Heaven’s Gate
51 Delivery
I talked to Addison in mid-April. Long distance to Japan. She was having a good time. She was about finished with her master’s degree but had decided she wanted to stay in Japan a while longer. I pressed her as to why.
“Well, there’s this guy,” she giggled. “He’s pretty darn nice. He treats me better than the Japanese treat their women. He works in the office where I work and we hang out a lot together.”
“That sounds sweet,” I said.
“Yeah. I kinda think we’re falling in love, Brian. I think maybe I’ll bring him to the ranch for a vacation this summer. You know, that’s the thing. He’s not going to get much further if the family doesn’t approve,” she said.
“Addy, you know we’ll welcome the man of your choice. If you love him, we’ll love him. If we can’t love him, we’ll still love you.”
“I love you, Brian. All of you. Thanks for calling to wish me happy birthday. It was yesterday, of course, but thanks anyway.”
“What? It’s April 15! I checked the time zones. It’s only seven a.m. in Japan.”
“Tomorrow. International Date Line. In Japan it is seven a.m. on April 16. And I’ve got to go to work. I’ll see you this summer.”
Saturday was one of the difficult days for the family. It was that way every year, but we were coping with it better. It was the fifth anniversary of Lexi’s death. The fifth anniversary of Samantha, Dani, Courtney, and I being wounded. We all went to the River and found several others of the extended family there as well. Ross, Monte, Judy, Amber, Pam, Susan, Leonard. They were all the ones closest to Lexi except TK and Nancy. Neither of them were still living in town. Of course, Sly and Lily were there, as were the rest of Casa de la Tierra. I was surprised that Doug and Sandy walked out to the River with Matthew and C-Rae. We didn’t say much, but we raked. We picked up stray leaves that had blown into the gravel. We smoothed the stones. We hugged each other.
And then we celebrated C-Rae’s fourth birthday. Maybe just recognizing the fragility of the life we’d just remembered made us happier and more celebrative of the life of the little girl who had been born a year later. We spent the day playing with the kids, going horseback riding, and eating way too much not-so-healthy food.
It was a blast.
The next week, Cassie, Mary, and Josh moved into the master suite, or as Dawn referred to it, the birthing room. John and Bea had wanted them to stay at the Clinton house, but Cassie insisted that it was now a tradition that Casa del Fuego babies were born in the big house. I started every night in the big bedroom upstairs, but I ended up in the master suite cuddled up to Cassie or Mary.
Sunday the fun began when Cassie went into labor. Dawn was on hand, but she didn’t have much to do for a long time. Cassie experienced a few severe cramps early on in her labor and we thought it was going to go fast. Then, after her water broke, the cramps slowed down. She’d get one that would double her up for a few seconds about every ten or fifteen minutes.
“That’s just the baby shifting around and getting in position,” Dawn said. “Don’t worry. You’ll know when contractions really start.”
We knew. It was just about the time I was waking up Monday morning. Cassie just rode them out until they were coming about five minutes apart. Then we called Dawn back and let John and Bea know that the birth was imminent.
“Why don’t you go make bread, Brian?” Cassie said about five o’clock.
“Cassie, I’m not going to leave here! Did you really think I’d go bake bread while you were in labor? Even with our cónyuge with you?” I said. I couldn’t believe it.
“No-o. I just wanted to hear you say it.” She gripped my hand as another contraction hit her. “I have to go poop.” Josh took charge of getting her to the toilet and then Mary got the shower running and stepped in to wait for Cassie. Mary took charge of washing her cónyuge and getting her fresh and sparkling.
“It’s not fair that you get to go first with everything,” Mary moaned. “I’m not even feeling a twinge yet.”
“Ugh. You could have had the labor for both,” Cassie moaned. “Dry my hair, sweetheart. Please?” Mary did, fussing and petting Cassie between contractions. She even applied a little eye makeup and blush.
“We’ve got digital cameras now. You want to look nice,” Mary explained.
“Evil woman,” Cassie said. “Just you wait.” They came out of the bathroom and Cassie crawled onto the bed. “I think I’m ready now.”
“Let’s take a little look and make sure,” Dawn said. Cassie spread her legs and Dawn shown a light up inside her. “Looks like you are fully dilated, hon. When you feel ready, you can start to push.”
“Juice?” Cassie asked. “I think I need some energy.” We had the apple juice ready and I crawled into bed behind Cassie. She was going to try a squatting position and I was there to stabilize her. Josh was in front, ready to catch. Cassie leaned back on my knees. The contraction hit and she pushed. For the next hour. This was supposed to make it better and easier to deliver, but whatever was inside Cassie wasn’t coming out willingly. I was behind her. Mary was on one side supporting her and helping her breathe. Dawn was on the other side going through all the motions as well.
“I see something!” Josh said.
“You’ve got your face in my pussy. I hope you see something,” Cassie responded.
“Yes, but I think… Wow!”
“Yeah! Ow!” Cassie wailed as she pushed through another contraction.
“Keep coming, honey,” Josh said. “I have her head in my hands. We’re having a baby, Cass!”
“You think I can’t tell that? Ahhh!” Cassie yelled.
“Yes! It’s… She’s beautiful!” Josh called. Cassie fell back against me and I held her between my legs.
“Oh, God! Look at her! She’s so sweet!” Mary cried. “Look, Cassie. You’ve brought us a precious little daughter.” Josh laid the baby on Cassie’s chest and Dawn checked her vitals and used a squeegee to suction out the mucous from her nose. Then she moved around between Cassie’s legs to clean up the mess of the afterbirth.
“Okay, Daddy. She’s breathing on her own and the cord has stopped pulsing,” Dawn said. “Here’s a clamp. Now cut it right here.”
Josh cut the umbilical cord of his first born child. He crawled up beside Cassie and gently laid a blanket over our daughter.
“I need one more good push from you, Cassie,” Dawn said. “Then all this messy part will be over.” Cassie pushed and we all heard the squelch of the sac and fluids gushing out of her.
“That’s a lovely sound,” Cassie snorted.
“I’ve changed my mind,” Mary said. “I’m not going to have a baby. I’ll just enjoy yours, okay?”
“It’s a little late to think of that now,” Dawn laughed.
“Oh, baby. You made me go through twenty-six hours of labor. Don’t think I’ll ever let you forget that. I learned how to make a child feel guilty from a professional,” Cassie said.
“Speaking of whom, we’d better pull a blanket over us so your parents can come in and see their granddaughter,” Mary said. We were, of course, all naked. Once we were all settled and Cassie was covered by a shawl so she could let her parents see the baby, Dawn called them in. Bea rushed to the bed and practically crawled over the top of Josh to get to her grandbaby.
“Mom and Dad, here’s your first little granddaughter, Ruth Anne Whitaker.” Cassie’s and Mary’s middle names. Josh and I were both proud fathers. When Bea took the baby, Dawn moved in to weigh and measure, then handed her off to John. He never said a word.
He just stood there crying.
I’d like to say that Mary’s delivery was a lot easier, but I can’t. It seemed like she was matching Cassie’s entire process. But four days later, I caught my son while Josh held Mary from behind and Cassie and Dawn from the sides.
“Look at you. You’re going to be a basketball player, aren’t you?” I said as he balled up his fists and screeched out his displeasure at being in the cold cruel world. “Ow. Or a cheerleader.”
We introduced our son to the family as Robert Allen Whitaker. My middle name and Josh’s. We were two mighty proud daddies. Again.
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