Rogue Cowboy (19 page)

As far as my body is concerned, pregnancy has been a breeze.  I suffered no morning sickness, and only a little bit of tiredness around mid-afternoon. 

Jeremy has been as amazing as I knew he would be, and our families were as excited as we imagined.  Especially Oscar.

I remember the day we told him as if it were yesterday, and not nearly six months ago.

Since his concentration has improved, so has his reading and writing skills.  So I had a t-shirt made up that said: I’m going to be a big brother.

We gave it to him one morning and when he pulled it from the bag, we asked him to read it aloud.

“I’m going to be a big brother,” he read, and I could tell he wasn’t letting the words sink in.  I asked him to read it again, which he did, then to prompt him further, I asked what he thinks it means.

He reread it, and
that’s
when it sunk it.

“I’m getting a baby?” he whispered, his eyes wide, his mouth hanging open in shock.

“Yes,” Jeremy replied, since I was too choked up to talk.

“I’m finally getting a baby!” he cheered, running over to hug me.  “My birthday wishes finally came true,” he tells me, before lifting my shirt to place a tender kiss on my belly.

“I’m your big brother.  My name’s Oscar and I am going to take good care of you.  I love you, little bean sprout.”  I brushed his head with my hand and leaned down a little to kiss him. 

Sometimes I can’t believe he is a nine-year-old.  It feels like yesterday that he would spell out my name and ask me to play Thomas with him.

Waddling into the kitchen, I pour myself a cup of tea and take a minute to relax while Jeremy finishes getting ready. 

Jules had her baby last night, so we are going into the hospital to see them.

“I’m ready, Mum,” Oscar says, coming up beside me.  He rubs my tummy and is rewarded with a hearty kick from his little brother or sister.

He laughs and then goes up on his tiptoes to kiss my cheek.  “Love you, Mum.”

“Love you, too, bud.”

Two hours later, we’re walking into the hospital room where Jules is.

Banjo is sitting beside his mum on the bed, while she’s helping him nurse his brand new baby brother, Charlie.

“Congratulations.” I give her a fully-fledged smile and walk over to kiss her cheek.

“Thank you.”

“Oh, wow, he’s handsome.  He looks exactly like Banjo,” I observe, causing him to break out into a proud as punch grin.

Sienna and Zeke walk in next.  She’s due two weeks before me, and while our bumps are around the same size, she’s carrying higher than me.  My mum and Maggie think she’s having a boy and I’m having a girl.

I guess we’ll know soon enough!

Edie comes in next, with Jackson, Olive and Max not too far behind. 

She’s only just starting to show as baby number three grows in her stomach.

She rushes over to congratulate her best friend and promptly bursts into tears.

“I’m sorry,” she says, fanning her face.  “I’m so hormonal, lately.”

We all laugh and stand around gushing over Jules and baby Charlie, and I know in a few short weeks, I’ll have my own baby in my arms. 

Finally.

***

“What do you think of the cake?” Laura asks me.

I look over to the two-tiered, white with baby blue and baby pink icing spots decorating it, baby shower cake.

“I love it.”

She smiles and gives me a nudge.  “Can you believe that in two weeks you’re going to have your baby?”

“No,” I say, because as ready as I am for the day to come, I still can’t believe it’s
actually
happening.

“I’m so happy for you, Ava.  I can’t even tell you how stoked I am…” she trails off.

“I know.  Thank you for organizing this.”  My baby shower has been an amazing day.  Just after lunch all of my loved ones turned up to Laura’s house to celebrate with me.  There was food, punch and presents.

Now, most of the guests have left and it’s just Laura, Jules, Sienna, Edie and I here, chilling out.  The men took the kids home about an hour ago, so we decided to sit out the back and have girl talk.

Right now, Jules, Edie and Sienna are inside – one putting Charlie down, one going to the bathroom, and one getting another drink – and Laura and I are chatting amongst ourselves.

I hear Laura’s doorbell ring and a few seconds later Edie comes out the back with someone following her.

“Ava,” I heard, spoken softly and a little nervously.

Holy shit…

“Hi, Kennedy,” I reply, greeting my sister.  I’m shocked, to say the least.

She wasn’t the nicest person to me growing up and I haven’t spoken to her a lot over the last few years, so I can only hope she has changed.

“Can I sit?”

“Sure.”

“We’ll just be inside,” Laura says awkwardly and I watch as the girls scurry up the steps and into Laura’s house.

Kennedy sits across from me and her eyes linger on my stomach.

“Congratulations, Ava,” she whispers with tears glistening in her eyes. 

“Thank you,” I croak, my emotions squeezing my throat.

“I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to contact you.  I just…I didn’t know where to start, or what to say.”

“It’s okay,” I say, trying to ease her nervousness.  It was a long time ago, and if she has really changed then I’d love to have her in my life.  She’s my sister, after all.  The only sibling I have.

“No, it’s not okay, Avie,” she replies, using the nickname she gave me when we were kids, during the few times we actually got along.

My heart flips when I hear her say it.

“It’s not okay because I was a complete bitch to you for
years
and I didn’t even have a reason for it.  I can’t do anything to change the past, but if you’ll let me, I’d like a chance at being the sister you deserve.”

