#Chapter 476- Labor
Cora
I narrow my eyes at Roger when he comes upstairs about forty-five minutes later. “Are you going to behave better now?” I ask, my voice tense.
“Yup,” he says, leaning in the doorway with a lazy smile.
I start to laugh as I look over his too – loose stature. “Is it because you’re all drunk?” My eyes shift to Sinclair as he appears in the doorway behind his brother. “Seriously, did you get him all drunk?”
Sinclair, Rafe sitting up in his arms, just gives a little shrug, his mouth pulled up at the corner in a secret smile.
“I am only,” Roger says, smiling as he steps into the room and holding up a hand with his thumb and pointer finger pressed very close together, “a very tiny bit drunk. Just something to steady the nerves.”
Ella laughs next to me before she scoots off the bed.
“All right, then,” she says, gesturing to me as she moves around the bed and reaches to take Rafe from Sinclair. ” Take your spot, Roger. And stop freaking her out, okay?”
“I promise,” Roger mumbles, giving Ella a sloppy little salute before climbing onto the bed and taking her place.
“We’ll be downstairs,” Ella says when I turn my eyes to her. “You just call, and we’ll be right up. Okay?”
I nod to her, smiling a little, grateful that she’s here. Beyond having the power to heal me instantly should anything go wrong, it’s just…really nice to have my sister close by.
Roger sighs as he pulls himself into the spot close on my right and tucks his legs in under the blankets. Then he turns to me, his face serious. “I’m sorry, Cora,” he says quietly.
“Thank you,” I say, my anger fading as I see that he means it. I lift a hand to his cheek, wanting to touch him, wanting him close.
“I just love you so much
“I get it,” I say, nodding.
He nods too, capturing my hand and pressing a kiss to it. “But I didn’t listen to you. And Sinclair made me sit down and listen – which he shouldn’t have to do, so I’m sorry about that. But he explained that you need to be the one freaking out today. So, I have to just… be steady. Is that right?”
“It’s closer,” I say quietly, studying him. “I mean, Roger, it’s not that you can’t feel afraid too – I get that it’s a big day-”
He nods, agreeing with me. “But I was taking all the air out of the room. I’m sorry, Cora – you’re right, we had a plan, we should just trust it. Everything’s going to be fine, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I say, a little smile coming to my lips now as he slips an arm around my back, tugging me close.
“How far apart are the contractions?” he asks, looking down at my belly and stroking it softly with his hands.
“Still five minutes,” I answer, my voice quiet. “Or, maybe a little faster now? Four and a half?”
“Cool, cool,” he says, pretending a calmness that I know he doesn’t feel. ” That is all very cool…”
Suddenly, I start to laugh.
“What?” Roger asks, turning to grin at me.
“You’re just very sweet, Roger Sinclair,” I murmur, taking his cheeks in my hands and leaning forward to press a kiss to his mouth. “Trying to do everything right.”
“Well, I have to try, don’t I,” he murmurs against my lips, kissing me back. “I’m going to be a dad in a few hours.”
“To a real cutie,” I say, leaning back and smiling down at my belly. And I bite my lip, feeling significantly calmer now, starting to get…well, maybe a little excited, alongside being terrified. “Do you think he’ll have any hair?”
“Nah, completely bald,” Roger murmurs, a little thoughtlessly as he tucks his head close to mine and takes a deep breath of my scent, “like an old man.” I laugh again, harder this time.
“And what color do you think his eyes will be?” I ask.
“Purple,” he replies, making me click my tongue and pull away to glare at him.
“How would that even be possible!?”
He grins at me. “These are goddess grandchildren,” he says, grinning at me. “Anything is possible. The baby could have wings.”
“That,” I say, rolling my eyes, “would have shown up on an ultrasound.”
“But purple eyes,” he says, holding up a finger, “would not.”
“Ridiculous,” I sigh, but I’m smiling as I snuggle close to him. Or at least I smile for a second, before the next contraction starts again. “Oh boy,” I say, sitting up, a hand moving low on my stomach. “Here we go.”
