by J. O Mantel
Jake was humming along to Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise and hadn’t noticed Sienna fall asleep.
He climbed down from the ladder, and as he saw her lying there on the floor, he smiled. He didn’t want to wake or move her, so he went to her room, grabbed her pillows and blanket, then switched off the stereo before he headed back to the nursery. He lifted her head gently and placed the pillows underneath. He then covered her with the blankets.
It was after 4am when he finally finished the entire nursery. Yawning, he reached for his phone and took some photos of the room. Exhausted, and unable to make it past the door, he fell to the floor and instantly fell asleep.
Sienna woke up some time after 10am. She looked and saw Jake lying in the doorway. She yawned and massaged her neck and back. She got up and stood in the center of the room, slowly she turned around and stared at the finished nursery. It was amazing. Beautiful, exactly how she’d wanted it. She couldn’t wipe the smile from her face as she circled the entire room.
“Jake” she whispered but he didn’t move.
“Jake” she said a little louder.
“Huh? What? Ouch” He rolled over and smacked his head on the door.
“Jake!” Sienna walked over and helped him sit up.
“Are you all right?” She asked.
“That’s gonna leave a mark,” Jake rubbed his forehead. “What’s going on?”
“Sorry, I was just going to tell you to get up and go to bed.”
He finished rubbing his forehead and looked around the room.
“You stayed up all night?” Sienna asked.
“A little hard work never hurt anybody,” he replied.
They both stood in the center of the room and had another look at the mural.
“Thank you,” Sienna whispered.
Jake placed his hand on her shoulder, and she rested her head on his.
“You’re welcome,” he smiled.
After performing several promotional gigs on the Continent, Lightning Ridge arrived in London, but had to postpone the rest of their tour, due to Tori coming down with a severe case of pneumonia and laryngitis. She was unable to travel further and doctors told her it could be weeks before she was well again. While Ryan chose to stay with Tori, Lance headed to L.A. and Jake took advantage of the opportunity and do some sightseeing around London.
Meanwhile, Lukas’s apartment was covered with pink and blue balloons. Ivy had spent the last two days preparing it for the baby shower. The caterers arrived at 10a.m. and plated all the food, Ivy had the music sorted, and Margaret arrived from Arizona shortly after 10a.m., Sienna greeted her and showed her to her room. Then she gave her a tour of the apartment.
“WOW! This place is amazing,” she said, as they headed back to the kitchen.
Ivy was walking around in a panic, frantically trying to organize everything. Sienna saw how stressed she was and walked over to her.
“Ivy?”
“Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen…” Ivy whispered.
“Ivy,” Sienna called a little louder.
“What?” Ivy replied, looking up at her.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m just making sure everything’s organized. I can’t find the seafood plate, I know I ordered it.”
“I put it in the freezer.”
“Really? Ok, thank goodness. Um, shit, where did I put the hors d’oeuvres?”
“Ivy!” Sienna said, loudly. “Chill, babe. Everything’s sorted. The hors d’oeuvres are in the fridge, the food is on the table, the music is playing and my mom’s here. Now will you please calm down and stop stressing. Everything’s perfect.”
Ivy took a breath and smiled at Sienna.
“I’m sorry. Hello Margaret,” she walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging her.
“Hello, Ivy. You look amazing, and the place looks wonderful, you’ve done a great job.”
“Thank you,” Ivy replied.
Sienna looked at the clock on the wall, she quickly grabbed her keys and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Her mom asked.
“I’m picking up Olivia and Emily from the airport. They’ll be here in an hour.”
“Wait, I’ll come with you, but I’ll drive. I haven’t seen them since we all had Thanksgiving together. It will be lovely to see her again.”
Sienna sighed, Ivy and Margaret both looked at her.
“What’s wrong? Is everything okay?” Her mom asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve just got a lot on my mind, that’s all.”
“Well, you need to put everything out of your head for today and have some fun.” Ivy turned and went back to the kitchen.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” Margaret asked.
“It’s nothing mom…It’s just…I have no idea if Lukas’s mom is coming or not. If she shows up here today, what the hell am I supposed to call her? I’ve never even met the woman.”
“Sienna, I think you’re reading too much into this. Lukas is an amazing guy, and he loves you. I’m sure there’s a reason why you haven’t met his parents yet. If his mom happens to come today, all you need to tell people is the truth, that she’s his mother.”
Sienna smiled.
“Did Lukas say that she was coming?”
“He didn’t mention anything, and to be honest mom, I didn’t want to bring it up and cause an argument.”
“Why would you cause an argument?” Margaret asked.
“Lukas is very secretive when it comes to his parents. In the two years that we’ve been together, he’s very rarely mentioned them, and I’ve never seen any photos of them around his place.”
“Sienna, you know Lukas better than anyone else. I know this may be hard for you to understand, but you have to realize, Lukas is a celebrity, he’s in the spotlight every day. Did it ever occur to you that maybe he wants to keep his parents away from all that? Maybe he wants to protect their privacy.”
She’d never thought to look at it like that. It took her a while to get used to being in the spotlight with Lukas, and even now there were times when she still didn’t find it easy. All those cameras, the paparazzi, and screaming fans, it was still overwhelming at times.
