Color of Forgiveness

by Madeleine Beckett

  “Are you guys just doing it one time a night? Because that’s not going to cut it… you need to be having nightly orgy’s with that man and make him pound that baby out of you.”

  “I’m not discussing my sex life with you,” Myra hisses.

  “Well, you just make sure you ride that stallion until you fall off the saddle tonight, all right?

  Myra makes a huffing sound while Jackie giggles again.

  “Okay,” Jackie says, staring at her computer. “This website says sex, of course, and castor oil. Acupuncture…”

  “Myra, you got any safety pins?” Susie asks. “I could so do some acupuncture on you.”

  Myra rolls her eyes.

  “Oh my god,” Jackie says, her eyes going wide.

  “What?” Susie asks excitedly.

  “It says… nipple stimulation.”

  Susie busts out laughing. “That’s it! That’s the problem. Dylan’s been giving you the salami, but he’s just not been stimulating your nipples properly. Tonight, just have the man suck on your tits for like a half hour each.”

  “While you bounce on a therapy ball,” Jackie shouts.

  “And while you suck on some prunes,” Susie adds, causing all of them to burst out laughing.

  “I bet laughing could totally induce labor because I feel like I’m having labor pains right now my gut hurts so badly,” Susie moans, wiping her eyes. “Plus I’ve wet my pants from laughing so why can’t it push a baby on out? We just need to make you laugh all day long.”

  Myra giggles crazily, holding both hands on her stomach and wondering if there could be some truth to Susie’s theory.

  * * *

  “How in the fucking hell did I get talked into walking around the damn mall?” Dylan growls at Myra. But he doesn’t need an answer because knows how. It was because he refused to let Susie and Jackie take Myra there without him. “I feel like a goddamn teenage girl.”

  Myra giggles and squeezes his hand. “You came here because you love me?”

  “That’s the only reason why.”

  Myra smiles up at him and rubs his arm.

  “They totally didn’t bring you here to put you in labor,” Dylan says in a low voice so that only Myra can hear. “Jackie is here for the shopping, and Susie is here for the food. They’re just using you as a fucking excuse.”

  “I know,” Myra agrees, grinning.

  They walk until they get to the food court. “Oh my... I have stumbled upon paradise,” Susie says in an awestruck voice.

  “You want anything to eat?” Dylan asks Myra.

  “No. I just want to sit. I’m kind of tired.”

  “You guys go get us a table,” Susie says, locking arms with Jackie. “I’m going to go get one of everything. I may or may not be back.”

  “You feel all right?” Dylan asks as he pulls out a chair for Myra at an empty table.

  “Yeah,” she says, sitting down. Dylan sits down beside her and frowns when he sees her grimace.

  “What? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing… My back just hurts a little.”

  Dylan’s heart starts to beat harder. He swallows hard. “Are you? Could you be…?”

  “No,” Myra says moving slightly in her chair to stretch. “I think it’s just from walking around the mall for so long.”

  “What does it feel like?”

  “Just kind of sore…”

  “Where?” Dylan asks. He touches her shoulder and begins lightly massaging it.

  “My lower back...”

  Dylan’s hand stops moving and his eyebrows furrow. “But isn’t that where they say that back labor shit starts?”

  “Yeah, but this can’t be labor because it doesn’t really hurt. I don’t know what labor feels like, but I would think it has to hurt, right?”

  Dylan shrugs. “Lean forward a little bit, and I’ll rub your back.”

  Myra leans forward and rests her elbows on the table. Dylan slips his hand up under her coat and sweater until he finds her warm skin. His fingers rub light, small circles on her lower back.

  Twenty minutes later, Susie and Jackie finally come back to the table each carrying a tray.

  Jackie frowns. “Does your back hurt or something?” she asks Myra as she sits down across from her.

  “It’s just a little sore,” Myra says.

  Dylan shakes his head at the pile of food on Susie’s tray. She picks up a loaded foot long Coney dog, but before she can take a bite Dylan hears a popping sound and Myra shouts, “Oh my god!”

  “What?” Dylan shouts, looking at her. “What the hell was that?”

  Myra looks down. “I think my water just broke.”

  Dylan’s eyes widen and his heart starts racing. “What?”

