Eternal Bloom - Book 5 (The Ruby Ring Saga) (19 page)

Victor grinned, and his eyes welled with tears. “You will tuck our son in tonight, my love.”

I burst into tears as I hugged Victor. “We did it,” I whispered. “I’m going to be a mother, right there with him, rather than someone he only sees in pictures, video diaries, and reads about in letters.”

Victor wiped the tears from my eyes. “This is the happiest moment of my existence.”

“There is so much more to come, baby! This is just the beginning for us!”

“Let’s go,” Victor said. “We must figure out how to get off this island.”

I suddenly doubled over in pain. “Victor, we’ll never make it off this rock before the baby comes.”

He cocked a brow. “Are you sure? I think we should—”

I shook my head. “Alexander is coming, Victor. We’re going to have our baby right here, right now.”

His eyes widened, as if in shock, but then he smiled.

“What about a doctor?” I asked. “Can we do this without one?”

He pondered, then answered calmly, “We’ve beaten the odds so far. Have no fear, my love. You will give birth to a beautiful, healthy son. I can’t wait meet my little miracle.”

“Neither can I,” I whispered as happiness washed over me. I had waited so long to meet my tiny bundle of joy. I was ecstatic. I’m not really sure there were words to describe the most amazing feeling in the entire world, a natural high I couldn’t even explain.

Victor carried me under a shade tree and gently placed me on a bed of pink and white petals.

“These blossoms only have a life span of three days,” I said. “What are the chances I’d give birth here?”

“Fate is trying to tell us that our child is destined to be here.”

“These blossoms have long been associated with purity and simplicity, and now I’m having my baby here. It’s so...ironic.”

“It is perfect,” Victor said. He snuggled up next to me.

I wrapped my arm around him. Being so close to him, lying against his chest during contractions seemed to put me at ease and calm my rattled nerves. I’d never had a baby before, and I had no midwife or doctor or my mother there to guide me through it. We spent an hour holding each other as my contractions kept their easygoing pace. We talked about everything, from the impending birth to the weather and the nature surrounding us.

He ran a hand through my hair. “You will be the most wonderful mother.”

I smiled. “Thank you. And you will be a great dad.”

I groaned as more cramps rolled across my stomach, making their way to my back. Victor helped me stand, and we walked around a little.

We swayed and danced as petals fell on us like snow. I laid my head on his chest and was comforted by his strong arms and the warmth and scent of his body.

Butterflies circled above as the song of tingling bells hung in the air. Victor held my gaze through the cloud of petals falling softly upon us. He wrapped his arms around my waist, drawing me closer.

I leaned against him until I could feel the warmth of his skin against my racing heart, and I lifted my arm to touch his flushed cheek.

He didn’t flinch or even react. He just smiled and kissed my fingers where they touched his lips. His arms squeezed me more tightly, but his touch remained soft, like the butterflies fluttering on the nearby blossoms.

More pain came. I squatted, leaned on tree trunks, and arched my back forward and backward. I tried everything to alleviate the pain, but they were the worst cramps I’d ever felt in my life, far beyond even the strongest of Midol. After I rode the next wave of pain, I started to panic.

“What’s wrong?” Victor gently asked, stroking my back.

“I’m scared. My mother and sister aren’t here, and I have never done this before. We’re by ourselves, lost on some deserted island. I’m freaked out, Victor, and I’m afraid I’m going to panic and—”

“You are not alone, my love. I’m right here,” he said, giving me a reassuring squeeze.

“But we don’t have our Immortal doctor.”

He pulled me close. “Sarah, your body was designed to do this. You will have our baby, and both of you will be fine. Remember the vision from the cave?”

“The vision was of us in a hospital,” I retorted.

“We changed the future by coming for the eternal bloom when you were so late in pregnancy.”

“We had to, Victor. My fate was sealed. You know the second I delivered the baby, I would have been as good as dead.”

“We changed that outcome,” he said. “We found the eternal bloom, and now you’re going to live.”

“The Immortals that dropped us off will come back for us. They want their money. We could be whisked off to the hospital, which would mean the prophesy on the wall was true.”

“What makes you say that?” he asked.

“That captain didn’t like bringing a pregnant woman out here in the middle of nowhere. He told me that if I had that baby, he was personally taking me to an Immortal hospital himself. That the orders were straight from Jackson.”

