John slid on his boots as he started to prepare for his day. Today was his birthday, so he wasn't going in to work. Yet, he was still up and ready to start his day at 7am. Old habits and nightmares kept him from sleeping in like he planned to. Now, he was all dressed up with no where to go. He was spending the day with his mother, who made a special trip to see him, and Michael, who wouldn't miss a chance to torment John on his birthday.
To John, it would be all just the same if this day passed like any other. That's how he preferred to spend his birthdays anyway. Last year had been the exception. Natalie was nosing around in his personnel file and that led to Evangeline finding out in an embarrassing way. Since she didn't have an opportunity to get him a gift, she promised to go all out this year.
"No chance on that now," John spoke to himself. He and Evangeline were barely friends and he doubted that she even remembered today was his birthday. That had been a source for his nightmares. In a rare moment, John let his guard down and almost said the words she was waiting to hear from him. Unfortunately, she'd fallen asleep and anger and frustration caused John to push the words deep down inside himself. Now, he could only imagine what would have happened if he had opened up to her.
"Landshark," Michael's loud voice from beyond the closed door echoed in John's room.
John walked over to the door and swung it open wide. He wasn't in the mood for a repeat of last year, so he didn't want his big mouth brother bringing it to Roxy's attention. "It's too early, Mike."
"Do you always have to be this grump?" Michael kicked the door shut because his hands were full. "It's your birthday. Time to celebrate." Michael held out the peace offering which was cup of coffee.
John nodded in appreciation before taking the cup. "Oh, I think I got enough of that last year." Some Natalie and Roxy scheme resulted in John having a very lively birthday party at The Palace. The party hadn't been too terrible, and in the end he got to spend the night with Evangeline. He had to admit that he had a pretty good time, all things considered.
"Okay, so maybe this year you don't wake up with a hot naked woman draped over you from the previous night, and maybe you don't get another awesome party at The Palace, and maybe you don't get to end the night with the same hot chick who you woke up with in the morning," Mike started to taunt.
"The hell is the matter with you, doc. You pissed at me for something?" John didn't find the humor in Michael's joke. Not being with Evangeline was painful enough. He didn't need Michael to rub salt in that wound.
"Lighten up, bro. It's just a joke." Michael stopped teasing when he realized he hit a nerve.
"What are you doing here so early anyway?" John sat down with a sigh and motioned for Michael to do the same. John chose not to let Michael's teasing put him in a mood. Today he would get the rare opportunity to spend time with his closest family and he would enjoy it.
"Nothing better to do. My sleep schedule is all messed up from the crazy shifts I've been working. Just though I'd pop in and check on you. If you're really not feeling it, Marcie and I can probably distract mom. She'd settle for dinner with her boys and be happy with that." The opportunity for peace and quiet would be the gift he'd give his brother this year. "Besides, Evangeline is due in two weeks. You are not going to have a lot of these free moments to yourself anymore. Might as well enjoy it how you want to."
John sipped his coffee and thought about Mike's offer. "Sounds tempting." John could duck out now, but his mother would be disappointed. She wouldn't say as much for John's sake, but that was because she was just as guarded as John, if not more so. A knock on the door interrupted John's thoughts. John looked over at Michael warily.
"Don't look at me. The barbershop quartet is not supposed to show up until dinnertime." Michael couldn't help but to tease.
John answered the door and was surprised to see his mother. She was hugging and kissing him before he could even get the door all the way open.
"Happy birthday, John." She kissed him again on the cheek and made sure the wipe away the lipstick smear.
"Thanks, mom." John closed the door after she stepped inside.
"Michael, dear, I wasn't expecting you to be up so early." Eve was glad that she had the attention of both of her sons. She knew them well enough to know they would be plotting to disrupt her planned family outing. Michael chose to hug her without giving a reply. He knew she was onto them. "You two plotting like this brings back memories." Eve pinched him on the cheek roughly.
"Plotting? Mike, you got something going on?" John, who was ever the protector, had always been willing to rat his brother out to his parents at the first sign of trouble.
"Me? No. I got nothing. I just dropped in to give John a caffeine boost. Gotta make sure he's got enough energy for today." That was Mike's way of letting John know he'd withdrawn his offer to distract their mother. Michael was younger, but he learned fast with John as his older brother.
