Dedicated Ink

by Rose, Ranae

  “I’ll get it.” Natalie hurried to welcome their mother inside.

  “Let me carry one of those, mom.” She returned to the kitchen laden with a tray of finger sandwiches. By the time she and their mother were done, the table was spread with an assortment of snacks. They’d set up just in time; seconds later, the other guests began to pour in.

  Mina, Zoe and Karen arrived together, along with Mina’s little sister, Jess. Their voices filled the living room as they sat their gift bags at the foot of what was quickly becoming a mountain of presents, dotted with bows instead of trees.

  A handful of Abby’s aunts and female cousins made up most of the rest of the crowd, along with a couple friends from the art school she’d graduated from several years ago. Inside the three bedroom house, it seemed like a lot of people.

  Abby felt like the alpha wolf in a particularly hungry pack when she headed for the kitchen table buffet and the rest of the women gravitated in the same direction. She couldn’t eat a lot at once anymore – there just wasn’t enough room – but she could eat every hour, on the hour, if she let herself.

  “Congratulations.” Karen approached with a big grin and a plate full of fruit and mini-sandwiches. “I can’t wait for you to see what I got you – Jed helped me pick it out.”

  “Really?” In her several years of working for Jed, never once had she imagined him shopping for baby stuff.

  “Yeah, well, I sort of lured him into shopping with me by promising him dinner out afterwards.”

  “Whatever works.” Abby fought a smirk as she imagined Jed being dragged through the baby aisles at Target, where she’d made her registry, or some other place.

  The congratulations kept coming, as did the hugs, and the hands pressed against the roundest part of her belly. It was hard to mind the contact when they asked first – some people, even strangers, didn’t, which was perhaps the weirdest part of being pregnant. Forget how the human body was capable of changing to accommodate new life – there was nothing more bizarre than a total stranger walking up to you, grinning, and reaching for your belly.

  The babies gave a few kicks, much to the delight of the crowd that had gathered between the table and the counter.

  “So you still don’t know the gender of baby number two?” Mina asked.

  Abby shook her head. “They tried again with another ultrasound, but he or she just wasn’t cooperating. All we’ll know until they’re born is that one is a boy.”

  “Is it exciting, not knowing, or just frustrating?”

  Abby shrugged. “Exciting, mostly. Initially, Sam and I wanted to know so we could prepare more easily, but we’re fine with the way it worked out. It’ll be kind of fun to have a surprise.” The entire house reflected the mystery surrounding the second baby’s gender; the decorations Natalie had chosen were all tri-colored – blue, yellow and pink.

  “I bought you one girl outfit, just in case,” Abby’s mother said. “So you’ll have something special to bring the baby home in if it’s a she. If not, I’ll just return it.”

  When the table buffet had been stripped of half its offerings, Natalie gathered everyone in the living room to begin what looked like a long list of games. Abby made it through baby bingo, a baby picture matching game and an obstacle course – complete with twin dolls to perform hasty diaper changes on – before the punch she’d had beforehand caught up with her.

  “Be right back,” she said to Natalie, who was setting up for the next game.

  Luckily, the half bath in the hallway wasn’t occupied. She slipped inside, dreaming of a time in the not-so-distant future when drinking a cup of punch wouldn’t mean having to hurry to the bathroom several times in an hour. Only three and a half more weeks to go, if she gave birth on her due date.

  When she was finished she pulled up her most flattering boot cut maternity jeans and adjusted her sparkly tunic top – one of few shirts that still fit her – before scrubbing her hands with the watermelon hand soap that rested on the edge of the sink.

  She was halfway done drying her hands when a knock came at the door.

  “Be right out,” she called, relinquishing her hold on the towel.

  She turned on her heel and stopped immediately, a bolt of surprise freezing her in place as a distinct pop that was both felt and heard struck her middle, like a rubber band snapping against her lower belly. She barely had time to draw a breath before something warm and liquid crept down her legs. When she lifted the hem of her top, there were dark spots spreading over the insides of her thighs.

