The pain started around 3 am for Felicia. She tossed around in her bed as she grimaced from the pain in her stomach.
"Ughhh, he's kicking again," she thought as she clutched her stomach. It was the second time in the week that she felt her baby kicking. What would normally be a sentimental moment for a woman in her pregnancy, was instead brief moments of anguish for Felicia. Her son inherited his fathers strength, which ,unfortunately for Felicia, meant sudden unexpected moments of intense pain. Her first experience with her son's kicking came at the beginning of her third trimester. She'd never experienced anything like it. She'd been punched, kicked, shot before but this was on a scale of pain several grades higher.
"Spidey you bastard!" She groaned as she curled into a fetal position.
The pain finally came to an interval after a few minutes. Felicia's breathing softened as she rose and sat on the edge of her bed. She rubbed her stomach lightly before wiping the sweat from her face. She let out a deep sigh of relief, happy the ordeal was over, before going to her kitchen. She reached through her cupboards and pulled out a small bottle of Tylenol before pouring herself a glass of water. She downed two pills before putting the bottle back. She made her way back to bed and sat at its edge again. As she sat, she rubbed her stomach again, and wondered about the baby growing inside her. If he was already causing her this much trouble for her before his birth, she couldn't imagine what he'd be like after he was born. In any case, she'd know in a few days, after her inevitable due date. She decided to put her worries to rest and go back to bed for the time being.
A few hours later, Felicia awoke slightly refreshed and less sore than before. She went to her kitchen and brewed herself a cup of lemon tea and made a small breakfast. As she sipped her tea, she rubbed her stomach lightly, her mind feeling a little at ease. She turned her head towards her baby's room, thinking about the future occupant due to arrive soon. She furnished it with all the amenities any baby would need: a crib, a changing table, an arm chair, dresser for toys and diapers, and other baby essentials. Only months ago, in her former penthouse, the contents of another room would usually be full of a plethora of stolen goods. The baby, or rather, the desire to care of it, was the driving force behind the reorganization of Felicia's life. Previously, in her criminal life, her priorities were research into potential targets to rob, but all that had been suspended, her focus now on her impending motherhood. Ironically, the suspension of her criminal activities was the life direction her former lover, Spiderman, had been striving for her. However, this direction came without the acknowledgment of their child, lest certain parties capitalize on the information. For their child and their sake, their son would be born and raised in obscurity. She made special arrangements with Garcon to meet and induce labor near the end of her third trimester. He was flying in to meet with likeminded colleagues, who like him, offered clandestine medical services to underworld figures. Though, Garcon informed her if any complications were to arise unexpectedly, she should not hesitate to call his clinic's emergency line. That date was only a two days away and her recent episode of her baby's kicking made her even more anxious at the impending date.
Felicia finished her breakfast and then readied herself for the day. She grabbed her purse and changed into some leggings and a loose striped long sleeve shirt with a black jacket over. Chicago was Felicia's new residence and had been for the last 8 months. She lived in a two bedroom apartment in the neighborhood of Lincoln Park. Felicia wasn't keen on living in the South and had grown too accustomed to the immediacy and convenience of New York City, so she settled on Chicago. Her research indicated that the Maggia did not have any firmly established operations in the city and any former criminal associate she knew from New York had no residence in the city as well. The city had its own cast of superheroes and criminals, but Felicia imagined they'd never interact, so long as her criminal life had been shelved.
Felicia brushed her hair straight before heading out. It was near the end of September and the weather was beginning to cool . Outside, a little after 11am, it was a cool 68 with a slight breeze. Felicia walked outside and towards the park. Her favorite hobby for the past months was to walk by the lily pool by Fullerton Parkway. Felicia's previous days had been filled with research, the focus being child raising and its necessary accommodations ,but also occupations she was considering in the future. The walks in the park, served as a mental decompression from the stress her intense focus had put on her.
She reached the pond and walked across the stone laden perimeter. She stopped at the edge where a pergola was situated. This was her favorite spot, where she could sit and overlook the pond. The coming fall had caused much of the aquatic vegetation to clear up in the pond. Felicia looked down at her reflection in the water. Though the pond was murky, she could make out her pregnant figure in the water. The ponds serenity always seemed to inspire some recollection into her early life. She rubbed her stomach as she thought about her youth, before her father went to prison and died. He'd take her to one of the playgrounds in Forest Park in Queens, New York. He held her hand along the way and would watch in admiration as she played with the playground equipment. After he went away and passed, the playground trips fell on her mother but they went a lot less. Felicia shook her head, hating where her trail of thoughts had taken her. It occurred to her, she'd have her own little hand to hold to the park soon.
After the intermission at the pond, Felicia left the park and headed to the grocery store. She stocked up on her usual goods before hailing a taxi to take her home. Felicia took the elevator up to 4th floor where her apartment was located. She only made it a few steps into her apartment before she felt a sharp pang of pain. The groceries fell to the floor as Felicia fell to her knees clutching her stomach.
"Oh not again!" She thought as she grimaced in pain.
It was only when felt the wetness on her lower half did she realize this wasn't another episode of her son's kicking. She reached through her purse for Garcon's card before dialing his clinic's emergency line.