Sylvie was a little overwhelm by all the people who had come by to offer some help. They had been working on the apartment for a couple of hours and her back was beginning to hurt.
"Sylvie, you should rest," Mrs. Rastoil, an obstetrician who was Sylvie's neighbor came up to her.
Sylvie sighed. She hated to give in, but it was getting hard to be on her feet for long periods of time. Finally giving in, she sat down on her couch.
"Sylvie, what do you want to do with these chairs?" Porthos had her living room chairs moved in front of him.
"They go to Rochelle," she said of her young neighbor who was about to move out on her own. "Joubert is taking them to her apartment in his truck," she said of another tenant of her apartment.
"Here we are, Anabelle," Constance led Joubert's visually impaired wife to the couch to sit next to Sylvie.
"Sylvie, I thought I could help you go through your kitchen items," Anabelle said resting a box full of Sylvie's kitchen supplies on the floor between them.
"Thank you Anabelle," Sylvie squeezed the older woman's hand. At least this was something she could do sitting down.
"Is there anything I can bring to you to go through?" Constance asked.
"No, thank you Constance," Sylvie said. "I think I've gone through everything else. It's just a matter of carrying out the big things."
Constance nodded. Before she could say anything she noticed something across the room. "Oi, careful with that."
Sylvie turned to see what Constance was on about. A mover had nearly dropped a small table she had put next to the entrance of her door. It was built by her grandfather on her mother's side. It was wooden with beautifully carved detail.
"Thank you," she mouthed to Constance.
TM
Sylvie's neighbors had left. Everything in the living room and bedroom had been cleared out except for one of the chairs that were going to Rochelle and bed. The latter was stripped down and would be donated or sold.
Athos had gone back to his apartment with Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan following to make sure everything was moved in. Constance and Porthos' wife Elodie stayed with Sylvie.
A knock came to the flat's door. Constance got up from the floor and answered it. The apartment manager Leon stood outside looking around inside.
"Leon, I'll be out by the end of the day," Sylvie told him from her chair. She didn't have the energy to deal with him today. He made the tenants' lives difficult to say the least.
"I just came by to tell you I'm afraid I can't give you back your deposit," he said.
"What?" Sylvie pushed herself up out of the chair with a lot of struggle.
"You really haven't taken care of this place," he tutted leaning on the doorframe.
"You miserable," Sylvie began to walk towards the door only to be stopped by Elodie.
"He's not worth it," Elodie whispered.
Sylvie deflated. Her shoulders sagged slightly. "Fine."
Leon's parting smile made Sylvie's skin crawl.
Constance slammed the door shut.
"Thank you," Sylvie said to Constance.
"What for?" Constance asked.
"For slamming the door; it felt good even by proxy," Sylvie said laughing with the other two women.
Sylvie turned back to sit down only to be ceased by a great deal of pain. "Bloody hell."
"Sylvie?" The other two women asked at once.
"I think this baby is ready come," she said.
Elodie helped her sit down. "How many contractions and how long apart?"
"Just a few over the last few hours. About twenty minutes apart now," Sylvie looked sheepishly.
"You've been having contractions for the last few hours?" Constance looked disbelieving.
"I hadn't told Porthos I of my contractions right away either," Elodie admitted looking at the other two women with a shrug. "He just proposed to me; I hated to ruin the moment."
Sylvie looked on disbelieving before breaking out in laughter.
"Ow," Sylvie groaned.
"Sylvie, what's your plan?" Elodie asked.
"A home birth. Mrs Rastoil delivering."
"Really?" Constance asked. "How did you convince Athos of this?"
Sylvie laughed. "He's still not exactly on board. Oh and in a tub."
"I'll call Mrs. Rastoil," Elodie offered.
"I'll call Athos," Constance looked grimly at Sylvie.
TM
Mrs. Rastoil had taken charge the moment she entered the flat. Athos and d'Artagnan arrived about fifteen minutes later. Porthos and Aramis stayed behind to make sure everything was moved where it needed to go.
"How is she?" Athos asked the moment he walked through the door.
"She's fine," Constance assured him. She still has a ways to go yet. Mrs. Rastoil has her walking around a bit."
"Where is she?" Athos asked only to have his question answered as Sylvie came out of her bedroom supported by Elodie on one side of her and Mrs. Rastoil on the other side.
Athos walked up to her taking Elodie's place. "How are you doing sweetheart?"
"Hurts like hell," she said.
"The pain meds I gave you should kick in soon," Mrs. Rastoil said.
Athos rubbed Sylvie's back as they walked through the living room.
"That feels good," Sylvie leaned into Athos' side.
"Good," Athos kissed her temple.
TM
"You are out of your mind," Athos said mildly as he kneeled down next to the tub.
"I thought that's what attracted you to me," Sylvie grinned lying in a tub of water. It seemed she had one more opportunity to use her bathtub.
Athos shook his head and kissed her.
TM
The cry of a baby coming from the bathroom had the occupants of the living room standing up at once. Aramis and Porthos had returned a while ago. Porthos had Elodie and his one year old daughter, Marie with him from the babysitter.
Mrs. Rastoil exited the bathroom, a broad smile on her face. "A healthy little boy," she said. "Now the happy parents thank you all for being here, but ask if you wouldn't mind going home for now. You can come by their apartment tomorrow afternoon. They said they'd probably call you sometime before then."
The group of uncles and aunts reluctantly agreed and left for their homes.
TBC