Over the next two months, Sarina set up the nursery. Mason helped whenever he was home, building flat packs and painting them, helping with the cot and bassinet plus building the drawers and change table.
Sarina spent the days combing the shops for the perfect items for the baby. From baby blankets and cushions for the rocking chair. Little decorative artwork on the walls to tiny hangers in the closet.
As the days came closer to Sarina's due date, she had packed the baby bag and just finished her bag.
"I'm so nervous." She admitted to Mason.
"It's okay. I'll be there the whole time. Sofía will be flying in soon and my mother will be on stand by too." Mason massaged Sarina's feet as she lounged on the bed. "How about you sleep. I know I need it."
"Why would you need it more than me?" Sarina teased Mason with a playful kick.
"Because every time we cuddle when we sleep, this little soccer player keeps kicking me."
"Well there's nothing I can do about that." Sarina said in a matter of fact tone. "Besides, I can't sleep."
"Why ever not now?" Mason asked as his hands went higher up Sarina's legs.
"Baby is hungry."
With a groan, Mason took his hands away from Sarina. "What will it be tonight?"
Sarina but her bottom lip. "Vanilla ice cream, and peanut butter."
Mason nodded as he picked up the car keys.
"Oh and another large bag of oranges please."
"Your cravings will be the death of me." Mason joked as he walked out off the room.
Upon his return, Sarina had had set up a little grotto in the bed as she balanced the ice cream on her stomach.
Sarina felt at peace. She had learned to live with her past. Accepted her nightmare. She had a brilliant relationship with her mother who was due to fly in soon for a month.
Sarina was loved and treated like a daughter from Jane and David. David had changed his tune ever since he found out about the baby.
Mason worked for himself, David and Sarina, accepting the workload and hired a few people to help him. Whenever he had spare time, he would help Sarina do bits and pieces in the nursery.
"I'll redecorate one of those other bedrooms when the baby is older, have it all set up for a girl or boy." Sarina said when they had finally finished the nursery.
But in the mean time, it was set up for Sarina's mother. Sarina's belly was getting bigger by the day as she waddled out of the baby room.
The remaining months of Sarina's pregnancy came to an end as the days ticked by.
Sarina spent most of her days in the lounge room, her large stomach preventing her to get up as freely as she wanted.
Her mother was a huge help and helped Sarina get the last of the baby clothes ready. Sarina was itching to get more, but not knowing the gender, it was hard for Sarina to buy them.
"According to an old wives tale," Jane said as the three women sat and had tea. "The slow heart beat means a girl.... Or was it a boy?" Jane pondered.
"But your stomach, look how large you are at the front. You can't even tell that you're pregnant from the back. That means it's a boy." Sofía smiled.
"It doesn't matter." Sarina smiled as she rubbed her stretched skin on her stomach. "As long he or she is healthy."
"That's right." Sofía agreed.
"There will always be more, I hope?" Jane laughed with them.
"Oh yes! I hope too. Lots of grandchildren running around." Sofía nodded. She had been trying to keep all her sentences in English, but Sarina noticed some words she did struggle at. That was Sarina decided to let her mother teach her Spanish.
Sarina laughed again as she shifted positions and both older woman started panicking. "Stop. I'm just moving. It's not that comfortable having a head pointed down ready for exiting."
Their last appointment had shown the baby was on their side, rolling over. The nurse needed baby to have their back to Sarina's stomach, and hopefully baby has by the time birth came.
Sarina closed her eyes as she felt the small pinch. Upon opening them, her mother and mother in law were looking at her again. "Just a bit tight." Sarina breathed.
When Mason returned home, Jane had left and Sofía was resting.
Sarina smiled as Mason entered the lounge room. She automatically lifted her arm as a signal of help. Mason helped pull Sarina of the soft couch as she stood.
"How is my wife?" Mason kissed Sarina.
"Better now. This baby though, has not stopped moving. I feel him or her kicking me in my ribs, like bub is trying to push itself out." Sarina said as she held the bottom of her stomach. Her belly had dropped dramatically and they both knew the special day was upon them, they just had to wait now.
Mason kneeled down and placed an ear against Sarina's stomach.
" Now, little one. I know you're eager to meet us, we are very eager too, but give your Mummy a break. We will see you soon." Mason kissed my stomach as I smiled down.
