Twenty Five
It was early Saturday morning, Nathaniel had already gone to the Command center for the day and Storme and Zoe had arrived to keep her company. They still claimed free babysitting helped Elisabeth and Jim now that Maddie was married and Josh had moved out; her husband was arranging it. And Storme chose to be here.
Zoe was fascinated by the baby in her belly, every time it moved and kicked, she related it to the only birth she had ever seen; the little dinosaur hatching a few years ago. She was pleased about the fact she was six now and she thought she should be allowed to stay when the baby was born.
Alicia wasn't going to allow that to happen, especially not the way she was doing it. The little girl did not need to see that, but she would make sure Zoe was one of the first ones to see him. She sat on the couch and sipped tea, visiting with Storme, Zoe sat beside her.
She winced as a pang ran through her belly, Elisabeth called them braxton hicks, and Storme said they were a sign her body was preparing. Since she had told the latter of them she had come nearly every day. They had set up a frame to finish a hide in the living room and worked at it slowly.
Mostly they visited, Storme had raised many children, had grandchildren, great grand children and a few of those had children. Women in the Seagoers camp had children young, Storme had been about half Alicia's age when she had her first child. She had a great deal of advice about the care and feeding of babies; and surviving the first few months.
Zoe listened with wrapt attention to Storme's stories, as they used a bone needle to punch small holes in the hide. Another pain sliced through her stomach and Alicia rubbed it, trying to ease the tension.
"They are becoming regular?" Storme asked, breaking the story.
"Yes." She confirmed, and nudged Zoe's hand aside as Storme crossed.
The woman crossed to her and laid her hands so they spanned Alicia's belly. She understood enough of the language to know the woman was counting, she murmured the words quietly until her belly tightened again. "We best heat some water. You get up and start walking. It will ease them."
"Not braxton hicks anymore are they?" Alicia sighed and heaved herself up, Storme would never figure out the stove.
"No." Storme murmured, watching as she filled a pot with water and turned the burner on. "Can the girl fetch Acadia?"
"Yes, I can." Zoe looked between them, her face bright with excitement. "I will tell her the baby is coming."
"Zoe you tell the guard at the gate, they will walk with you out to the camp and back in." It was safe enough but more than once they had seen Carter's scouts on the far side of the river; she took no chances with Zoe's safety.
The girl took off and Alicia helped Storme prepare, the woman kept the pot full of boiling water and had fresh clean cloths ready. The woman was right, moving helped ease the pain as the contractions rolled through her body. They became more intense and began to come faster.
"You finished preparing some time ago; the babe wants to see this world." Acadia laughed as Alicia stared at them, humiliated at the rush of fluid from her body.
She hadn't been expecting it and hadn't been able to stop it when it started coming. Slipping into the bedroom she pulled off her pants and dug for another pair. Storme followed her into the room and began rummaging through Nathaniel's drawers; she held up one of his shirts. "Wear this, it will be easier."
Nodding she changed into it, these women were perfectly calm about this and had done it many times themselves. She was uneasy, it was not going to be an easy thing, and both women were up front with her about that. But she wanted to do it, her son had grown longer in her body because of it, and when she nursed him he would be stronger because of what she had survived.
Returning to the living room she sat on the couch, Nathaniel's shirt hit her at the upper thigh but she was going to have to keep watch over Zoe. The little girl came to her side immediately and Alicia shifted uneasily. "Zoe, I want you to stay out here okay? We will come get you when the baby gets here; I promise."
"But I can help." Zoe's eyes were big and full of excitement.
"She can, but she needn't see everything." Storme sat on the girl's other side. "A baby coming into the world can be a hard thing little one. The mum needs to feel safe, not worry that someone will be scared when she struggles."
"I won't be scared. I promise." Zoe murmured, Alicia paused before responding; she could no longer speak when a contraction rippled through her.
"I know, but when it gets near I need you to go get Nathaniel. Okay? He is busy and sometimes babies take a long time to be born." And if he knew ahead of time he would disagree, probably spending the entire day.
Zoe nodded and curled on the couch as Alicia rose to pace again. Storme was busy, she covered the bed with fresh sheets and an old hide lay on the floor. As the day wore on the pain intensified, Storme pressed cool cloths to her side, making her lay back every so often to check how far her son had pushed himself down.
"Time to get the father." Storme went to the bedroom door and sent Zoe off running to the Command Center.
