Chapter 20- How To Deal

Randy

Headlights stood stark out against the pitch-black night sky. I had put over two hundred miles behind me. And home was less than thirty minutes away. A smile crossed my face as I thought of Lora's face when I showed up in the middle of the night. She thought that I wasn't leaving until the morning. I even told her that, while I was driving home, and she was on the phone with me. I thought back on our conversation, and her telling me all of the things that Keith had received from our friends and family. It made me happy that I had surprised her with the crib. As it should, because it took a lot of effort to arrange that, calling everyone that was invited to the baby shower, to not buy a crib. I pulled off the interstate that had led me from Indianapolis to St. Louis. It didn't take ten minutes from that point to make it home.

All of the lights were shut off, giving a peaceful silence to the house. I cut the engine of the rental car, and fished out my keys. Leaving my bags for tomorrow, I opened the front door as quietly as I could. Locking the door behind me, I walked into the living room. My eyes roamed over the blue balloons that had been tied to the backs of the dining room chairs. Two black garbage bags, that I assumed were filled with wrapping paper, sat next to the kitchen. I nearly walked into box stacked upon box as I was looking around. I glanced down, and saw all of the gifts. I smirked when I heard Lora's words run through my head. "I can't wait for you to get home; so you can put all of it together."

I checked my phone, seeing that it was just past one in the morning. Walking to the kitchen, I brought out the scissors, a cutting knife and a set of small tools. I nearly jumped when I heard soft scuffling sounds coming towards me. I spun around and saw the puppy named Sting, staring up at me. His ears were raised and he stared straight at me. I could only hope that he wouldn't start barking at the seemed to be stranger. He hadn't seen me often enough to know that I belonged here as well. But to my surprise, Sting walked over to his food bowl, and nudged it with his nose. I bit back my laughter, and found his food, giving him a helping. Then I continued on towards the living, setting out to assemble all of the new baby things.

The bouncer seat, play-mat and playpen didn't take very long at all. They seemed to already be completed in the box. I sat them aside, and began to work on the baby swing. It wasn't too hard either, just screwing the legs together, and then attaching the swing. Also not very hard, was the corner changing table. It had very simple instructions, and I was finished with that in thirty short minutes. My greatest challenge came with the crib. Ironically, the gift I bought. Before I began, I wondered if it would be easier to assemble this in the actual baby's room. I thought about either lugging a box upstairs or the actual bed itself. The box would make less noise. So, getting a good grip on either side, I made my way upstairs.

Our bedroom door was opened. Not able to fight the urge, I peeked into the room. Lora had her back to me, and laying on her side. A tug pulled on my heart to hold her, but I had work to do. As quietly as I could, I unlocked the door to the nursery, and pulled the crib box into the room. Before I shut the door, Sting trotted in after me. I raised my eyebrow at the dog, fighting the urge to laugh, and closed the door. I found the instructions for the crib style bed, and began working. It came with screws, bolts and railings. Two hours later, and a lot of yawning, I had finished. I quickly went back down to the living room, bringing up the play-mat, bouncer seat, corner changing table and the bedding for the crib. Fifteen minutes later, I had the crib finished; the railing guards were up, along with the bed skirt, sheets, blanket and pillowcase. I looked around the room, smiling to myself, thinking that this room was perfect.

I left the room, without locking it, and walked across the hall towards our room. I kicked off my shoes, removed my shirt, and lifted the covers. It felt amazing to be home. To be in my own bed, to have the smell of home around me, and to be lying next to my wife. I cuddled my body close to hers, wrapping my arm around her stomach. She, unconsciously, reacted to me. Lora pressed back into my, molding herself to my frame. I rested me head on a pillow, and was almost asleep; until I heard her gasp loudly, and sit up in bed.

"Lora! What's wrong?" I glanced at the digital clock on the side table behind her, it read a little after three. Then I turned my eyes towards her. Lora was staring over at me, a wild expression on her face.

"Randy!" she exclaimed, and she ran her hands over my face softly before covering her own mouth with one of her hands. I waited patiently for her answer. I knew she was still half-asleep. A small giggle left her throat, before she threw her arms around me. I heard her release of breath in my ear, "You're home."

