Chapter 21-Beginnings

Taylor

I first felt it early in the morning, and I knew something was different about my body-like it was preparing for something big-like a marathon.

I had been having persistent cramping for the past few weeks, which had only gotten worse and worse. While Mazie assured me this was normal for this stage of pregnancy I was still a little apprehensive and even today it didn't feel like it normally did. I had been having cramping since the night before and obviously it had progressed. When the cramping momentarily subsided I finally got up and got dressed I called my mom. I usually didn't call her when she was at work but I had a feeling this was an emergency.

"Hey mom… That cramping hasn't gone away…" I rubbed my abdomen as I spoke, "Yeah, I slept on it… It's only gotten worse."

"I don't know, maybe ten or fifteen minutes apart… I barely got through breakfast."

I nodded before replying.

"Yeah, okay, I will."

Less than half an hour later the cramping and pain had only intensified. This was too much to be "false labor", this had to be the real thing. By 10 o'clock I was already making phone calls and sending texts and making sure I had everything I needed to go to the birthing center.

The first call I made was to Mazie, who assured me everything seemed to be normal but I should wait a little bit longer before heading over to the birthing center. Her voice warmed and she said she would see me (and my baby) very soon. Then I sent a text to Emery, who said she would be over within the hour and we would go over together in my mom's car.

I added a postscript to my text.

… Tell Sophia

Emery's reply was short.

I will.

My mother arrived at the house less than ten minutes later, (I had a feeling she had been speeding) and Emery pulled up behind her no more than five minutes later, in the passenger seat of Emery's car was Sophia, she looked both nervous and excited.

"It's time?" She asked her eyes wide.

I managed a grim smile through another contraction.

"Sure looks like it."

So we all piled into my mom's car and headed to the birthing center.

The birthing center was a bright cheerful building in the main part of town. Banners and brightly colored signs outside the building proclaimed. "Little Angels Birthing Center" in a whimsical font. Despite the pain I was in I managed a smile.

When we stepped into the facility I was surprised. It looked much like the doctor's office, but I was sure there was more to it than the small room that I had stepped into. Just as we sat down Mazie appeared, my mom had called ahead explaining the situation before she had left work.

Smiling, Mazie rubbed my belly.

"Looks like it's somebody's birthday today." She looked around at my small entourage and the light that was streaming through the windows, the summer heat had tapered off somewhat in the past few weeks and so it was pleasant but not ungodly hot. "It's a good day to be born."

Things moved quickly from there. Mazie set me up in one of the birthing rooms which looked like a very nice hotel room along with a bathroom, a small kitchenette and a large bed.

"I want you to be comfortable Taylor, set up here however you like, if that means taking your clothes off that's okay too. I'll stay out of your way, unless I need to check something or if you need me, but other than that, it's going to be your mom, and your friends."

I nodded.

"I'd like that."

Mazie paused briefly.

"Is the father coming by?"

"Maybe later," I conceded, "for the birth when I'm going to be pretty much butt naked? No."

As I spoke I gave Emery a meaningful look and she raised her eyebrows, finally mouthing: "I'll take care of it."

Over the next few hours I did my best to cope with the increasing pain. I knew it was going to be painful, but sometimes I felt like my body was being ripped in half, but even this Mazie assured me would pass. She taught me breathing techniques which seemed to help and ways I could move that would help the baby progressed down the birth canal. Most of the time (when I wasn't lying on my back writhing in agony) I was swaying around the room with Sophia dressed in one of Drake's old T-shirts.

When I wasn't "dancing" I was dropped in a squat with my hands braced against the bed post. The position seemed to ease the gnawing pain somewhat. If I was in bed at all, instead of lying on my back, I lay on my side or was on all fours, another position that seem to be more comfortable.

As my labor progressed I gradually shed my clothes stripping out of my underwear and T-shirt. I hadn't worn much, and my sweatpants I had been wearing that morning had only gotten me from the house to the birthing center before I had taken them off. I only halted in my labor to eat a sandwich and have something to drink as Mazie and my mother had suggested.

"It will give you strength when you're pushing, trust me." Mazie said, "You're going to need it."

I eat as much as I could in the next few minutes which was hard to do with my increasing contractions and I was barely through half of the sandwich when I felt a peculiar sensation. The pain had pretty much stopped by now only to be replaced by a slight ache and a persistent pressure like I had to go to the bathroom.

I shifted restlessly on the bed, pushing the tray I had been eating on away.

"I feel like I gotta-" I cast about trying to articulate what I was feeling without feeling stupid or embarrassed.

Mazie only gave me an encouraging look.

"Do what your body tells you to do." She said. It didn't bother her that I was naked and pretty much all exposed; she pretty much trusted me to go with my gut.

So I got into the best position I could with my legs open and pillows under my back and pushed.

