Chapter Forty-Five

Loncey

"Momma, I'm sorry to wake you," I say as I reach the top of the stairs. My eyes follow Cynthia as she walks to the left toward a cupboard on the landing that she opens. She starts piling up towels in her arms. I turn to the right and what I quickly realize is the bathroom on account of the light coming from the gap in the door and the kneeling figure of Marty on the floor, partially visible.

"It's okay," Mom mumbles. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm good. But I need your help."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I'm with Maeve's brother and his partner, Jenna, who's having a baby."

"I remember," Mom says.

"I mean, she's having a baby now. Right now."

"Oh, I see." Mom sounds a lot more awake now. "Where is she?"

"In their bathroom. Her waters broke about thirty minutes ago and she says she's in too much pain to move off the toilet. Says she wants to push."

"Leave her there. Best place for her," Mom says. "No midwife? A doula? Any help on the way?"

"Maeve's calling for an ambulance. Doula can't get here right now."

"Okay, okay. Are you with Jenna now?"

"No, I'm just outside the bathroom."

"Okay, put me on video and let's go see how she's doing." Mom sounds completely calm and in control and my heart swells with love and gratitude for her.

I push a button on my phone and a second later my mom's face appears on my screen, her hair wrapped up in bonnet and her glasses on, barely hiding a pair of bleary eyes.

"I appreciate you, Momma," I tell her as I reach a hand up to the bathroom door and knock.

"I know you do, Lawrence." She smiles.

"Can I come in?" I call out. "I have my mom on the phone, she's a midwife. Maybe she can help you."

"Sure, yeah, just a sec—"

There's a lot of shuffling around and then the door opens fully. Marty is there looking disheveled and panicked, and I barely know the man but I want to scoop him up into a big hug.

"It's going to be okay," I tell him. "The ambulance is on its way and my mom will be here with Jenna in the meantime." I hold my phone up. "Momma, this is Marty, the father-to-be."

"Hello Marty, congratulations on this happy day. Let's see how I can help you and Jenna."

"I really want to push!" Jenna exclaims and my head turns to her. I lower the phone so my mom can see her sitting astride the toilet in just a black tank top that has risen up above her full stomach. Her face is red and sweaty, her hair swept up in a messy bun on top of her head, but even so I can see she's a beautiful woman with syrup-colored eyes and constellations of freckles dancing across her nose and cheeks.

"That's good, honey," Mom says from the phone and I quickly adjust the volume so she's louder. "Does anybody know how often her contractions are?"

"Not really, no." Marty comes to kneel awkwardly beside Jenna, crouching around the sink that's next to the toilet. "They were every four minutes about twenty minutes ago but then they just started coming really hard and fast."

"Really hard and fast," Jenna agrees through gritted teeth. "I'm having one now. Shit, please, can I push? I really want to push!"

"Marty, can you reach between Jenna's legs and tell me if you feel anything there?" Mom says and the calm in her voice contrasts with the panic that fills the bathroom.

There's a sharp knock at the door. "I've got towels," comes Cynthia's voice.

"Great," I say and I lean back to open the door with my spare hand. "Can you put them on the floor near the tub?"

"Sure." Cynthia rushes in, deposits the pile of towels and then catches a look at Marty and Jenna. "Oh, Jesus."

"It's fine. We're okay," I tell her.

"I can't feel anything," Marty calls out. "Nothing out of the ordinary anyway."

"That's good. We have some time," Mom says. "Can somebody wet a cloth with hot water and hold it to Jenna there?"

"I'll do it," Cynthia says reaching for a washcloth from the top of the pile and then stretching over Marty to run the sink's hot faucet. "Well, I'll get it wet anyway. Marty, you might be best to hold it there."

"Thanks, Ma," Marty says in a strained tone.

"Can somebody please tell me if I can push or not?" Jenna yells, her voice gravelly from shouting.

"If you feel you have to, then yes, you should push," Mom says.

"You need to know… you should know that our baby…" Jenna pants. "She's special. She's…"

Her face crumples in pain.