…
Zoe's news had him pushing up from the desk, striding to the stairs he glanced behind him to find Zoe tearing after him. Turning back he knelt and scooped the girl up, even at full speed her little legs couldn't keep up with him. Carrying her to the unit he set her down in the living room and crossed quickly to the closed door of the bedroom; he could hear her breathing.
Storme supported her as she paced the length of the room and turned back, silently he went to her other side and wrapped his arms around her. He could easily carry her but he suspected the movement was helping. Nathaniel had never seen a woman have a child this way, and he wasn't sure he wanted to watch his wife do it.
"Should she lay down?" He asked as Alicia almost hit her knees when pain wrapped her body.
"Not yet, let her crouch now." Storme told him and he winced as the woman dunked her hands into the hot water but he had learned to let the woman do things in her own way.
He was instructed to kneel, hands reaching up to hold Alicia, Storme knelt on the other side of her. As they both crouched Alicia gasped, her body lowering onto their support; Storme reached between her thighs. "Bear down Alicia; push each time he does and help him into the world."
Alicia only nodded, her face a mask of concentration, it took him and the other woman to hold her as Storme reached for the baby. Each time pain masked her face Storme ordered her to push, it took only four times before the old woman was holding their son.
Wrapping him in a towel he was tucked against Alicia's chest, and they both leaned in to see him. Beautiful brown eyes stared up at him before their son screamed, he laughed nervously as the women took him back. Carefully he lifted Alicia back up to the bed and Storme began to tend her as she finished the delivery and wrapped her in blankets.
He settled her head in his lap, thinking as her breathing returned to normal his heart rate might. They had a baby now, their son's cries reinforced that and as he was tucked back into Alicia's arms Nathaniel closed his eyes; she was alright. Exhausted but safe.
"He's so tiny." Alicia whispered, he watched as she unwrapped the blanket and examined him. Her finger tracing his tiny toes, and wrapping around his little fist.
He was quiet now, as if he knew he was safe tucked in his mother's arms; and in truth there was no safer place for him in the world. Their son blinked at them, as if trying to see who they were, Nathaniel wondered if he recognized their voices. Gently he tucked their sons' little fist in his hand and held it.
There was a knocking at the door and Storme let Zoe into the room; it was easy to smile at the child; her face was full of delight. She approached the bed with caution until Alicia patted a spot beside her and called her. "Come here Zoe."
The little girl climbed up next to Alicia and reached hesitantly for the baby. He watched as the little girl gently stroked his cheek. "What is his name?"
"I don't know if we have decided on part of that. Can you help me?" He asked, catching Alicia's frown and gently kissing her cheek. "You promised."
"I did." She murmured, her eyes back on their son. She had promised he could name their son.
"I'm trying to choose between Cullen and Connor. Which do you think suits him?" He felt Alicia tense a little beside him, she didn't know he had already decided on his first name. Cullen had been his father's name. "I like Cullen."
"Me too." Zoe exclaimed, leaning forward. "Hi Cullen."
"His name is Washington Cullen Taylor." Nathaniel murmured. "We will call him Cullen."
"But Washington is a last name." Zoe looked between them as though confused.
"Right, but Alicia married me she took my last name. She didn't have any brothers, and her dad died. He died serving our country." Nathaniel remembered sitting in that room so many years ago, where her grandmother proudly displayed the line of soldiers in the living room. "She serves our colony bravely and I want our son to carry her name forward too, perhaps one day he will pass it on as well."
Zoe nodded and went back to looking at the baby. Alicia gently tucked him into the little girl's arms, and Zoe leaned close to whisper to him; neither of them could hear what she said. When he began to fuss Storme sent Zoe back to the living room. "He is hungry, lets give mum some privacy."
Nathaniel swallowed hard, she had stood firm on this, and there was already formula shortages in the colony. He held his breath as she nestled him to her breast, many women's milk did not come in at all; that was one of the reasons formula had become so common.
Their son nuzzled a little before he began to suckle, he couldn't tell if the baby was eating or not; Alicia didn't seem to be either. "What if he doesn't get enough?"
"Nurse him often, whether he eats or not let him suckle; he will tell your body to make more milk." Storme stayed close and he was thankful for her experience. Alicia had wanted to it this way and now that she held their son he was at peace with this.
Carefully he shifted, leaning her back against his chest, his arms wrapping around both of them; covering her hands where they supported their son. Resting his chin on her shoulder he just watched the baby suckle, his little hands pressed against her skin, those big brown eyes closed. His eyes looked just like his mother's, in a way that was a relief.