"Well, if you're both up and ready, I say we get our day started already. I've got enough stuff planned to keep us busy for two lifetimes." Eve smiled over her shoulder at John. Every other year, he was resistant to her birthday plans, but this year he said he would go along with it. She tried her best to plan things that he might enjoy with the hopes that he'd allow her to visit again on his birthday.
"Sounds fine," John started before his phone rang out. "Just give me a sec." John went to his nightstand to retrieve his phone. He was half expecting it to be the station. "McBain." He didn't bother checking his caller ID as he started to walk back to the living room. "What?..I mean are you sure…right now?" Michael and Eve observed him as his tone changed. While continuing his conversation he pocketed his keys and motioned for them to leave. "I'm on my way."
"John, is everything okay?" Eve stopped him as he was putting on his jacket.
John wore a simple nervous smile. "That was Evangeline. She's in labor."
Evangeline hung up the phone and fell back against her pillows. She'd waited as long as she could to call John, but now her contractions were much closer together and much stronger. She called Layla as well, but her phone went straight to voicemail. The doctor on duty, who was not her OB, said they would be moving her to a delivery room in very short order. Now, she was rethinking her decision to have a natural birth without an epidural.
"There's my girl," Clay entered Evangeline's room with Lisa not far behind him.
"Uncle Clay, mom." Evangeline had gone into labor around 1am. The doctor said it would be hours before she was fully dilated and ready to deliver, so that's why she hadn't called John first thing. She'd let him sleep through the night. She called her mother since she was several hours away so she would hopefully be there before the baby was born.
"Cookie, how are you?" Lisa pushed past Clay and went to Evangeline's side. She hugged her tightly knowing that her daughter would soon be experiencing the most wonderful kind of pain. "Has your doctor been in to see you? How far along are you.?"
"Mom, I'm okay." Evangeline hugged her back. She wasn't planning on delivering alone, but the hours she spent in the hospital waiting for her mother's arrival seemed to creep by. The pain of her contractions had only seemed to slow time down. "I've seen the doctor on call, but my obstetrician should be here soon. The doctor on call says I'm about 8cm dilated. I guess we're just about ready." Evangeline tried to sound hopeful, but she was nervous. No amount of reading or even her Lamaze classes could prepare her for what she was actually experiencing.
"Then where the hell is John?" Clay noted quickly that John wasn't there. "This is his responsibility. You think he'd at least have the decency to show up or is he with that other woman." Clay couldn't hide is disgust at what he perceived to be Evangeline's poor choice.
"John is on his way. He'll probably be here with lights and sirens on. I knew I was in for a long wait, and I didn't want him to have to wait it out with me." Evangeline spoke softly in her defense of John. She suffered alone throughout the night with nurses popping in occasionally to check on her. It might have been nice to have had him there the entire time, but he would have stressed her out more worrying over every contraction.
"Why the hell not? It absolutely astonishes me that you are choosing to do all of this alone. Let that man take some responsibility for his actions." Clay and Lisa had promised each other that they wouldn't fuss, but that promise was soon broken.
"Your uncle just means that it's okay for you to let John stress about this stuff too. You don't have to suffer in silence on his account." Lisa gave Clay a sharp look as she kissed the top of Evangeline's head.
"I'm going to go call the rest of the family. Lisa, maybe you can talk some sense into her." Evangeline rolled her eyes. No matter what she did, she knew someone in her family would be disappointed. Clay wouldn't argue any further. Despite his promise, Clay let his brother down. Evangeline was about to be another single black mother. This joyous day was just another reminder of how he'd failed.
"Don't mind him, honey. He's just got a lot on his mind. He's been thinking a lot of your father lately." Lisa and Clay had a long talk on the drive in to town. They both had ideas about getting Evangeline's life back on track. Neither one of them had mastered the right approach just yet.
"You're right, mom. I'm sure the whole family is suffering from my shameful decision." Evangeline had something in mind to put her uncle in check, but it wouldn't be the nicest thing to do. "I'm excited. I've waited nine months to meet my child and I'm not going to let anyone ruin that for me. That includes Uncle Clay. I love him, but he's way out of line."
Lisa hugged her again. There wasn't going to be an easy way to diffuse this situation. "I'll talk to him. In the meantime, are you sure you don't want me in the delivery room with you? I would love to be there to greet my first grandchild."
