Unexpected Inheritance

22

Miranda nodded, thinking about the options. She'd always assumed she'd go to the hospital, with all the modern conveniences, the doctors, and the comfort of knowing they had everything they could possibly need. But hearing Ben's perspective, something about the idea of having their baby in the familiar, comfortable space of their home, surrounded by the warmth of family, felt... right.

She fell quiet for a moment, considering. Ben watched her, already knowing where her thoughts were going before she even voiced them.

"Where do you want to have her?" he asked softly.

Miranda sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "I trust the hospital, but there's something about home births that feels... I don't know. Intimate? Less clinical?"

Ben nodded, rubbing his thumb over her belly. "Whatever you decide, I'm with you."

Over the next few days, Miranda found herself talking to some of the older women in town about their home birth experiences. She listened as they shared their stories—some filled with ease, others with difficulty, but all of them with a certain pride.

"Well, honey, I had all three of my babies at home," one of the older women, Mrs. Calloway, said, leaning back in her chair. "Back then, it wasn't unusual."

One woman in particular, Mrs. Thornton, told Miranda, "The basement of your house is where I had mine, darling, that's where Ada helped bring many of us into this world. It was a comforting place, far from the cold sterile walls of a hospital. I remember her tending to us like we were family."

Miranda had almost forgotten about that old space in her home—the basement that once served as the town's original clinic. It had been left mostly untouched. Now, hearing these women talk about it, she felt a strange connection to that space she hadn't before. She sat back in her chair, thoughtful, as they continued reminiscing.

Later that week, Miranda also talked to the younger moms in town, who had given birth at the small county hospital. They spoke about the comfort of having access to all the medical resources a hospital provided, especially in case of complications. "It was peaceful," one woman told her. "I felt safe knowing that everything I needed was just a step away."

Miranda took everything in, considering her options carefully. Part of her liked the idea of being in the comfort of her own home, in the space where Ada had helped bring so many babies into the world. But at the same time, she didn't want to ignore the modern medical advancements that a hospital could provide.

As the Braxton Hicks contractions began to make their presence known, Miranda couldn't shake the growing sense of urgency in her chest. They weren't painful, but they were a reminder that her little one was getting closer to making her grand entrance into the world. She'd been feeling them for a while now, but this time they were more frequent, a little more noticeable. She couldn't ignore them anymore.

One evening, after a particularly uncomfortable contraction had passed, she sat down with Ben, who was helping her relax. He gently rubbed her back, his concern palpable. "32 weeks," he said softly. "You're getting closer, and we need to have a solid plan in place. We should decide soon."

Miranda nodded, feeling the weight of the decision pressing on her. "I know," she said, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "It's just... it's a big decision."

"I'd assume you'd want to have the baby in the hospital, considering your background. You have a lot of country in you don't get me wrong but I don't know if you have give birth at home country in you."

Miranda paused. She had spent so much time considering her options, and it wasn't an easy choice. She exhaled slowly before responding. "I don't think I want to have her there."