by V. L. Dreyer
"Good," I said, nodding my approval. I hauled myself up to my feet and stretched my back with a deep groan. "Are you sure it isn't twins? It feels like twins."
"It's definitely not twins," Professor Madurrit said with a laugh, slipping her arm around me to help. "Nor is it triplets, quadruplets, or an elephant calf. Come, dear. Let's go see if there's any trout left in the kitchen. It's not as good as salmon for vitamin D content, but it'll help."
"Oh, I've been avoiding the fish," I admitted, suddenly feeling guilty. "It made my morning sickness really bad in the first trimester, so I started staying away from it."
"And there's the culprit," Professor Madurrit said, her voice a mixture of teasing and gentle understanding. "It was probably the smell bothering you. I'm sure you noticed that your nose was particularly sensitive in the early days, too."
"It's still pretty sensitive," I replied. "Not as bad, though."
"Good," she said. "Between the fish and a bit of sunbathing, you'll feel better in no time."
She was right. I was back to my normal chirpy, sarcastic self within a couple of days. I made peace with my fishy friends and spent a little time sitting in the sun every day. My skin broke out in a rash of freckles, but I didn't care anymore. I remembered being horribly embarrassed by them when I was younger, but I’d outgrown that phase of my life. I was just happy to have friendly faces all around me, and many of those faces were just as freckled as mine.
As my due date grew closer and closer, I finally managed to convince myself that it was okay for me to sit around and gestate quietly. There were more than enough capable hands to help with the construction now, and people knew what needed to be done well enough that my leadership was only really needed in a spiritual sense. So, I forced myself to just relax, and divided my time between napping, working on my memoir, and organizing our ever-growing library.
Jim and Richard decided to officially get married and I was asked to officiate, which I did with great pleasure. When it came time to exchange the rings, they hit us all with a surprise: instead of physical rings, they announced that they wanted to have matching designs tattooed on their ring fingers.
“Nikora?” Richard asked, his face alive with new-found confidence. “My old friend, I know you studied ta moko in the old days, and I’ve seen you practicing it from time to time. Will you do the honours for us?”
“I’d be honoured to,” Nick replied, grinning broadly.
After the reception, I stole a moment to approach the happy couple.
“Hey, guys,” I said. “When you get those tattoos done, could I maybe watch?”
They both looked surprised for a second, then they laughed and nodded.
“Of course,” Jim said. “Thinking of having it done yourself?”
“Maybe,” I admitted. “It’s a good idea, and I think Michael will like it.”
“You can’t do it until after the baby’s born,” a voice behind me said. I turned around, and found Nikora and Michael walking towards us. I raised my eyebrows at my husband, but he just shrugged and grinned at me. “I always wanted to get a tattoo, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. Nick says we can’t get yours done until after the baby, but if you want to, I’m game.”
This time, it was my turn to laugh. He really did know me too well. By the end of the evening, plans had been made for the two of us to get inked after the baby was born, and we both felt a strange sense of relief. As much as we loved the idea of our rings, the reality was something that we’d both struggled with. The tattoos gave as an alternative, one that I suspected would spread in popularity just as the flowers had.
One afternoon a few days later, Tigger vanished. When we eventually found her secret hidey-hole, there were four tiny kittens suckling on her belly. She'd never looked happier. The human citizens of Tumanako immediately started fighting over who was going to get to adopt the kittens when they were old enough, until Madeline put her foot down and scolded us all like naughty children.
Priya stuck to me like glue all the way through the last weeks of my pregnancy, and since she was Melody's favourite that meant that I was usually surrounded by a friendly mob of teens and pre-teens. Once I got used to it, it was pretty useful. Michael always looked like he was afraid to coddle me for fear of annoying me, but having the kids around meant that I had someone to help me at all times. That freed him up to be useful in other ways – ways that he was strangely closed-lipped about. I knew there was a surprise coming long before anyone said anything directly, from the stealthy glances and whispered conversations whenever I was around. I didn't know exactly what they were planning, but I knew it was going to be interesting.
