Page 41 of Return to Cheshire Bay

“I’m back. Sorry I’m late.” Eric steppedinto my house and came to the back deck. “Have I got some news foryou. I just brought over a trip from Seattle…” He bent down infront of me. “What’s up?”

I relaxed my grip on the chair and opened myeyes. “Contraction.”

“Okay.” If he was panicking, he gave noindication. “Have you been having them long?”

I tossed him my phone and he opened the app,bobbing his head from side to side.

“That’s not bad, a few hours, and they’restill less than a minute long.” Someone had paid attention at ourlast prenatal appointment. “Shall I call Willow?”

“Maybe just to update her, but she doesn’tneed to come right away.”

A few weeks back, I’d agreed to meet withher after I’d cleaned out my apartment. By time I flew home, I washurting and having minor contractions, likely from stress andoverexertion. Willow put me at ease instantly, and I couldn’t getover how my body responded in her warmth and soothing presence.Arlo had been right, it was more than the physical aspect ofpregnancy, she really cared about the person carrying the baby.After that, I signed up to be her patient, which made bonfire nighta little tricky, but we’d both become good at not discussing thepregnancy then.

“What were you saying about yourflight?”

I gestured for his help to stand, andimmediately bent over as another contraction rippled through mybody. Squeezing his hand, I counted to ten and inhaled, counted tofive and exhaled. It worked to take the edge off, but since Ineeded to breathe through them, my body was telling me I was inlabour.

“Well, Mitch is going to have a hardnight.”

“Why’s that?” I leaned against his muscledchest.

“The two passengers from Seattle were amother and a child.” He wrapped his arm around my waist andescorted me into the kitchen. “Are we setting up in here orupstairs?”

With Willow as my midwife, I was going togive birth in my home, I just hadn’t yet decided if I wanted thebedroom or the living room.

It was still early enough in the day, eventhough I knew labour could last well into the night. “Thebeach?”

“Really?”

“Just to labour, not give birth. For that wecan come back inside. Somewhere.” I squeezed his hand. “What aboutthe mother and child?”

“Well, I didn’t get all the details, butshe’s from Mitch’s past and the guy was stone cold shocked.”

I breathed hard and rested on the edge ofthe counter while Eric ran his hands over my back, up and across myshoulders. It was heavenly. Realization dawned on me about whathe’d said about his passengers.

“No…” I inhaled sharply as anothercontraction made an appearance. “And that’s… Is it Mitch’schild?”

“Appears so.”

“Poor Cedar.”

Eric laughed. “Poor Mitch.”

I grunted. “Bobby from that constructionplace called…” Inhaling and exhaling, trying to get a grip on thesurges. “The initial drawings… for Jordan… will be ready… onMonday.”

A couple weeks back, I went to the mayor’soffice and practically begged to have something dedicated toJordan. After some deliberation, and a quick vote to the councilwho eagerly welcomed the infusion of cash, there will now be aviewpoint named in his honour. The dedication ceremony won’t happenuntil the spring, but the ball was rolling on selecting theappropriate monument or plaque.

“You know what,” I panted, unable to focuson Eric as much as I wanted. “Call Willow, please, and give her anupdate. I need to go outside.”

I slowly waddled my way back out onto thedeck, into the mild September air as the giant bowling ball nestledbetween my legs threatened to push out at any moment. The towelhanging over the railing now became a squeeze toy as I tightened mygrip around the edges while taking a stair at a time. I wanted myfeet in the ocean.

Eric jumped off the deck and caught up. “Shesaid she’ll pop by in a spell to check on you.”

“Great, thank you.”

I made my way to the edge of the beach wherethe ocean kissed the sand. I threw the towel on the ground, a fewfeet from the shoreline in a crumpled mess which Eric quicklystraightened out. Slowly, I lowered myself to the ground, notwanting to sit on my butt at all. Another grunt and I managed toroll over onto my forearms with my ass in the air.

“This will look awkward to the others downthe beach.”