break the window

Second Chances xx
Chapter 5

Bright and Ephram were in the kitchen cleaning up while Amy and Hannah were in the living room chatting.

“I wanted to tell you, again, how sorry Hannah and I are that we missed the wedding. If things happened differently…”
“No, don’t be. The frantic voicemail from you in the middle of the night was explanation enough. How are Katie and Ryan?”
Bright sighed, as finally being able to relax. “They’re good. My grandma actually took them for a few days after everything had been cleared up. She knew that Hannah and I needed a break.”
“So, is that what Amy and I have to look forward to? Hospital visits?”

Bright could see the worry in his friend’s eyes about what to expect in being a first-time father.

“The worst feeling in the world is seeing your child…or children, going through something that hurts them and you don’t know how to fix it. I mean who knew both of my kids would be allergic to garlic. Hannah felt so guilty for having garlic in our spaghetti dinner. We guessed, or the doctor told us, it might’ve been when Hannah was getting their bottles ready, she must’ve gotten some in the formula from her hands or something. I don’t know. All I knew that my babies were okay and the doctor was saying gibberish things. That’s partly why we weren’t able to attend the wedding. Hannah just wasn’t ready for anyone.”

Ephram laughed…

“What?” Bright looked at his friend. “What’s so funny about what the doctor said.”
“I’m not laughing at you, it was more of a moment in you saying ‘your babies”. It’s just all the things that have changed this passed year. You’re a husband and a father. I’m a husband, about to be a father. I mean, when I came to this little mountain town, you hated me…or you hated the idea of what I mean to Amy.”
“I just never wanted to see my sister hurt..that still stands by the way.”
“No, I could never hurt Amy.”

Bright put the water picture back in the fridge and noticed a list on the front door. “What’s this?”
Ephram looked up, smiling yet feeling overwhelmed. “Oh, our baby names list.”
“Wow, it’s really lengthy for only about a month until the little guy…or girl.”
“We just keep adding names. I just hope that when we meet him…or….her that we’ll know and the baby will have it’s own name and identity. How did you pick Katie and Ryan.”
“Well, Katherine is Hannah’s middle name. So it’s Hannah Katherine Abbott. And Ryan came from us trying to take my name. I’m named after my dad, Harold Brighton Abbott. We toyed with Brighton, then when to Bryan and that sounded too close to my name so we shortened it to Ryan and it stuck. Ryan Harold Abbott. So Ryan is named after my dad and Katie is named after Hannah.”
“You two put a lot of thought into it, I think Amy and I are slacking on giving our kid a name.”
“Well, you have a month.”
“Yeah, we have plenty of time.”

—

“This can’t be happening, the baby isn’t due for another month, this cannot be happening.”
“What?” Ephram woke up from falling asleep on the couch watching a Christmas movie. “What’s going on?”

Amy’s pregnancy hadn’t been easy to say the least. She had been on bed rest for the most part. All of her appointments and ultrasounds were doing okay, all telling her she was doing great and nothing to worry about. All those good feelings weren’t helping her through the worrying of having contractions at eight months along.

Ephram was still trying to wake himself up and be attentive to Amy. “I thought everyone said those are Braxton Hicks contracts, your body preparing for delivery?”
“I don’t know, Ephram, this feels so…different.”
“I’ll call my dad.”
“What if I am going into real labor? There is like ten feet of snow on the ground and it’s still snowing. No one can get down this street with an ambulance, much less getting me to the hospital. I might as well have the baby right here.”
“Well, it’s a good thing there are two doctors in our family.”
“Well, one. My parents are in Tuscany on a second honeymoon, no way he can get back in time.”

Ephram pressed Andy’s phone number and started ranting off what was happening with Amy.

“Ephram, slow down. How far apart are the contractions.”
He looked at his watch. “Four minutes.”
“Okay, call the ambulance and I’ll meet you two at the hospital.” Andy said aloud and Nina started getting dressed to make her way to the hospital.
“Dad, the roads are closed, no ambulance is getting here in enough tome to get Amy to the hospital.”
“Alright, calm down. You live right down the street, I’ll be right there.”

Nina looked up at him. “What’s happening now?”
“Amy’s having her baby tonight.”
“And that’s what Ephram said?”
“No, that’s what I’m saying. Amy’s contractions are too close to call an ambulance with all the roads being closed. I never thought I’d say this but I’m going to be delivering my own grandchild.” Andy started to smile and get a twinkle in his eye.
Nina’s face lit up. “Another baby in the family.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Why did the proud grandfather face go away so suddenly, I like proud grandfather.”
“Amy, who had an ectopic pregnancy a little over a year ago. Now it doesn’t look like the baby is going to carry to full term. The odds aren’t in her favor.” Andy was thinking about all the complications that could happen during the delivery and how he would handle them if they were to happen.
“Wait, I’ve heard you say on many occasions that eight months is enough time for a baby to be happy and healthy.”
“In most cases, yes. But, maybe it’s because I’m so close to this child that it’s clouding my judgement, but yes, I’m worried.”
“Well, let’s get over there.” Nina picked up the house phone. “I’ll call Megan from next door to watch Elijah while we’re gone.”
“Good thinking.”
“That’s why you married me.”