It took all I had to keep from screaming that first time, and the second time I did scream, but Mazie stayed with me.

"Stay with it honey, don't waste your energy screaming, focus all that energy on getting the baby out."

Once the first round of contractions had eased I shook my head

"I don't want to deliver the baby like this I'm not comfortable and I feel like I can't get on top of the contractions that well."

"Okay, what do you want to do?" Mazie asked, "Kevin you want to try the bar and deliver in a squat?"

The next round of contractions I tried the bar, but it felt awkward and slightly unstable, like I couldn't brace my feet well enough, and the bedding, mattress and the plastic sheeting that Mazie had put down made the bedding even more unstable.

"I got a birthing chair," Mazie suggested, "it's like sitting on the toilet, make your bottom nice and relaxed."

A few minutes later between contractions Mazie brought in the contraption she had described and my mom and Sophia helped me over to it and finally, just moments before my next contraction, I sat down.

It was like pooping out a large watermelon…soon the contractions were coming so quick it took all my effort and strength to stay focused. The pushing seemed like a never-ending game, as soon as I thought I was close it turned out I wasn't, Mazie said this was because the baby was pretty big and getting the head out may take a while; that was the hard part.

"Ready Taylor, nice big push!" Mazie encouraged, "Almost there!"

I braced my feet, one hand gripping the chair arm and the other gripping Sophia's hand. I was surprised she still had feeling in those fingers. So I pushed the sound I made coming out somewhere between a grunt, a groan, and a scream.

Maisie peered between my legs.

"Heads almost out, go easy I don't want you to tear."

I pushed again, feeling the baby shift slightly.

Finally, just when the pressure became unbearable Mazie announced:

"Congratulations, almost there… One more push and head's out."

I pushed, I wanted this kid out!

"Heads out, do you want to touch your baby?" Mazie asked.

I shook my head, my eyes watering.

Mazie chuckled, and I thought it was the first time I had ever heard her laugh.

"That's okay, you don't have to."

"Well, I want to." Said a quiet voice. I looked over to see Sophia, she looked cautious, but strangely curious.

"Is that okay with you Taylor?" Mazie asked.

I managed a nod as another contraction came down on me. I momentarily glanced down to see Sophia's fingers stroke the top of the baby's head. There was a thatch of blondish hair before I was blinded by the intensity of the pressure again.

"Pant." Mazie instructed, "A few more pushes in this little guy will be out."

I focused all my energy and pushed, first the shoulders and then the rest of him. As the baby, my son, began to cry I smelled something foul.

Mazie cleared his mouth and nose and wipe him off, finally wrapping him up in a blue and white blanket and handing him to me.

"A little gas and a bit of a bowel movement." Mazie observed, "but, no harm done. It happens."

My cheeks flushed, but I figured nobody noticed because I was already hot and sweaty and I was thankful someone had distracted me to save me from my embarrassment.

For the first time I looked at my son. His squinty eyes, a cute nose and cherubic face. Along the right side of his face was a curious birthmark, like that of most of the Atrians, the birthmark went all the way down to his shoulder where it bloomed like a foreign flower. The one thing that made my son unique.

"So does this little guy have a name? You never told me."

Just then, Emery spoke, she hadn't spoken for most of the past hour when I was pushing.

"Well she didn't tell anyone, only Sophia." And she gave my would-be girlfriend a significant look.

Finally I spoke up.

"Byron." I announced, "His name is Byron. Byron Drake Holland."

Byron was about as big as Mazie had suspected; a healthy 8 lbs. 8 oz. and a walloping 21 1/4 inches long. Sometime later, now modestly dressed, I was so busy in the throes of new motherhood I hadn't noticed Emery leave the room. I only noticed she was there when I saw another familiar face appear next to me. Drake.

I didn't say anything when I saw him, I didn't have anything to say; we hadn't spoken in over three months.

"Can I hold him?" Drake asked cautiously.

I only nodded.

"He looks like you," I finally managed to say, "he has your nose."

Drake chuckled.

"Really, is that all you got?" Drake returned with a wry smile.

"Well it seems I have the better genes I guess."

Drake smirked and it seemed he was going to tease me rather than get offended.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing."

Drake didn't stay long, only long enough to see his son, nod at Sophia and wish me well. Hours later I am recovering nursing Byron who is now dressed in a onesie, cap, and the blanket Sophia had gotten him. The only people left in the room now were me and Sophia. My mom and the others had gone to the house to set up the rest of the nursery and promised to return within the hour; I couldn't stay here forever.

I looked up at Sophia.

"I'm proud of you." She murmured kissing my forehead. "He really is beautiful."

I was glad to start this new chapter of my life. And while things with Drake hadn't worked out how I had expected I was glad to have Sophia and knew it would be an exciting journey with her by my side.