Blake
It was a few months later. Irina and I were watching TV, when she jolted.
"Blake, I think the baby's coming," she said, her eyes wide in fear. I thought I'd lose it right then and there. I had no idea what to do! I could barely put on coherent thought together.
"Uh, ok... Uh, we just gotta stay calm! Uh, what do we do?!" I panicked. She took my hand in hers.
"Blake, just take me to the hospital," she said. She winced. "Fast." I helped her down the stairs of the apartment, and managed to get her in the car. My hands were shaking as I drove, and she begged me to stay calm. She breathed deeply, trying to keep herself calm as well. We got to the hospital in a bout twenty minutes, and they got Irina to the emergency room. They had me stay in the waiting room, and I paced back and forth. I don't think I'm ready to be a dad.
Well it's a little late for that.
About another twenty minutes later, they brought Irina back. No baby. She rolled her eyes when she saw me and shook her head.
"What's wrong? What happened?" I asked. The doctors explained that it was just false labor, and the baby wasn't coming yet. I sighed a huge breath of relief.
"When the baby is coming," the doctor said, "you'll know for sure."
"Thanks," Irina said. "Can we go home now?" she asked, turning to me. I took her hand and we went back home. She went straight to bed, and fell asleep. I smiled to myself as I got in bed next to her. All these years, and now me and her were going to have a baby. I thought about when I had first met her in high school. I had always thought she was beautiful, but then I had been... a little intimidated by her. I know now that it was foolish to feel that way. Irina is so loving and sweet.
I thought about all that we'd been through, and all that we were going through. The pregnancy has put a strain on Irina. She was a little irritable now, but not to an extent that wasn't understandable. Still, I felt bad seeing her like this. It was much harder for her, because of her epilepsy. It made the morning sickness much worse, and it gave her more anxiety, in fear that she'd have a major seizure and end up harming, or killing the baby. I had been fearful before too; people with epilepsy are more likely to have miscarriages than people that don't. That's why she had blamed herself for the first miscarriage.
But I didn't.
**2 weeks later...**
There was a gasp. I was more than half asleep, so I wasn't sure if I'd heard it for real or not. I sighed and rolled onto my side, trying to go back to sleep again. Something pushed me. I squeezed my eyes shut. It was definitely not time to go to work. I didn't want to get up yet.
"Blake!" Irina said.
"What," I grumbled.
"The baby's coming now," she said, irritated.
"That's great, swee-- what?!" I sat up quickly, trying to get my eyes to focus on the dark. "Uh, ok, ok. Just... the doctor said you'd know for sure when the baby was coming, a---"
"I know for sure!" she shouted through her teeth.
"Ok! Ok, I'll get ready," I stumbled. I quickly got dressed and grabbed the car keys, when I realized I still had to get Irina. "Sorry!" I apologized as I helped her get out of bed. The car ride was nerve wrecking. If I was driving too slow, I sped up. Then I was driving recklessly, and had to slow down. I bit my tongue, and refused to argue. I'm sure I had no idea what she was going through.
The doctors got her to the emergency room alright, and now I was left waiting. I paced back and forth, trying to recollect my thoughts. It felt like years were going by. I decided to make use of my time and call my family, then Irina's to let them know she was having the baby now. But that only took up about ten minutes and, like I said, this was taking years.
Then finally, a nurse came out.
"Mr. Devlin? You can come in now," she smiled softly. I took a deep breath and followed her into the room. Irina was laying in the bed, looking half asleep. She smiled weekly at me, then looked to a tiny little thing cradled in her arms.
"Hi sweetie," I whispered as I crossed the room and took a seat on the side of her bed.
"You have a daughter," she smiled hugely. I smiled and took a look at the little baby in her arms. It was wrapped in a pink little blanket, and its eyes were closed. Amazingly, it was not crying at all. The baby was asleep, dead tired just like her mother. "You want to hold her?" she asked. I opened my arms, and she gently placed the little baby in my arms. The baby mumbled and stirred, but stayed asleep. "What do you want to name her?" Irina asked. I looked back to the little baby, and thought for a while. She looked like her mother.
"Hollis," I said. Hollis is Irina's middle name, and she looked so much like her. Irina smiled and nodded. There was a knock at the door.
"Hey," my father said, sticking his head in.
"Come on in," I said. I looked back at Hollis, and smiled at her. She was such a cute little baby...
"Aw, she's so cute," Mom said. Both my parents got to hold Hollis, while I held Irina's hand. After a while, Irina fell asleep as well. Then my in-laws arrived. They brought Desiree and Hera, who was now able to walk.
"Where's the baby?" Desiree asked. Her mother shushed her, but the baby stayed fast asleep. Irina stirred, and blinked.
