“You’re okay, you’re fine. This is easy, right? You can do it, Allie!”
“Ugh! This is not what I signed up for,” she yelled at the midwife.
“I’m here, I’m here. Hold on to my hand,” Ark whispered in her ear.
Allie pushed him away.
“No! Go away! Get out! I don’t want you to see me like this.”
“I don’t care, I don’t care… Baby, I love you.”
She glared at him.
“I love you, too. Now, get out.”
Ark sighed, stood up, and made his exit. He knew his wife well enough to know she wasn’t joking.
Allie could finally breathe more easily. She lay back on the pillows, and smiled when Shirin patted her forehead with a dry towel. She was sweating like crazy, and the midday sun peeking through the curtains didn’t help at all. Why did the baby had to come in full-blown summer?
She was grateful Shirin and Claire were there. Claire was her midwife, the best midwife in the village, actually, and she was from Old Earth, which really helped Allie relax. Claire was Theren’s twin flame, and she already had a 4-month old daughter. As she massaged Allie’s huge belly, the dark scales on her light-green neck and chest gleamed happily in the sun.
“I’m not ready,” Allie moaned.
“Yes, you are,” Shirin reassured her. “You’ve been preparing for this for months.”
“Breathe,” whispered Claire. “Just breathe. I’ll tell you when to push.”
Allie nodded and did her best to breathe like she’d been practicing at the Future Mommy Workshop held twice a week in the village. Claire was the one who’d started it, and she was also the one who’d taken it upon herself to train young women who wanted to become midwives. It was all done mindfully and in alignment with the changing feminine energies of the women who wanted to become mothers or were already pregnant. The whole point of the trainings and workshops was to honor the female body, its unique ability to create new lives, and turn the experience of giving birth from something painful and scary to something simple and joyful. What Claire had noticed over the past year was that, unfortunately, women who originated from Old Earth, herself included, were likely to have more difficult births. The ones who’d reincarnated on New Earth were more in tune with their natural cycles, almost to the point where giving birth didn’t hurt at all. Claire found it fascinating.
“Alright, you need to push now. You can do it, Allie. Trust your body.”
Tears streamed down Allie’s face, but she kept her focus on her baby. It would be over soon, and she’d get to hold her little boy at her breast. Yes, she knew it was a boy. Both her and Ark could communicate with the baby telepathically, and he had even chosen his own name. He was an Old Terran soul who couldn’t wait to start his new life on Young Earth. Allie knew the child would forget most of the knowledge he had now, while still in her womb. Claire had told her that her daughter had forgotten everything one month in. It was normal.
To Allie’s surprise, it all went more smoothly than she had expected. She let out a loud sigh of relief when she heard the first sounds her son made. He didn’t scream, nor cry when Claire cleaned him up and wrapped him in a soft blanket.
Shirin helped her sit up just enough to receive her new bundle of joy.
“Look at you…”
The baby was staring at her with his intense blue eyes. His skin was light blue, and he had his father’s nose and chin.
“Matthew… You’re beautiful, did you know that?”
“Matthew,” said Shirin. “I’ve never heard this name before. Terran?”
“Yes. He chose it because it was the name he had on Old Earth at the time when… well… you know…”
The Unxendi woman nodded. They were way past that. None of the human women now living on New Earth talked about their old planet anymore. They had all come to terms with what had happened, and they also agreed it had been necessary. Life on this new, gorgeous planet was simple, peaceful, and abundant.
“Claire, will you please tell Ark he can come in now? I’d do it myself, but I’m exhausted.”
The midwife smiled, closed her eyes, and reached Ark with her mind. In less than five seconds, he was bursting through the door with Thivo in tow.
“Alison, baby… you’re okay!”
He ran to her side and hugged her as best as he could, kissed her sweaty forehead, then nervously looked at the tiny, blue-skinned newborn in her arms. Allie’s Kidem rippled from around his biceps to his wrist, then down the back of his hand and all over little Matthew. It wrapped itself around him like a second blanket, careful not to squeeze him too tightly. Allie had shooed Kimmy away hours ago, as the creature responded to her emotions and made her even more nervous while she was in labor. It had attached itself to Ark and waited impatiently to be allowed back into Allie’s personal space.
“Hello, there,” Ark cooed. “Aren’t you just perfect?”
“Do you want to hold him?”
“Isn’t he hungry?”
They both tuned in to the baby’s thoughts and saw how excited he was to meet them, his parents. Yes, he was hungry, but he also wanted his father to hold him just for a minute or two. Gently, Ark took him from Allie and stood up to show him to Thivo and Shirin.
“He’s a strong boy,” the Chief Officer said.
“He’ll be a leader one day,” said Shirin. “I can feel it.”
“Oh, yes,” agreed Ark. “A leader greater than his father.”
They held him in the sunlight and played with his tiny hands and fingers. They would’ve never given him back to Allie if it weren’t for his thoughts, which were growing louder and louder. He was hungry.
Claire helped Allie position him at her breast, then showed her how to hold his fragile head.
“Okay, you two,” she looked over at Ark and Thivo. “We need some privacy here. Why don’t you go get everything ready for tonight?”
The other six fleet captains were coming over with their twin flames for a nice, intimate party. It was nothing fancy, but they all wanted to celebrate Matthew’s birth.
Ark chuckled. “Yes, Ma’am.”
But it took him another minute to follow Thivo out the door. He couldn’t take his eyes off his beautiful wife breastfeeding his firstborn.
“I love you.” He sent telepathically to the both of them. “Thank you.”
“We love you, too.”
Only Allie answered him. Matthew was too busy enjoying his first meal on New Earth.
THE END