by T L Swan
“Cancel your appointments.”
He stays silent.
I bite my bottom lip. “I’ll finish the surgery, but I just need someone here in case something happens.”
He thinks for a moment. “Yes. Okay. I’ll be there in two hours.”
“Two hours?” I snap.
“That’s how long it takes to drive there.”
“Get on a plane. I’ll hire you a private plane,” I stammer.
“It will take that long getting into one airport and out of the other…it’s quicker if I drive.”
Shit.
“All right.” I pause for a moment. “Can you leave immediately?”
“Yes.” He sighs. “On my way.”
I blow out a breath and the nurse wipes the perspiration from my brow. The room falls silent and everyone is edgy. I inhale deeply as I try to calm myself down. “Hanna,” I call.
“Yes, Doctor.”
“Can you keep in contact with Ashley by phone, please, and let me know if there’s any change, other than that I need to concentrate here.”
“Yes, of course.” She pauses for a moment. “Calling her now.”
I inhale again as I try to slow my heart to a regular beat.
It’s okay, I’m going get there… fate couldn’t be so cruel as to let me miss another birth.
Hold on, Bloss... hold on.
Ashley
“Ahhhhh!” I call as I sit slumped over in the car.
Adrian’s eyes are nearly popping from the sockets and he’s driving like a maniac. We’ve been stuck in traffic for forty-five minutes. “It’s okay, Ash. It’s okay.” He tries to soothe me.
“It’s not fucking okay!” I yell.
He shakes his head as he grips the steering wheel with white-knuckle force and changes lanes aggressively. The car behind honks its horn, and he flips them the bird.
“Oh, just great, get us killed by a road rager, why don’t you?” I stammer.
“I’d like to see someone pull something right now.” He changes lanes again. “I could totally take them if my adrenaline level has anything to do with it.”
I laugh as my contraction subsides, and I put my head back on the seat.
We drive for a moment in silence. “Okay, tell me about panting,” he asks.
“I don’t know.” I shake my head. “Controls your pain, apparently.”
His eyes flick between me and the road. “Well, we need to pant. How do you do it? Show me.”
I blow out in short quick successions, and show him what they teach you in prenatal classes.
“Like this?” He practices, and I burst out laughing.
“Yes. Like that.” I wince. “Oh, here comes another one!” I call.
Adrian’s eyes widen in fear and he starts to pant.
I laugh as I screw up my face in pain. “You look fucking ridiculous.”
“Do it with me, Ash!” he cries, blowing in an overexaggerated fashion toward the steering wheel.
We both pant as he drives like a maniac, and eventually it subsides.
“See, that was better.” He smiles a proud of himself smile.
I lay my head back against the seat as I breathe heavily. “I hope Cam makes it.” I smile sadly over at him. He takes my hand in his sympathetically and picks it up and kisses the back of it. “It’s all right if he doesn’t—You’ve got me.”
I smile.
Jenna is in New York and Tash is at Willowvale. “Can you ring Tash?” I ask.
“Yes, sure.” He hits her number on the car Bluetooth.
“Hey, babe,” she answers.
“Hi, Tash,” I call.
“Ash? What’s wrong?” she snaps.
“She’s in labor,” Adrian calls. “Get your ass to L.A!”
“Oh, my God. It’s too early.” She shrieks. “Where’s Cameron?”
“He’s in surgery.”
“Oh, shit,” she murmurs. “Joshua!” she calls. “Ashley’s in labor.”
“Tash, can you ring Jenna and organize Owen to get picked up from school, please?” Adrian asks. “This is quite unexpected and a bit crazy on this end.”
“Ahhh!” I cry as another contraction rips through me.
Adrian starts to pant as his eyes flick between me and the road. “Pant, pant, pant!” he cries.
Natasha bursts out laughing. “Oh, please tell me there’s a camera in the car.”
“See you soon,” Adrian calls and then he hangs up on her, annoyed at her finding this funny.
