AN OCEAN OF EMOTION
Chapter Five

One Month Later
Victoria

Christmas had come and gone. Harry and I didn’t have much to celebrate with, but we had a lot to celebrate about. I was getting ready for the birth of our child next month, and Rose was ready to give birth any moment now. Harry was out sailing, but had arranged for Jack to stay behind in case Rose needed him.

I was in the baby’s room, finishing up on some last minute touches. Harry had finished the crib and another piece of furniture in time for one of our Christmas presents to the baby, and it looked wonderful. The sheets were brand new, having traveled all the way from England in Harry’s bag. Harry had picked them up one of the last times he was in England with Jack on a sailing trip. I felt a kick in my midsection.

"I see you’re as excited about coming out as I am. You have a lot of people waiting to meet you, including your grandfather, also known as my father, and your Aunt Shannon, who is my sister. Plus, your Aunt Rose and Uncle Jack are also looking forward to meeting you." I stopped to look at the room. A huge bookcase lined one wall. The album Shannon had made of Harry’s and my wedding was on one of the lower shelves. Shannon had also made another album for the baby. The inside was empty, as the baby wasn’t here yet, but it would soon be filled with photographs of our family as a whole when the baby came. The crib was stained a dark oak wood color. I ran my hands over it and peered into the empty crib. "You’ll be in here soon enough. I’m sure you’ll be keeping your father and me awake at all hours of the night." The changing table was already stocked with stacks of cloth diapers, baby clothes, and a few jars of sweet-smelling baby powder. An oak rocking chair was stained the same hue as the crib and changing table. It was a perfect room, decorated in pale yellow for our new arrival.

I heard the door open downstairs and figured it was Rose coming over for her afternoon visit. "Rose, is that you?"

I stood up and walked out into the hallway. I heard her call from downstairs. "Yes, it’s me. Hold on. I want to come see the baby’s room now that Harry is done with the furniture." I heard her soft footsteps coming up the wooden stairs. My very pregnant friend appeared in the doorway, worn out, but she was here. "Victoria, it is beautiful. Harry did a wonderful job."

I surveyed the room one more time before I answered. "Harry is quite proud of it, as am I. We’ve both been working very hard." Rose made her way to the baby’s crib. "Harry said he found those sheets when he and Jack were in England on a trip."

Rose nodded her head. "Jack brought back a similar set for the crib at our house, except he brought blue sheets home instead of yellow. Jack is convinced the baby is going to be a boy. I just hope a girl doesn’t come out instead. Otherwise, we’re going to have a problem."

I laughed to myself. "Harry and I don’t have any feelings either way." I rubbed my stomach. "We just want it to hurry up and get here. We’ve been waiting long enough."

Rose spied my growing stomach. "You don’t have that much longer to go. Jack and I are quite nervous, really. I’ve always had help growing up, and for the first time, I have to do everything. Jack’s been patient trying to teach me to cook, but most of it I forget as soon as we’re done."

I walked over to my friend. "You know Harry and I are here if you need us."

Rose smiled as she looked at me. "Thank you."

We made our way downstairs into the parlor of the house. "When is Harry supposed to be back?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I got a telegram from him earlier today that said he’d be home in a day or so. They were on their way home, but you know how that goes. He’s supposed to make one or two more trips out. Then he’s taking a break from sailing so he doesn’t miss the arrival of our little one."

"I know Jack misses it. He’s already been around the world once, and I can tell that he’s going stir crazy just sitting at home, anticipating the baby’s arrival."

I stood up to walk to the kitchen. "But you know if Jack was away when the baby came, he’d never forgive himself for missing the birth of his firstborn."

Rose stood slowly and followed me. "I know. That’s why he’s offered to do this for me." Rose got a strange look on her face when she finished speaking. "That’s weird."

I spun around to face her. "What’s weird?"

She touched her lower back. "A sharp pain right about here." Rose put her hand on her back to show me where it hurt. "I don’t know what it was."

"Do you feel all right?" I set the empty water glass I was holding on the kitchen counter and walked to her. "Are you dizzy or anything?"

She shook her head. "No. I feel fine. Must be a pregnancy ache. I’ve been getting them on and off all day."

"Rose!" I looked her up and down. "My mother had those pains, too."

She looked horrified. "What did they mean?"

I thought for a moment about how to tell her. "It means you’re about ready to become a mother. My father told me that my mother never had aches from the front with Shannon, but she did have spasms in her back right before…" I trailed off, thinking of how she passed away after a losing battle with a horrific amount of blood loss after the birth of Shannon. "Right before Shannon was born."

Rose had another pain in her back. "This one is worse. I think I need to go get Jack." She stood up, and with my help, I helped her back to her house. Jack met us at the side door.

"What’s going on?" He saw the pained look on Rose’s face. "What happened?"

I smiled. "Nothing happened, except Rose is in labor."

Jack’s face went pale. "She’s what?"

I looked at him again. "You need to go get the midwife. Rose is ready."

Jack stood next to us for a moment, frozen with fear. "The midwife?"