After Ephram ended the call with Andy, he sat beside Amy who was sweating and looked scared.

“What if this baby doesn’t come out naturally, your dad can’t do a c-section here on our living room floor. I can’t lose another baby.”
“Amy, you’re strong, you’re the strongest woman I know.” He held her hand tightly. “You can do this, we will do this together.”

Amy felt a hard pain and screamed as loud as she could as Andy and Nina walked in the front door.

Ephram looked over at them. “Do you own a snow mobile that I don’t know about?”
“Amy is about to have my grandchild, the pace picks up when something like this happens.”

Delia and Adam came rushing through the front door.

Amy looked over at Delia. “How did you know?”
“Nina called me while dad was freaking out about his grandchild.”
Amy looked over at Nina. “Thank you.”

Andy was having everyone grab enough supplies needed from around the house to help Amy deliver the baby. The furniture was sorted and Ephram and Andy lowered Amy to the floor. Andy reached into his medical bag and grabbed the supplies he needed.

“Amy, how are you feeling now?”
“I’m okay, I’m good. I’m a little more comfortable.”
“Good because the pain is going to come fast and furious. With each pain, I’m going to have you push. Do you have something to focus on, a vocal point?”
“No, we didn’t talk about the delivery…we thought we still had time.” Amy wanted to cry feeling like she failed as a mother already.
“Here, I have something.” Delia reached into her purse grabbing her phone and charger. She plugged it up to the digital photo frame that was on the fireplace mantle. “Here you go. It’s going to show all the pictures of the family together that I have taken on my phone.”
“Thank God for technology.” Amy had a light laugh.
Andy looked at Nina and smiled and he looked down at Amy. “You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” Amy propped herself up and Ephram slid behind her, holding her hands.

Andy saw Amy’s muscles tense. “Okay, another contraction is coming. When you feel the pain, you push as hard as you can.”
Ephram saw how much pain Amy was in. “Dad, can’t you give Amy something for the pain.”
“Well, if we had a hospital full of those supplies, I would have already given her something. But this baby had other plans.”
Amy shrugged off the awkward moment of realizing she was really going to be having her baby, their baby in their living room. Everything was really starting to get more real. “Women have had babies everyday without anything to help with the pain…and so can I.”

Amy felt the contraction and pushed as hard as she could.

“Okay, Amy, that was good. Now, when you feel the pain start to form again, you push.”

Amy fall back onto to Ephram and screamed louder as she pushed.

“You are doing great, sweetheart. Now, with this third push, give it all you got.”
“What do you think I have been doing, sitting here eating cake!?” Amy said with a groan in her voice. “Alright, last time and I’m not pushing anymore.”
Ephram whispered into her ear. “Alright mom, you can do this.”
Those were the words that Amy needed to gather her strength once more.

She pushed harder than she had the previous two times and could feel the baby coming out, but there was only silence. “What’s wrong, Andy, why isn’t the he crying?”
“Amy stay calm, sometimes this happens”
Ephram swallowed hard and blinked slowly. “Sometimes what happens?” Ephram looked to Andy for an answer. “Dad?”
“Just stay calm.” Andy’s worried voice didn’t calm Ephram nor Amy.

Everyone else was in the kitchen to give Ephram and Amy some privacy. Andy is now rethinking that decision considering what is happening at the moment.

“Amy, I’m going to need you stay calm. The umbilical cord is wrapped around his neck.” He could instantly see the panicked faces on Ephram and Amy’s faces. “Fortunately is very loose and will probably slide off. This is very common in a lot of births.” Andy slid the cord off and the little boy opened his eyes and started crying.

Andy could hear the faint sounds of enthusiasm coming from the other room. Andy looked up to see Ephram and Amy both crying, anxious to see their little boy for the first time.

Andy dried the off his grandson and wrapped him in a towel. He gingerly placed him into Amy’s arms.

“Congratulations, you two have a son.”

It was like everyone else in the room floated away for the new parents. Their baby, at eight months, was perfect. Ten fingers, ten toes, a high pitched scream to know he was feeling quite alive.


A few hours later, Amy woke up and was sleeping comfortably in her own bed. She looked over to see Ephram as he was rocking their son to sleep.

“Hi, I didn't think you’d still be awake.”
“I’m a father, I don’t think I’ll sleep ever again.”
Amy sat herself up, wincing in pain as she used her stomach muscles. “Our son doesn’t have a name, yet, Ephram.”
“Yeah, there’s that one thing we still haven’t agreed on.”
“The list is on the fridge.”
“How can one just pick a name for their own child? It’s a name that will stick with them forever.”
“Ethan. I read somewhere that it means firm and strong. I want our son to have a strong name.” Amy looked to Ephram for agreement.
“Ethan.” Ephram looked down at his sleepy son. “What do you think, Ethan, you like that name?” Ethan cooed and tried to smile, but only yawned. “I think we have a winner.”
Amy smiled at her husband and son. “Ethan Andrew Brown.”
Ephram looked over at his wife. “Perfect.”

[THE END]