giving birth at home

chapter one

this is a short story.

summary: marlena is pregnant and ahe goes into labor and john helped deliver their baby.

john and marlena decided to have a Homebirth and they don't know the sex

of their baby they want to be surprised.

The sun was already high in the sky by the time marlena finally woke up, surprised to see that john had already awakened and was not in bed.

marlena lay still for a while, not wanting to leave the comfort of their bed, the discomforts of late pregnancy having taken their toll on her body.

her back was bothering her, she noted, but it was probably nothing.

Aches and pains were something she was becoming all-too accustomed to as this pregnancy continued.

marlena and john were assuming at this point that the baby would arrive any day now, and she grew more nervous as that time approached

She stretched her legs a second before sliding one off the edge of the bed, and then the other before laboring to sit up.

The dull ache in her back intensified, for just a moment.

marlena reached around to the small of her back, rubbing a few times to work out the kinks.

I really must have slept sideways,

She muttered under her breath as the pain subsided, returning to the dull ache that she'd felt since she woke.

marlena resigned herself to the thought that she may just have to deal with an aching back for the day.

Slowly, marlena walked, more like waddled, she thought to herself, as she made her way to the door of their house, stepping outside to see john standing at the stream with one of their makeshift fishing poles.

marlena smiled as she took him in, admiring the way his muscles flexed with each pull of the rod.

Another sharp pain hit her back, and she sucked in a sharp breath, leaning against the support of the doorway.

john hadn't heard her over the sound of

the running water, and it was just as well,

she was fine, and he need not worry.

Almost as quickly as it came, the pain

went away again, and marlena resumed

her morning walk to greet her husband.

She smiled inwardly at the thought, If marriage was a relationship built on mutual love and trust, then john had been her husband for years now.

marlena reached john in just a few moments, snuggling up behind him and reaching her arms around his waist, as much as she could with her pregnant belly in the way.

john jumped slightly, not having heard her, but relaxed into the embrace when she kissed him lightly on the shoulder.

"Sneaking up on me, john admonished, turning to kiss her back.