When we are born,
We cry that we come
To this great stage of fools.
~William Shakespeare
"Kate, darling…."
"In here." Kate calls from the sofa.
Caroline enters the sitting room to find Kate buried in her well-worn copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting. She smiles with an amused shake of her head as she approaches her wife, who is pre-occupied with highlighting a bit of text. In truth, the entire page, save for 3 or 4 sentences is highlighted, in a color-coded fashion with a key written in Kate's hand at the top right corner of the page.
"Darling, I think you can probably recite that in your sleep now. Come to think of it…you may have done last night." Caroline smiles down at her wife, who has yet to lift her head to meet her gaze.
"I'm sure I did not, but an educated and prepared…."
"…mum is a good mum. Yes, yes, I know." Caroline finishes her wife's sentence in jest and Kate finally looks up from her book, her coffee eyes meeting Caroline's with an afflicted gaze.
"I just want to get it right Caroline, to be the best mum I can be." Kate says earnestly.
Caroline sets down her purse and kneels before Kate, reaching up to tenderly tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Her smile and azure eyes are full of love for the woman before her.
"Darling, you will, without doubt, be the best mum in the world to our daughter. I have complete faith in you." Her smile widens as Kate's lips move into a shy grin, her eyes becoming glossy with tears.
"I love you Caroline."
"And I love you. Now I've got to go or I'm going to be late. We're just running the performance figures and finalizing our plan for next term to present to the Independent Schools Inspectorate next week, so I should be home by 2. Oh, and remember I'm taking Lawrence to Angus' house this evening, so you and I have a date with the sofa and a movie." Caroline winks and leans in for a gentle kiss.
"Alright, I'll see you this afternoon." Kate says as Caroline stands and straightens her skirt before turning to walk out the door.
"Slow down Doctor, I want to watch you walk away." Kate purrs.
"You devilish woman!" She shoots a sly glance over her shoulder and puts an exaggerated sway in her hips before slowly walking out the door.
oOo
It was just past noon when Kate finally looked at her watch, only then realizing she had spent the last three hours sat on the floor of the nursery sorting (for the fourth time) all the baby clothes by color and type. As if on cue, her stomach gave a rumble and she decided it was time to take a break and grab a bite of lunch.
Not realizing her poor judgment in sitting on the floor at nearly 38 weeks pregnant, she spent ten minutes trying to maneuver into a position in which she might be able to get up. Finally, frustrated and increasingly embarrassed at her predicament, she called for Lawrence, hoping that he wasn't buried in his room, headphones blasting him to deafness. After the third try, at nearly a rugby pitch yell, she heard his door open down the hall and the heavy footsteps of a perturbed teenager heading towards her.
"Were you calling me?" He says as he steps in the door, still wearing his pajamas.
"Yea, sorry. I got myself down here and now I can't seem to get back up. Could you give us a hand?" Her cheeks flush a bit as she watches Lawrence try to hide his amused smile. He walks across the room and takes her hands, pulling her up until she's on her feet.
"Thanks, and please don't tell your mum. She'll have my head for getting down there in the first place. I was just going down to make a sandwich, you want one?"
"Yea, sure, I'll just turn off my game. Be down in a minute."
"Bacon and HP or ham and cheese?"
"Bacon and HP…obviously." He says with a small smile.
"Alright, it'll be ready in ten minutes." She laughs as she follows him out of the room.
Lawrence traipses down the hall to his room as Kate waddles her way to the stairs. The waddle, which she had hoped desperately to avoid, had finally made its appearance just over a week ago and despite Caroline assuring her it was enormously adorable, Kate couldn't help but think she resembled a stuffed goose.
A ripple of guilt would always accompany those thoughts and she had spent countless minutes a day apologizing to her daughter for having such little patience and assuring her that her mother's discomfort was through no fault of her own. She had read somewhere that talking to the baby in the last trimester could help strengthen the bond between the newborn and its parents and so she had incorporated it into her daily routine, Caroline even participating each night with delight.
She hit the bottom step feeling a bit more winded than usual and stopped for a moment to catch her breath and stretch her back, which she now realized had been bothering her, more than usual, all day. She leaned back, hands on hips and inhaled deeply. Suddenly, there was a sharp, but brief pain and a popping sensation, which was followed by a warm trickle that quickly made a sizeable puddle on the floor. Her mind went briefly into panic mode, as she realized what had just happened.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Don't panic, stay calm. Shit, I need Caroline!
She stood there frozen for a few moments, her body responding much more slowly than her mind was operating. She looked up as she heard Lawrence coming down the first step. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the look on her face.
"What's the matter?" He continues down the steps towards her, concern beginning to furrow his brow.
"My, my waters broke." She stammers in shock as he hits the bottom step. He looks at the floor and back at her, his eyes as wide as saucers.
"Is that umm, is that what I think it is? But, but…it's so much." He grimaces as he jumps over the puddle to the floor next to Kate.
"What do we do?" He asks anxiously, his eyes still wide with shock and fear.
His confused and child-like tone and the look of terror on his face pulls Kate from her own astonishment and she takes a deep breath and forces herself to take charge of the situation. She grabs Lawrence by the shoulders, locking eyes with him to gain his focus.
"Ok, I'm going to need your help. Do you think you can do that?"
"Uh…yea, what do I do? Please don't tell me I have to deliver the baby!"