"The midwife. Mrs. Miller’s sister. She’s here just for us. Now, go!" I made a motion towards the street where Mrs. Miller lived. Jack tore out the front door and I made Rose sit in the chair by the door.

"Oh, God, Victoria. I’m not ready." Rose laid her head back on the chair. "We’re not ready. I’m not ready. Oh, God, this can’t be happening."

I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. I felt my own baby kick. "You’re never ready to become a mother. I’m still terrified, but my turn is next. I get to learn from you."

"Oh, thank you. I get to be the one who messes up and you get to learn from me. That makes me feel better." Rose winced as another pain came from her back. "This hurts pretty bad." She tried to stand up.

"You need to sit here and wait until Mrs. Miller and her sister to get here. They’ll know what to do. For now, we just need to keep you still."

Rose nodded her head and closed her eyes as she gripped my hand. I felt her grip tighten as another pain ripped through her body. "Oh, God, make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop!" A tear formed in the corner of her eye. "This hurts, Victoria. This hurts. And I feel funny."

I was about to ask how she felt funny when Mrs. Miller and her sister appeared. "Girls, this is my sister, Cora Fisher. She’s an expert on the art of delivering healthy, screaming babies."

Cora walked over to Rose. "Yes. You’re ready. Let’s get you somewhere private." Cora held out her arm and Rose slowly took hold of it as another pain ripped through her. Rose fell back into the chair, unable to move. "Look at me." Cora stared right at Rose. "You have to get up and we have to get you upstairs."

Rose nodded, and with one swift movement, she got out of the chair and Mrs. Miller and Cora helped her upstairs.

"I want Jack and Victoria with me."

I started to move towards Rose when Mrs. Miller stopped me. "The girl doesn’t know what she’s saying. The birth of a child is a private moment between a woman and her child. You two need to stay down here. Jack, bring me some towels and some water in that big pot I use to make noodles in. Heat it up, but not too hot. About bath temperature will be fine."

I started to say something when I heard Rose cry out in pain. "I said I wanted them with me!" She began to yell. "I want them with me now!"

Jack looked at me and I shrugged my shoulders. Cora exchanged a look with Mrs. Miller. Cora nodded and Mrs. Miller told us to follow her upstairs.

An hour passed. All we heard was Rose crying in pain. Jack was holding her hand and trying to keep her calm. I was on the other side of Rose, holding her other hand and wiping the sweat off her forehead with a washcloth Cora had given me.

"Rose, dear. You’re ready. Next time one of those pains happens, I need you to push this baby out. Do you understand? Push with the pain, not before." I watched Cora’s intent eyes settling on Rose, trying to offer Rose help.

Rose nodded. She went to lie back on the pillow to relax, but a wave of pain came over her. Her grip tightened on my hand as well as Jack’s. "Oh, God!" she cried out as she pushed. Her face was sweating again, but she pushed.

"Good girl. One more time, when the next pain hits, push again. I can see the head starting to come out." Rose winced one more time, but at the next pain, she did as she was told. "Good girl. Keep on pushing." I saw Cora doing something, but kept my eyes focused on Rose.

Rose was exhausted by this time. "No, I can’t. Please, just stop."

Cora looked at me, then at Jack. "Rose, we can’t do that. You have to do this."

Jack leaned forward to kiss his wife on the forehead. "You’re doing great, Rose. In just a few more minutes, we get to meet our child. Please don’t stop now. I need you as much as our baby needs you."

Rose shifted her eyes from Cora, to me, then on to Jack. "I love you."

Jack kissed her forehead one more time as I felt Rose’s grip tighten on my hand. "One more time."

Rose nodded and pushed once more. She fell back on the bed when she was done, too tired to even sit up. "It’s a boy!" Cora called out as she took one of the cloths from Mrs. Miller and began cleaning the newborn. "You have a son."

Jack looked bewildered. "A boy? Are you serious?" Rose started crying as she looked over at Jack. "Rose, we have a son! We have a boy!"

I wiped her forehead once more as Mrs. Miller and Cora continued cleaning the baby. Suddenly, his cries erupted and filled the room. Mrs. Miller looked up from the crying infant long enough to offer her congratulations. "Congratulations, Mom and Dad."

Cora handed Rose the baby. "Meet your son." Rose held her arms out as Jack put a pillow behind Rose’s back so she could sit up.

The baby was perfect. He had a wonderful color and I felt a twinge of jealousy, as I so wanted to hold my own baby. His cries had stopped and his eyes were fixated on Rose and Jack.

Jack looked at the baby, then at me. "You’re next."

I looked at my friends and at their new child. "I know."

Rose looked at her baby for what seemed like an eternity before she spoke. "James Andrew Dawson."

I was shocked. "You were serious about naming your child after my father, weren’t you?"

Rose looked at Jack, who smiled, then looked at me. "He’s the one who helped Rose and me get to where we are today. It’s only fair that, after all your family has done, we honor him in this way."

I was elated for both my friends and their new child. "James, it’s a pleasure to meet you." I peered at the baby, now fast asleep from his journey into the world. "I look forward to seeing you again."

Chapter Six
Stories