I smile as I lay back against the seat. “You do have to admit this is pretty funny.”
He looks at me deadpan as he grips the steering wheel. “Hilarious.”
We pull up to the hospital and he jumps out of the car. “Can somebody help us please while I park the car?” he calls to a passing nurse.
“Of course,” she calls. She quickly returns with a wheelchair and Adrian helps me out of his low car and into the wheelchair.
“Let me guess,” the nurse quips, all smiles. “Maternity?”
“Yes,” Adrian snaps. “I’m just parking the car, Ash.”
“Okay.” I smile.
“I’ll take her up,” the nurse replies.
We make our way up to the maternity ward and the nurses help me and take me into a room and onto a bed. They instantly put the baby monitor on my stomach and we all start to watch it.
“I’m only thirty-six weeks. It can’t come yet,” I whisper through fear.
“Thirty-six weeks is fine, Ashley, you know that.”
“Are you here alone?” another nurse asks.
“Cameron is in surgery,” I reply sadly. “Can we just slow it down, so he can make it?”
The nurses both smile sympathetically.
Adrian comes sprinting down the hall at full speed and runs straight past the room.
“Excuse me, sir!” a nurse calls. “Where are you running to?”
“Oh.” Pants. “Ashley.” Pants. “Stanton.”
“In here, Adrian!” I call.
I screw up my face as another contraction comes, and watch the monitor.
“Oh.” The nurse smiles as her eyes stay glued to the monitor. “That’s a big one. I think we need to take a look at what’s going on.”
I ride the contraction out, then she takes my pants off and I glance over at Adrian. He points to the door with his thumb.
“You’re not going anywhere!” I snap.
She spreads my legs and the blood starts to drain from Adrian’s face.
“Come up this end,” the nurse comforts.
“He’s not very good with vaginas,” I pant.
The nurse smirks. “I thought as much.”
She inspects me. “How long did you say your husband is going to be, Ash?”
“I’m not sure. Why?” I frown.
“You’re eight centimeters dilated, darling. Baby will be here very soon.”
I look at her and then over to Adrian. He’s a pale shade of green.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “Call Cam.”
He dials his number. “Hello, Hanna, this is Adrian. We need to speak to Cameron please,” he asks.
“What’s going on?” Cam replies.
“She’s eight centimeters dilated,” Adrian replies. “You need to get here. Now!”
“I’m nearly finished, my back-up surgeon has just arrived. I’m twenty minutes away.” He pauses. “Put Ash on.”
“Hello.”
“Hey, Bloss,” he says gently.
I smile down the phone; just hearing his voice makes me teary.
“You all right, baby?”
I nod though my tears.
“Yep,” is all I can push out.
“Hold on, sweetheart, I’m coming.”
I nod and scrunch my eyes shut as another contraction comes. My doctor walks into the room. “The doctor is here.”
“Put him on,” Cameron asks.
I hand the phone to the doctor. “It’s Cameron.”
He frowns a
nd takes the phone. “Hello?” He listens for a moment. “Why? Where are you?” he asks. “Just a minute. “He puts the phone down and gives me an internal and then gets back on the phone. “She’s nearly ready to push. I’ll do my best. It’s progressing very fast.” He hands the phone back to me.
“Hey, Bloss. I’m coming, babe.”
I nod as tears start to roll down my face. He’s not going to make it. I know he’s not.
“I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you, too. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He hangs up.
I start to cry, blubbering-mess-crying, and I just want Cameron here. Why, oh, why today of all days?
My eyes widen, and then I scrunch them shut.
“What is it?” Adrian frowns.
“I need to push.”
Cameron
I tear off my gloves and run out of the operating room. I bang the elevator button three times.
“Come on, come on.” I watch in slow motion, my foot tapping fast. “Please, please let me make it,” I whisper under my breath. The door opens, and I run in and bang the close-door button.
Level four: Maternity.
