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“Uh-oh,” Diora called. Ryan leapt towards her with a gasp and his hands flew to his face as the giant origami lotus under Diora’s pod wilted from dampness. “My water broke!” An apologetic smile flashed across Diora’s face.
“My lotus broke!” Ryan knelt down at the dying flower’s side, then shot back up again. “Your water broke? Mum, Dad, her water broke! Where’s Jason?”
Dumbledore flew to his wife’s side. “Are you okay? Do you feel okay?”
She nodded, but rubbed her belly. “Well, I have been getting these twinges all day. Maybe they’re not just Braxton Hicks after all.”
My daughter was in labour! Talk about timing, my birthday speeches always seemed to get interrupted.
Will’s frozen shock quickly melted and he shot into action. “Right, Jason – you and I will help Diora into your car. Kelli – you grab a towel and some water just in case. Oh, and scissors!”
“What do you need scissors for?” I asked, although the same could have been asked of me earlier.
“The umbilical cord.”
“I don’t think things will progress that fast, the prenatal classes told us it could be around twelve hours before the baby comes out,” Jason said.
“Owww,” Diora moaned. “I think I’m having a contraction.” Jason rubbed her back and waited for it to pass while I grabbed the supplies. Although, it took me a while to find the towel since there weren’t any in the bathroom. I couldn’t exactly bring the whole body-dryer thing-a-ma-jig with me. I eventually found one tucked away in a linen cupboard in the hallway and returned to my daughter’s side. The party guests hovered about trying to appear helpful.
“Mum, I want you to come with me. You’ve been through this, I need you with me,” Diora’s eyes pleaded.
“I’ll go too,” Will said. “I’ll sit in the front while Jason drives and keep him calm. Honey, you can look after Diora in the back. Okay?”
“Okay.” I think. I’d never seen anyone in labour before. I’d only seen those horror shows they made us watch in school – the ones that make you never want to have children.
“You guys go, I’ll look after things here,” Ryan said, ripping off his lizard mask and gesturing to the stunned caterers. “Could we get coffees and teas all round, please and make sure everyone gets a slice of cake. Mum, quick, you just need to make the first cut on the cake! It’s bad luck to have someone else do it.”
I looked towards the cake, then back at Diora and back at the cake again. “Okay then.” I raced to the cake and a caterer handed me a large knife. As I pushed it through the firm yet yielding sponge, I made another wish. That Diora’s birth would go smoothly, and that she and the baby would remain healthy. Satisfied with my intention, I turned to Ryan. “Save me a piece, will you?”
“I’ll save you the biggest piece of all, Mum.” He smiled and I hugged him briefly before saying a quick thanks to all the guests and returned to where Jason and Will helped Diora towards the front door. My daughter needed me and I wasn’t going to leave her side.
“Do you need us to come too?” Marge called out after us as we walked down the front steps.
“Thanks, Beryl, but I think she’ll be right with the three of us. We’ll call you with any news,” Jason said.
Beryl, so that’s my mother-in-law’s name. Beryl McSnelly. Poor woman.
“I reckon it’ll be a boy!” Homer called out, his belly taking up more universal space than Diora’s.
“No, Reg, it’ll be a girl, I tell you,” Beryl replied, before closing the door.
Reg McSnelly.
Diora stopped by the side of the car. “Oooh, my stomach’s tightening. God, this is weird. Oww…” She leaned forwards onto the car and I rubbed her back while Jason started up the engine. Will opened the passenger side door and lay down a towel, placing the scissors into the pocket behind the driver’s seat and the water bottle in the drink holder. Jason took a sip of coffee through the straw of his in-built coffee machine, before turning his head around.
“How’s it going?”
“Can’t… speak,” Diora panted through her contraction.
“I think this one’s just about done, then we’ll get in,” I said, as Diora’s face relaxed again. “Okay, in we go.” I helped her angle into the passenger seat and offered her a sip of water, which she pushed away.
“I don’t want any,” she said, a tear running down her face. “I’m scared, Mum. What if I can’t handle the pain?”
“Oh, sweetie,” Jason began. “Do you want me to come back there with you?”
“No! Just drive and get me to hospital. I need my mum,” she blurted, and another tear escaped. “Sorry, hon, I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed.”
Jason extended his hand behind the seat and rubbed her knee before returning it to the steering wheel and driving down the road.
