Chapter 26

Don had that dream again, those faceless, nameless women took Lanh away never to be seen again, the one with the purple tipped hair said, “Don’t worry about it, Reggie will be ok,” and Don was left shouting “Who’s Reggie?” And the next thing he knew, he was getting married again. He couldn’t see who the bride was, but he knew she wasn’t Lanh. He was shouting for Lanh when a screaming noise shouted at him, and he woke to find that it was his cell phone. It was Kim-ly calling from downstairs, “My water broke, let’s go for a ride.”

Something in Don’s heart was screaming, “This is all wrong!” He never talked seriously with Kim-ly. They never got their breathing practice done, they never read those books. Instead of almost two weeks, they had four days to get ready, and now she was in labor. This isn’t right. He wanted to sit down and talk with Kim-ly and maybe find out some more about the mindset between her and Lanh that came down to this. He wanted to talk to Lanh, but now it’s too late. It’s all too late.

As usual, her cheerful effervescence kept Kim-ly afloat, a smile on her lips and an off-color joke always at the ready. She’s been through this three times with Tam, so she’s an old hand and she guided Don through the prenatal procedures. Kim-ly called her mom, who would notify the family and the hospital that they were coming in, and she was chatting with Rosa as Don went outside and packed Kim-ly’s “go bag” and started her car. It was -20 degrees, and her car was slow to start, but it finally fired up. Scraping her windows with a brass edge window scraper was a battle, to say the least. Normally a brass edge scraper peals the frost off like the skin of an apple, but at -20 degrees frost is a different animal. It’s more like dried paint that doesn’t release its grip on anything until heat is applied.

Kim-ly came out and handed Don a cup of coffee and said, “Let’s go, the defroster will warm up as we drive. There was logic in her words, so he helped her in the car then sat down in the driver’s seat and just as he reached for the shift lever, she said, “Did you unplug the block heater?”

“You had to wait until I sat down?” he asked. It was frustrating. He knew about the plug; he just didn’t think about it. He got out and unplugged the electric block heater and coiled up the extension cord. The block heater warms the anti-freeze inside the engine block, which makes it possible to start the car in the arctic cold of Northern Minnesota. Even his antique John Deere tractor has a block heater.

As they drove through the pre-dawn darkness, the defroster slowly kicked in and the porthole that Don scraped through the frost grew in size. He was soon able to drive without having to scrape the window continuously. As he drove and shivered, Kim-ly made call after call, letting whoever came to mind know that she was heading to the hospital. She finally put her phone on speaker and said, “Here, say hi to daddy, he’s looking overwhelmed.”

“Hi honey, are you ok?” said Lanh.

“Oh, I had that dream again, it’s really unnerving.” He talked to her about that dream in the past and it’s concerned her. “Maybe ... I don’t know ... I just don’t feel ready for this, this entire trip has seemed off.”

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault. It’s because I deceived you...”

“No, stop. I understand why you did what you did, and I love you for it,” said Don. He felt a little better at saying it. Maybe understanding the horror she felt when she thought she lost him was causing these dreams. Maybe his subconscious was taking Lanh away in these dreams, so it can say, “See? This is what Lanh felt like.” He also had a horrible feeling that he was wrong. He wheeled into the hospital parking lot and Kim-ly pointed out where to park. “Ok, we’re at the hospital, I’ll give you a call when I get a chance. I love you.”

“You’re going to be fine,” said Lanh. “Now take care of my sister, I love you.”

He felt better after their little talk, and as he parked in the Expectant Mommy parking spot, Kim-ly said, “The reason why she asked me to do this, is the exact same reason why I agreed to do it.” She grabbed his arm, preventing him from opening the door. “We were terrified of losing you. Your son will give us a part of you to hold should you succeed in getting yourself killed.” Kim-ly leaned over and kissed Don’s cheek and whispered, “I love you.” She was out of the car and walking toward the entrance before Don could react.

“So, it’s finally your turn, eh Kim-ly?” grinned Dr. Carol Schaeffer as she sat down between Kim-ly’s legs. She remembers Kim-ly’s antics when her sister Tam was in the same bed three times and, hopefully, she’ll be more subdued now that it’s her turn.

“I hope you brought your catcher’s mitt doc,” grinned an exhausted Kim-ly. “He’ll be hitting the ground running, right daddy?” She said that to get a rise out of Don, but he turned to her with a smile.

“Let’s make a baby.” If Kim-ly had a response, it was lost behind clenched teeth from her contraction. As his concern for Kim-ly and the baby grew, Don’s trepidation about an unidentifiable problem faded into the background. Her labor was intense, her hospital gown was wide open and the only item remaining that she wore was warm fuzzy socks and a sensor belt around her midsection. “We’re getting close!” Don said excitedly.

“What do you mean we?” Kim-ly growled around a spoonful of ice chips.

“You are the only woman to ever get pregnant from a handjob,” said a familiar voice.

Kim-ly looked up and groaned. “Oh no.”