Two weeks before my official due date, I was sitting in the library working on my memoirs again when Priya and Melody suddenly came rushing up out of nowhere, with the rest of the gang hot on their heels. I'd gotten used to their sudden appearances and disappearances by now, so I just looked up at them and raised an eyebrow.
Priya looked at Melody, then she giggled and shoved a bundle of cloth into my hand. "Put this on, Mama. We have a surprise for you!"
"That's not how it works," Melody said, her voice halfway between amusement and annoyance. She took the cloth back and held it up to show me that it was a makeshift blindfold. "No peeking, okay? You don't want to ruin the surprise!"
I just laughed and nodded. "Okay, okay. No peeking."
Once she'd tied the blindfold securely, the girls helped me to my feet and led me down the hallway to the elevator. I lost track of exactly where we were after that. I felt the ground change in texture beneath my feet from carpet to concrete, then I felt a breeze on my face. I could make an educated guess that I was outside, but that was about it.
Just as I was starting to wonder what was going on, I heard Michael's familiar voice. "Over here."
The girls led me a few steps closer, then Michael's big hands took over the process of guiding me. He turned me around and removed the blindfold.
I blinked a few times as my eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight – then I gasped in surprise.
"Michael? What is this?" I demanded, fixing my husband with the hairy eyeball.
"Well, I figured our apartment was a bit small to have kids running around in," he replied, giving me an embarrassed look that was so obviously faked I had to laugh.
"Did you deliberately add a white picket fence? I'm pretty sure this place didn't have one before." I paused and gave the little cottage a long, considering look. "Though, I guess it is quite pretty. It must have taken forever to tame the gardens."
"The fence isn't for you," he answered, putting on a haughty, defensive look. "The fence is for me. There's something else for you."
"Oh, is there just?" I replied, still laughing. "Should I be afraid?"
"No, you should just open the damn door, woman!" he instructed, folding his arms across his chest.
"Okay, fine. I will then." I stuck my tongue out at him, then I walked up to the door and opened it. It took a second for my eyes to adjust again, but when they did my heart just about melted. "Oh, Michael, it's beautiful. Look at this furniture."
"I thought you'd like that," he replied. I felt his arms slide around me from behind and his lips brushed my cheek. "Everyone helped me to salvage the best antique furniture we could find, and we picked a house outside the floodplain so you never have to worry about losing it. This is for you, honey. You, me, Priya, and our baby. Oh, and Alfred, too."
The dog’s ears pricked up at the sound of his name, then he let out a happy yelp. Behind us, the girls giggled.
"There's something else, too," Priya said.
"Yup!" Melody agreed, nodding. "There used to be a tradition back in the old days, and we thought it was a good one to continue. It's called a…"
"Surprise party!" Several dozen voices yelled the words all at once. Right on cue, people sprang out from behind furniture and poured in from other rooms. I almost jumped out of my skin, but Michael was right there to keep me from falling over an
d hurting myself. He hugged me protectively while the others all cheered and threw flower petals over us. Bouquets of fresh-cut flowers appeared like magic, along with platters of food and bottles of homemade wine and juice. Before I could recover, Michael and the girls swept me into the crowd, and I found myself the recipient of more hugs than I'd ever had in my life.
Eventually, I was guided into a big, plush armchair, and people brought out gifts wrapped in shining paper. The sight of it brought tears to my eyes.
"Oh my God, you guys," I gasped, struggling not to cry. "You didn't have to do this…"
"No, we didn't have to," Anahera said gently, pressing a soft package wrapped in sparkly silver paper into my hands. "We wanted to. There's a difference."
"You've given us so much, Sandy," Gavin said, resting a hand on my shoulder. "And you've given it completely selflessly. You deserve every ounce of happiness that we can bring into your life, because you've brought so much joy into ours."
I sniffed and wiped my eyes, unable to think of any way to reply that would adequately express how I felt. Michael knelt down on the floor in front of me and took my hands in his, then together we carefully peeled the tape off the paper and opened the gift. Inside was a set of tiny baby clothes, little rompers that would stretch as our baby grew.
