"Thank you for coming, Mason. I didn't know who else to call."
"It's ok, don't worry. Do you know where the generator is?"
"I think it is this big thing next to the heating system."
"This big thing" he chuckles.
"You know what I mean" I say as a thunder sounds somewhere very close.
"We should check it before the storm arrives. C'mon" Mason says.
It was announced that a huge storm would be hitting Bluebell, and everyone in town had been urged to stay safe, but also to check if they had everything that may be needed in case of flooding, power cuts... And since Rúben was out of town and couldn't check it all for me, Mason was my next option.
Every time we've been alone during these past few months, things have been great, we've behaved like we've always had (minus the having sex part, of course). When Rúben is around, it is a bit more tense, but both of them are doing their part to keep improving their relationship, and hopefully one day have a normal and civilized one.
"Everything is fine over here" Mason says after checking the generator. "If the power goes out, it should start working on its own."
"Thank you."
"But shouldn't you be staying with Mrs. Smart? You are eight months pregnant, and I don't see any guests coming in with this weather" he says as the whole room gets lightened, a thunder sounding just seconds after.
"I'm going there later for dinner, I'll be alright. I'll..."
"What? What is it?"
"I need to go to the bathroom."
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, yeah, I just need to pee. Wait upstairs in the living room."
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"Mason..." I say when I meet him, the storm already here. "I'm in labour."
"You are in what?"
"I... Fuck!"
"Fuck what?"
"The baby is coming, Mason" I say, trying to breath through my contraction.
"Now?"
"Yes, now. And fast."
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"This... We shouldn't be doing this. You should be at the hospital, not here."
"Mason, there is no time to go to the hospital, you heard what they... Fuck!" I scream as I feel another contraction.
"But I don't know what to do! I've never seen a woman actually give birth, just what they show on movies!"
"Welcome to your first time, then" I say, trying to smile now that the pain has eased a bit. "Check how much I've dilated."
"What?"
"You heard what the midwife said, Mason. We must check it to know when it is time."
"Are you sure you want me to do it?"
"You are very familiar with that part of my body."
"I am, but I'm sure it doesn't look the same right now."
"Mason. Do it" I say, my voice sounding more like a grunt as I feel another contraction coming.
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"Ok guys, it's time to push" my midwife says over the phone.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck" Mason says.
"It's gonna be fine, I'll guide you, ok?"
"Ok" he repeats, taking a deep breath.
"Push!" the midwife says.
"Oh, oh, I see something!"
"That's good, that's good. Remember to breath and... Push!"
"The head! I see hair!"
"We are almost there, probably just another push. Are you both ready?"
"Yes" Mason and I say at the same time, our gazes focused on each other.
"Ok... Breath and... Push!"
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"Where are they?" Rúben says, storming into Daisy's.
"Shh, quiet. They are sleeping."
"Where are they, Mount?"
"I already told you. Sleeping. She needs to rest, and Mrs. Smart is keeping an eye on both of them. Her, and Dixie. That cat hasn't left her side since she went into labour."
"Ok" Rúben says, letting out a big sigh and sitting down on the sofa. "What happened?"
"The baby got tired of waiting, and decided that the day the biggest storm in the past decade was hitting Bluebelll, was the perfect day to come to the world."
"And you were here?"
"Yep. Since you were busy, she asked me if I could come check the generator downstairs just in case there were power cuts. And an hour later, I was bringing a baby to the world."
"Thank God you were here. If she had been alone..."
"Yeah..." Mason whispers.
"Thank you."
"Uh?"
"Thank you for helping her and the baby."
"Of course. You know I would do anything for her. Even if she chose you and all that."
"Friends?" Rúben asks, offering him a hand.
"Friends-ish" Mason says, shaking it. "Fancy a drink to celebrate that the little one is here and both of them are safe and sound?"
"That sounds like a great idea. Do you know where she keeps the nice stuff?" Rúben asks with a smile.
"Oh, I do" Mason replies, also smiling.
"What do we toast to?" Rúben asks once they both have their drink.
"To the little one, of course. And to that amazing woman you have as a girlfriend" Mason says, lifting his glass.
"To them... And to you. Thank you for what you did. Again."
"Cheers, bro."
"Cheers, Mason."
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"You won't believe what I just saw downstairs."
"Please tell me the basement isn't flooded and that we have ducks swimming on it."
"No, nothing like that" Mrs. Smart says. "This is something good. I think."
"You think?"
"Mason and Rúben were together downstairs, having a drink, and laughing."
"They were doing what?"
"What you heard" she says. "Rúben also asked if he could come see you both. Are you ready?"
"I'm ready."
━━━━━━❃━━━━━━
"Can I come in?" Rúben asks, opening the door.
"Of course. There is someone who is dying to meet you."
"Hello, little one" he says, sitting on the bed next to me, caressing the baby's head. Our baby. Our son.
"What do you think?" I ask him.
"He's perfect. And you are amazing."
"Me? What for?" I chuckle.
"Giving birth at home? With no drugs? And just with the help of Mason, who knows nothing about these things."
"I had my midwife on the phone. And this is nothing compared to what other women do and go through."
"I know. But to me, you are amazing" he says, kissing my cheek. "Can I hold him?"
"Of course. Little one, meet your dad. Dad, meet your son, the one who still doesn't have a name" I say while putting him on his arms. He looks so tiny on them...
"Now that he is here, it'll be easier, you'll see" Rúben says, his eyes focused on him.
"I hope so. What about Mason?"
"I'm not naming him Mason."
"That's not what I meant" I say, rolling my eyes. "What was happening with him downstairs?"
"Oh, that" he chuckles. "Nothing. Just that this little guy may be the thing that will put an end to almost a decade of hating each other."
"Really?"
"Really."
"You are a miracle baby, little one" I say, kissing his head.
"Daniel."
"What?"
"Daniel. Daniel Dias, with the accent on the e. I like how that sounds" Rúben says.
"No middle name?"
"Nah."
"Daniel Dias... I like it. What do you think, Dixie?" He is sleeping at the end of my bed and hasn't left my side for the past couple of hours, kind of protecting me. I sometimes wonder if that's why my dad left him with me. To protect me now that he was gone.
"Meow" he says before stretching his legs and curling on a different position.
"I think that's a yes, I like it."
"Thank you, Dixie" Rúben laughs. "I love you, you know? You and Daniel. Both of you."
"I love you too. Both of you" I say, resting my head on his shoulder and not being able to stop smiling while I watch him caressing our son's head in the most loving and caring way I have ever seen.
I thought that after my ex and my best friend broke my heart, I would never recover from it. That I would never fall in love again. Make new friends. Find people I could consider my family.
Yet here I am, having found all that and more, feeling the luckiest and happiest woman in the world.
━━━━❃━━━━ FIN ━━━━❃━━━━
As always, thank you very much to everyone who has read this story, voted or commented. It always means a lot 💜
For those of you who like Rúben, next Tuesday (Jan 31) I'll start posting a new story with him, and if everything goes as planned, I'll start posting a new story with Mason the week of Valentine's Day.
P.S. Again, sorry to some of you for the previous chapter 😅