Evangeline shook her head quickly. "Not necessary, mom. John will be there along with a whole team of medical staff. I want the fewest number of people there to get the job done." In Lamaze class, Evangeline had seen several birth videos. The miracle of life was beautiful, but Evangeline didn't want all of her private parts on public display. She wouldn't let her mother in because John would also have a case for his mother as well.
"But, baby." Lisa had hoped to change Evangeline's mind, but she'd be persistently stubborn. Evangeline wasn't even planning on letting anyone be there to video record the birth.
"No buts. You will meet your grandchild at the same time as everyone else." Evangeline was trying to stay tough, but she was absolutely worn out. The contractions had kept her from sleeping and now she'd be dealing with everyone else on top of that.
Evangeline and Lisa were interrupted by her room door swinging open. At first, Evangeline thought it was nurse, but Michael entered first followed by a wide-eyed John and their mother, Eve. John pushed past Michael and went straight to Evangeline's side. Before he could speak, Evangeline double over in pain as another contraction took her breath away. John took her hand and stroked her hair.
"It's rough I know, but you have to remember to breathe. In and out slowly." John didn't mind her fingernails digging into his skin, but he was sure it would leave a mark. "Slow and steady. In and out. Not pushing. Just breathing." John looked over his shoulder. "Mike can you get us some ice?"
Mike would have complained about being the errand boy, but he didn't want to get on anyone's nerves right now. He quickly excused himself knowing exactly where to go and who to talk to.
Evangeline couldn't even speak. She was reduced to series of tears and grunts. Lisa held one hand and John held the other. The pain was more intense than it had been earlier, but their presence made things a little more bearable.
"Sixty seconds," John looked at his watch, "you're almost through it now. Just keep on breathing." John was surprisingly calm, but that was because of his training for work. Any nervousness that he may have been feeling was pushed out of his mind as he focused on Evangeline.
"Okay," Evangeline spoke breathlessly. "Okay, I'm okay." Evangeline sighed and wondered how much more of this she could take.
"You did really well." John released her hand and smiled. She looked beautiful, but completely worn out. That's when he noted Lisa's presence. "Ms. Williamson, it's good to see you again."
Michael entered behind Clay with a pitcher of water and a pitcher of ice. "The nurse gave me water and ice. One of these will surely do the trick." Michael handed them off to John who put them on a bedside table.
"About how often are you having contractions?" Eve asked from behind Michael. A lot of the time she was a wallflower, but this was a special occasion. After all was said and done, she would be Grandma Eve.
"They're coming a lot quicker now. Probably five minutes or so and coming more frequently." Evangeline smiled over at her. She was glad to see that her baby would have such a vast and loving family.
"Well you just remember your breathing and in a few short hours it will all be over." Eve smiled back at her encouragingly. "I know it sounds crazy but staying relaxed is the key to a smooth birth."
"She's absolutely right, Cookie." Lisa patted her hand lovingly. "This is a natural process that millions of women have gone through. It's not going to be easy. You'll just have to keep your wits about you."
"Oh wow, looks like we've got the full house now. This is what you needed Ms. Evangeline." Evangeline's nurse popped into the room. Her shift was almost over, so she would oversee her transport to delivery and introduce her to her new nurse there. "I'm surprised you made it those six hours without the cavalry here to support you."
The nurse kept talking but John had already tuned her out. He tried not to let the frustration on his face show. Evangeline hadn't called him right when she'd went into labor. That hadn't been their plan, but he assumed she would call him when she got to the hospital. The disconnect further highlighted the distance between them.
"Why didn't you call me?" John spoke softly, but Evangeline felt the pain of the betrayal in his voice. "I would have come for you. For the baby."
"Sorry." She'd reasoned it all out in her head, but Evangeline didn't want to get into; especially since their families were there. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but she knew that she had.
John nodded mutely. They shared a few close moments, but every time he revealed something personal she became more distant. He couldn't think of what more he could do to regain Evangeline's friendship.
Evangeline was moved to a delivery room for the birth, so the family was forced to stay behind. Layla and Marcie had arrived just long enough to see John and Evangeline off. Knowing the baby wouldn't be born for a couple more hours, everyone still chose to stick around.