I picked them up and ran my figures over the fabric, marvelling at its softness. Finally, I looked up at Anahera and the others and gave them a tear-filled smile. "Thank you. Thank you all so much."
"Oh, we're only just beginning," Skye said. She threw her head back and let out the evilest cackle I'd ever heard in my life. We all froze and stared at her, then burst out laughing.
***
We spent the next few hours doing nothing but eating, drinking, laughing, and unwrapping presents, but it felt like food for the soul. Still, despite the relaxed atmosphere there was some part of us that was still conscious of our situation. Nothing went to waste, except for the tape on the presents. Even the paper was carefully salvaged, folded up, and put away to be reused. It used to be that survival turned us into the ultimate recyclers; now, planning for the future had the same result.
Once the presents had been opened and everyone had come through to congratulate us and eat their fill, Skylar twined her arm around mine and gave me a wicked little smile.
"We're still not done yet," she told me. "This was all just a distraction while we finished off the last piece of your present."
"There's more?" I asked. "What more could there possibly be?"
"Come and see," she replied mysteriously. She helped me to my feet and led me back out into the sunshine. My new home was close to the Tumanako tower, but far enough away to ensure our privacy. The walk back took a couple of minutes, and I spent the entire time wondering just what she had in store for me. By the time we were approaching the corner that would bring us back to the front of the tower, I'd turned every possibility over in my head, but what I actually saw still took me completely by surprise.
"A statue?" I asked, confused. It took a second before I grasped exactly what I was seeing. "Wait, is that me? But… how?"
"Remember the sculptor who came up with the South Island guys?" Skye replied. "He's been working on this in secret for months. We moved it out here while you were at the baby shower. The base isn't quite finished, but he wanted to polish that off when it was in its final location."
"I can't believe this," I whispered. I moved closer and ran my fingertips over the smooth stone. My long hair was unmistakable, and even without me acting as a model the sculptor had managed to carve a striking resemblance of my face. I was carved much larger than life, kneeling on the ground with my head bowed. Opposite me, a smaller female figure was posed in the same way. It took me a second to realise that it was Maddy. We both had our hands cupped around something tiny and fragile. I looked closer, and saw that it was a stylized representation of New Zealand, sculpted to look like a delicate seedling.
"We call it 'The Prophet and the Hero'," Skye explained. "Once the base is finished, we're going to add a plaque with your names on it, so that future generations will remember the spirit that founded Tumanako."
"Everyone was important to the founding of Tumanako," I protested, suddenly upset. "Not just me and Maddy. Every single soul here deserves to be recognised for their contribution."
"And they are," she replied. "This statue has your face on it, but it represents all of us, the founding family of the new New Zealand. You represent our strength, our creativity, our drive, and our stubborn determination, while Maddy's image represents our heart, our soul, our spirituality, and our hope for the future."
"Well, I like it," Maddy said. I hadn't heard her arrive, so her sudden appearance made me jump. She just smiled and reached up to take my hand. "Are you ready, Miss Sandy?"
"Ready for what?" I asked, suddenly perplexed.
Maddy just smiled a little wider. A second later, a terrible pain shot through me, and sent me reeling.
"Ow! Jesus! What was that?" I demanded, clutching my swollen belly. "Ow! Ow, ow, ow!"
"Sandy!" Skye cried, rushing over to grab me and help keep me upright. "What's wrong? What is it?"
"It… it hurts…" I gasped, struggling to articulate my pain.
Maddy let out a girlish giggle and did a little pirouette beside us. "Don't worry, Granddaddy's already on his way. The baby's coming!"
Chapter Twenty-Four
"What?" I cried, horrified. "But it's too early! The baby isn't due for another two weeks!"
Suddenly, Michael was beside me, and both Professor Madurrit and Doctor Cross were shoving their way to the front of the crowd.
"Doc!" I called. "It's too soon! Isn't it too soon?"
