CHAPTER 25

 

“I’m not feeling too good, I’m going to go home,” Cate touched Nate’s arm about an hour into the party.

“Give me a second, I’ll walk with you.”

“It’s only next door,” Cate protested, “I’ll be fine. It’s your party. You should stay.”

Nate shrugged, “I don’t mind.”

As they walked across the grass between the two houses, there was a loud boom of thunder and almost instantaneously, it started raining as though whoever was up there had turned all of the taps on full.

“Where are you going?” Layla called, tottering after them in her heels.

“Cate’s not feeling good,” Nate had to shout to be heard above the lashing rain.

“I’ll come with you,” Layla hurried to catch up with them.

When they got inside the house, Cate was shivering. “Thanks for walking me home, Nate but you don’t need to stay. You two should go back to the party…”

Cate felt another twinge and watched in horror as water gushed between her legs, splashing both Nate’s and Layla’s shoes.

“What the…?” Layla jumped back.

“No!” Cate yelped. “Why does this always happen?”

She cradled her heavy bump, “Daddy’s due home tomorrow. You couldn’t wait until then?”

“Cate?” Nate raised his eyebrows. “What’s going on?”

Fortunately, Layla was more clued up. “Duh, Nate, she’s in labour. Her water just broke.”

“What?” Nate looked panicked. “But you’re not due for another two weeks.”

Cate chuckled, “my babies have never been very good at sticking to timetables.”

Layla went next door to ask Abby to look after Lola and Mateo. Nate and Cate had just got to the front door when Layla came back with Eric.

“Bad news,” Layla announced, pushing her dripping wet hair out of her eyes.

“You’re not supposed to say things like that to a woman in labour,” Cate joked. She saw the serious look on Layla’s face and gulped. “What is it?”

“A tree has fallen down on Defence Drive,” Layla explained. “The road is completely blocked.”

“OK,” Cate paced back and forth.

“It’s going to be OK, Cate,” Eric said gruffly.

“I know,” Cate swallowed, “It can’t take that long to move a tree, can it?”

Nate put a hand on Cate’s shoulder, “sweetie, I think what he’s trying to say is that you’re going to have your baby right here.”

“No,” Cate panicked. “I can’t have my baby here. I need to go to the hospital.”

“The road is completely blocked, Cate. We’re getting the outer edges of super-storm Sierra.”

Eric stepped forward, “I know it’s scary, Cate but I’m an OB-GYN at Seattle Central, I can deliver your baby.”

Cate allowed Eric to lead her back into the warmth of the lounge. As he examined her, he asked questions about her previous two births.

“OK,” Eric said, taking charge. “Nate, can you get me some towels?”

Eric turned back to Cate. “Can you take off your skirt? I need to monitor that scar.”

Cate was mortified but Eric smiled kindly, “I’ve helped hundreds of women give birth, Cate.”

A few hours later, the first few strands of daylight were visible in the sky. Cate sank back against the stack of cushions, a towel protecting what was left of her modesty. Nate looked up from the sofa, still deathly pale, “is it over?”

Cate laughed a little, “yes.” He’d fainted during her labour.

Eric walked back into the lounge, “would you like to hold your daughter?”

Cate felt tears prick the corners of her eyes as she reached for the tiny bundle. She wanted so desperately for Kian to be there.

As Cate cradled her new daughter in her arms, she turned her face to Cate’s breast, searching out her nipple. “Oh,” Cate was surprised. Neither Lola nor Mateo had wanted to breast-feed.

“You should try and feed her,” Eric urged. “It’ll help to close up your uterus.”

“I need to, um…” Cate really didn’t want to try and breast-feed for the first time in front of Nate and Eric.

Nate, having regained some colour in his cheeks, sensed her discomfort. He went upstairs and came back with one of Kian’s button-up shirts and a pair of tracksuit bottoms.

“Thank you,” Cate was overcome with gratitude.

“Before you get dressed, I just need to check you over,” Eric said gently.

Cate handed the baby to Nate.

Kian walked through the front door, completely drenched. A tree had come down on Defence Drive so he’d ditched the Tank and walked the rest of the way home. “What the…?”

He blinked, thinking he must be seeing things. Cate was leaning back on a stack of cushions, there was a towel covering her stomach but she was clearly naked from the waist down and a strange man had his head between her parted thighs.

He was ready to beat the shit out of whoever it was when he heard a gentle gurgle coming from the kitchen.

“Kian, you’re home,” Nate beamed, holding something in his arms. He seemed completely oblivious to Cate and the soon-to-be dead bloke in his lounge.

“That’s your daddy, baby girl!” Nate cooed and Kian stumbled backwards.

He looked across at Cate. “You weren’t due for another two weeks.”

“Tell me about it,” Cate shrugged. She looked exhausted but beautiful.

Nate handed Kian the tiny bundle and he saw his youngest daughter for the first time.

The strange man got to his feet, “congratulations!” It was Eric, Luke’s dad.

While they were distracted, Cate struggled into the clothes Nate had brought downstairs for her. “I need to feed her,” Cate said to Kian and he brought the baby across to where she was sat.

“We’re just going to go next door,” Nate and Eric said, respectfully giving Cate and Kian space.

Cate unbuttoned the front of her shirt, letting it slip off her shoulder. She brought the baby towards her breast, guiding her tiny little lips to her nipple. Unlike her sister and brother, the new baby fed almost straight away. Cate was swamped with a tidal wave of emotion, watching the tiny little baby feed from her breast. It was the most unnatural, natural feeling she’d ever had.

Kian gently stroked his daughter’s thick black hair, watching as she hungrily suckled from his wife’s breast.

“How does it feel?” Kian asked softly, looking up into his wife’s beautiful black eyes.

“I can’t describe it,” Cate choked. She was mesmerised by her daughter.

As Cate turned the baby around, Kian helped uncover her other breast. He gently lifted it up, aware that she would be painfully tender and eased Cate’s swollen nipple into the baby’s mouth.

As their daughter fed from Cate’s breast, Kian reached up and kissed his wife’s cheek. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.”

“It’s OK,” Cate smiled. He was here now. “What do you think about Sierra?”

“Sierra,” Kian looked at his daughter, “Sierra Warner.”

“I get the feeling that she’s going to be a feisty little thing.” After she’d finished feeding, Cate handed Sierra to Kian while she quickly buttoned up his shirt.