“I would love that.”  I stand up and she comes around to hug me tightly.  “I’ve missed you, Kendy.”  She sobs when I call her the nickname
I
gave
her
when we were little.

“I’ve missed you, too.”

A short while later, after Kennedy and I have spent time catching up, the girls return and I introduce them to Kennedy.  Edie and Jules are the only ones who’ve met her briefly before, so they are a little sceptical.  But, once they spend a little time with her, they soon come around, and we all get along like a house on fire.

I can’t believe how suddenly everything is coming together.  I’ve got my baby due in a couple of weeks and my sister back in my life.  I’ve got a man who loves me unconditionally and a son who means the world to me.

For someone who lost her hope for a little while there, I’m certainly full of it now!

“I can’t believe I’m back here again,” I laugh.

Sienna laughs with me and then says, “Soon
you’ll
be the one in the bed holding the baby.”

I look over to where Zeke is holding their beautiful baby girl, Ivie.  She’s got jet black hair like her mother, and bright blue eyes like her father.  She is simply stunning.

“I can’t wait,” I whisper.

As I’m leaving the hospital after visiting Sienna, my stomach starts to tighten.  I pay it no mind, since I’ve been having Braxton Hicks contractions for the last month or so. 

The pains are stronger than usual, but I’m pretty sure that’s to be expected.  I unlock the car and lift my leg to climb in when suddenly, without warning, my waters break.  Fluid gushes out from underneath my short, summer dress and all over the road.

“Oh god,” I cry, mortified.  I franticly look around to make sure no one saw, and thankfully the car park is empty.  With trembling fingers, I pull out my phone and dial Jeremy. 

He stayed home today because Oscar had a tummy ache.

“Jer,” I say, my voice strained as another contraction ripples across my stomach.

“What’s up, honey?” he asks, immediately concerned.

“My waters just broke.  I’m at the hospital.  You should,” I don’t get to finish.  He cuts me off saying he’ll be there soon.

“Hurry,” I whisper, ending the call.

I decide to wait for him in the car, and then we can walk into the hospital together.  

An hour and a half later, Jeremy screeches his ute to a stop next to my car.  He jumps out and comes around.

“Shit, I was certain I had missed it.”  He breathes a sigh of relief.

“Never.”  I cup his jaw in my hands, loving the way the stubble tickles my palms.  “I love you, Jeremy.  You’re the man of my dreams.”

“I love you, too, honey.  I can’t wait to meet our baby.”

“Let’s go inside, then.”

We walk up to the hospital, stopping every few minutes for my contractions to pass.

Once we’re inside, the doctor admits me to the labour ward and examines me.

“You’ve still got a little while, yet, Ava,” he tells me.

After he leaves, I turn to Jeremy.  “Where’s Oscar?”

“At your mum’s.”

“Oh, okay.”

“She’s jumping out of her skin with excitement.”

“I bet she is.”  I smile, knowing how overjoyed my mum is.

“Kennedy was there.  She’s just as stoked.”

“I’m so,” I pause, grunting as a contraction burns through my stomach.  “Happy,” I finish after the pain dissipates.

“Me, too, baby.  Happiest man on the planet.”

Eight hours later, after I’ve pushed the hardest I’ve ever pushed in my entire life, the pain is suddenly gone and sitting on my deflating stomach is the most beautiful little creature I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

Dark hair, dark skin, dark blue eyes. 

She’s the picture of her big brother and her doting daddy.  I didn’t even get a look in, but I don’t even care.

Love threatens to explode my heart, and I find it hard to say or doing anything, except stare at my baby girl.

My baby girl.

My miracle.

Just over three hours later, I’m showered and settled in my room, when Oscar walks into to the room, my mum and dad following close behind him.

He looks around the room until his eyes settle on the baby.  He walks straight over to her and stares down in awe.

“Look at her,” he says.  “She’s so pretty.”

Happy tears rolls down my cheeks and I look across to see my mother bawling quietly in the corner.

“What’s her name?” Oscar asks.

“She doesn’t have a name yet.  We thought her big brother should pick it,” Jeremy answers and watches intently while Oscar realizes what he has said.

“I get to choose her name?” he asks, stunned.

“Yes,” I nod.

“Anything I want?” he asks hopefully.

“As long as it’s not Frankfurt or Coca Cola.” Jeremy chuckles.

“Haidee Annabelle,” he says instantly.

“Haidee Annabelle Henley,” I repeat, testing it out on my tongue.

I glance over to Jeremy who gives the nod of approval.  I smile back and together we look to our baby girl.

“Welcome to the world, Haidee.”

***

Heaving over the toilet bowl, I lose the contents of my stomach.  My face is hot and my stomach is tender.  I feel like utter shit.

Something is wrong.

I’ve been feeling sick for the last week.  At first, I thought I might have caught a virus, but the longer it goes on, the more I’m starting to think I might have an infection.

Haidee has her twelve-week check-up today, so I’ve made an appointment for me also.  I want to make sure it’s not contagious because the last thing I want is for my baby to get this horrid sickness.