"She's got Down syndrome," Marty finishes for Jenna as he takes the washcloth from his mom and bends down again, placing it between Jenna's legs.

"I know, honeys, I know. Congratulations to you both."

"But she shouldn't be born like this. She needs doctors and nurses and to be in a hospital. In case… oh fuck…" Jenna groans.

"The ambulance is coming," I tell her.

"We've just got to keep you and baby safe until they're here," Mom says. "And I know we can."

"I don't want anything to happen to her," Jenna says and she starts to cry, leaning her head against Marty's arm.

"It's okay, Jenna. It will all be okay," he tells her.

Jenna looks up at her partner. "You promise?"

"I promise you. It will all be okay."

That does something to Jenna. Gives her a bit of peace or hope or a new focus. She straightens up a little and looks up at my phone which I'm still holding out so my mom can see as much as possible.

"So, I can push?"

"Yes, honey. Do what feels good to you."

"Okay." Jenna sucks in a deep breath. "Okay."

"You're doing so well, Jenna," Cynthia says, and I'd practically forgotten she was still in the room. "I'm going to go downstairs with Maeve and James. We'll wait for the ambulance and let them in."

Jenna nods and offers Cynthia what I think is the bravest smile I've ever seen.

"We love you, Jenna," Cynthia says, touching Jenna's leg, and then she's gone.

"Okay, has that last surge passed?" Mom asks from the phone.

"Yeah," Jenna says.

"Good. Enjoy this rest by taking nice deep breaths and filling your mind with happy thoughts. Tell me, where's your favorite place in the world?"

Jenna's answer is immediate. "Crete, Greece."

Marty smiles and leans over to kiss her cheek.

"And what do you like about Crete?" Mom asks.

"The sunsets," she says and then exhales long and slow.

"Will you take baby to see those sunsets?"

"Yes, definitely," Jenna says and this time a smile comes easily.

"Abso-fucken-lutely," Marty adds and continues to leave gentle kisses on Jenna's face.

"I can tell this child is going to be so very loved," Mom says.

"I agree," I say. "And not just by you both. Maeve is so excited to meet her."

Marty keeps his head pressed against Jenna's but looks up at me. "I can't believe this is the first time we're meeting you." He chuckles.

"I'm literally naked and on the toilet," Jenna adds, wincing.

"Would you believe me if I said I've seen much, much worse?"

Jenna and Marty laugh lightly together. "Oh, we believe you," she says. "Thank you for helping with my article, by the way."

"A pleasure," I say and I mean it. The emails we shared gave me a lot of food for thought.

"Oh, fuck. I'm having another contraction," Jenna says.

"Okay, Jenna. Let it happen. Let it wash over you. Don't resist it. Welcome how it's bringing you closer to your baby," Mom quickly says but still somehow sounds very, very calm.

"And I can push?"

"If it feels good, yes," Mom says.

A roar of a groan rips out of Jenna and I wish I could call out to Maeve that everything's okay because I can almost feel her worry from downstairs but I don't. I stay silent and watch as Jenna's face tightens and reddens, and Marty moves his body so he can bracket her closer.

"Oh fuck," Jenna says as she stops moaning.

"That was fantastic," Mom says. "You're doing so good, Jenna."

"You really are." Marty moves hair off her forehead and places a lingering kiss there.

"Still need to push," Jenna grits out.

"Okay, do it, push down on a long, slow exhale," Mom says.

"Oh fuck!" Marty's body jolts back a little. "I can feel something."

"That's okay," Mom says. "That's your baby's head."

"What?" Marty asks, sounding a mix of horrified and delighted.

"But the ambulance…" Jenna moans, closing her eyes as more tears come.

"It's okay, Jenna," I say, and I move a little closer, bringing the phone more directly in front of her face. "You've got this."

"They're right," Mom adds. "You can do this. I know it's happening quickly and that's scary and not what you expected, but your body is in control. Have faith that it knows what to do. Your body and your baby are working together perfectly."

"Really?" She gasps through her panted breaths and tears.

"Yes, honey. Now let's go back to those sunsets on Crete while we wait for the next surge."

