As always: I don't own anything and so on.
Joy and Pain
Chapter 3 : Angel
The next morning I stood up……and ran into the bathroom. I guess I wasn't one of the lucky persons who where left out by the morning sickness.
I was just sitting next to the toilet, trying to catch my breath, when I heard a soft voice.
"Here, Stephanie, that will make you feel better."
I looked up, holding my breath but not really shocked because the voice was so soft.
It was Ella.
She held a cup of herbal tea out to me.
I took it. "Thanks, I guess I got my niece's stomach flu."
She smiled and crouched in front of me.
"Stephanie, I'm a trained midwife. I know a pregnant woman when I see one."
I looked down and sipped the tea. It was tasting better than I would have imagined.
"Stephanie. Look at me, please."
I reluctantly lifted my eyes.
She studied me for a long moment. Then she gripped my hand and told me to stand up slowly.
She wrapped one arm around me and steered me to the sofa. There she took my cup and put it on the coffee table. She sat down and put my head against her shoulder, one hand stroking my hair.
"Since you're alone and obviously unhappy I guess you didn't tell Ranger?"
"How do you know I didn't tell him? Maybe he left because of this."
"First, he loves you and he will be very happy."
Huh, there are worlds between loving someone and trusting him or wanting a comittment.
"Second, I know why he left and that wasn't the reason."
I sat up straight and looked at her.
"Why did he leave?"
"He didn't tell you?"
I just looked at her.
She sighed and pulled my head back against her shoulder.
"I don't know, why he didn't tell you."
"He doesn't trust me!"
"No, that wasn't the reason. He trusts you more than most other people in his life. He probably just wanted to keep you safe."
I closed my eyes. How could I be safe, when he wasn't by my side.
Especially now.
"You know what we're gonna do, Stephanie?"
I looked at her.
"What?
"We're gonna go shopping."
"I still fit into all my clothes."
She laughed.
"Be happy about it as lang as you do. But I don't mean shopping for clothes, I mean shopping for food."
"As in going to a grocery?"
"Exactly"
"Oh"
She laughed again.
"Come on, it's gonna be fun."
Then she pulled me up with her and shoved me towards my bedroom.
"Go get dressed while I make a grocery list."
-----
One hour later we were standing in front of a big grocery store a little bit outside of Trenton.
We got a cart and got started.
While she loaded tons of healthy food into the cart, Ella explained to me, what I should eat and not eat during my pregnancy.
"In the morning, before you stand up, you eat a slice of crispbread, dry toast or rusk together with some herbal tea. Sip the tea slowly and also stand up slowly. A rapid changing of your posture aggravates the nausea."
And on we went towards fruit and vegetables.
"Right now you don't have to eat much more calories than before until the 4th month. Then you're gonna eat 250 to 300 calories more a day."
She grabbed four bananas a few apples, oranges, tangerines……
"You have to eat much fruit and vegetables."
And she grabbed carrots, cucumber, red pepper, tomatoes and corn.
I stared at the cart.
I would turn into a rabbit.
My child would be a rabbit.
"You don't have to eat everything at once, Stephanie." And she pulled me with her towards the pasta.
"It is good for you if you eat many little meals in the daytime. Besides that you have to eat many wholecorn products."
The next stop was the meat.
"You're gonna eat meager meat three to four times a week. It's good beacause of the iron."
And on it went and on it went.
Two hours later (!) we were back in the car and finally driving home.
I was tired and closed my eyes. Five minutes later I was asleep.
-----
When I woke up again we were 15 minutes away from my appartment.
"Stephanie, did you already make an appointment with a doctor?"
"Yes I have an appointment on Friday. Do you think that is early enough?"
"That's four days from now. Yeah it's okay. Who is your doctor?"
"Mrs. Meek. My friend Mary Lou recommended her. Do you know her?"
"Yes I do, she is very nice. Her name fits. She was Celia's doctor, too. Do you know Celia?"
"I just know, that she's Ranger's sister."
"Yeah, she's the oldest. First there's Celia, then Maria, then Rita, then Rayn, then Ranger and the youngest one is Carleen."
"You know the family very well. "
"I know all of the kids since ther were born. I was the midwife of Rosita, Ranger's mother, when she was pregnant with Calia, Maria and Rita and from then on we were friends."
She parked the car.
"And now you work for Ranger."
"And now I work for Ranger. And now we're gonna go up and we'll cook some lunch."
Oh my god.
She laughed a my shocked face.
"I'm gonna show you how to do it, Stephanie."
I guess Ella was would be my midwife.
But she wasn't only my midwife. She was my savior and my angel.
Reviews, please.
And it would be nice if you could tell me a name of a baby magazine or something like that.