  Had her water broken? It was the only thing that made sense; she’d just emptied her bladder.

  Why hadn’t anyone ever mentioned that feeling your water break felt exactly like peeing your pants?

  “Abby?”

  Abby took a deep breath, recognizing her sister’s voice. “Yeah?” Standing there in her soaked jeans – the fluid just kept coming – the single word was the only reply that came to mind.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I think my water just broke.”

  CHAPTER 12

  “Really? I’m coming in.”

  The door knob jiggled but didn’t turn until Abby unlocked it.

  “Are you sure?” Natalie entered the small half bath, forced to stand a scant step in front of Abby.

  “Careful, or you’ll get your socks wet.”

  Abby hadn’t dropped the hem of her shirt. With wide eyes, Natalie observed the mess Abby’s jeans had become.

  “Okay, let’s get you into some dry clothes and to the hospital.”

  “I haven’t had any contractions yet! This just … came out of nowhere.”

  “Well, we need to at least call your doctor. And you can’t keep wearing those pants.”

  Walking down the hall in soaked jeans in the middle of a party wasn’t something Abby relished, but her bedroom was only a few steps away. “My due date is almost a month away,” she said as Natalie pulled the bedroom door shut. “This isn’t supposed to be happening.”

  “A lot of twins come early, don’t they?” Natalie opened the closet as Abby undressed. “At least you’re only a couple days away from being considered full-term.”

  It was a comfort, but a small one. Her doctor had told her that most babies were born within two weeks of their due dates, so she hadn’t planned on making the big trip to the hospital just yet. “I guess you’re right. I shouldn’t be so surprised.”

  She was, though. Other than the urinary tract infection that had given her a scare, her pregnancy had been mercifully free of complications. She hadn’t exactly been counting on popping during her baby shower, but at least her water had broken in the bathroom and not in front of everyone during one of the games.

  “I should’ve thrown the shower weeks ago,” Natalie said, pulling a pair of maternity pants from the closet. “It was just so hard to find a date that worked for everyone, and I didn’t want anyone to miss out. Are these okay?”

  Abby opened her mouth to reply but settled for nodding instead when a crampy ache struck her abdomen.

  “Are you okay?” Natalie arched a brow as she approached Abby, who’d sunk down onto the edge of the bed, pantsless and pantiless. The hem of her tunic top just barely fell past her hips and covered her.

  “I think I might be having a contraction. It feels like period cramps, but isn’t that what they’re supposed to feel like at first?”

  Natalie nodded. “Mine did. We should keep track of how far apart yours are. Do you have a notebook or something?”

  Five minutes later, Abby was sitting on a towel, the dry pants laid out on the bed beside her for whenever she was ready to leave the room. Meanwhile, she held a notebook and pen, using her cell phone’s stopwatch function.

  Natalie was using her phone too, to call the doctor.

  Abby tuned out, distracted by the ache in her belly and the noise coming from the living room. After Abby and Natalie had disappeared without warning, their mother had eventually come to see what was going on. N
ow all the shower guests knew – Abby was in labor. Judging by the noise carrying down the hallway, the tone of conversation felt generally excited, though it had to be awkward for them to hang around when the party had stalled to an unexpected lull.

  “Maybe you could go cut the cake for everyone,” Abby suggested as Natalie set down her phone.

  Natalie arched a brow. “Don’t you want to know what the doctor said?”

  “Of course.”

  “Since you’re having twins and are just short of being full-term, he wants you to head to the hospital.”

  Natalie’s words took Abby’s breath away in a way the contractions hadn’t yet. “Already? My contractions only just started. And Sam is at the movies.”

  “I’ll call Sam. What’s his number?”

  Abby recited it from memory, but uncertainty tied her stomach in knots. What if Sam’s phone was off – what if they had to head to the hospital without him? She didn’t even know what movie he was seeing, or when it ended.

  Seconds dragged by as Natalie sat cross-legged on the end of the bed, her phone held to her ear. She didn’t say a word. After a long minute, she ended the call and initiated another. “I’ll keep trying,” she said eventually, shooting Abby an apologetic gaze.