She’s such a little doll.  The perfect baby.  She’s sleeps well, she eats like a champion and she’s got the most beautiful temperament.

We are blessed.

While Haidee sleeps peacefully in her stroller, I fill our GP, Doctor Rose, in on my symptoms.

“I’m concerned you may have retained some of the placenta and it may be an infection in your uterus.”

“Okay,” I say slowly.

“What I suggest we do is give you an ultrasound to see if we can spot anything there.  If it is as I suspect, you’ll need to have a curette and a course of antibiotics.  That should have you feeling well again.”

“When should I have the ultrasound?” I ask.

“Now.  We can go down now and they will fit you right in.”

Jeremy pushes Haidee in the stroller, while I nurse my nauseous stomach and we make our way down the hall.

“Let me know if you have any tenderness at all, Mrs Henley,” the sonographer says, placing the probe on my stomach.  I close my eyes, clutching Jeremy’s hand and wait for her to inspect my uterus.

“Hmm, okay.  Just excuse me while I step out for a moment, Mr and Mrs Henley.  I just need my supervisor to double check something.”

“That’s fine,” I say.  When she leaves, I turn my head to find Jeremy.  “Do you think she found something?” I ask, the fear in my voice betraying me.  “Something bad?” I whisper the last part.

“I don’t know, honey, but we’ll know soon enough,” he mutters just as the sonographer returns with another lady.

“Hi, Mrs Henley, I’m Jane.  I’m just going to have a quick look, if you don’t mind?”

“Go ahead.”  I try to smile but it comes out tightly.

She waves the wand over my stomach and looks at the screen closely.  She makes a few noises like
hmm
and
uh-huh
.  Then finally, she turns to us and…smiles.

What?

What is there to smile about?

““I can’t see any retained products in your uterus,” she informs us.  “Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Henley.  You’re having twins.”

“Pardon?” I splutter.

She turns the monitor to face us and points out two tiny blobs on the screen.  “These two sacs are your very healthy fraternal twins.”

“But…what about the placenta?”  Jeremy asks, sounding just as dumbfounded as I feel.

I’m in shock.  My mind is spinning, but at the same time it feels blank.

After explaining there are definitely no issues with my uterus, they print us out some pictures and we make our way back to Doctor Rose’s office.

Doctor Rose prescribes some medicine to ease my morning sickness and then we make our way home.

Twins.

Holy shit!

Two days later, I think I’m still in shock.  Jeremy and I have barely mentioned it, and I think it’s because neither of us can believe it.

I decide to phone Doctor Jacoby, hoping she’ll have some insight.

“Hi, Doctor Jacoby, it’s Ava Henley speaking,” I greet, when I’m transferred through.

“Ava!  It’s so lovely to hear from you.  How are things?”

“I’m pregnant,” I blurt.  “With twins,” I blurt again.

She gasps.  “Congratulations!  Oh wow, I am so happy for you.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little…odd.  Or, maybe
impossible
?”

“No.  Why would it be?”

“Well, because I couldn’t get pregnant before, so how is it possible now?”

She’s silent for a moment.  “Ava, some things in life can’t be explained.  Your infertility was unexplained.  Perhaps now, this natural conception is inexplicable as well.  While we may not be able to explain it, it’s certainly not impossible.”

“I just don’t understand.”

“Maybe after having your baby, everything in your body suddenly clicked into place and it had an
ah-huh
moment.  Or, it’s quite possible that your infertility was stress related.  Once you had your baby, tension had eased from your body and you relaxed enough for it to happen naturally.

“Whatever the reason, I think fate is to thank.  Enjoy this journey, Ava.  You’ve worked hard for it, and this is your reward.”

“Thank you,” I say thickly.

“Nonsense.  You did this all by yourself.  I can’t wait to hear from you when you have the twins.”

We end the call and for the rest of the day, her words replay in my mind.

“Whatever the reason, I think fate is to thank.  Enjoy this journey, Ava.  You’ve worked hard for it, and this is your reward.”

“You did this all by yourself.”

That night when Jeremy gets home from work and after Haidee and Oscar have gone to sleep, we snuggle up on the couch and talk.

I tell him about my phone call with Doctor Jacoby and what she said.  Slowly, the news begins to sink in for both of us.

“Oh my god, we’re going to have three kids under one,” I gasp.

“Shit.  I didn’t think of that,” Jeremy says.  “We’ll get through it, honey, as long as we stick together.”  He kisses my temple.

Where Haidee’s pregnancy was smooth sailing, this pregnancy was most definitely
not.
  My back ached, my hands and feet swelled and I was nauseous up until the day I gave birth.

After six hours of labour, two tiny babies are placed in my arms, and once again, my heart threatens to explode out of my chest with love.

Lila looks just like Oscar, Haidee and Jeremy, with her dark features and dark blue eyes. 

Her brother, older by just three minutes, looks just like me.  Jagger has creamy white skin, blond hair and eyes just a shade lighter than his sister.

My mum joked that Jeremy should get the snip, seeing as we’re suddenly super fertile.

But who knows what will happen in the future.  I think we’ll leave it up to fate to decide.