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Chapter 18: Ellie

"Is she coming?"

"She is," I swallowed hard, "She should be on her way."

It was a complete lie. In all actuality, Emma was nowhere to be found. The only explanation being she was most certainly in the middle of another birth. I wished I was telling Rose the truth, I wanted nothing more than for Emma, the absolute Godsend of a midwife who seemed to know every little thing about pregnancy, birth, and babies, to be trailing right behind me and John. Pathetically, the only progress we made was an urgent note we left posted to her door.

"Thank God," Rose let out breathlessly, "I don't know how much more I can take."

As if on cue, her whole body tensed as another contraction overcame her. She let out a guttural groan, throwing her head back onto her pillow, suddenly breaking out into a sweat.

'"Breathe, breathe," I took a hold of her hand, clammy and shaky. She closed her eyes and the two of us inhaled deeply.

In, out. In, out. In, out.

After about a minute, it subsided as quickly as it had arrived. Rose regained her composure, still breathing heavily.

"God, is it supposed to take this long? It feels like it's been hours."

"You're doing just great, Rose. You can still make complete sentences, that's more than I was able to do with both my children," Sarah entered the bedroom, dabbing a warm, damp rag across her forehead.

"You want any more of that champagne?"

"No, no. I think I'm a little too nauseous to ingest anything."

"Fair enough," I gave her a small smile. I still hadn't let go of her hand.

"Ellie, could you come with me to the kitchen for a moment?" Sarah asked, motioning towards the door. I nodded, giving Rose's hand a squeeze before stepping out.

John was pacing the kitchen, looking like a wild caged animal in a zoo. Nerves had completely overtaken him.

It made me wonder how he was when Sarah gave birth to their children.

"How is she?"

"She's doing just fine," Sarah brushed him off and leaned back against the counter, looking to us both, "I have a really strong feeling we will have to deliver that baby ourselves."

"Oh God," John's voice croaked. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Not you, go have a drink and settle down why don't ya."

"You're certain?" I struggled to keep my voice steady and quiet so Rose couldn't hear.

"Those contractions she's having are growin' more intense and closer and closer. Unless Emma shows up within the hour or so, it's going to be up to us."

"I know nothing about birth and babies," my pulse quickened, my heart thundered through my chest.

"That's alright," Sarah was trying her hardest to keep us on steady ground, but I could see the panic and concern in her eyes, "We will do what we have to do. We don't tell Rose about not being able to find Emma until the absolute last second. Nature will have taken over at that point, she won't have the energy to worry about her not being here. I've done this twice, I know what to do."

"You do?"

"No. But I'm going to try my hardest to make sure she doesn't know that," she let out a deep breath, running her hands through her hair.

Rose started screaming through another contraction. The three of us winced.

"Ellie, you go back in there and check on her. Get her to breathe and keep her calm. John, gather all the towels and rags you can find. I'm going to get water warmed up, and I'll be in to see if it's time for her to push. I swear, it's going to be soon based off that screaming."

John and I nodded in unison. I directed him to the bathroom closet with the very few towels we owned, and to the rags under the kitchen sink. Sarah filled up a large soup pot with water and lugged it quickly onto the stove.

My little sister is giving birth. I am going to be an aunt.

I attempted to control my breath as I made my way down the hall towards the bedroom. I stopped dead in my tracks, hearing the front door swing open behind me.

"How is she?"

I turned to see Emma bursting through the door. She slipped out of her coat effortlessly, moving at sufficient speed through the apartment in a calm and cool manner.

Unlike the rest of us.

"Oh thank God, you're here," I felt my knees nearly give out as the relief of knowing I would not have to deliver my niece or nephew overcame me. John collapsed onto the couch, the towels and rags fell around him, and Sarah's shoulders fell at ease, "She's in the bedroom," I motioned down the hall.

"Thank your husband," she said as she brushed past me.

Confused, I looked back at the front door to see Tommy trailing in behind her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I felt useless, I had to do something," he said as he shut the door, "I was on my way over here and I ran into her on the street, she just delivered another baby and was heading home for the night. It was complete chance I caught her."

"Thank you," I collapsed into his arms, "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too."

"We were preparing to deliver Rose's baby ourselves."

"Eh, you could've done it," he smirked.

"Damn right," Sarah retorted confidently, taking the pot of water off the stove, "I'm taking this to Emma, Ellie, grab those towels and cloths."

"Got it," John tossed me the cloths and towels strewn about him.

"You two are on standby," Sarah pointed to the men, "You be ready if we need anything in there."

"Understood," Tommy fell on the couch next to John.

"You ready?" Sarah turned to me then and in that moment, I wished I had just a small ounce of her confidence. If I had that I could get my sister, and even myself, through anything.

I nodded.

Birth is a strange thing. You spend so much time waiting and waiting until suddenly, everything happens at full speed. I knew Jack must have been watching over us, because as soon as Emma arrived, everything picked up. Witnessing it feels even stranger. I felt powerless standing over my baby sister as she screamed out like a banshee with each push. All I could do was hold her hand, and keep her cool with a damp cloth across her forehead.

I was in awe of her. She said back on Titanic how she wished she was as strong as I was. As I watched her in the throes of labor, I knew I was nowhere near as strong as she was. With each animalistic scream and groan, it wasn't only the sheer pain of birth she was working through. It was Jack. I knew she needed him, yearned for him at this moment. He should be here. Her pain was open, raw.

"I can't do this," she cried.

"Yes, yes you can, Rose!" I felt high on adrenaline, "You're so close, your baby is almost here."

"I can't do it," she was sobbing, "It hurts, it hurts so much."

I honestly did not know if she was referring to childbirth or the loss of Jack.

"Only a few more pushes, Rose," Emma gripped her leg, "I'm so close to seeing the head!"

"Really?" she seemed to perk up a bit at that one. Emma nodded.

"Yes, love. You need to keep pushing."

She turned to me, as if asking for permission. I held her hand as tight as I could.

"You are the strongest woman I know. You got this."

A deep breath. Three more pushes. A burst of tears.

Josephine Mae Dawson had made her way into the world.