Intoxicated

by Stacey McCoy

  “HALF DAY!” he yells.

  “It’s okay Jake. I’ve done this before and Alex is here,” I say as I try to calm him. “Alex stop teasing. Arrgghhh.”

  “An ambulance is on the way,” Josie yells out above the crowd.

  Jake seems calmed by the knowledge that someone in a uniform will be here shortly. I’m afraid they might be a little late though.

  “Jake.”

  “Yes Kat. What is it? What can I do?”

  “You can marry me.”

  “What?”

  “We’re not married yet. Please hurry up and bloody marry me already.”

  “Well come on mate. Do your thing,” Jake pleads with the celebrant to continue.

  “Oh yes. Oh right. Okay here we go then.”

  “Aarrggghhh.”

  “Rings. Yes. We need the rings please,” orders the celebrant.

  Everyone stands back to allow Ashley and Aiden to pass us the rings. I quickly shove mine onto Jake’s ring finger and he places my ring, slightly more delicately, onto mine.

  The celebrant then announces, “I am proud to pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

  Leaning down Jake places a short, sharp kiss on my lips. Unfortunately his timing isn’t great as another contraction begins.

  “Okay everyone needs to back off. Kat is going to have this baby in a minute. Can someone bring lots of towels please and a few pillows. Just a few old ones will do thanks,” request Alex.

  “And hot water,” Jake yells out.

  “What the bloody hell do we need hot water for?” Alex asks Jake.

  “I don’t bloody know. Isn’t that what they say in the movies?”

  “Yeah, but it doesn’t make it right. Geez Kat your husband’s not so smart when he’s under pressure.”

  “Aleeeeeex aarrggghhh.”

  “Righto Kat. All you have to do is push a few more times and you’ll be a mum again.”

  I can feel pillows and towels being placed around me. Grabbing pillows in each hand I hold onto them with all my might.

  “Will I be a brother again?” asks Aiden as he sits by my head.

  “Yep,” replies Alex as she removes my underwear and spreads my legs.

  At least this action clears out over half of the crowd

  “Oh I bet it will be a girl,” says Ashley.

  Josie offers to take them inside, so that Alex can help me. They wander off with the rest of our guests, as if nothing unusual is happening in their backyard.

  “One more big push Kat and I reckon you’ll have it,” says Alex.

  “Have what?” asks Jake.

  “A baby you twit. She’s not about to have a litter of kittens you know.”

  “Holy shit,” says Jake.

  He looks pale.

  “Nice one mate. Way to go swearing around the kid,” teases Alex.

  “Oh shit sorry,” says Jake as he shoves a pillow under my head, elevating me. He doesn’t register that it’s a pillow that I was grasping onto, so I squeeze his hand instead.

  “For crying out loud Alex leave him be. Aaarrggghhhh.”

  “Okay the head’s out,” states Alex.

  Memories of Ash and Aiden’s labours come rushing back to me. Oh the pain. I remember the pain now and I once again can tell you that after this there will be no more children for us.

  “Jake come here.” Alex sounds excited as if she’s just found buried treasure.

  “Come where?”

  “Here between Kat’s legs. Where you’ve been a thousand times before.”

  Jake does as he’s told. “Oh shit Kat. I can see the head.”

  “Aaarrrrgggghhhh.”

  In her best calming voice Alex says, “Okay Jake, now catch.”

  I can feel the baby slip out of the warmth of my body and into the safety of Jake’s large strong hands. There couldn’t have been a more perfect birth ever. Jake holds our screaming baby in his hands and cries just as much as it does. To see him with the infant completes me.

  “Congratulations Mum and Dad, you have a brand new baby girl,” Alex says with a tear in her eye.

  Jake has an expression on his face that I’ve seen before. I’m reminded of Sam as I remember watching him fall in love with his children as he gazed upon them for the first time. I’m privileged to be able to witness such a precious moment again.

  “Oh my god Kat. We have a daughter.”

  “Can I hold her please?”

  Jake places our baby into my arms then lays down on a pillow beside me. Alex covers her with a towel and covers me with a blanket.

  “Oh Jake she’s perfect. Thank you.”

  “Thank me. No babe Thank you. This has got to be the best day of my life.”

  “It really is isn’t it?”

  Just then the ambulance crew pull up at the back gate. They check our baby girl over then help me onto a stretcher. Jake is by my side the whole time. He attempts to climb into the ambulance with me when one of the ambos says, “Mate, I don’t want to rain on your parade, but don’t you think it might be a good idea to get some clothes on before you come to the hospital with us. I mean I’m sure the female nursing staff won’t mind, but if there’s anyone in there with a heart condition, I don’t think your idea of clobber is going to help them in anyway.”

  “Yeah of course, but I can’t leave my wife and child.”

  Just then someone, I think it’s Johnno, hands Jake some clothes and an overnight bag for the baby and me. The hospital isn’t far away, so I’m sure I will be able to get everything else we need tomorrow.

  “Wait we can’t go without introducing Ash and Aiden to their sister,” I plead.

  As Jake gets dressed, Simone runs into the house to announce the safe arrival of our baby girl. Ashley and Aiden come running out of the house and bound up into the ambulance.

  “Oh wow Mum she’s beautiful.” Ashley adores her new sister instantly.

  “Aiden, do you want to say hi to your sister?”

  “Hi little one. What’s her name Mum?” he asks.

  “Oh well that’s a very good question mate. What is her name Jake?”

  “I was thinking Samantha.”

  My heart melts.