Roger goes rigid next to me but does his best to stay quiet, his eyes on me throughout the whole contraction. He keeps his arms around me too until the pain passes.
“All right?” he says quietly when it all fades.
“Yeah,” I say, turning my eyes to his now. And then I smile a little, returning my hand to his cheek. “I hope the baby’s eyes are just like yours,” I murmur.
“Nah,” he says, smirking at me. “Big brown ones, like his mom. That would be best.”
“Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” I reply, dropping my hand from his cheek and wrapping my fingers in his instead.
“Maybe we can get the baby to hurry up,” Roger murmurs, turning is attention to the bond that runs between us and the baby.
I laugh, even as I focus on the bond as well. “Nah, don’t rush him,” I sigh. ” He’ll come on his own time.”
“Poor kid,” Roger says, sighing as he inspects the bond and passes love and comfort and reassurance to the baby, as well as to me. “He’s all uncomfortable, cooped up in there.”
“Well, tell him we’ve got a nice big crib for him out here,” I say, laughing a bit. “Whenever he’s ready to make his appearance.”
“Come on, kid,” Roger murmurs. ” Any time you want, we’re ready.”
And honestly, for the first time? I agree. I’m finally ready – completely ready to bring our baby into the world with a nice, calm, maybe slightly tipsy Roger at my side.
Unfortunately, the baby really does take his time. The whole day passes and dusk darkens our windows before my contractions really start to heat up. By then, the house is busy with all the people we’ve asked to come to the house for the birth our family, but also several medical professionals to really ensure that everything goes smoothly.
Actually, just one person is missing by the time I’m almost ready to push. But I smile when I see him standing, quite suddenly, at my bedroom door.
“Hey, Cora,” Hank says, smiling at me with genuine happiness and pride.
“Hank!” Ella says as she turns at my side, her face lighting with a grin.
“Are you kidding me!?” Roger bursts out, kneeling next to me on the bed and looking between Hank and I with an appalled expression.
“Roger!” I gasp, momentarily distracted from the pain racing through me as two nurses bustle around the room, getting everything ready. “You will apologize to Hank!”
“Why is he here?!” Roger shouts, his frantic anxiety starting to come out again now that his buzz has worn off and we’re a little closer to the birth itself.
“Hank is the most respected doctor in the city!” I hiss in response, “and our friend!”
“And your ex!”
“And!” I point a finger in his face, glaring now even as my breath comes short with the next contraction, “he saved Ella’s life like four times! And Rafe’s! So! He’s here!”
Roger growls at me but then sits back on the rubberized sheets that we put on the bed about an hour ago, giving in and glaring around the room.
“Nice to see you too, Rog,” Hank says, leaning against the doorframe now and grinning around at all of us. “Man, I didn’t think I would, but I missed the Sinclair drama – ”
Ella laughs and leaves my side temporarily to go give Hank a hug as I pant through my contractions.
“How far apart are your contractions, Cora?” Hank asks, staying at the door even as Ella comes to my side.
I groan through the pain, glancing at Ella and nodding to her, asking her to speak for me as I cling to Roger’s hand.
“She’s less than two minutes apart,” Ella says, a little too cheerfully considering the amount of pain that I’m in.
“Well, it sounds like you’re ready, but I’m not an obstetrician,” Hank says with a shrug, nodding around to us. ” I’m just here in case of an emergency.
Is there somewhere I can…”
“Downstairs,” Ella says, sending him a quick smile and a wave over her shoulder. “Go have cigar and brandy with the men.”
Hank wishes me luck as he goes but I barely hear anything as I tip my head back onto the pillow, panting as the contraction fades.
“All right, Mrs. Sinclair,” the head nurse says from Roger’s other side. ” It’s time to push. Are you ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I reply, glancing both at Ella and Roger, who I’ve asked to stay. Ella gives me an excited smile and Roger gives me a tense, heartfelt nod.
And then I give an exhale and steady myself as I begin to push.
