be amazing."
The doctor and a nurse walked in, one taking Piper's vitals, the other taking the baby.
"You're going to need to get some rest, Ms. Chapman," the doctor said. "It might be best if your guests come back a little later."
"There's an IHOP down the street," Alex told him. "Are you hungry?"
"Can I get blueberry pancakes?"
"You can get anything you want." Alex leaned over the hospital bed. "Get some sleep, babe," she whispered as she kissed Piper's ear. "I'll take care of him."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"I love you," she whispered.
She squeezed Piper's hand. "Love you, too."
"Enjoy breakfast."
"We will." Benjamin waved. "Can we make a list of baby names?" he asked as Alex closed the door and led him down the hallway.
Piper exhaled a long breath and closed her eyes, hoping that by the time she woke up, she'd be more coherent.
Piper ended up staying in the hospital for two nights, and Polly, Pete, Cal and Neri all showed up at the same time, both couples returning from their Memorial Day vacations a day early to see Piper and the baby. Polly took Benjamin home with her the night Piper was released, and Alex planned to spend the next few nights at Piper's house.
Before they left the hospital, there was still one major task: naming the baby.
A couple of weeks prior, Alex and Piper discussed baby names over breakfast.
"Have you given any thought to what you're going to name the baby?" Alex sprinkled her oatmeal with brown sugar and pecans.
Piper poured two glasses of orange juice. "I have a few names in mind."
She set the bowl on the table. "Planning to surprise me when she's born?"
"Not necessarily." Piper sat down. "In fact, I was wondering if you wanted to come up with a few names."
"Me?"
She nodded. "I'm not saying I'll choose any of them, but you never know."
"I've always liked Mazzy."
Piper added dried cranberries. "Mmm, no."
"What about Darby?" She stirred her oatmeal. "Or Zara?"
Piper laughed. "Are you trying to be funny?"
"No," she replied. "I like unique names."
She took a sip of juice. "Those are certainly unique."
Piper listed six or seven names, and Alex shrugged, claiming they were too ordinary for what was sure to be an extraordinary kid.
"Let's settle on three names that you pick and three names that I choose, agreeing on all of them as options, and we'll let Benjamin decide," Piper offered.
"You're going to let your Kindergartner decide the baby's name?"
She shrugged. "Why not?"
"Hold her just like that." Piper handed the newborn to her son, whose feet didn't come close to touching the floor in the uncomfortable hospital chair. "We'll say each of the names, and you get to choose which one fits best. Remember, this name will be with her forever."
"I wish I got to choose my name," he said, holding the baby with great care.
"Oh yeah?" Piper folded her arms. "And what would you have chosen?"
Alex leaned a shoulder against the wall, seeming to enjoy this interaction.
"Maybe Buddy, like the elf."
Alex snorted.
"Interesting." Piper eyed her as she tried hiding a grin. "Well, your name is Benjamin, and that's that."
"You go first," Alex offered with a nod.
"Ok." Piper cleared her throat. "The names I like are Reese, Maya and Elise."
He looked at the baby, saying, "Hi, Reese; Hi, Maya; and Hi, Elise." Then, he glanced up at Alex. "Ok, your turn."
"Mine are way better." She knelt next to him. "Zara, Iris or McKenna."
Benjamin did the same thing he'd done with Piper's names. "Yours are better."
She shot a look Piper's way, smirk dripping off her face.
"Doesn't she need a middle name, too?" Benjamin asked.
"Yeah, she does." Piper knelt next to Alex and tucked the blanket further under her daughter's head.
"Then I'll pick one of the names from mommy, and one from Ms. Vau—Alex." He glanced down at the baby again. "Can you say them one more time?"
They repeated each name.
"Ok, ready?" He smiled up at them. "Introducing: McKenna Elise!"
Piper turned to her and smiled as Alex slung an arm over her shoulders.
"I like it," she said to her son. "McKenna Elise."
Alex leaned over, kissing the baby's forehead. "It's a beautiful name."
He shifted in the seat, baby whimpering. "Do I get to tell her when she grows up that I picked it?"
"Yes." Piper took the newborn from him and stood. "Hi, McKenna. I'm excited to be your mommy."
Alex stood next to her, watching Piper more than the child.
She wanted to tell the newborn, this is your other mommy, but she wasn't sure if Benjamin was ready to hear those words. They needed to ease him into the reality of their relationship.
Instead, she caught Alex's eye and mouthed, I love you, while Benjamin bent to retrieve McKenna's pink beanie.
"Knock, knock." Polly poked her head inside.
"Come in."
She moved to the side and Finn rushed in.
"Finn!" Benjamin yelled. "Come see my little sister!"
Finn stood on his toes. "She's really small."
"Her name is McKenna Elise. I picked it," he said proudly.
"What a beautiful name." Polly hugged her friend.
The boys moved to the other side of the room, Finn pulling out his Hexbug Spider robot, and Benjamin not being able to wait to get his hands on it.
"Hi, McKenna." Polly welcomed the infant into her arms. "I'm your Aunt Polly."
Alex put her hand on Piper's lower back and smiled.
"You two look chummy." Polly nodded in the boys' direction. "Did you tell him?"
"There was no way around it," Piper responded. "I didn't want him to find out like this, but he seems good with it."
"I'm glad." She smiled. "I can take him tonight and call Larry with the news if you want."
"It might be better for Benjamin if he spends the night at your place for a night. McKenna has already proven to have set of lungs on her." Piper tucked her hair behind an ear. "I know Larry's in San Francisco with Kimberly, but I don't know when he'll be back."
Polly handed the baby back. "It's no trouble at all."
"I'm going to take a couple days off," Alex announced. "If Larry isn't back by Thursday, I can take Benjamin to and from school. We only have a week of school left anyway."
"Sounds like a plan." Polly turned to the boys. "Ready to go, kids? We can stop for ice cream sandwiches on the way back."
"Mom, can I go with Finn?"
"Yes." She ruffled his hair. "I'll let you know if your dad will pick you up from school tomorrow, but if not, you'll go home with Finn."
"Cool!"
"Tell you sister goodbye."
He tugged on her tiny leg. "Bye, Mick."
"Was this a ploy to come up with a name that rendered itself to a nickname?" Piper asked.
"See ya, Buddy," Alex said more to tease Piper than anything.
She looked up at Alex, annoyance on her face. "Don't encourage him."
Alex kissed her. "I'd never do such a thing."
Author's Note: I've never had a baby nor have I watched a delivery, so please pardon me if I got any of the labor and delivery stuff wrong. Thank you for the feedback so far!