“Thanks mom,” she said.
Margaret grabbed her purse, then she and Sienna headed to the airport.
One by one, the guests started to arrive, and Ivy handed them each a diaper pin to wear, they placed their gifts on one of the tables provided, and the caterers started walking around with plates of food.
Sienna, Margaret, Emily and Olivia returned a short while later. They all made their way to the living room and Sienna said hello to everyone. She poured herself some juice and grabbed one of the muffins that were being handed around by one of the caterers. She took a seat in the center of the living room, and everyone made a circle around her.
Ivy started with the first game, Don’t Say Baby. No one was allowed to say the word baby until the presents were opened, which would be after the other games were finished. Anyone who was caught saying the word, was out of the game and had to forfeit their baby pin. Penny, one of Sienna’s friends from work, collected the most diaper pins by the end of the game, and she was declared the winner.
The next couple of hours consisted of more baby games including; Baby items in the bag, where the guests took turns at feeling inside a diaper bag that was full of baby gifts. Whoever guessed what was in the diaper bag won a prize and Sienna got to keep the goodies. A couple of hours passed and it was time for Sienna to open her presents. There was still no sign of Lukas’s mom and Sienna had given up any hope that she would show up, she didn’t however, let it ruin her day.
She opened the first present, a Bugaboo Donkey Twin pram from Ivy and Dick. She received two high chairs from Emily and Chris. Tom and Margaret gave her two car seats, while her mom and dad gave her two christening outfits. The rest of the presents consisted of toys, diapers, blankets, clothing, baby store vouchers and cash.
Fin
ally it was time for Sienna to cut the cake, which was made of chocolate fudge and was covered with blue and pink icing, with the words Congratulations Sienna written on it. She thanked Ivy and all her guests for attending, including Olivia and Emily.
As the guests mingled with one another, Sienna really needed to use the bathroom, so she headed upstairs. She sat down on the bed in Lukas’s room and looked at the time, it was just after 3pm, and both Lukas and Jake would be on stage right about now. Sienna wished that she was there to see them.
She slowly started making her way back downstairs, and as she placed her foot in front of her, she missed the step, falling down the last few steps. She let out a loud call for help, holding her belly.
“SIENNA!” Ivy called, racing over to her
Suddenly all the guests gathered around Sienna, as her mother, Olivia and Ivy tried to help her.
“Are you all right?” Margaret asked.
Sienna had tears in her eyes and she was holding her belly, in pain.
“Sienna?” Olivia questioned her.
Sienna continued to hold her belly, no one wanted to move her and risk causing any harm.
“Where does it hurt, Sienna?” Her mom asked.
Sienna crouched over, still holding her belly as the tears streamed down her face. Ivy grabbed her cell phone and called 9-1-1.
The ambulance immediately drove Sienna to New York’s Presbyterian Maternity Hospital. Ivy, Margaret, Emily and Olivia followed in Ivy’s car.
“Has anyone called Jake or Lukas?” Margaret asked.
“I tried before we left the house, but I couldn’t get through. Lukas is in Europe at the moment with the band, he must be on stage.”
“What about Jake?” Olivia asked.
“It went straight to voicemail,” Ivy replied.
“I’ll try him again,” Olivia said. She dialed Jake’s number and waited, “Voicemail.”
They reached the hospital and followed the paramedics as they wheeled Sienna into the ER.
“What do we have?” One of the doctors asked.
“Thirty-five-year-old female, eight months pregnant with twins, fell down the stairs. Severe pain in the lower abdomen,” the paramedic replied.
Margaret went after the paramedics, but one of the nurses stopped her and told her that she needed to wait. The four of them sat in the waiting room and waited for a doctor. Ivy tried to call Lukas and Jake again, but there was still no answer.
“I can’t believe the two of them are out of town at a time like this,” Ivy said, frustrated as she stood up and paced the corridor.
“Ivy, you can’t blame Jake and Lukas for this. They didn’t know any of this was going to happen, no one did. At the end of the day, the two of them still have to get on with their lives.”
It was almost an hour later and Dick arrived at the hospital, giving each of them a kiss and a hug, he sat down next to Ivy.
“Any news?” He asked.
“No. They’re still examining her, I should never have had that baby shower at his apartment. None of this would have happened.” Ivy replied.
“Ivy, this is not your fault. It was an accident, you’re not to blame” Olivia said.
They waited patiently for a doctor to give them news, Ivy was beside herself with tears. Dick placed his arm around her and pressed her head against his chest.
About thirty minutes later, one of the nurses came out of one of the rooms. She walked over to Ivy and the others.
“How is she? Is she all right?” Ivy asked.
“Are you a relative?” The nurse asked.
“I’m her mother,” Margaret interrupted. “Is she all right, are the babies okay?”
“Your daughter was very lucky. There was no internal damage and both the babies are doing fine. The doctor’s doing some final checks on her now.”
A sigh of relief swept over all of them. Ivy hugged Dick, while Margaret, Emily and Olivia shared a hug also.
“Can we see her?” Margaret asked.
“Once the doctor has finished examining her, I’ll come out and let you know.”