"Calm down, Ms McDermott," Doc instructed calmly. "Some babies are just in a hurry to be born. Let's get you upstairs and take a look. And remember – breathe."
"That's easy for you to say!" I complained. "It's taken me a while to accept that I'm going to be a mum, but by God I will kill someone if this baby is not okay."
Michael snatched me off my feet and carried me up to the infirmary without another word, with just about the entire population of Tumanako following along behind us. Once we reached the infirmary, Doc kicked them all out except for the Professor, the nurses, Michael, Skye, and Anahera, who was to act as my labour coach – but even with just them the room felt crowded.
Rebecca and Professor Madurrit stripped me and dressed me in a light robe, then they lifted me up onto one of the infirmary beds. After a few minutes of tests and examinations, Doc smiled reassuringly and patted my shoulder. "Everything's fine, Ms McDermott."
"Thank goodness," I gasped, leaning back against the pillows. Then realisation struck, and I shot him a horrified look. "Wait – does this mean I'm actually in labour? Now? But I'm not ready yet!"
"Ready or not, it looks like your baby is in quite a hurry," Professor Madurrit told me. "I just had a look, and you're already at four centimetres. Nothing's actually going to happen for a while yet, so just lie back and try to relax. We'll tell you when it's time for you to get into the birthing position. You still want to squat, right?"
I tried to answer, but my voice didn't want to respond to me so I just nodded vigorously. If gravity would help the pain be over quicker, then so be it. I'd cursed my way through all those exercises for a reason, and now it was time to use the muscles I’d toned up in preparation for this day.
Professor Madurrit beckoned Anahera over, and she fell into place beside me. She held my hand gently and guided me through the breathing exercises just like we'd practised. I heard other voices around me as the medical staff organised things, but I just ignored them and, focused on Anahera. There was no chance of an epidural, and even if there had been I would have refused it. Once the initial shock wore off, my natural stubbornness surfaced. If I had to become a mother then I was determined to do it as naturally as possible, unless there was a good reason not to. The health and well-being of my baby was my first concern, even ab
ove my own.
"Don't worry, dear," Anahera whispered, brushing my hair back away from my forehead with a gentle, maternal hand. "You can do this. I know you can. Just think, once this is over you'll have a beautiful bouncing baby of your very own."
"I'm not sure I'm ready," I admitted, my voice a harsh whisper. Another contraction clenched my midsection and made me growl like a wild animal, but I pushed past the pain to focus on Anahera. "I've been trying to tell myself I'm ready, but I'm not sure."
"You're never ready to be a mother," she replied. "Everyone is terrified and confused and anxious the first time, but experience will teach you everything you need to know." Suddenly, she smiled. "Don't forget, you're going to be surrounded by many mothers the whole way through, both new mums like yourself and experienced ones like me. We’ll take care of you and help you take care of your baby."
I nodded and tried to answer, but the pain stole my breath away again. Anahera helped me into a sitting position and put her arms around me.
"You'll do fine," she whispered reassuringly. "We've got some time before your baby is ready to actually come out. Sometimes moving helps relieve the pain. Would you like to walk around? Or perhaps take a nice, warm shower?"
The contraction faded again, and I finally found the breath to reply. "Yeah… I think a shower would be nice." I finally looked up and saw Michael hovering nearby looking anxious, while Skye was busy helping the nurses with whatever they were doing.
"Do you want me to help you?" Michael asked nervously. "You're not going to punch me again, are you?"
"I might, but not yet," I replied dryly. To answer his question about whether or not I wanted his help, I just held a hand out to him and gave him a tiny smile. He returned the smile with obvious relief, and hurried over to put his arm around me. He and Anahera did the robe up around my middle to preserve what little dignity I had left, then they marched me off to the bathrooms.
I was surprised to discover that the hallway outside was packed with people, just like after Ryan had been shot, but the atmosphere was completely different now. Everyone was smiling. They looked excited, anxious, and even a little bit nervous, but all of them looked happy.