  Susie drops the Coney dog and jumps up out of her seat and shouts, “It’s about damn time!” She starts doing a frightening version of what might be considered the running man, but Dylan’s not quite sure what the hell to call it.

  Jackie jumps up from her seat and squeals, clapping her hands. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Myra’s going to have a baby. Today! Oh my god, oh my god. I’m going be an aunty again. Oh my god. Myra’s baby is going to call me Aunty Jackie.”

  Dylan wishes he could somehow make those two women disappear. “Holy shit,” he mumbles as he looks back at Myra’s stunned face. “What? I… Uh…” he stammers, having no clue in the damn world what to say or do other than freak the fuck out. “Shit! What do I do?” he asks, touching her stomach. “Are you in pain?”

  “I’m a little uncomfortable, but I’m okay. I’m just wet,” she says in embarrassment, looking down at herself. “I think we need to go to the hospital.” She reaches out and puts both hands on his face, pulling him close. “We’re going to have a baby,” she whispers, her eyes shining with a mixture of amazement and fear.

  “Holy shit,” he mumbles again. “The hospital,” he repeats and then it finally sinks into his brain. “The hospital! Shit, we gotta get to the fucking hospital.” He stands up so fast his chair goes flying to the floor behind him. He looks at Jackie and Susie and his mouth drops open. Jackie is still jumping up and down and clapping, but Susie is sitting back down, chewing something and taking her sweet old time wrapping up the chili dog and some of the food on her tray.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he shouts at Susie, his eyes narrowing. “We gotta get her to the hospital, now.”

  Susie continues chewing then she swallows. “Dylan, labor is a process,” she says in a calm voice. “It takes hours and hours and hours to get a baby here. I was in labor for twenty hours with Tucker. Now I just spent an arm and a leg on all of this fine food right here, and I don’t plan on wasting a single bite of it. I’m taking it with me.”

  “Oh…” Myra moans, bending over slightly and holding her stomach, her face twisted up in pain.

  Dylan’s heart lurches up into his throat. “Are you okay, baby?” he asks, dropping on his knees down beside her and gently rubbing her stomach.

  She moans a little more, her eyes clenched tight. Finally, her eyes open and he can see the fear in them. She shakes her head quickly at him.

  “Fuck,” he mumbles under his breath immediately standing.

  He looks at Susie. “Myra is going to the hospital now. If you wanna stay here, I don’t give a shit, but I’m leaving.” He picks Myra up carefully from the chair, and she wraps her arms around his neck.

  “Okay…” Susie says, huffing a little. “Geez, I’m coming. But I’m telling you, these things do take hours.”

  She turns to Jackie. “Here, stuff some of this food in your bag for me.”

  “No!” Jackie shouts indignantly.

  Dylan leaves them arguing in the food court and takes off with Myra in his arms. “You okay, baby? I’m taking you to the hospital, okay? Just hold on.”

  Myra closes her eyes and moans again, burying her face in his neck.

  “Hang on, baby, hang on.” He walks faster his heart beating erratically. Of course his tru
ck is parked all the way on the other side of the stupid fucking mall, and they’re at least twenty minutes away from the hospital if they don’t run into any traffic. To say he’s starting to panic would be the understatement of the fucking century.

  Myra lifts her head once the contraction subsides. “Where’s Susie and Jackie?” she mumbles.

  “I don’t know and I don’t give a shit. I’m just gonna get you to the damn hospital, baby.”

  “No. You can’t leave them at the mall. I need them there.”

  “Shit!” Dylan shouts before stopping and turning around. Jackie and Susie are both sprinting towards him, and Susie is carrying her goddamn tray still piled high with food. Myra giggles.

  “I’m gonna kill those two,” Dylan grunts before he turns and starts walking briskly again. “If they aren’t at the truck when we get there, I’m leaving their asses. They can find their own damn way to the hospital.”

  “You can’t leave them.”

  “I can and I will. All I care about is you and our baby.”

  “Well, if you love me, you won’t leave my two best friends at the mall.”

  “Fuck,” he mumbles in irritation. He turns around again. “Hurry up!” he shouts angrily.

  Myra stiffens in his arms. She moans again, one hand slipping from behind his neck to grip tightly to his shirt. “It’s okay, baby, you’re doing great. I know it hurts like hell, but it’ll be over in just a few minutes. You’re okay, baby, you’re okay.”

