"Mama, how does it feel to be pregnant?" Olivia asked.

"It is one of the best and one of the strangest things I experienced in my life. And at the same time it is painful, especially the last months." She tried to sit in a different position, her back was really hurting. The little one was resting on her bladder, which was extremely uncomfortable.

"I can't wait to experience it myself." Olivia said, touching her mother's belly.

Cora smiled. "First go and enjoy your time together with Max, there is so much time still. That also applies too you two." Cora looked at Tayler and Victoria.

"Don't expect a grandchild from me, Mama. Dan and I are not sure we want children." Victoria said, while cutting into her steak.

"Darling, that is alright. You have a busy job and Dan is away a lot. Maybe one day, maybe not." She tried to stretch her back a little.

"Mama?" Tayler said. "Are you alright?"

Cora gave her a smile. "I wish Robert had told me about the dinner. I would have laid down this afternoon. My back is just painful." She took in a deep breath. "But, I am so happy to be with you girls again, I can manage the discomfort."

"I am still not used to not have you close." Olivia said while leaning into Cora's shoulder.

Cora's hand moved to Olivia's head. "I feel the same way, darling. You girls are growing into adulthood, and I am not there to experience it."


After dinner they had walked back home. Although Cora was feeling rough, she wanted the fresh air. Her girls stayed at 'The Ritz' but walked their mother home.

"I am holding you girls up. I can manage walking home" she had said.

"We don't have to be anywhere, and you really think we would leave you alone right now?" Victoria had said, taking Cora's arm.

When they came home Robert wasn't there. "He is still at John's house I think. That is alright, I want to go to bed, so it doesn't matter." Cora said kissing her girl's goodnight.

"Do you need some help?" Olivia said.

"Taking off my shoes would be very helpful dear." Cora leaned heavily on Tayler when she lifted up her feet one by one, so Olivia could take her shoes.

They helped their mother to bed, tugged her in and said goodnight. Cora was asleep before they left the room.


"Darling?" Cora called out from the balcony. It was mid-April and a lovely spring day.

Robert came running. "What is it? Is it starting?"

Cora smiled at him. "I just wanted to ask if you can bring me some water. The little one is incredibly active and hurting me today"

Robert returned with a glass of water. He kissed Cora's belly: "We really want to meet you, can you please come? And if you decide to stay a little bit longer, stop hurting your mother."

Cora chuckled. "Yesterday was my due date, I hope he or she will not wait too long." She breathed in sharply.

Robert gave her a look of concern. "A kick or contraction?"

"I am not sure. Ooh, that hurts." Cora's face was all frowned up.

Robert didn't know what to do. "Cora what if these are contractions, shouldn't we go to the hospital?"

Smiling, Cora took Robert's hands in hers. "Darling, calm down. If this is labour, it will take a while" The smile quickly got of her face when she felt that sharp pain again. "I think I will take a bath."

"Just wait here, I will fill the bath right away." When Robert returned, to help Cora up, she was holding her belly and one hand was on her back, she was breathing heavily.

"I don't think I will make it to the bath, there is something wrong." When she saw Robert's face she said. "Wrong isn't the correct word, but I think you are right, and I am having contractions." She had to stop, to breath away one. "We better go to the hospital, this is going quick. I shouldn't be this quick."

"Darling! How long did you feel like this?"

"It started this morning, but it didn't feel like labour. I thought I was having a bad back pain. The girl's birth's started differently." She looked at Robert with concern in her eyes. "How did I not recognize this."

The ride to the hospital had been difficult for Cora, she had gotten strong contractions that followed each other quickly. Robert had rushed through traffic. Robert opened the door for Cora, when she tried to get out of the car she got another contraction. "Stay here, I will get a nurse." Robert said.

Two nurses came out to help Cora into a wheelchair, she was breathing away contraction after contraction. She didn't have much time to prepare for the next one. She was rushed to a delivery room, after a quick examination, the nurse said she was 10 centimetres dilated and she would call the obstetrician. "Don't push, just breathe them away, don't push. Cora, you hear me, don't push." She said.

Robert was holding Cora's hand. "Darling, breath, squeeze my hand. Don't push, just breath."

"I need to push, please let me push."

Robert kept talking to her, making sure she wasn't pushing. "Hold on a little bit longer, you can do this!'

When the obstetrician came in, Cora was finally allowed to push. It didn't take long before they heard the cries of their newborn baby. "Congratulations, you have a baby girl." The little girl was laid down on Cora's chest. "You want to cut the umbilical cord?" He asked Robert.

Cora kissed her little girl. "How wonderful you are. You are perfect."

The obstetrician told Cora to push one more time to get the placenta out. Robert was holding their little one. He looked down with so much love in his eyes. "You did wonderful darling, I am so proud of you. Look at our little girl, look at our Ava." He kissed Cora.

"Will you let my girls know, that they can come?" She closed her eyes and rested back into the pillow.

"I will, but now, rest darling. You worked hard, the last hours. Oh darling, you don't know how much I love you and how happy you have made me."