"Nope, we're not going to let that happen. I need you to go upstairs and get the red overnight bag from the closet in our bathroom and the blue pajama pants that are draped over the armchair."
Without hesitation Lawrence bolts up the stairs to grab the items Kate requested. She walks gingerly into the laundry room and removes her trousers and knickers, placing them in the washing machine and grabbing a towel from the dryer to wrap around her waist and another to take back and mop up the floor.
The first contraction hits as she reaches the stairs and she grabs hold of the banister with a moan. Lawrence appears at the landing above her and sprints down the steps to her side.
"Alright, I've got the bag and these." He extends the pajama bottoms to her as she sucks in a sharp breath. She takes them, still hunched over at the stairs, eyes on her watch timing the contraction.
"What do I do now? Are you alright?" his voice nearly as high as a pre-pubescent boy.
"Yes, I'm fine, it's passing now. Can you help me to the loo so I can wash up a bit and change clothes?" He takes her arm and guides her to the downstairs toilet and paces outside the door waiting for his next order.
He rings Caroline from his mobile and curses when she doesn't answer. He waits a few seconds and rings again, tapping his foot impatiently as her voicemail picks up. He hangs up and decides to send a text.
Mum, call me now. Urgent!
Kate opens the door just as Lawrence's mobile rings. He answers it mid-ring.
"Lawrence, this had better be good. I'm very busy and I told you I'd be home around 2." Caroline speaks in a hushed tone, but the agitated mother voice is in full force.
"Mum, mum, Kate's waters broke!" Lawrence practically shrills into the phone.
"What? Where is she, is she alright? Put her on, I need to speak to her…NOW!" Agitated mother quickly replaced by worried wife.
Lawrence hands Kate the phone with an anxious look and she takes it just as another contraction hits. She sucks in a breath and hands the phone back to Lawrence as she hunches over and holds her stomach with a groan.
"Mum, she's having another contraction thingy. Can you get here mum? I don't know what to do!" Lawrence yelps into the phone.
"Ok, listen to me Lawrence, listen. Ask her how many contractions she's had and how long each one is lasting."
"I don't know mum, I don't know. Just talk to her." He shoves the phone in Kate's hand as she begins to steady her breathing.
"Caroline, sorry, I'm here." Kate says out of breath into the mobile.
"Kate darling, talk to me. What's going on?" Caroline questions, her voice calm, but her words urgent.
The sound of Caroline on the other line makes Kate's bravado crumble and she's instantly in tears.
"My waters broke when I was coming downstairs to make lunch about ten minutes ago. It's too early Caroline, it's too early! I'm not even 38 weeks until Tuesday." She stammers between cries.
"Ok, sweetheart, it's ok. You need to try and calm down. Everything is going to be fine. It's a little early, but it's not dangerous, ok? I need you to count to three, take a deep breath and try and talk to me. Have you started timing your contractions?" Kate takes a deep sighing breath and counts to three into the phone.
"Yes. I've had two contractions so far, fifteen minutes apart, about twenty seconds in length."
"Ok, good, good. Have you got the overnight bag ready yet and are you ready?"
"Yes. I have the bag here and Lawrence brought me a fresh pair of trousers."
"Brilliant. Alright, I'm going to leave here and I'll be home in twenty five minutes, ok? If anything changes between now and then you have Lawrence call me immediately."
"Ok. Caroline…I'm scared." Kate whispers into the phone, a fresh flow of tears streaking her cheeks.
"Darling, everything is going to be fine, you and Flora are going to be fine. Now put Lawrence on the phone for me, ok?"
"You like it then, Flora?" Kate bites her bottom lip with a smile through her tears.
"I think it's perfect. Now, put Lawrence on." Kate hands Lawrence the phone and wipes the tears from her cheeks.
"Mum?" Lawrence bites his thumb nail nervously.
"Lawrence, I'm leaving here now, so I'll be home in twenty five minutes. I need you to stay with Kate and try and keep her calm, yea?"
"Yea, ok mum."
"Just keep talking to her and call me if anything changes."
"Alright mum."
"Lawrence?"
"Yea?"
"Thank you and you're doing a great job."
"Thanks mum, but please hurry."
oOo
Caroline hangs up her mobile and steps back into her office where the board of governors are seated.
"I'm so sorry, but I must go. It seems Kate has gone into labor and I need to get her to hospital immediately."
"No need to apologize, just go!" Gavin rises from the table and crosses to Caroline, offering her a handshake and warm smile.
"Thank you and I'm sorry. "
"Don't worry; I'll make arrangements to have your work forwarded to me starting Monday. Congratulations Caroline and tell Kate congratulations from me as well."
"Thanks Gavin." She smiles broadly and nods her head, then quickly collects her purse and dashes out the door.
oOo
"Ok, that one was thirty seconds long and it was ten minutes since the last. What does that mean?" Lawrence questions. He's still nervous, but far less frantic than before.
"It means she's coming soon. Lawrence, I think you might have to take me to hospital. Do you think you can drive my car? Have you driven before?"
He looks at her, eyes wide and silent for a moment as her words sink in.
"Oh shit." He mumbles automatically.
"Lawrence, can you do it?" Kate questions again, her tone serious but gentle.
"Uh, yea, I think so. I've driven Angus' mum's car a few times when we were at his grandparents in Pickering."
"Alright. Grab my overnight bag and help me get to the car and we can call Caroline from there."