I combed through her hair with my fingers, and let her hold me close. I was enjoying it just as much as she was. I pulled both of us back down on the bed, and she curled into my side. Nothing else was said. We didn't need words now that we could touch each other. Her gentle finger strokes up and down my arm told me that she was glad I was home. And I hoped my gentle caress of her hair told her that I had missed her. I would wager that I fell asleep before she did, because I had dreams of my arm being touched. The next thing I was conscious of, was the bright light that streamed in from the window. I grumbled and rolled over to black the rays. I reached out to pull Lora close, and I found nothing but cold sheets. My eyes popped open, and sure enough, Lora was gone from the bed. Gone from the room. I focused my eyes, and read the side table clock. Then I knew why Lora probably wasn't in bed. It was nearing one in the afternoon.

Climbing out of bed, I went to my closet, pulling out some easy cotton pants, and a plain white t-shirt. Shuffling downstairs, I still didn't hear Lora messing around in the house. I looked in the living room, dining room and kitchen. No sign of her. Then the back door in the kitchen opened, and I turned to look. Lora was leading Sting back in on a leash. I closed my arms and leaned against the wall, watching her handle the dog. She slowly knelt down to unhook the dog, and used the washing machine to help her back up. When she turned around, I received a shock. I knew growth in the last few months of pregnancy was rapid, but Lora stomach was wider and jutted further out than I remembered. And before I could say anything, I snapped my mouth shut. While I thought she had never been more beautiful, I don't think she would feel the same. And the sound of sleeping on the couch when I just got back home, did not appease to me.

Instead, I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and pulled her back into my chest. She stiffed quickly, before realizing who it was, and leaned back into me. "Have I told you how stunning you are?"

I watched her face as a smile pushed her cheeks up. "Not today you haven't."

I turned her around in my arms, brushing my fingertips across her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed shortly, before opening them again to stare at me passionately. "Well, then, I'm falling behind on my job."

Lora laughed softly, pulling herself from my arms, to walk about into the kitchen. She pulled a cupcake out from under a Tupperware cover on the counter, and began to lick the icing off, walking into the living room. I followed behind her, and nearly ran into her. She had stopped walking and I hadn't realized it. I walked around her, and saw that she was staring about the room, as if trying to figure out if something was missing. I saw the light turn on in her eyes.

"Randy, where did all of the new baby things go?" I nearly laughed at the confused look on her face. I left her side, and went into the garage, and brought out the completed baby swing, setting it to the left of the couch. I made one more trip, bringing out the playpen, and placed it next to the TV, out of the way of the walking path. I turned back to face Lora, who was giving me an incredulous look.

"What time did you get home last night?"

"Around one in the morning," I answered her, shrugging my shoulders. My mouth popped open a little, and I smiled at her in response. "Want to see the rest of the things?"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and I led her upstairs. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. This would be the first time she would see this room. We reaching the end of the hall, and I turned the knob to Keith's room. Pushing the door open, I moved out of the way, and let Lora walk in first. Her head turned this way and that, taking in the scene before her. The ways had been painted in an ocean floor scene. The bottoms of the walls were tan and speckled, like sand should be, and the water-colored paint faded up from deep blue to a baby one. Coral reefs had been added on top of the sand, in a peach-shaded paint. Streams of bubbles were outlined in several places along the walls, shooting upwards about three feet. Finally, decorating the walls were wooden cutouts of every kind of sea creature you could imagine: seahorse, starfish, clown fish, octopus, crabs, whales of all kinds, dolphins and turtles.

There was an indention in the wall, that arched up, almost touching the ceiling. It had been where my desk used to stay. Now, that's were Keith's crib was. Fully sheeted, fully ready for the baby. On the wall space above the crib, Keith's name was spelled out in deep green letters, that curved up just like the bed railing. A large blue area rug spread out over the floor, picturing colorful fish swimming around in the water. I had removed all of the contents of the wicker basket and placed them in the corner-changing table. The bedding of the crib had come with a diaper holder, and I tied that into place on a railing of the table, filling it with two of the four packs of diapers that were gifted to us. I hung up all of John's clothes that he had sent in the closet, making a mental note to buy even more clothes before Keith was born. The bouncer seat and play-mat had been placed on the floor, along with a mound of toys in the corner. The las thing I laid my eyes on was the padded rocking chair, with matching ottoman. It was very nice looking and seemed very comfortable. I turned back to watch Lora's reaction.