Jenna closes her eyes and there's something about this prompt that has Marty visibly relaxing too. He moves in close to cradle Jenna again, keeping his hand between her legs.

"Okay, Marty, can you hear me?" Momma asks.

"Yes," he replies.

"Can you confirm that what you can feel between Jenna's legs is smooth and hard?"

Marty's arm moves around a little. "Yes. And, oh shit! I can feel hair!"

"Beautiful," Mom coos. "Okay. Loncey, I'm going to need you to prop me up somewhere because I need you to be ready with a clean towel to help Marty and Jenna."

"Okay," I say and my eyes quickly scour the bathroom.

"Here, on the sink." Marty moves so he's in front of Jenna. I step into the space he creates and prop my phone up against one of the faucets on the sink. I check the angle and while it's not perfect, it gives Mom enough of a view of Jenna, and more importantly, Jenna can turn her head and easily see my mom.

"Okay, Jenna, keep taking your deep breaths and stay in Crete, but listen to me carefully. The next push may see you delivering your baby's head so your pushes need to be long and strong. Remember your body wants to do this. It wants to birth your baby, bring her into your arms. All you have to do is focus on pushing and imagine holding her, because you will be doing that, very, very soon."

"Okay." Jenna nods. "Okay, I can do this."

"Yes, honey, you can."

"You really can," I add and I pick up a soft towel from the pile.

"Now, Marty," Mom says. "When Jenna starts to push I want you to keep your hand where it is and cradle the head but don't squeeze or twist it, okay? Let it come out like it wants to. Just be there for your baby, okay?"

"Roger that." Marty nods, sounding confident but up close, I can see how his face pales. I reach out a hand and place it on his shoulder.

"You've got this," I tell him and he looks back and nods at me.

In the distance I start to hear sirens and I sigh out a deep breath. Thank God.

"Oh, fuck, here it comes," Jenna says through a clenched jaw.

"Let it happen, honey," Mom says. "Deep breath in and then push down on your exhale. Give it everything you've got."

Watching Jenna, I can tell that she does exactly that. Her body tenses, her face twists and she grips the side of the toilet seat under her thighs so hard her knuckles whiten. She makes a low-rumbling sound but it doesn't fully evolve into a moan or groan. It's quite literally like she's pouring all of herself into this push.

"Oh, fuck! Holy shit, Jenna, her head's coming out!" Marty says.

"Beautiful, Jenna, beautiful. Keep going," Mom says, her voice raised so she can be heard.

"Fuck, it hurts," Jenna gasps, inhales a big mouthful of air and then she doubles down and closes her eyes again to push some more.

"You're doing so well," I say, feeling more than a little redundant standing in the corner of the bathroom holding a towel.

"Oh, sweet Jesus, it's still coming." Marty shifts and brings another hand between Jenna's legs.

"Okay, Marty, time to catch your baby," Mom says. "Get closer, Lawrence!"

I step in so I'm standing behind Marty and I see a squishy ball of flesh in his hands. A baby. Their baby. Maeve's niece.

In the next few seconds, everything seems to happen at once. There's a muted popping sound and a big gush as liquid pours out of Jenna and into the toilet. Somehow, she stands up a little and that let's Marty move his hands, bringing them closer to his body. We all gasp as we see the baby he's holding, a perfect little pink thing. I move in with my towel and clumsily, so painfully clumsily, Marty and I wrap it around the little one just as she starts to kick her legs, fist her fingers and squawk out a rough cry. I am speechless as I watch Marty gently hand the bundle over to Jenna who sits back on the toilet, and I'm only noticing the twisted purple cord that is still attaching her to her baby as I hear Maeve's voice call out and the thud of people rushing up the stairs.

"Jenna! Marty! The paramedics are here!"

It's then that I can hear my mom. "Beautiful, so beautiful."

But it's like Jenna and Marty can't hear anything. Not Maeve, not my mom. It's like their world has stopped, or maybe it's just rearranged itself and started all over again because they are both looking at their baby with surprised smiles and glistening eyes and watching them, I see and feel nothing but love.