Mason thought Sarina was gorgeous, being swollen by his child. But pregnancy had really changed Sarina. She glowed, she looked so much happier, she looked very healthy, from gaining extra weight from her cravings she indulged in. Mason didn't argue with Sarina over her food because he knew her cravings took control and henceforth she ate. But it did make her an emotional mess. Her anger and frustrations were worse then he had ever seen, she could cry at the drop of a hat and her memory was a bit shitty.
She would forget something then argue with Mason over it to find it then remember it. Mason didn't mind. He did his own research. It was normal behaviour. It was also his redemption.
He helped Sarina waddle to the kitchen and to a chair since he longer let her sit on a stool. He knew he was being over protective, but he felt safer when Sarina allowed him this luxury. She knew it comforted him.
Mason busied himself in the fridge and cupboards as Sarina held her stomach, breathing.
Her breaths got louder and shorter. "Mason?"
"Mmm?"
Sarina tried to keep breathing as she felt the pinch again. "Mason?"
"Yes?" He kept busy at what he was doing.
Sarina's fingers dug in to her stomach. "Mason!"
Mason looked up at her. His face changed instantly. "What? What's wrong?"
"I think," Sarina breathed again. "I think I'm having contractions."
"Okay." Mason stilled. Think, brain, think. "Okay." He started pacing as he heard Sarina groan. "Okay."
"Stop saying okay." Sarina snapped. "Go get my mother."
Mason ran up the stairs and knocked on Sofía's door. "Sofía!"
"Sí?"
"I think it's time." Mason said as he went back to Sarina.
He heard the small noises from the room as we went to the stairs, going down two at a time.
"¡Oh Dios mío! ¿Es tiempo? Oh mi. Ya voy." Sofía mumbled as she opened her door, following Mason.
They both ran to Sarina. "How are you feeling?"
"Oh Dios mío."
"How bad is the pain?"
"El bebé viene."
"Mum, english." Sarina panted.
"Sorry darling. Okay level headed." Sofía smiled as she held her daughters hand.
"How far apart is the contractions?"
"I don't know." Sarina snapped at Mason. "I'm sorry." She breathed again. "They are a few tiny pains then a big one every few minutes."
Sofía had the baby bag ready as she and Mason helped Sarina to the front door and the car.
"Wait." Sarina froze. "I need shoes."
"Seriously?" Mason questioned her as she leaned against the pole at the end of their front patio.
"Yes." Sarina snapped. Then her face changed as she looked down at her feet. "Urgh. Ew."
"Forget the shoes." Mason growled as held Sarina again.
They were at the car, door open, ready for Sarina to get in.
"Ow!" She cried as she held her stomach. "It's getting worse!"
Sarina was held by Mason and her mother as she tried to breath through the pain.
"Breath." Mason said softly.
"I'm gonna puke if I keep breathing like this!" Sarina growled at him. Sofía helped Sarina in to the car as Mason got in and drove to the hospital.
"It hurts, mum!" Sarina cried as she held Sofía's hand.
"I now mi bebé." She said as Sofía felt the pressure of her daughters hand.
"We're nearly there."
"Tell that to your child!" Sarina groaned. Oh God, she thought to herself. What is this pain? No one told me it would be this painful!
"I'm scared." Mason heard Sarina sob between her contractions.
"Oh, darling. It's perfectly normal." Sofía smiled. "Nearly there."
Mason pulled in to the car park and Sofía jumped out with the baby bag. Mason helped his wife out off the car as the walked as fast as Sarina could go.
After another couple stops caused by contractions, the finally reached the birth suite.
The midwife came to them with a wheel chair as Mason followed them.
"I'll ring your mother!" Sofía yelled at Mason's back.
Mason went into a room with a bed set up as the midwife got Sarina to lay down. Another midwife came in with a folder and sat at a desk, going through the paperwork.
"Okay, Mrs Hunter, just relax." The first midwife said as she pressed down low on Sarina's belly. "Okay, baby is low, head down, good." She got Sarina ready as she squeezed Mason's hand.
"I'm scared." She said again as she looked at her husband.
"You're scared?" He laughed nervously. "You've been doing so well these past nine months."
"Ow, ow, ow! But what if I drop the baby? Forget him or her?"
