Between the mounds of medical appointments, nursery decoration and dreary pregnancy moments, the weeks flew by quicker than Emery anticipated.
Granted she had the finance and support of her loved ones to push her through such a stressful period in her life, ever so often, the urge to call him would breeze in, and she would find herself toying with the idea of reaching out to him.
At this point, she was not holding back from getting him involved in their life out of spite-but out of fear.
A fear that stemmed from her selfdom and prohibited her from putting herself out there in the light of criticism, and rejection.
There was no way he would believe he fathered this child when he thought she cheated on him.
And knowing his temper, what if he gets upset for being deprived of his fatherly rights and ask for custody? Which he would definitely win with his riches and shrewd ways.
The whirlwind of thoughts would roll in and for endless time, she would ponder on how this could go downhill and she would end up losing everything including her sanity.
So whenever she arrives at that conclusion, she would get cold feet and set the phone down.
It was a balmy summer afternoon and as part of her maternity break plans, she was stretched out on the fluffy rug in her living room, watching a rerun of beyond the lights with a bowl of fruit salad to keep her company.
"It was perfect, right? What we had?"
"We started on a lie. It could never be perfect."
"Story of my life..." Emery mumbled to herself as the lines from the protagonists played back at her.
She paused the movie when her phone rang with a call from her brother.
"Hey biggie."
Emery swore at him. "call me that again and I will throw my flops through the phone."
Laughter tolled from the other end of the line and she could practically see her brother rolling his eyes at the threat.
"How are you guys doing?"
She shrugged as if he could see her. "she is getting impatient each day to see this foul world but we're hanging in there. What's up with you? You good?"
"Yeah, all good... let me guess, your lazy ass is still in bed?"
"First of all, my ass ain't lazy and this is called leisure time for carrying an overly active human for almost nine months, mister..."
"Alright, mama I get it. No need to blow my ears off."
Emery chuckled. "You had it coming… what's up with you?"
"I'm hanging in there...Nat and I had a talk last night, and we think it would be ideal for you to stay with us or for her to stay with you since you're almost due-"
"Chris we've already talked about this. I have made plans in advance with a hospital and my obstetrician so I can't just cancel my appointments or anything else..."
"Alright then, Nat is willing to stay with you till the battle is over..."
"Chris..."
"Look, I know you've got this from the beginning and I'm damn proud of you but it's your first time doing this, and it's not safe for you to be living alone... we can't take any chances, Em."
She sighed. "Fine, Talia can come over if it is no bother..."
"Of course not!" Emery heard a cheerful squeal in the background which undoubtedly came from Natalia.
It was settled then that Natalia would stay with her until she gave birth.
· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·
The days following Natalia's arrival was admittedly fun than Emery expected.
She was eternally appreciative of her loyal friend and relentless brother.
During the day, the two would stock up and pack all the necessary stuff for the D-day. And in the evenings, they would enjoy the fresh breeze at the balcony with a couple of drinks while they chitchat.
And tonight was no exception.
"What do you mean by you don't want a baby shower?!" Natalia asked her friend, her mouth agape as she stared at Emery in incredulity.
Emery shrugged and took a sip of her coconut water. "I'm almost due, Talia. Heck, the baby could arrive any moment from now and you think I have the time and energy to organize a baby shower?"
Natalia crossed her arms over her chest, a pout marring her face. "Every mother deserves a baby shower and more so if it's their first child... you are being mean to my goddaughter."
"Oh suck it up, its no big deal." Emery chuckled.
But Natalia had a mind of her own.
Come the morning, Emery woke up to her brother's call.
"Please don't tell me you're still in bed."
"Get off my phone, it's just eight in the morning." Christopher's booming laughter stirred her up.
She cussed under her breath. "What do you want?"
"Guess you woke up on the wrong side of the bed... well get your act together cause I need your help. I'm picking something for our forthcoming anniversary and I kinda need a feminine opinion."
Emery got out of the covers without further comment. "Is it what I'm thinking?" she squealed.
"Em?" Natalia knocked on her bedroom door. "get your ass up and come feed that poor baby."
She giggled at the light command. "I'm coming, mama!"
She heard Natalia chuckle and when the sound of her retreating footsteps faded, she went back to her conversation.
"I miss her already."
"She's been gone for only two weeks..."
"Two weeks ain't only for us, woman."
