Rising from Ashes [#4]

Chapter 25 - "Welcome To The World..."

Sylvia’s point of view:

Okay, this is enough! These contractions have been going on for hours! Seriously, how many hours does it really have to take before I get in that final push?! The pain is excruciating and I’m really out of breath at this point. I mean, of course I’ve looked forward to this moment. It didn’t take John and I that many attempts to get me ‘knocked up’, but then there is that part of it where I have to push him or her out. I did not think about that when we first found out. For the last nine months, I’ve been the one doing all the work, and I’m all for John taking some of it in the next nine months!

“Come on, baby, you’re almost there.” John says as he’s holding my hand. I’m gasping for air at this point and I swear I’m crushing his hand in the process. “I can almost see the head, Sylvia…” I hear from Dr. Everdeen. We’re in District 4, as the closer I got to delivering we wanted to be around a doctor 24/7 to make sure it all went by as smoothly as possible. Well, smooth right now isn’t exactly the first word that comes to mind, but I think you get the point. “One big push now, Sylvia…one more push and we’ll have your baby out.” She then says. Another push...this never ends, does it? “Just one more push now, you can do it.” John then repeats. “Yeah, I heard her…” I rather snap at him. Please, tell me to do otherwise. He has no way of grasping the pain I’m in right now.

He turns rather quiet, but still holds my hand as I gather whatever strength I have left for that last push. I must be crushing his hand at this point. Even more so when I bend forward and give that final push before I fall back down on the pillows. Only then I hear that the pain is all worth it. The next sound filling the room absolutely made all of this worth it: a baby’s cry. “Congratulations, you two. You’ve got yourselves a beautiful baby girl.” She lets out a John turns towards me, part crying part laughing as he kisses me. “You did great, baby…absolutely great!” He says as I’m still catching my breath. “And now it’s your turn…the next nine months!” He chuckles and I can’t help but find myself laughing as well. “Your word is my command after this…Mrs. Wintergreen.” He answers as he kisses my forehead.

I let the Mason name go nine months ago. I’ve always been the Mason, headstrong, feisty…but I was always wounded. I’ve always known my strength would be nothing if John wasn’t around so I asked him if I could take his name. It was a thought that popped up right in front of the wedding. He didn’t mind it even though he insisted I’d keep my own name. In the end he did understand and he let it go with me taking his name and leaving my own behind. Starting a new life I wanted to let go of that name so that I could get a complete fresh start.

After a minute or so, Dr. Everdeen re-enters the room with our daughter in her hands. “Here you are…” She says as she’s coming closer and hands her to me in my arms. Gosh, I never thought I’d be the emotional one but right here it’s allowed. It’s a new life and it’s a better one. I can tell just by looking at our newborn beautiful daughter. “Wow…she’s so beautiful…” I hear John say next to me as I have her in my arms. She is the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen in my life. “She really is…” I say at first. “…nice work, daddy.” I then let out teasing as he smiles and kiss me as our foreheads stay against each other for a little while. He puts his hand alongside one of mine and places his thumb near her pink, tiny, fragile hand.

John’s point of view:

“Did we ever agree on a name?” I then ask her as I turn my eyes back towards our little girl. Sylvia then touches my face. “No, I don’t think we ever did considering we didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl.” She answers at first as her attention is back on the baby. “But we hardly agreed on anything during this pregnancy if I’m not mistaken.” She then lets out matter of factly as I chuckle lightly. She has not been easy to handle with all of her hormones going wild. “That’s an excellent point.” I answer back. “Do you have any ideas?” She then asks me.

Well, I don’t. It’s why I asked her in the first place. Well, I get that she’d expect me to have something to contribute with in all of this. After all she did most of the work these past nine months. I feel like I’ve been on the sideline doing nothing. We were going to get to a boy’s name and a girl’s name before the child was born, but time just ran past us before we ever got a chance to discuss it. “I did ask you for a reason. I have no idea.” I admit as I look back down on her. I can’t take my eyes off her. She’s just such a mesmerizing creature in the arms of the girl I couldn’t possibly imagine being without. “Do you?” I then turn to her as she seems to mull it over.

“If there’s one thing that comes to mind, is that…the name should resemble someone who was a fighter.” She starts. “Okay, I can agree on that…” I answer putting myself open for suggestions. She seems to be doing the same when I catch her looking up at me. “Well, help me out. I’m not gonna do all the work…again.” She then says. “Alright, alright…let’s see, from someone we know…or knew.” I mumble as we both think it through for a moment. “I might have a suggestion…” She then says. “Alright, care to share?” I then ask her. “I don’t know if you’re gonna like it though.” She then says. “It’d help if I knew what name you’re going to suggest.” I then say before I catch her rolling her eyes at me. “Hey, come on! You promised to stop doing that after the pregnancy!” I let out rather winy. She’s been using that one on me the past nine months.

“I know, sorry about that…I just couldn’t resist.” She admits right afterwards. “I’ll bet…” I let out with a light smile as I’m waiting for her to spill the name she’s got in mind. “I was thinking…maybe ‘Marge’?” She asks. For some reason I’m baffled by the suggestion, but at the same time, when I look down on my daughter, I can just see how the name already fits her perfectly. For some reason Sylvia feels like she’s being held on the bench right now, but I then turn towards her. “That’s perfect…” I then say as we kiss. “Thank God…that was the only name that popped up.” She then lets out in deep relief. I laugh slightly at her. “You did better than me, I had none…” I then point out as she nods agreeing. In the end we both just end up looking down at little Marge.

After a few minutes, she turns her head up towards me. “Do you want to hold her?” She then asks me. “There’s honestly nothing I want more…” I admit as I sit slightly up in the bed and she carefully hands Marge over to me before resting her own head on my shoulder as I hold Marge in my arms. “Marge Wintergreen…it does have a nice ring to it, don’t you think?” Sylvia then lets out as we’re both keeping our eyes on little Marge – just the three of us in our own silence. I kiss the top of Sylvia’s head as we just sit like this for a little while.

I find myself looking for some sort of comeback. Marge Wintergreen is a wonderful name but in my heart, I can feel that something’s slightly missing. “You know, I feel like a little something is missing in there.” I then let out as Sylvia looks up at me. “What do you mean?” “I have an even better suggestion for our little girl.” I make sure to add before she simply nods her head to hear it. “Marge Mason Wintergreen…” I say as I can see she’s slightly against it. “Hey, she is a Mason just like her mother…she’s got her strength, she’s got her good-looks…I think it’d be a shame if she didn’t have your name as well.” I then let out as I see her smiling a little bit.

“Wintergreen was always stronger than the Mason, you know?” Sylvia then answers. I know she gave up her name because she needed to let the past go. I didn’t say much about it as I did understand why she felt the need to. It’s a custom in the District to take the husband’s name, but at the same time, when I hear her say that, I can’t help but think about the million times I’ve needed her. “Well, for a long period of time, I needed a Mason to stay strong.” I then admit as she looks at me and then back down at little Marge.

I pretty much end the discussion with that. Honestly, right now there’s nothing I’m more convinced of than our little daughter carrying both of our names. I guess a part of Sylvia understands that as she tries to sit up even more to get her head on top of my shoulder. “I guess I can’t argue with a fairly convincing Mr. Wintergreen.” She says smiling as she kisses me gently on the lips. She rests her head back on my shoulder as she puts one of her hands on top of little Marge that I still have the greatest honor of holding in my arms.

“Welcome to the world, Marge Mason Wintergreen.” I say.