  “He must’ve turned his phone off for the movie,” Abby said, her gut clenching, and not because of a contraction.

  “He should’ve kept it on vibrate,” Natalie said, “with your due date so close.”

  Abby shook her head, even though she was surprised he hadn’t. “Technically, this is premature labor. He must not have thought of that.”

  Except, thinking like that seemed like a very Sam thing to do. Why had he chosen now, of all times, to break character? “I don’t want to go to the hospital without him.” She should’ve said something before he’d left, should’ve thought of this herself.

  “The movie is probably almost over by now,” Natalie said, gripping one of Abby’s hands. “I’ll keep trying his number. I’m sure we’ll get ahold of him soon, and at any rate, we need to do what your doctor says.”

  Natalie was right, but Abby’s heart sped anyway. Head to the hospital without Sam even knowing that she was in labor? It went against everything they’d planned for, everything she’d hoped for. But what else could she do? If her doctor said she needed to go to the hospital, she’d better listen. Slowly, she nodded. “I’ll need pants.”

  Luckily, her water seemed to have stopped flowing. As quickly as she could, she got dressed.

  “Where are your shoes?” Natalie was already by the bedroom door.

  “Out in the living room. I need something out of the nursery first – my hospital bag.” She and Sam had put it together a month ago, thank God. The small duffel contained everything she might need at the hospital, for herself and for taking the babies home.

  Natalie zipped into the nursery and emerged holding a blue bag by its strap. “This it?”

  Abby nodded. “Thanks.”

  “I’ve got it.”

  Natalie shouldered the bag and made a beeline for the shoe rack by the front door.

  In her mind’s eye, Abby could see Sam walking down the hall, the bag slung over one of his broad shoulders. The fantasy brought a split second of comfort, then deeper worry. What if she had to lie in a hospital bed and endure labor without him?

  She couldn’t even send anyone to the movie theater to tell him what had happened – she didn’t know what theater he was at, or what movie he was seeing, because she hadn’t asked.

  With her heart in her throat, Abby moved forward. Her progress through the house was much slower than Natalie’s. The baby shower crowd seemed torn between excitement and worry. Her family and friends reached out to her as she more or less waddled through the living room, notebook and pen still in hand. They touched her shoulders or squeezed her hands this time, avoiding contact with her belly.

  “Here,” Karen said, bounding across the living room, tearing ribbon and paper away from a gift with every step. “This is my gift to you. Well, mine and Jed’s.” She smiled, pulled the lid off the box and revealed its contents with a flourish.

  Yards of fabric printed with pretty purple blossoms unfurled. “It’s a designer delivery gown, to wear at the hospital. We thought it’d match your tattoos.”

  “Thank you. It’s beautiful.” She took the gown, noting the dainty ribbon ties. She’d never considered buying a delivery gown of her own, but as she held the one Karen had given her, it was obvious why some women chose to do so. “I can’t believe Jed helped you pick this out.”

  Karen laughed. “He has an eye for color and design, even if he pretends not to when you get him inside a clothing store. Good luck at the hospital, Abby.”

  “Thanks.”

  Abby flashed an apologetic smile around the room. “Sorry I didn’t get a chance to open all your gifts.” Another contraction hit her, dull but uncomfortable. Glancing at her phone and scribbling down the time, she moved forward, handing the gown to Natalie so she could tuck it into the hospital bag.

  “Don’t forget this.” Confetti-like bits of wrapping paper still clung to the small, lavender bundle Abby’s mother shoved into the duffel. When she was done, the end of one tiny sleeve hung out. “Just in case.”

  “Thanks. Bye, you guys. Stay as long as you want, and make sure you eat the cake before you leave.” She glanced toward the window, half-hoping to see Sam pulling into the driveway. Maybe the movie was already over and he’d just forgotten to turn his phone back on.

  No such luck.

  “Mom,” Abby said, pulling her mother aside as a gust of cold wind rushed through the halfway open front door, “Sam doesn’t know I’m in labor. We can’t get ahold of him – he said he was going to a movie with some guys from work, and we think he shut off his phone.”

