Chapter 2
Near the end of my pregnancy, it was raining. I remember that I was walking along our path with my umbrella over my head. I was rather huge by this point, but I wasn't too worried. When I got to the garden, I became so happy to be home that I dropped my umbrella and started spinning in the rain. I couldn't stop smiling as the rain fell harder and I spun faster. I collapsed in a heap in the wet grass, laughing so hard my insides nearly burst. I placed a hand on my large stomach and calmed myself, hoping not to hurt my baby by my hysterics.
All of a sudden, the water around me started to rise and my hair was wet. I pulled myself up slowly and tried to stand, but I fell. The rain just fell and the lightning cracked and the thunder rolled. I was frightened. I called Edge's name, but within this he would have never heard me. Finally I was able to stand and I tried walking, but the lightning flashed again and I was unable to move. I screamed in terror, not knowing whether I was going to live or die. I prayed to god that I would make it safe and I wouldn't be caught, literally, in the eye of the storm.
But the worst was yet to come.
As I was trying to walk through the rapidly-rising water, my own had broken and caused me so much pain. As I was clutching my stomach, I was trying to find my umbrella in all of this rain. I knew it would float somewhere, but I couldn't worry about all of that. I was in such agony that my legs were heavy like blocks. I had to sit down, but I couldn't sit in the water. It continued to rise throughout the downpour, and it became increasingly difficult to walk in. I needed to get to the bench in our garden, crying out my anguish as the contractions pounded me mercilessly.
I barely made it to the bench, and the thunder was rumbling and roaring. My hair and clothes were soaked and I knew I would get sick. I felt guilty for being outside in the first place, and I wished that I hadn't spent my time playing in the rain like I did. There was no time for regret, however; I needed to make it through the rain and this birth. I carefully laid myself on the bench and prepared for the delivery, while the flood reached halfway up. I tried to keep control of myself as I was breathing and trying to give birth to my baby. I screamed and screamed, hoping that someone would hear my cries.
I had to do what I had to do: I began to push while my contractions continued, painfully aware that I probably wouldn't survive this test of endurance. The rain continued to fall and I cried so hard because of all the torture of my labor, but I knew that I needed to concentrate on the delivery. The kicks felt like knives, and my fear only increased the stabbing menace. The wrath of God, I believed, nearly tried to do the same to me. I felt my body sliding off the bench, and I tried to hold on to it while bearing down. I never knew how far along I was, because lightning struck a tree, and I attempted unsuccessfully to cover myself, blacking out in the process.
********************
I woke up to find myself in a warm bed, the sun shining through the window and bringing in the new day. I felt the glow of the bright beam upon my face, and I struggled to see what was in front of me. In my blurred vision I noticed Edge sitting on the bed next to me. He had what appeared to be a blanketed bundle held in his gentle grasp.
“Darling,” I whispered, “am I home? Am I alive?”
“Yes,” he said, “and so is our daughter.”
My vision was still quite cloudy as he handed me the bundle. My eyes cast upon the most beautiful face I had ever seen: Blue eyes, tufts of golden hair, little pink lips, and rosy cheeks. I was so excited about having our daughter, a beautiful baby girl. I still had my concerns, however.
”Edge,” I replied, my voice wavering uncontrollably, “what happened to me out there last night?”
He took my hand and slowly explained, “You almost died out there last night. You were caught in the rain, and a tree nearly fell on top of you after lightning struck it down. Thankfully, the strength of the garden gates kept the tree from collapsing on you completely. The branches were in your face when I found you. I wasn’t sure if you had fainted or if something else had hurt you, but you were unconscious. I found you on the bench by way of the child. She was crying and nearly drowning from all the rain. I pulled her up instantly and held her in my coat as I tried to move the branches away with my one free hand. It proved unsuccessful until I saw your hands sticking out. I removed my coat wrapped our daughter in it. Then, I took your hands and somehow positioned them to hold her as I moved the branches away from your face.
Then, a miracle! The storm continued, but I had help from someone. A man came by to help me. I couldn’t see his face because he had a black hooded jacket on. He helped me move the tree from the gate, a task so Herculean that I thought we could never do it! But amazingly, we were able to. He helped me carry you and the baby inside our house and set you both on our bed. We had to undress you and get you in drier clothes since the clothing you wore had been soaked. I thanked him and he left without saying a word or even removing his hood so his face could be shown. I didn’t know who he was, but I was so grateful to him. I spent the whole night awake with candles lit everywhere around the bedroom. I didn’t want to fall asleep without knowing you were all right. I gave the baby a warm bath and cleaned her up, fed her, clothed her. I was just so concerned about you, my love. I thought I was going to lose you!”
“Oh, Edge,” I whispered to him. “Your Aurora is going to be all right.”
“What should we name our young daughter?” he asked, touching the infant’s face.
“I think,” I began. “I think I’ll call her Rio. Rio Magnolia. ‘Rio’ means ‘river’, which she was sort of conceived in; and ˜Magnolia’ meaning ‘flower’---as beautiful as of that I hope she will become.”
Chapter 3
Chapter 1