by Riley Baxter
“Well I’ll be damned,” Anthony said as he stared at Myles with even more respect than he had before as he stepped forward to hug Kayla. “Baby girl, stop crying, you know how dramatic your Momma can be. I’m excited about the newest addition to our family.”
Feeling chastised, Regina and Catherine looked at each other and then their children. “I guess he got us told huh?” Regina said feeling bad about making Kayla cry. “Kayla, I’m so sorry I just thought that you would have called me and told me personally. It felt a little impersonal to receive a postcard, but I never meant to make you cry. Please forgive me?”
“Yes, Kayla forgive me as well. I’m elated about the baby,” Catherine said as she and Regina hugged her from both sides.
Feeling the need to save his sweet daughter in law from his wife and her mother, Keith stepped forward. “Alright ladies, I think she gets the message. Now can you please stop suffocating my poor grandbaby?” Pushing the two women aside, he gave Kayla a quick kiss and brief hug. “Kayla, you have made an old man so very happy. Thank you.”
Kayla now felt better after Keith, and her Dad smoothed things over a bit. Not to mention the way her husband stood up for her. “You guys, it really wasn’t our intention to cause any offense. I thought the idea was a great way to give you the news. And the sonogram was intended to be a keepsake. But we’ll know for the next time to just call you all on three-way or something more formal. Now since we have expressed the problem, how about we go out to dinner to officially celebrate?”
With round eyes, the parents all mouthed at each other in excitement, “The next time?”
~Chapter Twenty-Nine~
Four months later…
Kayla sat on the couch comforted by the subtle kicks that she was feeling from her little miracle. After the scare that she had early in the pregnancy, she realized every month was precious. She felt grateful for a relaxing Friday evening. It allowed her to reflect on the life she and Myles had enjoyed together up to this point. As she rubbed her stomach, she thought about how much life was about to change for her and Myles. She couldn’t believe that in just a short time she’d managed to marry the “Sexy Asshole” and await the birth of their first child. Cupid had set her happiness in motion, and she wanted to thank him for his generosity.
She and Myles had chosen not to find out the sex of the baby, choosing to be surprised instead. Neither cared what they had as they just prayed for a happy and healthy baby. “Who knew that disastrous encounter would lead to you? I sure hope your Auntie Rachel can find this same level of happiness,” she said to her belly. Just then, her phone rang lighting the screen up with Rachel’s face. “Hey Sis, you must have E.S.P or something. I was just talking about you to the baby.”
“How’s my nephew or niece treating you these days Sis?”
Kayla had sensed something was bothering Rachel, but in her experience, it was best to let Rachel come to you when she felt the need to talk. Over the course of this pregnancy, she’d been preoccupied and hadn’t noticed how she and Rachel had only seen each other at work. The distance wasn’t shocking as Rachel could be prone to shutting down when she went through certain things. “What’s up Sis? You good?”
Rachel seemed to hesitate, but she replied, “Yes, nothing I can’t handle. I was in the neighborhood though, you mind if I stop over for a few minutes? Myles, won’t mind will he?”
“Girl, stop it. Your family, he won’t mind at all, and he’s still at work anyway. When I talked with him earlier in the day, he said that he had a late day surgery scheduled, so he will probably be delayed. So, come on over.”
“I’m on my way Sis,” Rachel said with a kissing sound to the phone as she hung up.
Twenty minutes later, Kayla and Rachel stood at her kitchen island laughing and discussing her upcoming baby shower.
“How about I call the girls and bring them into this conversation?” Kayla suggested then dialed Reia’s number and waited for her to answer.
“Heyyyy Sis, how’s my niece or nephew?” Reia inquired.
Kayla laughed. “So, this is what we’ve come to now, it’s no longer about me? Baby Feelgood hasn’t even been born yet, and everybody has moved me to the side huh? Anyway, Rachel is here, and she and I were just discussing the baby shower. Can you call Caressa on your three-way and then we’ll have her call Jocelyn?”