I closed my eyes as he wiped my face with his sleeve, comforting me. I tried to stay relaxed between contractions so I wouldn’t use all my strength up. I concentrated on the distinct smell of the cherry blossoms all around me and the beautiful songs of the birds. We didn’t talk; he just held me. It was exactly what I wanted as I soaked in all the nature around me. When I reached for my back during a cramping contraction, Victor massaged my spine without me having to ask. After a while, my soft groans turned into loud moans.

“We need to time the contractions,” I said, touching my rock-hard abdomen.

We clocked them at five minutes apart, lasting sixty seconds. I could barely breathe or talk through the strong waves washing over me. Victor pushed sweaty strands of hair out of my face, and then we just held hands until the contraction was over.

“It won’t be long now. We’ll soon meet our son, Sarah.”

I beamed. “I must be the only mom in the world who already knows what her baby looks like.”

He touched my face. “Tell me again.”

I smiled at the thought. “Alexander has the most gorgeous black curls, and his eyes are the bluest I’ve ever seen, at least as blue as yours. He has an infectious giggle, and we will devote all our love, attention, and energy to him.”

“I’ll always protect him. He’ll never set foot in my world until he is a grown man.”

I heard a light popping sound, and warm fluid rushed down my legs. “My water just broke.” A contraction ripped through me, and I fell to my knees. I tried to breathe the way I’d been taught, in through the nose and out through the mouth, but it didn’t seem to help one tiny bit. I gritted my teeth and screamed again.

T
he pain had started like menstrual cramps, but now it was completely unbearable, a different kind of torture altogether. They had a beginning, a peak, and an end, a million times worse than a Charlie horse. The contractions got worse, deeper and closer together. “It hurts ten times worse now,” I said, gritting my teeth and sweating profusely.

Victor rushed to my side, and I gazed into his eyes.

“It’s time!” The contractions intensified, and with each one, I got louder and louder. They were so intense, powerful, and painful. I had never heard myself scream like that, like a maniac. The cramps had started out like a summer shower, and now they felt like a hurricane.

“We’ll get through this,” Victor said, “one contraction at a time.”

Victor’s support and encouragement during our labor was nothing short of amazing. I had never loved him more than that very moment. I covered my face with my hands and gasped. Pain seared my stomach and back, silencing my screams. I dug my nails into his hand at the height of a powerful contraction, then slumped when it ended. “I didn’t mean to break your fingers, babe.”

“You’re doing a wonderful job,” Victor said, shooting me a reassuring look. “Giving birth is long, hard job. I’m so proud of you.”

“I don’t want to be cliché, cursing, sweating, panting, and screaming at my husband like a maniac.”

“I don’t care if you scream, curse, or hit me. If it helps you cope with the pain, you may let me be your punching bag.”

“I need to blow through the pain.”

“Slowly inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, just like we learned,” Victor said.

He breathed with me, and I was able to breathe through the pain. I knew how important it was to maintain a rhythm so I would not panic; that would only use up all the oxygen my body and my baby desperately needed. We breathed that way for nearly an hour. Victor was my rock and never let me give up, encouraging me every step of the way.

Suddenly, everything tightened, hardened, and I could barely breathe as I squeezed his hand. I looked to him for strength and encouragement, and he projected a strong sense of confidence and calm. “I couldn’t ask for a better coach. You’re...my rock.”

When I began to hyperventilate, Victor breathed out loud with me so I’d slow down my breaths. My coach kept me totally focused and calm, until the peak of the next contraction. “Ow, ow, ow, ow!” I grunted, whimpered, cried, and moaned. I felt pressure in my pelvis and was sure I was going to have the baby any second.

“I’m here for you,” Victor assured me in a low, soothing tone and massaged all the areas that were hurting.

I’d never felt so in tune with Victor, so loved by anyone. His support was amazing, and he knew exactly what to do.

Victor squeezed my hand. “I can’t wait to have our beautiful wedding.”

“Me too. Only three more months.”

“You’ve been working so hard on the wedding plans. I am so proud of you, Sarah.”

“It will be a dream come true. Walking down the aisle and getting married in my church instead of some medieval place, surrounded by swords and shields. All the guests will be my friends and loved ones, and...ow! Oh my gosh, it hurts!” I had trouble maintaining my steady breathing. “It feels like thunder rolling across my stomach and back. I can take the pain, but they just keep coming and coming, and I have no time to relax.” Within seconds, I was howling in pain, like a wolf with a splinter in its paw. “Ohhh!” I yelled again, gripping my stomach.

