A Model Mother

Epilogue Part 1

NB Spoiler alert: If you have not yet read the final chapter, chapter 24, then this epilogue will spoil it for you! Please check you have read chapter 24 first.

Epilogue Part 1

The pain tightened across her abdomen, it was almost unbearable. No, she decided, it was unbearable and she let out a long, loud shout and pushed like England depended on it. Good grief, was she going to split in half. Who’s stupid idea was it, to try natural childbirth this time, she thought for the thousandth time.

She was rewarded with the sound of a loud cry and an excited shout from her husband, who emerged briefly from her nether regions to make sure she knew that she had just had a baby.”

“You did it, you did it! The baby’s out!”

She rested back into the pillows, groggy with the sudden relief from pain, as the midwife fussed around, delivering the afterbirth and cleaning up her and the baby, who was now being weighed and washed, whilst its Dad hovered anxiously at the midwife’s elbow.

Within minutes, a small warm, wet bundle was placed in her arms by Miles, who had tears streaking down his face. 

“It’s a girl,” he said softly, unable to take his eyes off his daughter’s face, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.

“We have a daughter.”

Rose stared at her daughter too. She was truly gorgeous.

“Welcome, baby Olivia,” she whispered. “You are already very loved” and she gently kissed her cheek.

“She has your heart shaped face,” swooned Miles, “and so much hair!”

“I can’t wait for you to meet your big brother,” Rose confided to Olivia, “he’s so excited about you.”

Miles gently smoothed damp hairs from Rose’s face and they looked at each other. Rose felt her heart tighten, she loved him so much. There had been so many times over the past two years when she thought that she would never experience real happiness with the man she loved and had never stopped loving and now it was almost like she had got everything she had ever wanted, all at once.

“I’m so proud of you,” Miles said and kissed her forehead. “And so will Lloyd be, when he sees what a beautiful sister you’ve given him.”

“When can I see him?” Rose asked, almost pleadingly; she didn’t want Lloyd to feel even the teensiest bit left out by the new baby.

“Do you want him to come over now, or do you want a nap first?” Miles frowned slightly. “I don’t want you to wear yourself out and he is being thoroughly spoilt by Grandma Seton and Grandpa Pendry you know.”

Rose yawned. “Let me try to see if I can feed Olivia first, then see how it goes.”

Half an hour later, after Olivia had managed a small feed and Rose had been moved into the suite that Miles had arranged for her at St. Marys, mother and baby were fast asleep.

Miles sat between them, reluctant to move. He had never known such peace or such happiness and whilst he knew that relatives and friends were waiting impatiently for news, he relished this short time when just he and Rose could share the intimate knowledge that they had a new baby daughter to add to their family. It had been one hell of a year; but somehow, in the end, it had all worked out perfectly.