With no other family available, Evangeline had to rely on John to help her through her contractions and the birth. That hadn't been terrible. John was more than attentive. He was her Lamaze class partner, so he knew about keeping her calm and what breathing techniques to try. He was able to quickly pick up on Evangeline's mood. She didn't have to tell him when she didn't want to be touched. He sensed it and gave her encouragement in other ways. The calming effect he had on her made her wish she'd called him in early in the morning.
When her OB finally came in and told her it was time to start pushing, Evangeline lost her nerve. The pain was unbearable, and an epidural was no longer an option. She wailed and thrashed about, and, despite his best efforts, John couldn't calm her.
The doctor kept telling John to keep her focused so that she was ready to push with each contraction. He tried everything he'd learned in the Lamaze classes, but nothing was working. When he felt like he was completely out of his element, a wave a calm washed over him. He'd tried everything conventional, so now he'd try something unconventional. The nurses started to object when he climbed in bed with Evangeline, but whatever he was doing was calming her down.
He settled in behind her so that his back was against the mattress and her back was against her chest. This kept her in a seated position and was more conducive to pushing. He held her close and whispered encouraging words in her ear. It was his efforts that helped to stabilize her breathing and allowed her to focus on pushing.
For Evangeline, this feeling was familiar. The same protective way he was holding her was the same way he'd held her each night that she stayed with him after a stranger attacked her at the train station. She felt safe in his arms then, and she felt safe in his arms now.
Then the rest seemed relatively easy. Pushing out the head was rough, but she knew that it was almost time to meet her baby. Her heart was racing with anticipation and she could feel that John's was too.
"Just one more big push and that's it." John was stroking her face tenderly as she tried to catch her breath again.
"Just one more. Just one more." Evangeline chanted over and over to herself. Then when it was time to push again, Evangeline did. Hard until she felt relief. Her head fell back against John's shoulder and she cried. This time it wasn't because the pain.
"Oh wow. This is a good one. Beautiful baby. Ten fingers, ten toes." The doctor handed the baby off to a nurse who was working to wipe it down as its cries filled the room. "Good job, Evangeline."
John couldn't hold back his own tears. Hearing his baby's cries made him realize that everything would be different from now on. His life was changing, and he was beyond ecstatic. He felt some much love swelling in his chest that he felt overwhelmed. Then, he looked down at Evangeline and knew the truth. He felt it deep down inside of him. This time he wouldn't overthink it. He would just feel it. "You did great, mom." John stroked her face to grab her attention.
It probably wasn't comfortable, but Evangeline turned her face to meet his. "Thanks, dad." She expected him to touch his forehead to hers. Instead he kissed her forehead softly. He brought her chin up so that she was looking him in the eyes. She didn't have to wonder if he felt the same love for their child that she did. She could see it in his eyes. "Happy birthday, John."
With all the chaos, John had actually forgotten, but she hadn't. She promised to go all out for this year's birthday, but she'd completely outdone herself. The man had a hard time with words didn't miss this opportunity. "I couldn't have asked for a better present." The tears that were glistening in his eyes were running down his cheeks. "I love you." It wasn't John's intention to overshadow the birth of their child. He truly loved Evangeline and he needed her to hear that now. He was a year late, but he knew it was better late than never.
"I love you too." Evangeline accepted his declaration with no analysis or inquisition.
"Okay mom and dad. Are you ready?" The nurse was approaching with their crying child swaddled in a standard white hospital blanket. "Your baby is ready to meet you."
John was still seated on the bed behind Evangeline, so when she extended her arms to receive the baby, his arms were right underneath hers. Carefully, they both held onto their child and stared in awe.
"Congratulations on baby boy McBain." The nurse smiled at their excitement.
"He's so beautiful," Evangeline gushed at the sight of her newest love. "Hey sweetie, I'm your mom. I have been waiting so long to meet you." Evangeline sniffled trying to hold back her tears.
John could feel his face curled up into a grin, but he couldn't think of anything to say. "This is what our love made. He's perfect." John stroked his son's tiny hand with a single finger. "Happy birthday, little guy."
Author's note: Sorry for the long delay. I was pretending to be busy. Please forgive anything that sounds ridiculous. I've never had a baby, so I'm out of my element. I'll try to have updates on Friday, Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Thanks for reading!