  He continues talking to her while he opens the door to exit the mall and makes his way out into the parking lot. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees his truck. “We’re almost to the truck, baby. We’re almost there.”

  “It hurts…”

  “I know, baby. I’m so sorry. I love you so much. Just hang in there, baby.”

  He unlocks the door and sits her down as gently as he can in the front seat. She hangs tight to his neck. “Don’t let me go. Please,” she begs.

  “I gotta let go for just a second, baby. I have to drive.”

  “No…” she groans and squeezes the fuck out of his neck. He rubs her stomach and whispers soothing words to her. Just as the contraction eases up, Jackie and Susie finally show up.

  “Holy hell,” Susie says, panting heavily. “I’m so outta shape. Instead of admitting Myra, they may have to admit me.”

  “Just get in the damn truck,” Dylan yells. “Her contractions are coming really fast.”

  Susie’s eyes widen. “Shit, Myra. Let’s go! I had no idea. I’m telling you guys that labor usually takes hours, sometimes days. I’m not making this crap up.”

  “Baby?” Dylan says to Myra as he touches her arm that has a vice grip on his neck. “I’m gonna have to let you go now so I can drive. But just for a minute, okay?”

  “No,” she says in a frightened voice. “Oh god, here comes another one. Don’t let me go.”

  “Fuck!” Dylan shouts. “Somebody else is gonna have to drive.” He picks Myra up and climbs in the backseat with her.

  “I can’t drive,” Susie argues. “I’d get us lost in a heartbeat. I don’t know Boise from Timbuktu.”

  “Oh my god...” Jackie says her eyes big and round. “I guess that means I have to drive. Oh my god… I’m freaking out. You’re truck is huge. I’ve never driven anything this big before.”

  “Just get in the truck!” Dylan yells again, causing Jackie and Susie to quickly scramble into the front seat.

  Dylan opens his legs and pulls Myra up against him so that her back rests against his chest. He pushes her hair away from her neck and wraps his arms around her stomach. “I’m here, baby,” he says in her ear. “It’s okay. I’m gonna be with you every second of this shit, okay? I love you, baby. I love you.”

  Myra grabs onto his hands and digs her fingernails into his skin, letting out a loud shriek.

  “Oh my god!” Jackie yells. “Don’t have the baby in this truck, Myra. You can’t have the baby in here. Shit! I’m freaking out!”

  “Just drive, damn it!” Dylan shouts.

  Jackie quickly starts the truck and slowly inches out of the parking space. “Am I going to hit anything? I can’t see a thing back there.”

  “Just back out, damn it,” Dylan growls. “If you hit something, I’ll pay for it.”

  Susie turns around and hangs over the seat, staring at Myra as she shoves a fry in her mouth. Dylan’s eyes narrow as he stares at her. “I’m sorry. I eat when I’m nervous!” she says.

  Susie touches Myra’s arm. “Myra, look at me. Breathe, honey. Hee hee hee. Hoo hoo hoo. Hee hee hee. Hoo hoo hoo. That’s it. Just like that...”

  Soon, the contraction is over and Myra loosens her grip on Dylan’s hands. He reaches up and smooth’s her hair back, lifting it off her neck so he can kiss her warm skin. “You did so good, baby,” Dylan tells her. “I’m so goddamn proud of you. The breathing shit helped, didn’t it?”

  Myra turns her head toward him, and there are tears streaming down her face. “They’re getting worse. I can’t do this.”

  “Yes, you can, baby. You can do this. You’re the bravest, most beautiful woman in the goddamn universe. You’re strong. I’m gonna help you. I’m not gonna leave you for a second.”

  “Somebody needs to call Sherri and Natalie,” Jackie shouts. “Call them and tell them to meet us at the hospital.”

  Dylan pulls his phone out and tosses it at Susie just as Myra starts digging her nails into his arm again. “It hurts,” she cries out. Dylan feels like his heart is getting ripped out of his chest. He can’t stand seeing her in so much pain.

  “I love you, baby. Breathe like Susie showed you. Breathe.”

