“I’m off. But first—Bitsy? Try to be born when Daddy is around, okay? You have to hold off until I get home.”
“That’s asking a lot... I’m not sure the baby has control over that, Cercis.”
I saw Mr. Fisalis off once he’d performed his daily ritual (by which I mean his unrealistic demands). I then returned to the parlor with Rohtas, Dahlia, and the rest of the servants who had bid him farewell, and together we got started on the day’s work.
My belly had grown too cumbersome for me to move around much, of course, so I was banned from roaming the manor in my maid uniform for the time being. I was to sit still and continue working on the preparations for the baby’s arrival.
“Why don’t we finish sewing the diapers today?”
“Good idea. A little one can never have enough undergarments!”
“Right? It doesn’t take long for a baby to get them all dirty.”
“Precisely! You’re such an expert on this, Madam.”
“Heh heh. What can I say? Looking after my little brother and sister gave me a lot of practice.”
“I can tell!”
It happened in the middle of that conversation with Mimosa, just as I’d picked up my needle and fabric.
Cramp.
“Hm?”
My stomach felt strange all of a sudden.
I put down the needle I was holding and placed a hand over my belly. It felt tight. Almost like something was stretching me out from the inside—or perhaps a dull ache was a better way to describe it.
“Is something the matter?” Mimosa asked, peering into my face with concern when she noticed I had stopped working to touch my stomach.
“I don’t know. I’m getting the same feeling I had the other day.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Hmm... I wouldn’t say—”
Just as I was determining whether I would classify the sensation as painful or not, I was hit with an even more intense wave of agony.
“Aghhhh! Yes, it definitely hurts!”
“What?!”
“Are you all right?!”
It was so painful that I curled up on the spot, clutching my abdomen. Mimosa and the rest of the maids were dismayed by this sudden turn of events.
Holy smokes, does my stomach hurt! Can someone please explain...just kidding, I’m good! Man, the pain doesn’t even compare to those false contractions!
“Agh! I can’t breathe!”
“Easy, Madam! Relax. You’re going to be okay.”
While I crouched and groaned in pain, Dahlia began firing off orders from behind me. “There’s a good chance you’re going into labor for real this time. Someone find one of the male servants and have him carry Madam Fisalis to her bedroom! Ria, go get Cartham. You stay here with the madam, Mimosa. I’ll track down Rohtas.”
“Yes, ma’am!” the maids replied.
I was in too much torment to feel like moving anywhere...but giving birth right there in the parlor would’ve been a lot more trouble for everyone! I had to keep it together.
“It’s okay... Once I’ve collected myself, I can walk to the bedroom on my own...”
“Please don’t push yourself, Madam. Just wait until Cartham gets here. Shall I help you lie down?”
As I did nothing but moan, paralyzed with agony, Mimosa gently laid me down on the sofa.
“I’ll carry her to her room,” said Rohtas when he made it to the parlor one step ahead of Cartham. “Dahlia, go call for the doctor.”
“Right away.”
The butler then picked me up in his arms and carried me off to the bedroom. And when my weight is at an all-time personal high too... I feel bad imposing on him.
I appreciated how he made sure to handle me with care without letting that slow him down. What a perfect gentleman he was.
While he was carrying me to the bedroom, Dahlia had run off to call for the doctor.
By the time I was laid down atop the bed, the worst of it had subsided. I could hardly believe that I’d been in too much pain to breathe only moments ago.
“Uh-oh. After all this fuss, what if it turns out to be a false alarm again?”
That would be such a pain in the butt for everyone else! And I’d feel super embarrassed for making such a big deal about it.
But Mimosa only said, “Non, non!” with a wag of her finger. “If it is, no one will mind. But we’re better off taking it seriously in case it is the real thing, no? Let’s keep a cool head about this.”
The familiar dulcet lilt to her voice was nowhere to be heard. Her tone was authoritative, speaking to her wealth of experience.
“Good point. We won’t know for sure until we wait and see.”
“Exactly. You should focus on conserving your energy for now; better safe than sorry, after all.”
“Okay. I’ll take it easy.”
“Oh, and since there’s no telling how long the pain will go on, you ought to eat a little something while you still can.”
“Do I have to...? I’m not really hungry. And what do you mean, there’s no telling how long it’ll last?”
“To my understanding, it varies from person to person. But just think—once you make it past the agony, your baby will be waiting for you on the other side. Hang in there.”
“I see... So the pain isn’t going to let up any time soon... And when it reaches its peak, that’s when my baby will be born.”
Uh, hold on—that sounds terrifying, actually.
I shuddered to imagine how bad the apex of my suffering was going to be.
“Exactly! That’s why you need to relax and save up your strength while you’re feeling some relief. You ought to, I don’t know...have a bite of something easy to digest!”
“Seriously...? I don’t think so.”
Eat something? That’s asking a lot of me at the moment. But wow... I may have plenty of knowledge when it comes to raising kids, but I’m definitely a novice when it comes to childbirth. I’ll do what I can to save my strength, but I don’t think I can handle food.
“Anything will do. Fruit, a sandwich—you name it.”
“I’ll take the fruit, then.”
I went ahead and requested some fruit. I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to keep it down or not, but I had to at least try for Bitsy’s sake.
For a while after that, the sharp flashes of pain would ebb just as soon as they’d come...and rinse and repeat. Unlike during my false alarm, the intervals between the bouts were indeed getting shorter and shorter.
“I know it hurts, but try not to tense up. Take deep breaths.”
“Hee-hee-hoo! Hee-hee-hoo!”
“That’s too fast! Slow it down a little.”
Doctor Granny had rushed over as soon as she got the word, and now she was by my side, instructing me in gentle tones. But as much as I hated to ignore her advice, I was in way too much pain for that! It was impossible not to brace myself.
“You’re going to be all right,” she assured me, at times giving my hand a firm squeeze, at others calming me down with gentle caresses.
I’m sorry. I know this isn’t the time to be saying I can’t do this or that; I have to do what the doctor says.
“Hoo...”
“That’s it. Nice and slow.”
In too much agony to even think, I focused every last ounce of my attention on the midwife’s words. Otherwise, I could’ve very well passed out from the pain.
The lulls between flare-ups were growing ever shorter, and by now I was pretty much in a constant state of anguish. I had no idea how much time had even passed. I was already spent, teetering on the verge of losing consciousness.
I can’t believe how many people I know have gone through all this torture. I’m more grateful to my mother than ever!
Just as I felt myself hitting the limits of my physical stamina and mental willpower, I heard, “You’re almost there. Hang on just a little bit longer.”
“What?!”
My stomach hurt so bad that it had dulled the rest of my senses, so I had no idea how close “almost there” actually was.
When I gave a push at the doctor’s command and found myself assailed by a fresh wave of pain, I was positive I’d reached the end of my rope.
But then...I was met with the sound of a tiny cry.
“The baby is here. It’s a darling little girl.”
The doctor’s voice was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.