Rose of Sharon |Courting Trouble BK 2|

Chapter 27 (Part 1)

One rose is enough for the dawn. -Edmond Jabes

"Come on Katrina. Be reasonable" Dominic complained to his daughter as his wife, Alice chortled beside him. Who would have ever thought that the day would come when Katrina was crowned the matriarch of the great Maracheli family. Or that Dominic would resort to groveling at her feet just to get anything done within his own company.

"I am not approving anything until I see and go through the proposal. " Katrina's voice said over the phone and her father grimaced in return, much to Alice's satisfaction.

"Why is Ryan even allowing you to work from the hospital?"

"Dad,  do not drag my husband into this. Unlike..." Katrina posed as another contraction hit her and she had to grit her teeth in pain.

"Unlike what?"

"Unlike you he actually respects me." she gritted out between her pain and her stepmother furrowed her brows in concern.

"Another one? " Katrina nodded her head and then realised that the woman could not possibly see her through the phone.

"Yes. "

"Another what? " Dominic asked her confusion.

"Contraction dummy! Why do you think she is in the hospital?"

"Oh," he said gazing at his wife's baby bump that was ever increasing by the day.

"How far between are they now? "

"6 minutes." she gritted

"That's fast. Are sure about working while in the hospital though? "

"It keeps my mind off the pain so... "

"Aren't you a stubborn one. Why not just get that epidural. It's not too late I am sure. "

Katrina thought about it and almost shook her head in agreement. Should she?  She wondered even as she looked at Ryan who was staring back at her with a worried look in his eyes.

"I don't know." she whispered even as a tear made its way down her eyes and Ryan hurried to hang up the phone before her parents could hear her break down. "Thank you." she tried to smile but it came out as a grimace.

"Hey,  don't over exert yourself. Are you serious about work though?" at that she grinned.

"Every once in a while he deserves to be pulled down a notch, plus I always have you."

"Of course, you will always have your slave do all the work for you while you lounge away on that hi-tech bed. "

"it's not hi-tech. It's a standard hospital bed. "

"Yeah, with more gadgets than my standard bed at home. "

At that she giggled.

"I don't think making me laugh can alleviate the pain. To think that Malisha had to go through all these and alone. "

At that his expression grew solemn.

"How do you know?" he asked her.

"Gina. She came back from Veterum the other day."

"You are now on talking terms?"

"She sought me out. Phoebe remained though. Apparently, she has her eyes set on Malisha's brother. "

"Mishael?" his eyes grew wider.

"You are acquainted with him? "

"More acquintedwith his hands. He is some sort of General. Apparently those military positions are also hereditary."

"All of them? "

"Just the six high generals."

"And if the General had only daughters?"

"The General is a gender neutral word."

"I see. What of the Phaedra?"

"The Queen is a Domina or Regina, I am not sure which. Though for some reason, titles there seem to go according to the old language."

"So Malisha is a Domina?" he nodded his head in agreement.

"Must be cool, right." he added after some thought. Thinking back to his previous encounter with his high born ex girlfriend.

"Apparently it was not easy. The social  system in Veterum is quite hard. She is not angry at us though,  but she cannot relate with us just yet." Katrina told him.

"Gina? " she nodded. "I am glad to hear that."

They remained in companiable silence for a while. Ryan working on Katrina's papers while she sat back,  relaxing and enjoying the little relief that was offered in between her contractions.

She had told him that laughter did not work, but it certainly did. His words too, for it was much easier to go through the pain if your mind was not focusing on every jab and prick and the back breaking cramps.

How did she manage it? Katrina wondered, her mind going back to Malisha and the pain she must have endured back then. She  must have felt all alone with just her brother to support her. All alone in the labour ward carrying the fruits of Ryan's betrayal. But then again,  it was not all his fault. She, Katrina was also to blame and hence the reason why she was now punishing herself. At least, by refusing an epidural, she could somehow try and understand the mental anguish that her former best friend had suffered through. It would not do anything to atone for her past sins, but it would do much in teaching her how to appreciate the gift that God was giving her through the birth of this baby.

"Aargh!" Katrina suddenly cried out even as a nurse entered the room and began to take note of the time.

"What is happening??" Ryan jumped up in a frenzied state, alarmed by the sudden cry that had just been emitted from his wife's lips.

"Your wife is about to deliver." the nurse smiled as she showed him the time. "That one was four minutes apart from the last. " she added as she moved in to examine her.

"She's having the baby? " the nurse nodded. "Now? "

They had thought it would take longer. It should have taken longer, but his baby girl seemed to be too eager to enter the world that she could not await the arrival of her great grandmother. What was he to do now? He wondered even as he packed away the documents and rushed over to Katrina's side.

He would have preferred to do it immediately but his wife would fray him alive for leaving such sensitive documents lying out in the open and true to his thoughts,  that was the first question she asked him when he arrived at her side.

"The papers? " the pale faced Katrina groaned and he assured her that they were safe.

"Rest easy. " he said wiping away the sweat that had accumulated on her brow. "it's going to be okay."

"Grandmother..."

"She's coming. " he assured her just as the doctor walked in with her team of nurses.