“You’re in transition,” he said, rubbing my back.

“Somebody listened to the teacher,” I breathed out. “I wish I could remember half of what she said, but everything’s just...a blur. Pushing a baby out is hard work!” I winced, doubling over. “Here comes another one!” I said, trying to recall the deep-breathing techniques I’d learned in the birthing classes we’d attended at the community center.

Then the most amazing thing happened. The contractions stopped for a wonderful, blissful thirty seconds. It was pure heaven, with no pain whatsoever.

“You’re the strongest woman I know, Sarah,” Victor said. “You can do this.”

I grunted. “What makes you so sure?”

“You took me on and stood up to me like no woman I’ve ever met.”

“You were so cocky,” I said, “yet so damn handsome.”

“And you were so stubborn, yet so damn beautiful.”

Then I clutched my stomach, choked back a scream, and waited for the painful contraction to pass. It hurt so bad that I could hardly speak. I groaned as another painful cramp washed over me, then let out a guttural scream when another contraction tore through my abdomen. It felt as if I was being hit by a Mack truck over and over again. “As horrible as this is, I can feel progress with every push,” I breathed out. “I don’t mean to scream. I really don’t, but I-I just can’t help it.”

“It’s fine, my love. Just let it all out.”

“Back-to-back contractions? No amount of birthing classes could have prepared me for this,” I complained. “My body’s on fire, Victor. I’m so hot...and the baby’s so active.”

“He’s getting into position,” Victor said. “He wants to meet us as badly as we want to meet him.”

“Can you tell him to just stop moving and please get comfortable already?” I asked, panting.

Victor used the palm of his hand to massage my lower back. It helped to soothe my muscles and alleviate some of the pain that came so fast and hard. I swear I felt the baby turn in the birth canal, as if I’d lost all control of my body. I tried to concentrate on a flowing river or a waterfall to help me focus.

“It hurts too bad,” I yelled, gritting my teeth. “You could always feel my pain before. You’re so lucky we’re not bonded by the ring anymore! You should thank Ethano for disconnecting us, Victor. I guarantee you would not want to go through this.”

“You can make it, Sarah,” Victor reassured me in a calm voice.

I drew in deep, ragged breaths, sweating as if I’d just run a marathon. “I’ve never experienced anything like this.” I screamed as another contraction hit. “It hurts like hell!” I knew I needed to save my energy, but vocalizing really helped me through the intense pain.

“You’re doing wonderfully, my love,” Victor said, holding my hand as I squeezed. “This kind of pain brings life. Just think of the reward. We’ll be holding our baby soon.”

Victor was wonderful, and his radiant love was such a help to me. After every single contraction, he praised me and told me how proud he was of me and congratulated me on a job well done.

“I have to be fully dilated. It’s time to push. I can feel it!” I screamed and hoped I hadn’t blown out his eardrums.

He positioned himself between my legs, and I spread them apart. “When you feel the contraction, push with all your might, Sarah.”

I nodded and felt nothing but overwhelming love for my husband and son. I wanted nothing more than to see the beautiful baby we’d created together. I focused on the outcome and not the pain.

“Push! Come on, Sarah. Push hard!”

As the contraction hit, I took a big breath and focused on my baby’s sweet face. I thought about the vision of Victor and I singing “Happy Birthday” to him on his first birthday. I remembered how much he lit up, his bright smile and the twinkle in his eyes. I breathed slowly and let the contraction run its course. Tucking my chin to my chest, I curled my body and leaned forward, then bore down and grunted like a power-lifter in the gym.

After five seconds, I released my breath and breathed in and out. My urge to push came during the contraction. When the contractions stopped, I went limp and took a few calming breaths, but there was little time to relax. I knew Alexander was in perfect position to make his entrance into the world. The next contraction came like a tidal wave, and I squeezed my eyes shut. With every contraction, I brought down my head to my chest and pushed, then rested for a quick second before the next horrific one came. I couldn’t explain it, but I felt an overwhelming desire to push. The pressure was like something I’d never felt before, like a boa constrictor wrapping itself around my hips and squeezing the life out of them.