“Aww Sis, don’t worry, you are still important,” Reia teased. “And you’re in luck, Caressa and Jocelyn are here as we are enjoying some Friday evening drinks. I just put you guys on speaker, so we can all hear.”
“Y’all didn’t tell us it was Happy Hour,” Rachel joked. “And shit, all I can have with Mrs. Feelgood is apple cider. This is sum bullshit.”
“Well, pass the damn cider and join in the festivities,” Reia teased back.
“Anyway, anything we need to decide on for the baby shower? Has everything been finalized?” Kayla questioned.
Before anything else could be said, Myles entered the house in search of Kayla. “Honey Bee, where are you?” A couple of minutes later, he entered the kitchen and took in the scene in front of him. “Uh, what’s going on?” He looked surprised to see Rachel as he entered his kitchen. Caressa, Reia, and Jocelyn were talking in the background on speaker phone.
“Uh ladies, does somebody want to fill me in? I’m at a loss here.”
Rachel decided to answer his inquiry, “Myles, I’ll be out of your hair in a few we just needed to discuss some things.”
“Your family Rachel, and you aren’t in my hair. Stay as long as you like.” He walked over to Kayla and kissed her causing her to melt a little from the kiss. “I missed your beautiful face today Honey Bee. Do what you need to do with your sisters, and when you're done, I’ll be ready to run your bubble bath and take care of your other needs.” Kissing her again, he turned to walk out of the room but remembered the other women. “Enjoy the rest of your evening ladies, see you all soon.”
“Bye Myles, see you soon,” they echoed as they each gave him air kisses through the phone.
Laughing, Rachel stood up, “So, did anybody else hear what Myles told Kayla? I promise he’s a keeper.”
“Yeah, we heard him, those plans he has are something else, it’s no wonder she’s pregnant already. Myles’ ass seems to stay on her,” Reia joked.
“For real though, um…if I weren’t happy in my relationship, those two would give me a case of jealous envy,” Caressa informed the group. “Okay, so we’re coordinating flight schedules now, so we can arrive at the same time.”
“Btw, Rachel, will we see Dashawn when we come in for the baby shower?” Jocelyn inquired. “How are things going with you two?”
“Um, we’re still seeing each other, so you should see him when you get here. I think he’s growing tired of me though. You know how I can be and what I’ve been through. Looking at a relationship beyond its sexual benefits causes me to almost break out in hives,” Rachel said as she started scratching her arms.
Laughing and shaking her head, Kayla tried to diffuse Rachel’s flight mentality, “Now Rachel, do we need to sic Cupid on your ass? Dashawn seemed like a terrific guy from the couple times you’ve allowed him to grace us with his presence.”
“He’s great, but you know my past,” Rachel said cryptically. Changing the subject again, she went on, “Anyway, let’s go through more deets for this shower, so I can get out of here and let Myles knock the baby higher in her belly.”
All the sisters laughed as Kayla felt her cheeks flaming.
Several weeks later, everyone gathered at Kayla and Myles’ house for the baby shower. They had again, chosen to do a co-ed shower, so the men could also be in attendance. But just like Caressa and Brian’s shower, the men found a place to hide from the women in their lives. Hiding out in the basement, they were again watching the sports channel.
Meanwhile, upstairs the baby shower was in full effect, and Kayla was smiling hard. They currently measured her belly with toilet paper to see who was more acc
urate.
Kayla was tickled with the measurements. Each of the women had their own way of estimating her stomach, and she couldn’t believe the results. “Now listen, me and baby Feelgood are starting to get offended by some of these measurements,” she said pretending to be insulted.
“Girl please, some of us in this room had to suffer through worse games than this. Get over yourself,” her mom said dismissing her complaints.
“Alright, has everybody done their measurement?” Jocelyn yelled to the room. “If so, we’re going to measure Kayla and then check your measurement against hers.”
A few minutes later, a gloating Rachel bragged to the room, “See? This is what happens when you have a daily shot of the belly. What’s my prize?”
“We shouldn’t have allowed her to play or make her forfeit the prize,” Caressa deadpanned.
