Chapter 31
Celia stood at Manny’s door at 6:30 A.M. on a Saturday, asking for Flora. Beads of sweat lined the top of her forehead and she bent over, rubbing her palm over her belly. She was wearing some old T-shirt and sweatpants. Her usually immaculate hair stuck out every which way, but she was still beautiful.
She still held a power over him. If he hadn’t believed that she would push him away, he would have moved forward, taking her in his arms. Instead he stepped backward, inviting her to come inside. “I’ll get Flora.”
But, as he shut the door behind Celia, Flora was already walking in, her fuzzy hair sticking straight up in the back. Ever since Celia asked her to help translate for her at the hospital, she’d been reading about labor and had been spouting facts about the process. She grabbed her phone off the table. “Are you having contractions?”
Joana stood in the hallway, her hair wrapped in a towel.
Celia leaned against the wall and groaned. “I’ve been having them all night. My friend Tiago’s waiting for us in the car.”
“How far apart are they?” Flora asked as she started the timer app on her phone.
Celia shook her head. “I don’t know.”
His mother crept forward, staring at Celia. This was the first time they’d seen each other since the volcano erupted. She placed her hand on Celia’s shoulder and kissed her on both cheeks. “I helped your mother deliver you. It’s fitting I should help you deliver her grandbaby.”
Manny smiled to see that Joana had finally taken an interest in Celia. Flora handed the phone to him. “Do you mind timing her contractions while I get ready?”
“No time for that,” Mama said, her voice stern and business-like. “We’ve got to get her to the hospital. This baby’s coming fast.”
“No counting contractions?” Flora asked.
Without removing the towel from her head, Joana took her coat off its hook and pulled it on. “No need.” She took Celia by the hand. “She’s got that far-off look in her eyes. Grab your shoes, Flora. We’re going now. You said your friend’s driving us, Celia?”
Manny rushed to open the apartment door. He felt more a foreigner than ever in this apartment with three women, talking about contractions and far-off looks.
Celia gritted her teeth as she took a step forward. “Yes. Tiago.”
Tiago? Manny had expected Theo or Yvonne to be driving her.
His mother wrapped Celia’s hand around her own as they walked side by side through the apartment door. “When you feel the pains, squeeze my hand. As hard as you can.”
Manny rushed ahead, opening the heavy door of the apartment building as Mama led Celia back outside. Behind them, Flora looked at him with wide eyes as their mother chattered on. “You think of that baby. It’s just a little more work for you. Then he’ll be here.”
Tiago stood at the curb beside a red sports car. Manny remembered him from the night André had come.
Celia had to stop one more time, groaning from the pain, before she reached the car. “We’re lucky this hospital’s so close,” Mama said. “Lidia didn’t make it to the hospital when she had Celia. I’m sure you’ve heard the story.”
Manny had heard it multiple times. His mother and Celia’s mother managed to catch a ride with a van full of tourists, heading toward the big city. They had only made it halfway around the island when the baby came. Though they were on a narrow piece of the road that bordered a steep cliff, the driver stopped, and the passengers came together to help—some volunteering clothes from their bags to lay under Celia’s mother and one actually assisting with the birth. It wasn’t an easy delivery either—Celia’s shoulder got stuck on the way out.
Later, one of the passengers sent pictures back of the passengers surrounding Celia and her mother. Celia used to carry the pictures around with her.
Celia stood beside the passenger door, bent over in pain, and Manny couldn’t go on pretending he didn’t care. He rushed to hold Celia’s hand as she got into her seat, but she didn’t look at him, just stared down at her belly.
“I told her to call me as soon as the contractions started,” Tiago said, “but she didn’t want to disturb me at work. Same thing with Theo and Yvonne. They’re doing hair for a wedding in Boston today.”
Manny gave her hand a squeeze. She didn’t flinch.
“We’ll call when she has the baby,” Flora said from the backseat.
“We’ve got to hurry,” Mama said, still in that commanding tone.
Tiago jumped into the front seat as Manny shut Celia’s door. Within a second, the little red car was speeding away.
Manny couldn’t help himself. He ran after the car as he watched its progress down the street. He wasn’t sure how far away the hospital was, but he could ask for directions. He needed to make sure Celia got there all right.
As he ran, he wondered what he would do when he got to the hospital. Celia didn’t expect him to come along, or to want to see her baby boy. He supposed that was only natural since he was dating Della.
Della. He considered calling her to tell her about Celia going to the hospital, but he wasn’t sure how she would react. Would she be pleased to know the baby was coming or irritated that Manny couldn’t keep the excitement from his voice?
This was getting ridiculous. He couldn’t expect to marry Della if he couldn’t discuss something so simple with her. Nor could he continue to pretend that his love for Celia had faded. He wanted to be a part of her life again, and he wanted to help her raise her baby.