Chapter 16

Mrs D’Mitri and I helped Mel up the stairs to our bedroom.

‘Do you have a mattress protector on, honey?’ Mrs D’Mitri asked as Mel eased herself onto the bed. Melody nodded silently, quietly inwardly focussed. ‘Of course,’ she said, and took her dressing gown off. She rubbed her tummy through her nightgown, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

‘This can take hours,’ she said aloud, as if reassuring herself. ‘It probably won’t happen quickly.’

Mrs D’Mitri sat and took Mel’s hand. ‘Yes, dear. It can. Don’t worry.’

‘I’m not,’ Mel said. ‘It just feels like it’s going quickly, is all.’ Her face contorted. ‘Would you please bring me some tea, Mum? Raspberry leaf. Would you bring me the clary sage oil, love?’ She said to me, and I went to the dresser as Mrs D’Mitri hurried downstairs for tea.

‘What can I do for you?’ I asked slightly nervously when I returned to her side. She was still sitting propped up in the middle of the bed, and now she eased forward a bit.

‘Come sit up behind me,’ Melody said. ‘Support my body when I can’t. Would you like to rub the oil on, or shall I?’

‘Yes, please,’ I said playfully, climbing in behind her. Mel leaned into me with a sigh, and I pulled her nightgown up, dripping the oil onto my hands first before rubbing it gently but firmly into her lower belly.

‘Mm,’ Mel said, and then a quiet, ‘Ah!’

Mum came in then, followed by Rowena. Mum tsked when she saw the situation.

‘You can’t give birth with panties on!’ She said disapprovingly.

‘I know that,’ Mel said. ‘I just haven’t had time yet.’

‘I telephoned the midwife,’ Mum said, sitting in the bed and helping Mel with her panties while I continued to rub her stomach. ‘She’s going to try to come out, but the roads here are hard going, and she might be a while yet.’

Mel nodded. ‘Okay, I figured. I think we’ll manage fine until she arrives.’

Ro said, ‘I faxed Red. He replied right away, but he may have some trouble getting down in time. Last minute flights, snow, and all that, and at Thanksgiving too.’

Mel nodded, closing her eyes. I reached for both hands, squeezed, and buried my face into her hair, hoping against hope that she would be comforted by the actions.

‘Deep, slow breaths, honey,’ Mum said, rubbing Mel’s shoulder rhythmically. ‘Does it feel like it’s coming fast?’

Mel shook her head, then nodded. ‘Yes--no. I don’t know,’ she said desperately. ‘Maybe. I’ve never had a baby before!’

‘Shh,’ Mum said, hugging her at the tears that started to well up in Mel’s eyes. I kissed the top of her head reassuringly and looked at Mum worriedly. Why was Mel upset? Was everything all right?

Mum caught my glance and gave me a brief smile of reassurance. ‘Hormones, dear. Nothing out of the ordinary.’

She was still rubbing Mel’s shoulder and said in a calm low voice, ‘I’m going to see how things are going down there, all right?’

Mel nodded, her eyes opening. She was breathing hard, but deliberately slowly.

Mum knelt to look, and then straightened up. ‘You’re about seven centimetres dilated,’ she said. ‘Were you having pains yesterday? Backaches?’

‘Well, yes,’ Mel said breathily. ‘Around supper time or so, I started to ache a little bit more than I have recently and felt some pain. But I didn’t think it was out of the ordinary since I’ve had plenty of aches before.’

‘It’s fine,’ Mum reassured her. ‘You were just in the first stage of labour. Now you’re moving into the second.’

‘How on earth do you know all this?’ I asked her amazedly.

‘Oh, I read all the books when I was expecting you, dear,’ Mum said offhandedly. ‘Probably I know near as much as the midwife coming.’ Rowena came fully into the room then. She sat tentatively on the bed next to Mel and reached for one of her hands. I relinquished one.

Ro looked pale and more nervous than Melody did.

‘Are you all right?’ She said to Mel in a soft tone.

‘Peachy,’ Mel said, with no hint of sarcasm. ‘It’s not too bad.’ Her words were followed by a sharp intake of air.

‘I’m calm,’ Mel continued. ‘It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt awful much, it just feels rather strange. But my body seems to know what to do.’

‘It does, dear.’ Mum patted her hand and rose. ‘I’ll be back.’

Mrs D’Mitri returned with tea just as Mum was leaving. She had also brought coffee for Ro and I, and a package of Nice biscuits. ‘What did Eunice say?’ She asked anxiously.

‘I’m about seven centimetres,’ Mel repeated, ‘and moving into the second stage of labour soon.’

‘Is she all right?’ Mr D’Mitri called into the room.

‘Yes, but you can come in, you know! It’s not the plague. You’ll be fine. You came in with me.’

‘Thank you but no thank you,’ her husband replied. ‘Besides, she should have room to breathe.’

‘Burton?’ Mel said.

‘Yes, my love?’

‘Would you please get our book down and read to me?’

‘Of course,’ I said, rather surprised.

‘I’ll do it.’ Rowena rose quickly. ‘Just tell me where it is. I’ll come listen too.’ Mel told her and Ro went off as I rubbed the small of Mel’s back gently. ‘Slow, deep breaths,’ my mum reminded her. ‘Later on, panting is better, but you’re not there yet, dear. For now, deep breaths--and it’s best if you can stand and walk a while.’

Mel nodded. ‘I’d like to do that, actually,’ she said. ‘It sounds like it would help.’

‘It does indeed,’ Mum said. ‘Do you want me to help you?’

‘I’ll do it,’ I said, just as the same time Mel said, ‘Thank you, but Burton will,’ and then we laughed together. I stood and offered Mel my hands. When she was on her feet she put her arm over my shoulders, and we walked up and down the room as she kept one hand on her lower belly.