  “Jake I’m so happy that you would even consider such a name for our daughter. Truly it means the world to me, but you need to understand that I don’t need to be reminded of Sam, in this way, every day. I will never forget him, but I want this little one to have her own identity. Do you understand?”

  That and the fact that I think the name Samantha Anne Samson sounds a little congested. But I’ll keep those thoughts to myself.

  “Yeah of course. Thank you Kat.”

  “For what?”

  “For everything.”

  We kiss. Our first real kiss as husband and wife.

  “So then what’s her name?” Ashley asks impatiently.

  “What were you thinking of Kat?” Jake asks.

  “Hmm, I think she looks a little like a Lilly to me. What do you think Jake?”

  “I love it.” Jake kisses his daughter on the forehead and announces her full name, “Lilly Anne Samson. She’s perfect.”

  And right now, at this very moment, considering all that I’ve been through, my life truly is…perfect.

  The End.

  Acknowledgements

  You know there are reasons why certain people enter our lives.

  By making simple choices in our everyday lives we are sometimes unknowingly given the opportunity to be paired with some pretty amazing people. One of those people, to me, is June Colbert. June was my assigned tutor for the Certificate in Romance Writing course I did online when I first decided to become a writer. I was overflowing with self-doubt but June’s comments kept me going. She kept my desire to write burning inside me. If her comments had have been dull and lifeless then it would have been all too easy for me to let my dream die.

  Thank you June, for adding fuel to my fire.

  I have dedicated this book to my h
usband because he is my real life dream come true and even though I am a romantic at heart I still struggle to understand how it is that I fall further and further in love with him each and every day. Thank you my love for being my reality check, my critic partner and the man who loves me warts and all.

  Thank you to my two beautiful children. Even though they are too young to understand what this story is about their support and silence as I pound the keyboard each and every day is greatly appreciated. I love you both more than I could ever let you know.

  To my sister Jodie, my number one fan. Thank you for everything. Life has thrown some interesting obstacles our way but no matter what we will always have each other. I’m so incredibly lucky to have you in my life. Thank you for supporting and believing in me.

  To the rest of my family, thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement, it means the world to me. I’m thrilled I’ve been able to shock you all by becoming a published author.

  Who would have thought?

  A massive thank you to Craig Weise, Director of The Princes of the Night and one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Craig was kind enough to give me some of his time as I nervously interviewed him for one of my writing assignments. The information he shared helped me gain a better understanding of not only the tantalising world of male revues, but just how the business is run these days. I admire Craig’s business nous and commitment to a show he lives and breathes. Craig’s desire to produce a steamy production that is not only giddily entertaining, but pleasantly tasteful is admirable. Thank you Craig.

  To my dearest friend Nat ‘Rocks’ Soulsby. You truly do rock. You’re the most talented, determined, selfless person I know. Your creative skills have made this book what it is today. I am not only forever grateful for your help in all my graphic related needs, but also for the attention to detail you have given me with each and every piece or idea I have ever emailed you or spoken to you about. You give me such honest and encouraging reviews and I love you for that. Thank you. Don’t ever change.

  To my aunty Chris. Thank you for being pleasantly surprised after reading this novel. The greatest compliment you could ever give me was when you told me that my story made you laugh out loud, cry and feel genuine emotion for the characters I created. I’m so lucky to have such inspirational women in my life. Thank you.

  A special thanks to my dear friend Claire Soulsby for reading and commenting on every single piece of writing I have ever sent you. You’re an amazing, talented woman. Your thoughtfulness makes me want to be the best person I can possibly be. Thank you.

  A massive thank you also goes out to my dear, long-time friend, Carly Horsfall. Carly became another victim to my constant email hounding and still to this day I know I can contact her to either read something I’ve written or simply get her honest opinion on a new book idea I may have. It’s rare to find people who speak so positively and encouragingly and really, really mean it. Carly is exactly what a true friend is and should be. Thank you.

  To the rest of my friends. Wow! Seriously I have to slap myself every day to come to terms with just how lucky I am to know such an amazing group of people. Each and every one of you inspire me in different ways each and every day. I am a better person because of you.

  Lucie Zubur and Anita Stirling, I will be forever grateful for your mad editing skills. This novel would still have errors if it weren’t for you two.

  Thank you for being the skilled, talented, educated, wonderful women you are. Thank you, for everything.

  To all of my readers. Don’t ever think you’re unable to achieve something that may seem alien to you. If you believe you can do it, then do it. If what you want to do doesn’t harm you or anyone else then give it all you’ve got and follow your dreams.

  The only person stopping you….is you.

  About the author

  I’m a happy farmer’s wife and a dedicated mother of two. I work part-time and rarely want to do anything other than write in my spare time.

  I’ve only been writing since September 2014 and even though it’s taken a long time for me to realise what it is I want to do with my life (regarding career choice) I can’t tell you how comfortable and confident I feel when I write.

  Why do I write? Because I want to make people cry, laugh, feel every aching heartbreak and moment of pure elation and point of ecstasy my characters experience.

  Admitting to myself and others that I wanted to write and become a published author, at first, was confusing and scary to them and me. Never had I thought it be possible that I write more than one full length novel…but I have and now I am a published author.

  I hope you’ve enjoy this novel and all future novels yet to be published.

  COMING SOON

  REANIMATION

  The first book in the REANIMATION TRILOGY

  “My father has found a cure for vamps disease.”

  Read an excerpt at www.staceymccoy.com

  Follow me @ https://www.facebook.com/StaceyMcCoyAuthor

  Instagram @staceymccoyauthor