Emery released an exaggerated yawn to annoy him which her brother did deride her for, but she only rolled her eyes.
"She is heaven sent you know, I haven't been pampered like this in a while."
"So you approve?"
"Hell yeah!"
"Glad to hear that. I just got off the phone with her so don't let her know I called you."
"Sure thing..."
"Call me when you're ready, I'm now heading back home from the gym to freshen up."
"Aye captain."
"See you biggie."
"Christopher Elorm Hamilton-" the line went dead before she could cuss him out again.
Emery chuckled. Although she was loving her dewy glow and well-filled bosom; all thanks to pregnancy hormones, moving around was becoming strenuous with her swollen feet and oversized belly.
She stretched leisurely in bed which turned into groans of annoyance with the impending task of dressing up.
Picking herself up, she shuffled into the bathroom to freshen up. After her shower, she opted for a strapless knee-length floral dress and comfy flops.
Now more than ever, she was grateful for her feed-in jumbo cornrows which Janina had enticed her to go for last two weeks as it had saved her time and the hassle of taming her wild natural hair.
She stuffed her clutch with any feminine product within her reach and joined Natalia in the kitchen. The latter who was already enjoying her breakfast and working on her laptop.
"Good morniiiiiing..."
The greetings made Natalia chuckle. "I take it you slept well?" Natalia gave her a soft smile and pointed to a covered tray to Emery's left.
"Much much better. I don't know how to thank you enough, Talia, thanks very much.."
Natalia shook her head. "Don't mention it."
Emery grinned at her and tended to her breakfast.
She got a text message from her brother some seconds after she was done eating and once they had set their course of action, she gave Natalia some lame excuse and hurried off to meet him down the block.
The sibling toured almost all the jewelry shops in Brooklyn for the so-called ideal piece Christopher was looking for, but after some time, Emery gave up. Luckily, her brother had found the one by then.
"How hard is it to find an engagement ring?" she asked in annoyance when they drove out of the shop.
"You know what they say, finding the right one gives you morale." Emery rolled her eyes at the sappy retort.
"It's almost one, let's grab some takeaway for lunch and head back," Christopher suggested.
"Sure, where to?"
"Well you know the place better than I do so you choose."
"Let's try Colonie, its just down the street." she typed the address in his GPS and they drove ahead to the said restaurant.
The place was looking lovelier since the last time she visited with Anthony but was choked with the young professional crowd as it was a public holiday.
They ordered some takeaway and drinks and drove back to the apartment.
"Gosh I really have to get this on camera, I can't imagine Nat's reaction... ow..." Emery bit her lips as a brief but painful jolt-like sensation tore through her abdomen.
"What's wrong?" Christopher asked apprehensively, his gaze traveling between his sister and the congested road.
"Chris, keep your eyes on the road. I'm fine... she is just bumping into all kinds of nerves down there." she took a couple of deep breaths and rubbed her tummy gently.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Emery chuckled when the tightness began to recede. "You can stop freaking out on me and get us home safely.
"I'm not freaking out," Christopher defended.
"Your fingers are shaking."
"Fine. I just hate seeing you go through this alone..."
"Chris..."
"You don't want to talk about him, I get it... let's get you home, Nat should be done by now."
"Done with what?"
Christopher swore when he realized what he had said. "I can't believe I ruined this for her. I will never hear the end of it," he rambled.
Emery crossed her hands over her chest and gave him the stink eye. "Spill it, what are you guys up to?"
Christopher huffed. "Nat has a surprise for you."
"The sly bitch!" Emery laughed. "what is she about this time?" she asked giddily.
"I'm not saying shit. I'm probably gonna get starved for a week for telling you..."
"Eww! Spare me the details." she gave him a mock glare.
"What are you ewwing me for when you are proudly wearing the badge of your ewws," Christopher teased.
Emery burst into laughter, her cheeks warming up at the comment. "You're insufferable."
Try as much as she probed him for answers, Christopher remained closed-lip for the rest of the drive and found ways to skirt her questions which only marked up her curiosity.
When they arrived at the apartment, he muttered an excuse and asked her to take the lead while he ran a quick errand.
Emery grabbed her food and strode inside. She noticed the change in setting when the elevator stopped on the second floor but had no idea what was missing until she walked into her apartment.
It was indeed a surprise, one Emery did not imagine.
Confetti and flowers littered the living room, and plastered on the peach walls of the room was a banner with a calligraphy of Em's baby shower.