“I agree with that wholeheartedly, you guys see each other a lot, so how do we know that you didn’t take measurements before the shower started,” one of Kayla’s cousins grumbled.
“Alright! Damn, you big whiners, I’ll select a winner in my place. I already won the best prize anyway. Did Kayla tell you all that I’m the baby’s God mom?” Rachel informed the room.
“No, I think we have the best prize of everyone,” Catherine stated pointing between herself and Regina, meaning they were already the grandmothers.
“Damn right we do,” Regina boasted. “Now who’s ready for the next game?”
Later that night, Kayla and Myles were laying in the bed reflecting on the baby shower. They both had enjoyed the time with their family and friends. Neither could believe how many gifts they received for the baby.
“Can you believe that we got so much stuff babe?” Kayla happily expressed. “I don’t think we’ll have to buy diapers for the first year. And thank you for assembling the crib and other big nursery room items. Me and the girls got everything set up and ready to receive our little miracle in a few short months. I can’t believe we’re going to be adding a small person to our love fest.”
Rubbing her belly and enjoying the kicks of his baby, Myles was filled with so much love for not only Kayla but their baby as well. “Honey Bee you’re an only child, and I’m the oldest child giving my parents their first grandbaby. Of course, I can believe how much stuff we received as most of it came from our parents. Now lay flat, so daddy can have a chat with his baby.”
~Chapter Thirty~
Two months and a week later…
Kayla had just got home from work with the intention of laying down to grab a quick nap before she and Myles headed out to dinner. She was almost two weeks past her due date, and was now to the point where she felt more than tired of being pregnant. Up to this stage, she’d embraced every level and step of the pregnancy with ease and little complaint. Part of the reason was her Myles having made sure that her every need was met.
As she laid down on the couch, she tried to get as comfortable as her belly would allow her. She’d gained a ton of weight, and her stomach resembled a woman carrying twins which made sleeping difficult. “Come on Momma’s miracle we’re just going to take a quick catnap.”
Sometime later, she felt a kiss on her cheek and she woke up.
“I’m sorry Honey Bee, I didn’t mean to wake you. How are my babies?” Myles smiled down at her.
Kayla started to get up but had to let Myles help her stand cause she wasn’t able to complete the task. Once she got upright, she felt the need to go to the bathroom, but before she could take a step, she felt a stream of liquid gush down her legs. “Oh no, I’m peeing on myself.”
Smirking at her, he said, “Honey Bee that isn’t pee. Your water just broke.”
Before Kayla could register his words, a pain hit her in the back. “Oh, my god!” she said grabbing her back.
“Come on Honey Bee its time. We’ve got to get you to the hospital. I’ll call everyone on our way,” Myles told her.
Arriving at the hospital thirty-five minutes later, proved to be a painful journey for Kayla and a speed fest for Myles. He hated seeing Kayla in so much discomfort and wanted to get her to the hospital as quick as possible. “Ok, Honey Bee we’re here. Come on, let’s get you checked in,” he said as he walked with her in the hospital. Myles had called Dr. Kennedy, their parents, his sister, and Kayla’s sisters on the way.
Jocelyn, Reia, and Caressa had come to town a couple of days ago, anticipating Kayla’s doctor would schedule an induction since she was overdue, and they didn’t want to miss the birth. They all were staying at Rachel’s house and informed Myles that they would be leaving the house to head to the hospital.
Both sets of parents also advised that they would be leaving their homes headed to the hospital. Monica had been visiting his parents and would be coming with them.
Myles had been unable to reach Grandpa Feelgood, so he would have one of his parents try to contact him.
After checking Kayla’s cervix, Dr. Kennedy informed her and Myles that she was three centimeters dilated. For now, the pain seemed to be tolerable, so Kayla decided that the family could come in and see her before things got intense. “Myles, you better let our family in, you know how they get,” she said laughing.
“Are you sure you’re up for visitors Kayla?” he questioned.
“Yes, I’m sure. Right now…” She stopped to breathe through a contraction. “…Uh, yeah I’m sure, the pain isn’t so bad right now,” she finished.