“That’s right!” said her sister Tam in a sing-song voice. Tam leaned over Don’s shoulder and gave Kim-ly a kiss. “It’s payback time!”

“Isn’t there a lock on the door here?” grumbled Kim-ly.

“There is, but Doctor Johnson was invited,” said Dr. Schaeffer. “Ok darling, one more good push and this little fella is free. Ready?”

“Who invited her?” grunted Kim-ly as the next contraction built in intensity.

“I did,” said Don.

“You never asked me,” Kim-ly gasped.

“That seems to be going around,” said Don, which earned him an angry glare from Kim-ly.

“Enough chit-chat,” said Tam, “let’s get this baby out. The waiting room is full.”

“I can’t do it,” gasped Kim-ly. “I’m too tired.”

Don got as close to Kim-ly as he could without climbing in bed with her and whispered softly in her ear, “Let’s get Danh born, after we rest up then we’ll go have a nice dinner at the Wilderness on Lake Bemidji, just you and me.”

Kim-ly’s eyes opened wide. The Wilderness? “Spring Fling?” she gasped.

“Yes, Spring Fling,” chuckled Don. Spring Fling is a beautiful, romantic evening and a show in the ballroom of the new Wilderness Inn on Lake Bemidji. It’s becoming popular in the frigid north to build large entertainment complexes in the larger towns. These complexes become an oasis of warmth for the frozen people of the north, many of whom are suffering from severe cabin fever. Pools, spas, water parks, stores, “open air” restaurants and events. Spring Fling is as big, if not bigger, than their New Year’s party; there is formal dining, live bands, one-act plays ... no children allowed, it’s a night for the grown-ups.

“Deal!” gasped Kim-ly, and as the next big contraction hit Don and Tam encourage Kim-ly, “Pushpushpushpushpush!” and with a shriek from Kim-ly, little Danh Lanh was born. To Don, this was different from when Krissy was born. Krissy was just a baby; this is Don’s son and for him there was a huge emotional difference.

With a pinch, little Danh cried. His first cries flushed any amniotic fluid and for the very first time, his tiny lungs filled with air. His high-pitched cries reminded Don of Lanh’s tiny pet goat, Marissa. Don cut the umbilical cord and like with Krissy; he was surprised at the strength of that cord. He gently inspected Danh, insuring everything was attached, fingers, toes, little boy bits, then he handed the tiny, squalling portion of his soul to Kim-ly. Unseen in the corner, two tall blond apparitions watched and shed a tear of joy for the new parents.

Although Danh was his son, Kim-ly was not his wife. He felt he shouldn’t be part of this moment as baby and mother bonded, but Tam pushed him closer and Kim-ly clasped his hand in hers. “When you move back,” whispered Kim-ly, “you will be there for him, won’t you?”

“Of course, I will Kitty-Cat.” Don used the nick-name that her dad used for her years ago.

“That’s really all I want,” smiled Kim-ly as exhaustion overwhelmed her.

“Dad, why don’t you help the nurses with baby while we clean up mommy for her visitors,” said Doctor Schaeffer, and Don, Tam and Danh were swept off to another room where a crying Danh was weighed, measured and inspected from end to end. Don had been through all of this with Krissy, but with Danh, it felt more personal. Every whimper out of the little guy was a stab in Don’s heart and he fought to keep from crying along with him.

Finally, Don got a moment with his son. “Welcome little guy, you are so lucky, you have two mommies and they’re never, never going to leave you alone and sad.” The horror of his mother’s passing overwhelmed him, and Don vowed this would never happen to his son.

“Maybe three mommies,” said Tam as she peered at Danh’s sweet face. “It depends on my schedule.”

“When did you find out?” asked Don.

“Oh, eight months ago. Your wives can only keep a secret if they can tell someone,” said Tam as she stroked a finger on Danh’s cheek. “You need to come home.”

“I can’t come home without Lanh and Karole.”

When Don returned to the delivery room with his son in his arms, there was an enormous crowd waiting. He wanted to shout, “This is my boy!” but he merely handed the swaddled lad to Kim-ly and stepped aside.

It was almost a week before Kim-ly felt ready to go out to dinner. Don was waiting in the kitchen for Kim-ly to “put her face on.” As he waited for Kim-ly, their babysitter, Chau Nguyen, Don and Kim-ly’s oldest niece, was getting acquainted with her little cousin. Chau is the eldest daughter of Kim-ly’s twin brother Bao and his wife, Don’s old swimming teammate Rosa Mendez. Every time Don looks at Chau, he’s reminded of how long he’s been married to Lanh. Chau’s parents fell for each other at Don and Lanh’s wedding and married three months later, and Chau was born eight months after that.

Don was having problems believing that Chau was graduating from high school next year. It seems like only yesterday she was as small as the baby in his arms. And now Chau and her little sister Sophia, who have both been babysitting for several years, are teaching Don how to care for his own son. “How come you and Aunt Lanh don’t have any babies?” asked Sophia, who didn’t mind asking embarrassing questions.