  Abby’s mother nodded. “I’m sure you’ll be able to get in touch with him soon. Just in case, I’ll stay here until you call and let me know you’ve spoken to him. If he calls here or comes by the house, I’ll tell him you’re at the hospital.”

  “Thanks, mom.” Abby gave her mother a hug, knowing full well she’d rather head to the hospital than stay home to manage the interrupted party and keep an eye out for Sam. She’d been present for both Ava and Lucas’ births.

  “It’s no problem. Don’t worry about what’s going on here, and be sure to let me know when you hear from Sam – I’ll head to the hospital after you’ve gotten in touch with him.”

  Abby nodded. “Can you lock up after everyone leaves?” Struggling with her house key, she eventually managed to free it from her key ring and hand it to her mother.

  “Sure. I’ll take care of everything, and I’ll see you at the hospital soon.”

  After another quick hug, Abby was outside again and finally made it to Natalie’s car, where she slipped into the passenger seat.

  “Here we go.” Natalie brought the engine to life, and they were on their way to the hospital. Somewhere in the city, Sam was oblivious.

  * * * * *

  The pain was unreal. Briefly, Abby remembered the week or two she’d spent considering natural childbirth. After talks with her mother, Natalie and one of her cousins who was also a mother, she’d decided that when the time came, she’d opt for medication. Now, the idea of refusing it seemed laughable.

  Except she couldn’t laugh, couldn’t speak.

  “Hang in there,” Natalie said, grasping one of Abby’s hands, “you’re doing great.”

  As soon as the contraction passed, Abby groaned. How many more would she have to endure? She wasn’t nearly ready to push – the anesthesiologist hadn’t even arrived to perform the epidural she’d requested yet. A nurse had started an IV that delivered some pain relief, but the drug’s effectiveness was wearing thin as Abby’s labor progressed.

  “I can’t believe we haven’t heard from Sam yet.” His absence – his lack of contact – grated on Abby’s heart, driving the pain of labor deeper. Surely the movie he’d gone to see wa
s over now, unless they’d gone out to eat beforehand. Or maybe he really had just forgotten to turn his phone back on…

  It was all so unlike him, so agonizing to guess at.

  “I’ll go ahead and try his cell again while you’re between contractions.” Natalie pulled out her phone and retreated to a corner.

  Abby waited, dividing her attention between Natalie and the door, hoping for news from Sam, hoping for the arrival of the anesthesiologist.

  The sound of Natalie’s voice snared her attention and sent her heart rate spiking. She’d finally gotten through! Abby sat up as straight as she could, abandoning the support the pillows provided.

  The conversation was short, and when Natalie ended the call, she was frowning.

  “Where is he?” Abby demanded.

  “He’s here.”

  Abby breathed a sigh as tension drained out of her muscles. Finally. “He must’ve talked to mom.”

  Natalie shook her head, her eyes wide and shining. “No. His friends brought him into the emergency room. There was an accident.”

  Abby’s blood ran cold, freezing out the drugs she’d been given and opening her to the full scope of her pain. “What?”

  “Well, not an accident, really – he was assaulted. At the theater.” She grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

  “By who?” Trish had been arrested, and Abby’s guard had gone down as soon as she’d heard the news.

  “A criminal, apparently. The man who attacked him is in police custody.”

  “Did Sam tell you all this?” Abby’s heart lodged itself in her throat and beat painfully as she waited for an answer, her mind flooding with memories of Sam’s busted lip, how it’d been swollen and broken on the evening they’d spent playing Ms. Pac-Man and eating Italian.

  Natalie shook her head again. “One of the guys he went to the movie with – he said his name was Cohen – answered the phone. Sam is being treated by a doctor.”

  “Is he okay?” A sharp wave of pain twisted Abby’s voice as she asked. She gripped the sides of the bed and clenched her teeth.

  “He has several knife wounds. I – I’m not sure how serious they are.”