“Thank you” Margaret replied, as the nurse turned and headed back to the room.
“Thank goodness,” Olivia said, sitting back down on the chairs.
“See? I told you she was going to be okay,” Dick reassured Ivy.
They sat down and waited for the doctor.
“Who wants some coffee?” Dick asked.
“Sure, I’d love one” Margaret replied.
“Coffee would be great,” Olivia said.
“Ivy?” Dick asked.
“Maybe just some water.”
He kissed her on the lips and headed for the cafeteria.
It was some time before the doctor came out of the room. He approached them and spoke with Margaret.
“I understand you’re Sienna’s mother?” He asked.
“Yes that’s right.”
“I’m Dr. Thompson,” the two of them shook hands.
“How is she?” Margaret asked.
“She’s fine. She was very lucky. It could have been a lot worse.”
“And the babies?” Ivy asked.
“They’re fine too, perfectly healthy.”
“Before we brought her in, she was holding her lower abdomen and appeared to be in a lot of pain.”
“The fall put a large amount of pressure on the womb, that’s the pain she felt. She’s undergone some tests, and all three are perfectly fine. But she will need to be on strict bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy.”
“Yeah! Good luck trying to get her to comply with that,” Ivy said. “She’s too stubborn to listen.”
“When can we see her?” Margaret asked.
“She’s asleep, but you can head in there now. Just try and keep the noise to a minimum.”
Dr. Thompson had a nurse show them to Sienna’s room. When they got there she was sound asleep.
“Somebody should try and contact Jake and Lukas again,” Olivia said.
Ivy looked at her watch, “Lukas should be off stage by now. I’ll try him again.”
“And I’ll try Jake,” Emily replied.
They both left the room while Margaret, Olivia and Dick remained with Sienna.
“Hello?” Jake answered.
“Jake! Oh thank God.”
“Emily?”
“Where have you been? We’ve been trying to call you for hours.”
“My phone died, and I left my European adaptor at home, so I had no way of charging the battery. I’ve spent the day wandering around London. What’s wrong? Is Sienna okay?”
“We’re at the hospital. Sienna’s had an accident.”
“Accident? What happened?”
“She fell down the stairs at Lukas’s apartment. But she’s fine and the babies are okay too.”
“Oh my God. I’m coming home.”
“Jake! Stop. You don’t need to come home. Margaret’s here with her, so is Ivy, mom and me. We’re going to look after her. The doctor has ordered her to be on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. Margaret and mom will see to it that Sienna follows those orders.”
“Good luck with that. Anyway, Tori’s come down with pneumonia and laryngitis, she’s been ordered to take time off, and we can’t travel until she’s better. Stuart’s made the decision to postpone the tour until she’s well enough to travel again.”
“Jake, you are not flying all the way back here. Stop being so stubborn and listen to your sister. Sienna is fine and the babies are fine. Okay? Now, Margaret, mom and I will look after Sienna until you and Lukas both return from your trips. Is that understood?”
“But, Em-”
“Don’t but me,” Emily interrupted.
It was useless, when his sister made a decision it was final. Jake knew better than to argue.
“I’m not going to win this, am I?”
“Nope.”
“What about dad?”
“Dad will be fine. He can manage a few days without mom. Now,
I don’t want you to worry. Enjoy London. If there’s any news, I’ll get in touch with you straight away.”
“Thanks Emily. Give my love to Sienna please.”
“I will” she replied, hanging up the phone.
“Any luck with Lukas?” Emily asked.
“No. He’s still not answering his phone. I’ve left over a dozen messages.”
“He might still be on stage. I managed to get through to Jake, I told him everything’s all right and he didn’t need to worry.”
“If I know Jake, he would have insisted on jumping on the first flight back here.”
“Oh he did. But Jake knows better than to argue with his sister,” Emily laughed.
The two of them walked back into Sienna’s room, she was still fast asleep and Margaret and Olivia were sitting in chairs beside her.
“Any luck?” Margaret asked.
“I’ve managed to get through to Jake. I’ve told him that she’s okay and not to worry. He sends his love.”
“Lukas?”
“There’s still no response. He might still be on stage” Ivy said.
“Well I guess he’ll call when he sees that you’ve tried calling him.”
Dick returned with some sandwiches and snacks for everybody to munch on, while Margaret and Olivia discussed looking after Sienna.
With Jake and Lukas both away, they decided that they would both stay at Sienna’s place and nurse her back to health until the boys returned home.
A couple of hours passed, and Ivy was starting to feel very tired, she had nodded off a couple of times on Dick’s shoulder.
“This is ridiculous, babe. We need to get home, you’re exhausted.”
“No! I-”
“Ivy, do as your fiancé says and get yourself home to bed,” Margaret said.
“We’ll call you as soon as she wakes up,” Olivia smiled.
Ivy’s phone rang, she fumbled through her purse and pulled it out.
“It’s Lukas!” She gasped. “Lukas?”
“Ivy. I’m sorry I’ve missed your calls, I’ve been on stage. What’s wrong? Is Sienna okay?”
“I think I’ll take this outside,” Ivy whispered.
“Ivy?” Lukas called.