The ride up to level four is the slowest I’ve ever seen. It finally opens onto the floor and I run down the hall to the delivery suite and burst through the doors.
“Where is she?” I cry.
“Birthing suite two, on the left.”
I run down and run into the room in time to see my beautiful Ashley in bed, her face screwed up in pain as she tries to hold off. “I’m here, Ash!” I cry.
She looks up at me through her tears; her hair is wet with perspiration and she’s panting. I’ve never seen someone so beautiful.
“Oh, baby,” I whisper as I rush to her and brush her hair back from her forehead.
I smile as I kiss her lips, and she clings to me as if her life depends on it.
“Next contraction, Ashley, I want you to push,” the doctor directs.
I kiss her softly. “You can do this.”
She nods as she screws her face up.
I hold her leg back as I brace myself. “Get ready, Bloss.”
“I’m going to go,” Adrian murmurs.
“Don’t you dare go anywhere!” Ashley screams.
“Really?” he whispers. He goes to the back wall and stands silently, as if scared to move.
With a nurse holding one of her legs and me holding the other the contraction comes, and she pushes as hard as she can. My eyes widen as I see the head. The contraction stops and the baby’s head pops back in.
“You can do this, Ash, come on,” I urge.
She nods as she psyches herself up again. The contraction comes and she pushes as hard as she can. Her face turns bright red and she cries out in pain.
“I can see it, so close,” I whisper. “Come on, Bloss, come on.”
She gives a big push and the head is out.
She pants, and I smile broadly. “One more, one more,” I chant as she grips my hand with white-knuckle force.
She pushes again and screams as the baby slides out.
Blood and mucus and… silence.
I hold my breath; the nurse picks up the baby and rubs it with a towel, and finally it begins to scream.
“Oh, thank God!” Ashley cries.
“It’s a girl,” the doctor announces.
I cut the umbilical cord and the doctor goes to pass her to Ash.
“Pass her to her father first, please,” Ashley says.
My eyes search hers as my heart freefalls from my chest.
The doctor passes her to me, and I stare at her.
Shocked. Shocked that I nearly didn’t make it. Shocked that I did.
Shocked that we made this beautiful little person.
She’s so perfect, and she looks up at me as she tries to focus her eyes.
I blink so I can see her through the tears, and I take her to Ash and bend down and kiss my beautiful wife. We hold each other over our little girl.
“You did it. I love you. I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you, too,” she sobs.
“What are you naming her?” the nurse asks.
Our eyes meet, and she smiles and nods.
“Sophia Anne Stanton,” I whisper.
Ashley smiles against my lips as we kiss.
“Owen’s here.” Adrian says, smiling.
“Can you get him please?” Ashley asks.
Adrian disappears, and the nurse cleans Ash up. Minutes later, he returns with Owen. “Owie, come and meet your baby sister.” I pick him up and he stares at her, unsure what to say.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” I whisper in wonder.
He smiles broadly and sticks his little tongue out, as if pleased with himself. The nurse holds the baby to Ash’s breast and she slowly starts to suck. I smile softly.
I’ve never seen anything more beautiful; emotion overwhelms me, and I tear up again.
“What’s she doing?” Owen frowns.
“She’s drinking,” I whisper. “That’s how babies drink milk.”
Owen’s face falls in horror. “Well, yuck!” He frowns. “That’s just disgusting!”
The room breaks into laughter and I shake my head.
Only Owen.
Ashley- Nine years later
I stand at the kitchen window as I watch Cam. He’s out in the garden with the kids, chasing them with water balloons. They’re hiding, although Owen is sitting on the deckchair, watching as he chats on his phone to his little girlfriend.
We have five children—six including Cameron. He’s still a big kid and nothing has changed at all.
Owen is fifteen, Sophia in nine, Zander is seven, Spencer is five, and Juliet is eighteen months. I thought watching Cameron with Owen was heart-melting; you should see him with five of them.
