The summer breeze felt nice on Norma's back through the open window as she folded laundry. Her new fruit cellar was something of a dream. She had every type of canned and persevered fruit one could imagine. Shelves that her husband so kindly built her were stacked with mason jars of peaches, strawberries, and orange marmalade. There was even a spot with a working table for her sewing supplies. She hadn't thought of the idea until her husband surprised her on her birthday. A smile ran over her face as she remembered christening the table that night.
Her smile grew into an absorbent laugh as her growing one year old sat on the still dryer beside her. She'd never tire of dressing her daughter in sweet vintage wear similar to hers. As she clapped her chubby little hands sitting in the baby doll dress her mother had knit for her, all was bliss. Norma stopped folding and tickled her sides, attacking her with kisses.
She pulled away watching her little giggles with a soaring heart. The colic had been rough. It'd been a strain on her and her child's connection without a doubt. And now she had a mini me who never wanted to be put down. She'd be lying if she said she didn't love it. However, she was growing more tired. A growing baby was a handful in itself not including the motel. Her mind was running with the idea of selling the old thing as business was dry and Alex had been reassuring her they she could stay home. His retirement combined with their little suitcase and his current paycheck was enough...more than enough in his words.
Her daughters arms waving in a swift motion, yearning to be picked up grabbed her attention at the same time as her laundry cycle had ended. As she was about to turn around to grab the laundry basket, she braced herself in perfect baby babble.
"Can you sit like a big girl for two seconds while mommy turns?" she cooed, tickling her sides once again. Oh how she loved her daughter.
As the baby eased, Norma walked the two steps to grab the empty basket near the stairs. As she bent, Piper started distressing.
"Mama...no," she cried, her little voice almost begging. Her mother snapped around with concern, dropping the basket and running to her vacant baby, scooping her up in her arms.
"Oh no...Piper. What's wrong?" she asked against her daughter head as she bounced her.
Oddly enough, she was silent almost like nothing had happened at all. She put her back down after a few moments, thinking she'd just needed the attention. It was normal.
She turned around again to get the basket as her daughter started wailing again, her worry even worse than before.
"Mama...mama...no! No," she cried, her body jolting again.
Norma observed her this time, trying to stay calm. She began slowly walking over to her and assessing her.
"What's wrong baby? What's going on with you?"
Her hands ran down her arms as her child was instantly calmed down again. She thought about it. Her daughter would only pipe up when she would turn.
She turned again as her baby went off like a siren reciting the same works again, frantically. Norma ran her hands to her back, comically thinking maybe a bug from the cellar had fallen on her shoulder. There was nothing. Her hand ran to her lower half as her toddler kept babbling. She felt something wet, immediately pulling her hand back. Every nerve in her body shot live-wire as her palm was soaked in blood.
She screamed at the top of her lungs for her husband, in sheer horror actually. It was Sunday. His day off and a football game ritual.
"ALEX!" she cried, now beating her baby's wails. Real tears were coming now as her breath started coming out short. She was panicking. That's too much to be period blood.
His footsteps pounded down the wooden steps as he almost stumbled to the ground at last movement.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes attaching to her hand as they grew in shock.
"Jesus Christ what happened?" he rushed, moving over to her as she stood, trying to steady herself.
"We need to go to the hospital...now,"she cried in anguish.
"Okay, okay..." he said, pulling out his phone and punching something in. He placed the device up to his ear as one arm helped hold up his wife. "Regina! Yeah, yeah ... can I bring Piper down to the station for a few hours for you to watch her? This is an emergency-"
His wife held onto him tightly as he nodded and put the phone away with a quick thank you. He looked back to her, "Okay...stay right where you are. I'll be right back!"
He rushed up the stairs in action as she stood against her dryer, letting the tears flow in worry. Her baby girl grabbed onto her hand as it sat flat on the dryer, her emotions growing stronger at the sentiment.
"I love you, Piper Mae," she wept, thinking it might be the last time she'd see her daughter.
In a flash, Alex was back with a pair of her underwear, half a roll of paper towels, and his sweatpants. "Baby...I want you to be comfortable okay? Change here and I'll take Piper upstairs and get her ready quickly," he spoke with such urgency that it made her more nervous.
She nodded as she took the clothes from him. He reached in to take his daughter off of the closed washer.