  Susie hangs over the seat with the phone in her ear and a breadstick in the other hand and helps Myra with her breathing again. Dylan starts doing it with them. “That’s right, baby, you’ve got this.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they pull up in front of the hospital. “Oh my god, I’ll never get this stupid truck parked,” Jackie mumbles. “You’re doing awesome, Myra. I don’t know when I’ll be in there because this may take me a while, but I love you.” Dylan picks Myra up and he and Susie, still carrying her tray, practically run into the ER. Myra screams when she gets hit with another big contraction.

  “My best friend is having a baby. Right now,” Susie shouts to the nurse. “We need a doctor pronto!”

  “I need to push,” Myra pants in a desperate voice with tears streaking down her cheeks.

  Dylan’s eyes widen. “Don’t push. Don’t push, baby. Just hold on. It’ll only be a few more minutes.” Myra’s cries break his damn heart in two.

  They get whisked into a room with doctors and nurses rushing around and within minutes, the doctor has examined Myra and is telling her to get ready to push.

  “I can’t. It hurts,” Myra screams.

  “Give her a damn epidural,” Dylan shouts, pushing Myra’s sweaty hair off of her face.

  “It’s too late for an epidural,” the doctor tells him. “This baby is going to be here within minutes.”

  The doctor looks at Myra. “When your next contraction comes, I want you to bear down like you’re having a bowel movement and push as hard as you can, do you understand?”

  “No. No. It hurts so bad…” Myra moans. “I can’t. I can’t.”

  “You can do this, baby. You can do it,” Dylan says, squeezing her hand tight.

  “Myra. Listen to Dylan,” Susie says from the other side of the bed. She has her phone out and is videoing. “You’re so strong. Just a few pushes and you’ll get to see your baby, honey. Just a little bit more, and there won’t be any more pain, all right?”

  “Owww... Oh god. Shit!” Myra screams.

  “Push!” the doctor yells.

  “Push, baby… Push, harder... I’m so proud of you.” Dylan looks down and tears fill his eyes when he sees a dark head of hair. “Shit, baby, I can see its head,” he says, laughing as tears streak down his cheeks. “I can see our baby.”

  J
ackie flies into the room totally out of breath and stands beside Susie, who has tears streaming down her face. “I see it too,” Susie shouts. “Myra, I can see your baby.”

  “Oh my god…” Jackie mumbles staring with her mouth gaped open.

  Dylan grimaces, watching Myra’s face turn red as she pushes as hard as she can before letting out a blood curdling scream. Dylan gasps and lets out something between a laugh and a choked sob when he sees the back of the baby’s head slowly come into view. “Now don’t push for just a second,” the doctor says as he quickly cleans out the baby’s nose. “Now I want you to push this time, but not as hard.”

  Myra closes her eyes tight, squeezing Dylan’s hand and pushes again. He watches in astonishment as the baby’s shoulders pop out and the rest of its body slowly slides out into the waiting hands of the doctor.

  All of the breath leaves his body and tears pour down his face. The doctor lays the baby up on Myra’s stomach and quickly suctions out the nose and mouth. “You have a baby girl,” the doctor announces. “Congratulations!” And just as if on cue, the little baby girl lets out a huge wail.

  Myra touches their little girl then looks up at Dylan, tears streaming down her cheeks her eyes filled with so much damn happiness that it completely overwhelms him. He laughs loudly and kisses her cheek, his tears mixing with hers. “It’s a girl,” he says, a sob catching in his throat.

  “Oh my god… she’s so beautiful,” Myra says, sobbing. “She’s absolutely beautiful.”

  Jackie and Susie are holding each other, bawling their eyes out. “She is,” Susie chokes out. “She’s gorgeous.”

  The doctor quickly wipes the baby off with a towel. “Would you like to do the honors?” he asks Dylan, offering him a pair of scissors. Dylan’s hands shake so badly that he can barely take them from him. He quickly rubs the tears from his eyes so that he can see.

  “Just cut right here,” the doctor says, pointing.

  Dylan’s hand trembles but he somehow manages to cut the cord.

  The doctor wraps the baby in a blanket and puts her in Myra’s arms. “She’s a beautiful little girl. What’s her name?” he asks.

  “Yeah, what’s her name?” Susie asks in an eager voice, smiling ear to ear and wiping her eyes.