We’re at Pemberley and, funnily enough, this is now Cameron’s favorite place in the world. We’ve added to the house and still live permanently in L.A. It’s getting increasingly harder to get to Pemberley now that Owen is older and has a social life.
One day, Cam and I will live here permanently. I wish our children could stay at this age forever. Joshua and Natasha’s children are in their late teens now and are giving them a run for their money, wild as all hell. They moved back to LA permanently and the kids have all began to work for Joshua in his office. Apparently they are sending Adrian and Joshua grey. All of the men in the office are after Jordana and Blake is chasing after everything in a skirt. Cameron and I think it’s hilarious…because it’s not us. I dread when our turn comes.
Cameron looks up and spots me watching him through the window, and he smiles sexily and makes his way across the garden. Before I know it he wraps his arms around me from behind and kisses me.
“Permet de se faufiler au lit.”
Translation: Let’s sneak off to bed.
He nibbles on my neck and I smile as I try to wriggle away from him.
“No.” I turn, and he takes me in his arms. I look up at him and he kisses me softly. “You know, you’re kind of all right for a farm boy.” My hands drop to his behind and I give it a squeeze. Everything is still gorgeous about my man; he’s only gotten better with age.
He smiles sexily down at me. “I’ll show you what a farm boy can really do.”
“Dad!” Juliet calls.
He rolls his eyes.
“Dad!” Zander yells. “Where did you go?”
He puffs air in his cheeks and looks out the window, and then smiles broadly as an idea comes to him. He ducks down and crawls through the kitchen and back through the house.
“What are you doing?” I ask as he crawls up the hall, towards the front door.
“I’m going to attack from the front. You were just my prop.”
I smirk. “Thanks a lot.”
“You’re welcome. Anytime,” he replies.
I watch through the window as he sneaks around the side of the house and starts running toward them and throwing water bombs from now
here. The kids all scream and run.
His beautiful wild laugh echoes throughout the farm.
Life is good.
I’m the luckiest girl in the world.
THE END
Read on for a sneak peek of The Stopver
Due out September 26th 2019
The Stopover…Coming Soon!
Releasing 26th September 2019
Chapter 1
“Can you move?” a voice behind me growls.
Startled, I turn toward the man behind me in line. “I’m sorry?” I stammer in a fluster.
“Did you want to get past?”
“No, I want these fucking idiots at the desk to hurry up. I’m going to miss my damn plane.” He sneers and I can smell alcohol wafting off him. “They make me sick.”
I turn back to the front. Great a drunk in the check-in line. Just what I need.
Heathrow airport is bustling. Bad weather has delayed most of the flights, and to be honest, I wish they would delay mine. Then I could turn around and go back to the hotel and sleep for a week.
I am not in the mood for this shit.
I hear the man turn and complain to the people behind him, and I roll my eyes. Why are people so damn rude?
For ten minutes I listen to him bitch, sigh and moan until I can take it no longer. I turn to him “They are working as fast as they can. There’s no need to be rude,” I snap.
“What” he yells as he turns his anger on me.
“Manners are free,” I mutter under my breath.
“Manners are free?” he cries. “What are you, a school teacher? Or just a raving bitch?”
I glare at him. Oh I dare alright. I’ve just spent the last forty-eight hours in hell. I flew across the world to go to a wedding, only to watch my ex-boyfriend drape himself across his new girlfriend. I’m in the mood to cut somebody today.
Don’t mess with me.
I turn back to the front as my fury begins to boil.
He kicks my suitcase at me feet, and I turn. “Stop it” I snap.
He gets right up in my face, and I wince at the smell of his breath. “I’ll do whatever I fucking like.”
I see security come through the lounge as they watch him. The staff have seen what’s going on here and called for back up. I fake a smile. “Please don’t kick my bag, sir,” I say sweetly.
“I’ll kick whatever I fucking like.” He picks up my suitcase and throws it across the airport.
“What the hell?” I screech.