91: Birthday
There were better ways to spend one's birthday than in labor, that much was certain.
But as she rode the waves of contractions and pain and exhaustion and trying to put up with the doctor encouraging her to "push, push, just one more time" as she squeezed Mamoru's hand until she thought she felt the bones creak and yet he didn't protest, not at all, just kept encouraging her, she reminded herself of what this would bring. What the end result would be, if she could just keep going, hoping it would be over soon, never too soon.
After hours she had long ago lost count of she finally felt the tearing release and heard her daughter's first cry, and she wept in mingled relief and joy as the wailing infant was settled into her arms. Even at that moment she could not help but remember the look in her older counterpart's eyes as she had left for the last time on that day years ago, returning to her proper time so that she could appear in this one.
"Happy birthday, Usako," Mamoru whispered in her ear, his voice soft and hoarse and trembling a little with suppressed emotion.
And she smiled, smiled with tears streaming down her cheeks, and whispered back, "And happy birthday, Chibiusa."
-----
Usagi, Mamoru, and Chibiusa
1/23/08