Myles felt concerned as he wasn’t sure how he would get through this process of watching his wife in pain. He leaned down to kiss her forehead and then headed to the waiting room to tell their family she was allowing them to come in for a little bit. As he entered the room and took in his surroundings, he felt grateful for their family.
His and Kayla’s mother were pacing the floor both wearing worried expressions. Kayla’s sisters were huddled in the corner having what looked to be a serious conversation, and when he looked further, he saw that Monica was also apart of the dialog which pleased him as Monica didn’t have many girlfriends. His father and Kayla’s father sat watching all the commotion around them.
“Hey guys, Kayla is allowing you all to come in. Her pain is pretty manageable at this moment, and she was 3 centimeters dilated when the doctor checked her a little bit ago,” he informed them.
“Ok, let's go everyone as us women know how quickly manageable pain can turn into unmanageable. And I need to see my baby,” Regina stated as the group headed out of the waiting room headed to Kayla’s room.
Rounding the corner, Myles saw Dr. Kennedy and a couple of nurses racing toward Kayla’s room. He took off running toward the room with their family behind him. He met up with Dr. Kennedy.
“Someone is buzzing us awfully bad in there,” she stated as they entered the room.
Inside the room, Kayla had switched from manageable pain to unmanageable pain and was grimacing hard. “Myles!” she cried reaching for his hand.
He rushed to her side. “Baby, what’s going on? You were fine when I left,” he questioned as he began rubbing her stomach. His emotions were all over the place because there was nothing he could do to make this better for her. “Dr. Kennedy, what’s going on?” he inquired.
“The baby has some decelerations, let me check her and see where she is. Everyone, if you can step out for just a second,” Dr. Kennedy, informed the rest of the family. After the family stepped into the hall and closed the door, Dr. Kennedy checked Kayla’s cervix. “Alright you two, looks like baby Feelgood is anxious to meet all of the family gathered for his or her birthday. You’re now six centimeters dilated Kayla, but we’re going to keep an eye on the monitor to see how the baby handles the progression. So, don’t go too far Myles,” Dr. Kennedy stated as she washed her hands preparing to leave the room.
“Don’t worry Doc, I won’t be leaving this room or her side again,” Myles informed her.
“Okay, I’ll let your family back in for a little while,” Dr. Kennedy said opening the door.
“Oh my God, what’s going on? We’re all panicking now.” Catherine said waving her hands motioning to the group.
Before Myles or Kayla could answer, another contraction hit. “Oh, God!” Kayla cried.
Her tears caused her dad to grimace and fight his own tears. “I can’t watch this, I’m sorry I’ll be in the waiting room,” he said as he walked over and kissed Kayla’s forehead. “I’m sorry Baby girl, but I can’t see you in this much pain.”
“Yeah, uh this is a bit much. Hold up Anthony, I’ll join you,” Keith stated walking over to kiss Kayla’s cheek. “You’re in good hands Kayla,” he said patting Myles on the back with sympathy in his eyes for the younger man as he stepped away following her father out the door.
Kayla had gotten through the contraction and seemed to need to lighten the mood some, “Anybody else wanting to ditch me in my time of need? Damn, I thought Daddy was gonna start crying,” she said with a weak smile.
“Right, you sure know how to clear a room, Kayla. You got me squeezing my legs together and grabbing my stomach, and there’s nothing in there!” Rachel laughed out.
“Forget about your Daddy, Kayla how are you handling this?” Regina asked moving closer to the bed to stand on the other side of her. “Have you not had an epidural?”
“Mom—” Kayla attempted before another contraction hit, cutting her off.
“Damn, those contractions aren’t playing. Baby Feelgood is tired of being in close quarters now,” Reia stated.
Myles was growing concerned with every contraction that hit Kayla he hadn’t even thought about the epidural and wondered why no one had asked if she wanted one. “You know what, they’re gonna have to give her something. This is ridiculous. Hang on baby,” he said hitting the call button for the nurse.