"Randy," she whispered, staring wide-eyed about the room. She walked towards the crib, lifting the guard-rail up. It clicked as it locked into place. She ran her fingers over the white wood, and continued to stare about the room. "Did you do all of this?"

"Well, I didn't have time to hang up the wooden decorations," I said, walking to her side. "But the paint job was all me. While we were gone for Christmas, I had all the toys delivered, along with the rocking chair. They also hung up the decorations when they were here, along with Keith's name. I picked them all out though. And when I got home last night, I put together all of these things, arranged his room in a way that I hope you like."

Lora turned her eyes on me. They shined with emotion, and moisture. I had gotten used to Lora's quick mood swings and how much she's taken to crying during her pregnancy. But just because I had gotten used to it, didn't mean I liked it one bit. I was about to ask her what was wrong, when she smiled at me. She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck for the second time since I had come home, "Its' perfect Randy."

oo

For all my life, I had believed that being in the wrestling business kept you the busiest you would ever be in your life. All the constant traveling, show after show and meet and greets. It seemed like it. But it was wrong. I have never felt so rushed in my life than I felt planning for the arrival of my son. There was so much to do. Make arrangements with the insurance, that was now accepting Lora because she was my wife, to finalize everything. We made a deal with Lora's brother, Mark, to take care of Sting while we would be in the hospital. Lora and I went out to buy a car seat, that came with a matching stroller. It was gray, and the seating was three different shades of the same color, in blocked pattern. Once we fitted the seat into the back of my SUV, we were recommended to go to a fitting-specialized office near the hospital, to make sure we had it right.

Lora still had weekly check-ups, to keep an eye on both her and the baby. We were told, after one sonogram, that Keith had turned head down in preparation of birth. The doctor told us to go ahead and pre-register with the hospital, that we would be here soon for Keith's delivery. Lora and I talked over what birth plan we wanted. I mainly let her decide, because it would be her body, not mine, going through all the labor pains. I wanted her to be as comfortable as she saw fit. She kept with what she had told me once before, that she definitely wanted the epidural, and didn't want to be in that much stress. Other than that, it would be a traditional hospital delivery. During one of our outings, Lora needed to be fitted for her nursing bra. She hadn't completely made up her mind on that, but hadn't ruled it out either. All of that, and add one a couple of lamaze classes, baby-proofing the house, choosing a pediatrician for our future child and making sure Lora had everything she would need in the bag we packed for when we had to leave the house quickly, we were going non-stop. We kept a hospital bag in the back of my car, as well as in our bedroom. Lora didn't want us to be out anywhere and not be prepared. I was exhausted. I didn't know how Lora was still going. If I were in her shoes, I would be lying in bed all day long.

Finally, three weeks after I had come home, we decided that we had done everything could in preparation, and took time to relax. We went to visit her friend, Melody, in the hospital when she had her son. He was a healthy eight pound and nine once boy, and was beyond adorable. Lora was getting impatient, the long we had to wait for the baby. I had to keep reminding her that he wasn't actually due for another three weeks. We just had to keep ourselves occupied until then. Which is what we were doing when we woke up one morning, and began to get ready. My parents had come into town, and my father and I were having a photo-op and meet and greet at the museum store, right under the Gateway Arch.

I stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist, and went back into the bedroom. My attention was drawn to Lora, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, a look of pain crossing her face. I walked to her side, pulling her face up to meet mine. "Are you okay?"

She grunted softly, and nodded her head. "Yeah, it's just heartburn. I shouldn't have had that taco salad last night."

