"Cora? I will be home later. I have to go to Downton for some administration things."

"Robert." Cora moved on the sofa. "That is a four-hour drive. Can you please do that another time?" She breathed in deeply and tried to stretch her back.

Robert sounded annoyed through the phone. "If I go now, I will be back around 19.00 o'clock tonight. That isn't that late."

Cora rubbed her belly. "I know, but I am not feeling quite alright. And I was planning on asking you to come home."

"Can Rosamund help you?" Robert asked.

Cora let out a deep moan. "Robert, please."

"Alright, alright. I will send John. I am home around 17.00 o'clock."

Cora wanted to protest, but she didn't have the energy.

Around lunch time, Robert decided to call Cora. She didn't answer her phone. Rosamund was at the office, and he walked over to her office. "Dear sister, do you have time to pay Cora a visit?"

"Why do you ask?" Rosamund asked without looking up.

"This morning on the phone she said she wasn't feeling well and now she isn't picking up her phone."

"What are you still doing here. She clearly needs you, what if her labour has started?"

Robert gave her a frightful look. "Do you think so?"

Back home Robert found Cora in the shower. Leaning against the wall. "Cora? Are you alright?"

"I am so glad you are here, I am having cramps in my back and they are hurting so much. I hoped a warm shower would help, but it doesn't seem to do much." She looked a bit pale.

"Come, I will help you dry yourself off, and I will massage your back. Are you sure it is just cramps in your back. "

Cora leaned heavily on Robert. "I don't know. My body just hurts. I've been nauseous all day. I don't feel right at all."

Because of Rosamund's words, Robert was convinced Cora was in labour. He touched her belly. "I think this one is telling you something."

Cora grabbed his arms when a cramp hit her. "I think you are right, these are contractions." She said breathing away the pain.

"What can I do for you?" Robert said while holding his arms up, so Cora could lean on them.

"Can you call my midwife? And help me get dressed."

Robert did what she asked and stayed close to her. Cora kept walking around, she said, her midwife had told her, that it could speed up the birth. Her contractions were about 5 minutes apart and according to Robert quite strong already.

The midwife arrived and did some tests. Cora was 6 centimetres dilated. "Keep breathing your contractions away, you are doing a good job." The midwife said.

Cora was pacing around, it helped her control the pain. She grabbed the nearest chair or table when a contraction started. Robert tried to rub her back, to give her some comfort.

"Are you still certain about the home birth?" Her midwife said.

"Home birth?" Robert said scared.

"Robert, your wife has chosen a home birth, please, just support her with this choice." Cora had, of course, told her midwife about Robert being away as much as he was. So, she had set her mind to be firm, so he would be there for his wife.

Cora let out a deep moan and was standing in a puddle of water.

"Good, your water has broken, that's good." The midwife said.

"Do you still want to walk?" Robert asked her. Cora had grabbed his arm and was leaning heavily on him, breathing away another contraction.

"Go lay down for a minute, Cora. So, I can check how far you have progressed. Your contractions are coming closer together and seem stronger."

About an hour later, Cora said she felt the urge to push.

"Not yet, breath the feeling away. You are not ready yet." Her midwife said.

Robert offered her his hand. Cora was laying on her side in bed and was doing everything she could not to push. She needed one more centimetre before she was allowed to push.

Robert talked to her, hoping to keep her mind of pushing. He saw in how much pain she was and wished the midwife would give her permission to push.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Cora was allowed to push. Robert felt incredibly proud, she was working hard and in a lot of pain. Especially when she started crowning. But she didn't complain. She was fully focused on her task.

With a last big push and a sigh of relief, the midwife held a baby in her arms. She did a quick check and placed the little one on Cora's chest.

"Congratulations, you have a baby girl. Robert, do you want to cut the umbilical cord?"

Cora's heart sunk, the moment she heard the words: 'baby girl'. She looked up at Robert. She couldn't tell if he was disappointed or not.

The delivery off the placenta happened quickly and soon Cora was sitting up.

The midwife handed the baby to Robert, after cleaning her up.

"Hello, darling. Welcome to the world." With his finger he brushed her cheek. He walked over to Cora, handing her the little bundle. "Mary, this is your mummy."

Cora looked up into Robert's eyes, did she see this right? Was there love in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Mary, is her name, I am sure of that. You did a wonderful job, darling." He kissed her forehead.

This was the first time Robert called her darling with so much meaning behind it. "I am sorry, she is a girl." She started, but Robert interrupted her by kissing her on her lips.

"She is perfect, you did splendid. Don't you worry. She is our beautiful little girl." He looked at his wife with their little girl in her arms and he felt something he didn't feel before.

"We will lay little Mary down in her crib, you need to take your rest now." The midwife said after she helped Cora feed Mary for the first time.