"Hey guys..." she said, exhausted. She looked around the room, and then pointed limply to my mother, who was sitting across the room holding Hollis. "The baby's over there..." I squeezed her hand as she yawned and tried to stay awake. It was probably six in the morning now; we'd been up since one.
"What's her name?" Hera whispered.
"Hollis," I answered quietly. My father-in-law did a double take, and smiled. He liked our choice of name.
"She's so cute," Desiree whispered. I smiled. My daughter was perfect.
***
"...And you got the crib?" Irina asked, as I unlocked the apartment door. I nodded.
"Yes, yes. I got everything taken care of. I promise," I said. The house finally felt complete again. Irina had been at the hospital nearly all day today, while I got the house ready. I bought the baby clothes, car seat, some toys, crib, and anything else we were going to need to take care of Hollis. But now we were all here, our family was now complete. We had dinner, and took care of the baby, and soon it was time to go to bed. Both of us were eager for sleep.
That didn't last long.
Hollis cried all night. We both tried to calm her down, but nothing worked. We tried everything. She didn't stop crying until the early morning. We laid her down in her crib, praying she'd stay asleep now. She did thankfully, and we slept the rest of the day as well.
It was tough, having a new baby, but it was worth it. She was the cutest baby I'd ever seen, no doubt about it.
And it was such a gift to be able to say she was my daughter.
I held Irina in my arms, who had just gotten Hollis down for another nap just a while ago. She was asleep already, probably more exhausted than I was. I kissed the top of her head and hugged her. I wasn't sure anything could be more perfect than this.
It was a few months later. Irina and I were watching TV, when she jolted.
"Blake, I think the baby's coming," she said, her eyes wide in fear. I thought I'd lose it right then and there. I had no idea what to do! I could barely put on coherent thought together.
"Uh, ok... Uh, we just gotta stay calm! Uh, what do we do?!" I panicked. She took my hand in hers.
"Blake, just take me to the hospital," she said. She winced. "Fast." I helped her down the stairs of the apartment, and managed to get her in the car. My hands were shaking as I drove, and she begged me to stay calm. She breathed deeply, trying to keep herself calm as well. We got to the hospital in a bout twenty minutes, and they got Irina to the emergency room. They had me stay in the waiting room, and I paced back and forth. I don't think I'm ready to be a dad.
Well it's a little late for that.
About another twenty minutes later, they brought Irina back. No baby. She rolled her eyes when she saw me and shook her head.
"What's wrong? What happened?" I asked. The doctors explained that it was just false labor, and the baby wasn't coming yet. I sighed a huge breath of relief.
"When the baby is coming," the doctor said, "you'll know for sure."
"Thanks," Irina said. "Can we go home now?" she asked, turning to me. I took her hand and we went back home. She went straight to bed, and fell asleep. I smiled to myself as I got in bed next to her. All these years, and now me and her were going to have a baby. I thought about when I had first met her in high school. I had always thought she was beautiful, but then I had been... a little intimidated by her. I know now that it was foolish to feel that way. Irina is so loving and sweet.
I thought about all that we'd been through, and all that we were going through. The pregnancy has put a strain on Irina. She was a little irritable now, but not to an extent that wasn't understandable. Still, I felt bad seeing her like this. It was much harder for her, because of her epilepsy. It made the morning sickness much worse, and it gave her more anxiety, in fear that she'd have a major seizure and end up harming, or killing the baby. I had been fearful before too; people with epilepsy are more likely to have miscarriages than people that don't. That's why she had blamed herself for the first miscarriage.
But I didn't.
**2 weeks later...**
There was a gasp. I was more than half asleep, so I wasn't sure if I'd heard it for real or not. I sighed and rolled onto my side, trying to go back to sleep again. Something pushed me. I squeezed my eyes shut. It was definitely not time to go to work. I didn't want to get up yet.
"Blake!" Irina said.
"What," I grumbled.
"The baby's coming now," she said, irritated.
"That's great, swee-- what?!" I sat up quickly, trying to get my eyes to focus on the dark. "Uh, ok, ok. Just... the doctor said you'd know for sure when the baby was coming, a---"
"I know for sure!" she shouted through her teeth.
"Ok! Ok, I'll get ready," I stumbled. I quickly got dressed and grabbed the car keys, when I realized I still had to get Irina. "Sorry!" I apologized as I helped her get out of bed. The car ride was nerve wrecking. If I was driving too slow, I sped up. Then I was driving recklessly, and had to slow down. I bit my tongue, and refused to argue. I'm sure I had no idea what she was going through.
The doctors got her to the emergency room alright, and now I was left waiting. I paced back and forth, trying to recollect my thoughts. It felt like years were going by. I decided to make use of my time and call my family, then Irina's to let them know she was having the baby now. But that only took up about ten minutes and, like I said, this was taking years.