I chuckled softly, and threw on some pants, with a button-up black shirt. Within minutes, I was ready. Then, I waited another hour for Lora to get ready. I stayed in the bathroom while she took her bath, making sure she was safe as she got in and out of the tub. Then I went to the living room, taking Sting out for a walk before we left. I put him in his cage after he did his duty outside. When I reached the living room again, Lora was waddling down the stairs. She was wearing a light gray long-sleeved sweater dress and black tights. Flat black boots covered her calves and her long red hair flowed around her face and down her shoulders. She was beautiful. I met her at the bottom of the stairs, taking her hands with my own.

"You look wonderful," I murmured, kissing her forehead. She smiled at me and we started to walk to the front door. But I heard Lora groan softly again and hold her stomach. Something that I didn't believe as heartburn. "Lora, tell me what's wrong."

But she waved me off, "It's nothing. The baby is just running out of room in here, and the kicks are harder."

I raised my eyebrow at her, and she met my stare. After several minutes with nothing being said, and nothing happening, I let it go, and we went out into my SUV. There was little talk between Lora and me on the way into town. She had her head resting on the back of the seat. I fiddled with the radio until the archway was in view; which wasn't long, you could see the arch from nearly everywhere in town. I parked in a spot around back, in the guarded personnel parking lot, and helped Lora from the car. We walked into the museum, and I heard the distant screams from across the courtyard. I looked around at the hundreds of fans out. I tried to fight my smile and turned to look for my father. I spotted him, as well as my mother, at a near by table. I led Lora towards them, hugging them in greeting.

"It's nice to see you again, Lora," Bob said hugging Lora's neck softly. It warmed me on the inside to see my father treating Lora as if she was his own daughter. He helped her in a seat, and took his own. My chair was in front of Lora's a little, and next to a table. My Dad and I sat at the table, as line after line of fans came up, asking us for our autographs and pictures. Some told us how great we were, and some told me they used to hate me before I turned face. Every experience like this, always humbled me.

Three hours later, the lines started to line, and it was nearly time for us to go. I gathered my things, took the last of the pictures, and turned to Lora. She looked uncomfortable in the metal chair. The little amount of cushion on the seat wasn't helping her. I smiled at her, helping her up. She stumbled into me softly, as if she wasn't ready to stand up. Together, my parents, Lora and I walked back out to our cars in the protected parking lot. I was in a good mood; I always was when I felt like I had made someones' day by doing what I loved. Lora's laughter at a joke my father made, brought me back to reality.

We walking by my SUV, when Lora let go of my hand to hold herself up on the hood. I glanced back at her softly, and she just smiled. I decided she would be okay there until I said good-bye to my parents. My mom opened her mouth to tell me something when I heard a small little yelp coming from behind me. "Randy!"

I spun around on the spot and ran back to Lora. She was leaning on the hood with one arm, and the other was wrapped around her stomach. Pain distorted her face. My hands fluttered about her helplessly, waiting for her to speak. "Lora, what's the matter?"

Her eyes turned towards me, fear and worry shining back out at me. Sweat started to bead on her forehead, even though it was February in Missouri. "My water just broke."

All thought flew from my mind, as I stood there in shock. "My water just broke". The words reverberated around my head. I looked down, and sure enough, her boots were wet with liquid and the ground around her had puddled up slightly. My heart was pounding in my ears. All of that training, all of those lamaze classes, and I couldn't remember a damn thing. All I could focus on was Lora was in labor and that I could hear her groans of pain.

"Randy! Get her to the hospital, now!" I heard my mother yell from behind me. I had forgotten they were still there. I numbly turned my head towards the sound of my mother's voice, staring at her open-mouthed. My father was standing behind her, watching the scene in concern.

"Do it, son. We'll follow right behind you," my father informed me.

It might have been the sound of my father's voice, or the fact that Lora's hand reached out and clung to my arm as she moaned, but I snapped out of my daze. I seized Lora by the shoulders, and helped her towards her side of the car. Once she was safely buckled in, I ran to the other side of the car, hoping in. Hurriedly, I buckled my own seat belt, and pulled out of the parking lot. I turned on the emergency flashers that came standard on my SUV. I didn't know how fast I was going, or if I was breaking any traffic laws. I didn't care. Lora was in labor, and she needed the hospital.

A/N

OH MY! It's time! It's baby time! YAY! Stay tuned for more!

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