Mason brushed the hair off Sarina's face. "You won't." He assured her. "You'll be a wonderful mother."
Three and a half hours went by and it felt like minutes to Sarina. But eventually, their baby was born in to the world and Sarina bursted out in tears as she watched the nurse lay him on her now bare chest.
"It's a boy!" The midwife smiled as she took off her gloves.
"A boy!" Sarina giggled as she cried.
"I have a son." Mason smiled as he kissed Sarina's temple, holding on to one of the newborn baby's hand.
"Sebastian." Sarina smiled at her new son. She looked up at her husband as he kissed her softly.
"Perfect." He whispered against her lips.
10 YEARS LATER
Sarina wrinkled her face up playfully at her husband. "No!" She shrieked as she was chased around the garden. She could her her mother and step father laughing as well as Jane and David.
They had all come together for Sebastian's tenth birthday, much to his disappointment. Sarina refused to let him have a huge party with his friends if he didn't want one with his family. After much consideration, Sebastian gave in.
He chased after his mother, laughing, covered in mud. He ran with his father who was also covered in mud.
Sarina squealed as Mason caught her in the garden, soiling her clothes. "Mason!" Sarina laughed as he placed two muddy hands on her cheeks.
"Daddy caught Mummy! Niñera! Daddy caught Mummy!" Their younger son laughed as he ran to Sofía.
"I see, little one." Sofía giggled from her chair next to her husband of four years, Antonie.
Sarina laughed as Mason held her tight, holding his wife to him. They looked on at their family.
David and Jane loved their grandchildren and David had turned in to the typical stereotype grandfather that spoils his grandchildren.
Sofía and Antonie were only in for the week this time before going back to their home in San Jose.
Sarina felt so blessed and it took her a long time to realise that the fortune teller she saw over eleven years ago was correct. Everything Sarina learnt from her had come true.
Everything Mason said to her over the years had come true. He was a wonderful father to his children.
As the day drew to a finish, Sarina and Mason had said their farewells to their parents, Jane and David heading home and Antonie and Sofía staying at a hotel. They had tucked their second youngest into bed, the last of their nightly routine finished until tomorrow.
"Come dance with me." Mason whispered as he pulled a now clean Sarina to him as she heard the soft music from their bedroom.
Sarina smiled as she took her position, swaying with Mason. They had another big day tomorrow, Mason chaperoning Sebastian and his friends.
"I love you." Sarina said as she inhaled his aroma, leaning against his chest.
Their family was perfect. Sebastian celebrated his tenth birthday with his family and Sarina couldn't ask for anything more. She was happy and at peace.
She stared at their latest family portrait, hanging above their bed and smiled wider, her heart filled with the love she felt for her husband and children.
Sebastian was one of many. Diego was nine, Isabella was seven, Logan had just turned five last month and little Madeleine or Maddy as everyone calls her was on the cusp of being two.
Mason kissed Sarina as she shuddered under his touch. "Again?"
"So?"
"We just did it in the shower no less than thirty minutes ago."
Mason bit down on Sarina's lips, making her give in to his temptations.
"I can't help it I can't get enough of you."
Mason pushed Sarina down on to the bed and kissed her on the neck.
"Sarina, you've made me so happy." Mason rambled on.
"I'm glad I do, but you know what would make me so happy?"
"What's that?" Mason asked as he kissed her.
Sarina pushed Mason away and with a flat voice, she replied. "A vasectomy."
"What?" Mason frowned.
Sarina nodded, amused with herself.
Mason thought it over. "I can't help that I get lost in you."
"Oh baby, I love every second of it, I really do."
"I suppose, we have five beautiful children. You've given me three sons and two little girls. I have you."
Sarina bit down her lip in guilt. "Actually..." She raised two fists in front of Mason. "Sebastian." Sarina raised a finger. "Diego." Up went a second finger. "Isabella" Then a third. "Logan" Went the fourth finger. "Maddy." Out went her thumb. Then to Mason's surprise, Sarina's fore finger went up on her left hand. "And number six."
Mason looked at his half naked wife. "Number six? Are you pregnant?"
Sarina nodded. "Yet again." Came a sigh, but she smiled. She was happy about it, just exhausted.
Mason held her face as he kissed her long, hard and deep. "I love you so much."
Sarina smiled at him. "Like you wouldn't believe." She smiled.