Then finally, a nurse came out.
"Mr. Devlin? You can come in now," she smiled softly. I took a deep breath and followed her into the room. Irina was laying in the bed, looking half asleep. She smiled weekly at me, then looked to a tiny little thing cradled in her arms.
"Hi sweetie," I whispered as I crossed the room and took a seat on the side of her bed.
"You have a daughter," she smiled hugely. I smiled and took a look at the little baby in her arms. It was wrapped in a pink little blanket, and its eyes were closed. Amazingly, it was not crying at all. The baby was asleep, dead tired just like her mother. "You want to hold her?" she asked. I opened my arms, and she gently placed the little baby in my arms. The baby mumbled and stirred, but stayed asleep. "What do you want to name her?" Irina asked. I looked back to the little baby, and thought for a while. She looked like her mother.
"Hollis," I said. Hollis is Irina's middle name, and she looked so much like her. Irina smiled and nodded. There was a knock at the door.
"Hey," my father said, sticking his head in.
"Come on in," I said. I looked back at Hollis, and smiled at her. She was such a cute little baby...
"Aw, she's so cute," Mom said. Both my parents got to hold Hollis, while I held Irina's hand. After a while, Irina fell asleep as well. Then my in-laws arrived. They brought Desiree and Hera, who was now able to walk.
"Where's the baby?" Desiree asked. Her mother shushed her, but the baby stayed fast asleep. Irina stirred, and blinked.
"Hey guys..." she said, exhausted. She looked around the room, and then pointed limply to my mother, who was sitting across the room holding Hollis. "The baby's over there..." I squeezed her hand as she yawned and tried to stay awake. It was probably six in the morning now; we'd been up since one.
"What's her name?" Hera whispered.
"Hollis," I answered quietly. My father-in-law did a double take, and smiled. He liked our choice of name.
"She's so cute," Desiree whispered. I smiled. My daughter was perfect.
***
"...And you got the crib?" Irina asked, as I unlocked the apartment door. I nodded.
"Yes, yes. I got everything taken care of. I promise," I said. The house finally felt complete again. Irina had been at the hospital nearly all day today, while I got the house ready. I bought the baby clothes, car seat, some toys, crib, and anything else we were going to need to take care of Hollis. But now we were all here, our family was now complete. We had dinner, and took care of the baby, and soon it was time to go to bed. Both of us were eager for sleep.
That didn't last long.
Hollis cried all night. We both tried to calm her down, but nothing worked. We tried everything. She didn't stop crying until the early morning. We laid her down in her crib, praying she'd stay asleep now. She did thankfully, and we slept the rest of the day as well.
It was tough, having a new baby, but it was worth it. She was the cutest baby I'd ever seen, no doubt about it.
And it was such a gift to be able to say she was my daughter.
I held Irina in my arms, who had just gotten Hollis down for another nap just a while ago. She was asleep already, probably more exhausted than I was. I kissed the top of her head and hugged her. I wasn't sure anything could be more perfect than this.
All i know is that i am falling.
I try desperately to save myself, but it's just so dark and dreary...i'm not even completely aware of my body anymore. I just continue spiralling down into this dark oblivion..
Suddenly, there isa small glowing light only about four feet below me. I reach out. I cannot grasp it, though. If i wait long enough, though,i'll tumble right into it.
Only, i dont. Because, right when i am about to make contact i slip away. My eyes open and the only light is the one streaming through my window...
I try desperately to save myself, but it's just so dark and dreary...i'm not even completely aware of my body anymore. I just continue spiralling down into this dark oblivion..
Suddenly, there isa small glowing light only about four feet below me. I reach out. I cannot grasp it, though. If i wait long enough, though,i'll tumble right into it.
Only, i dont. Because, right when i am about to make contact i slip away. My eyes open and the only light is the one streaming through my window...
The words made my breath fall short in my throat, a small whimpering sound went up through my chest. I slowly rose my watch, exactly the time I was to be doomed. The part of the wall carrying the dread words burst open and rats started to crawl in, immediatly gnawing at my flesh, I tried to back away, but the part i had opened up suddenly closes and i was trapped in darkness, I was trapped, I was trapped with no hope off escape and a thousand beady eyes crawling all over my body, wrigglin down my chest and making their way towards my heart. I spun and rolled around as much as I could in the small space, but the rats were persistent, and my blood trickeld all around me, forming in a pool under me. After a while a finally gave up. For all I had done i was payed with my own dead, locked in a narrow passage with rats all around me, the last living things i would ever interact with. I began to sob softly and my final breath flew from my body, I was a limp, lifeless corpse.....