"Dada!" she gleamed, despite the situation, not knowing emotion.
"Come with me, sweetheart," he mumbled, giving his wife the eye as he headed up the stairs with her. "I'll be right back, okay? Stay calm."
All she could do was keep nodding. Her fear was getting undressed. What the fuck was going on? Once they were out of sight she took a deep breath, reaching back to unzip her a line skirt. As it fell to the floor, she noticed how big the blood stain actually was, spanning out to the size of a grapefruit.
She kicked the garment aside, the cool breeze now hitting the inside of her thighs as they sat now noticeably sticky. Her shaky hand fell to in between her legs as she noticed her hand more soaked than before. Her free clean hand fell to her mouth as she trembled in horror. Her eyes latched down to her now completely red colored underwear. She almost fainted as she screamed, this time at the top of her lungs, her husbands name.
Her whole body shook as she cried, fearing the worst. Alex skipped steps to get to her, standing in front of her his shock matching hers at the amount of blood. He could see head on the red leaking down her legs.
"Wh-where's Piper?" she asked in a broken borderline anxiety attack tone. Her breath was mingled in to the point where it was almost unintelligible.
"It's okay. She's upstairs in the playpen. Just...baby, I'm gonna help you, okay?" he chocked out, his terror masked but not easily slipped by his wife.
"Alex-" she cried, as his hands slid her underwear down, "What's happening?"
"I don't know honey, I don't know..." he exclaimed, taking the toilet paper and wiping some of the blood away. The bundled the rest up, pressing it against her private area and pulling the new pair of underwear up her legs. He slid the sweatpants on too.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, gently motioning to carry her. She easily linked arms around his neck as the tears fell, her worry too deep to feel.
"I don't even know, Alex. We have to go to the hospital," her voice breaking against his neck as she wailed.
"Let's go," he whispered against her cheek as he secured his grip on her.
The time seemed to slug by as the couple sat in the hospital room, Norma now sitting in a gown and Alex alert as ever beside her with their hands clasped. They hadn't said much since Norma seemed like she'd cried herself out for the time being. Now his heart broke as he saw his numb, fragile, and most of all, terrified wife. The doctor came in and immediately took a seat at the stool near the edge of her bed. There was a silence that took over the room that sat deafening.
"Mrs. Romero, I'm so sorry to tell you this..." he began, looking over his clipboard and then back to her.
Her eyes perched up as her body became more rigid at his words.
"It seems you had a miscarriage and-"
"What?" she questioned, her voice silently interrupting him. Her husband sat up and placed an arm around her shoulder as a tear ran down his face.
"You were 10 weeks. Did you know?"
She just shook her head after a few long moments and went completely numb, saying nothing.
"I'm so sorry to have to tell you two this. You did pass everything so there's no need for medication or any type of procedure. I'd recommend that you two stay on a birth control plan as you are rather high risk for the age category."
"That's it?" He asked quietly, ensuring he could take her home immediately after the prognosis. He refused to keep her a second longer, aching to return home so they could grieve as a couple. His heart was now sitting at the bottom of his rib cage.
The doctor concluded his talk and allowed Norma to re-dress. She slipped her admittance outfit on in the most zombie like fashion imaginable, her insides feeling like they were collapsing.
"Honey-"
"We're not gonna talk about it," she snapped quietly, her voice as cold as ice. "Take me home, please."
He nodded, another tear slipping from his eye as it was starting to sink in. They had actually lost a living, breathing baby. He couldn't stop quietly asking why?
He ushered her back to the car and helped her inside. Alex parked his SUV in the police parking lot to go and retrieve his only daughter. Once he got his hands on her, he kissed the top of her forehead feeling grateful for her existence despite the pure pain that rushed through his veins. Not only for him...but Norma as well.
Upon bringing her to the car, Norma already had her door open, her body sitting halfway out the door as she extended her arms to hold Piper. Alex handed her to her mother and Norma clutched her had hard as she could without hurting the infant. She cried into the baby's shoulder as she told her how much she loved her. Alex's heart shredded as he moved over towards her and huddled with his family.
"I love you two so much, okay? Nothing will ever change that. And I'm here for you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he whispered to her as she sobbed, her fingers smoothing out Piper's hair.
"I love you. I love her...so much. We're gonna get through this," she sniffled, feeling her daughter snuggling into her chest.
"Together."