"Happy baby shower!" the small group of ladies cheered.
Tears of joy and gratitude overwhelmed Emery as she stood by the doorway, soaking in the activities going on around her.
Natalia hopped off the couch and ambled over to her. "You can shoot me later when I'm asleep but every baby and mama deserves a baby shower," she whispered and pulled her into a hug.
"God, I can't believe this. I wasn't even gone for five hours, how the hell did you pull this off?"
"Duh, its a holiday and this is the handiwork of two weeks planning... but I will be arrested if I tell you the hows so why don't you save me from years of imprisonment and just enjoy the party?"
"Talia-"
"Shhh..." Natalia stirred her towards the group. "ladies, meet the supermom to be and our guest of honor, Emery."
A ton of congratulatory notes rang up and Emery thanked each and every one of them for coming.
She knew most of the guests as they were friends from Manhattan and colleagues from the office. Others were complete strangers but that status changed after Natalia and Janina introduced them.
From playing absurd baby shower games to picking out names which got them laughing their lungs out, it was fun and refreshing to say the least.
The merrymaking came to an end late in the afternoon with the guests showering Emery with gifts.
After seeing the guests off, she excused herself and scurried to her bathroom to use the super bowl.
She had been feeling extremely hot and queasy during the entire party and it was only getting worst by the second.
She took a shower afterwards and had barely turned off the faucet when it began.
It was a seizing and aching pain deep in her spine and for a second there, Emery almost labeled it as another practice contraction but her doubts were clarified when she felt warm liquid trickle down her legs.
God…don't freak out... you can't freak out now. You've got this.
She bit on her lips to the point where she could taste blood just so she could hold back a cry as the pains traveled to her abdomen, and spread through her lower back. She held onto the bathroom wall for support and took in a couple of labored breaths.
"We can do this, Em. I know we can."
Emery couldn't hold back the tears any longer when his words popped in again.
"Damn this, I wish you were here." she cried out silently when the pains became unbearable.
Biting down the tremors shooting through her body, she turned on the shower again and rinsed herself, but the hot water barely numbed the ache.
Against the intensifying cramps and pounding of her heart, she continued with her breathing exercise as she had been thought for months, and painstakingly wiped herself dry.
She shuffled to the bedroom to put on one of her maternity gowns and then trailed into the living room, where her folks were laughing over their game of who knows the mama best?
"Guys?" they turned sharply at the breathless call. "my... my water just broke," Emery said through clenched teeth.
Christopher who had appeared after the feminine activity was over, was the first out of the couch with Janina in tow and a tipsy Natalia right behind them.
Diana also heard the tottering words from the kitchen and rushed over to her niece. She gave her a reassuring smile and rubbed her lower back gently.
"You're doing great, dear... where is your bag?" Diana asked.
"I know!" Natalia stumbled into Emery's bedroom and came out a second later with the mini suitcase and handbag.
Christopher who was frozen in place snapped out of his shock and made to carry his sister but Emery shook her head.
"I will walk... moving eases the pain. Please hold me," she told him in one breath.
Without wasting time, Christopher wrapped his hands around his sister and led her out of the living room.
"Nina please stay behind and clean up the place, we will call you," Diana told her daughter.
"Sure...You've got this supermom!" Janina called after the group.
Emery gave her a weak thumbs up before she was ushered out of the apartment.
It was a short yet anticipated drive to the hospital.
Gruelingly, she half-listened in on the activities going on around her as her OB-GYN led her into a triage room.
She gnashed through the agonizing contractions and all the while sipped on a bottle of water provided by her Aunt.
After endless hours of bouncing on birth balls and walking about the halls to turn her dilation up to 10 centimeters, Emery finally took the life-altering trip to the delivery room.
Words could not describe the pains she went through that fateful summer eve.
It was then that Emery wished with all her heart that he was there with her, instead of her best friend and Aunt.
But it all came to an end after nineteen hours of natural birth when the piercing cry of a baby... her baby sounded through the delivery room.
With tears of joy, Emery welcomed her baby girl, Veliane Jae Dekker on the afternoon of June 17th.
And she captured every single moment of it on camera.
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Thanks for reading love 🍻
Veliane or Velia pronounced [Veh-leah] is an Eʋe name which means 'companion'
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More interesting chapters coming your way so stay tuned. (Emellion reunion coming up 😉)