a glimmer of hope

31.

Season 6 x 04
A Flash of Light

i held onto my belly, hobbling down the stairs.
"are you okay?" i asked quinn, rubbing my eyes.
i'd been laying my awake in my bed for the past hour while quinn was downstairs.
"yeah" he squinted, looking out the window
"who're you looking for?"
"that guy across the street"
"still?" i panted
"it's suspicious, cass"
he sat back on the couch
"are you okay?"
"i'm still contracting" i nodded
"what?"
"what do you mean, still?"
"it's fine"
he raised his eyebrows "aren't you gonna go to the hospital?"
"i've have hours until active labour"
"well, why don't you sit down or something?" he shrugged
"you look like you're hurting"
———
after napping for a half an hour, i thought it was time to hobble back upstairs.
i had just finished showering and spat my toothpaste into the sink.
i waddled over to my closet and put on another pair of pyjama bottoms. i didn't feel like wearing normal pants today. i didn't feel like wearing normal pants anytime lately.
on top, i put on a big long sleeve shirt.
then, i made my way back downstairs.
when i reached the bottom steps, quinn came in the house.
"where did you go?" i asked
"just on a walk" he shrugged
"quinn" i sighed
he stepped toward me, helping me down the last few stairs.
"cass, that man across the street is really watching us"
"you're still on this?"
"i saw"
"he has cameras"
"and listening devices"
i shook my head
"you went in his house?"
"yes"
"why?"
"i needed to see"
"what if the neighbours saw, you could've been arrested"
"that man was living there before we moved here, why would he want to watch us?"
"maybe because he knows me"
i raised an eyebrow "really?"
"i was all over the fucking news, cass"
"i've got too much to think about right now, quinn"
"i don't" he shrugged
"well why don't you think about something other than this"
"sit down and listen to the peace and quiet and life before a baby is coming into this house"

i let out a yawn, putting my feet up on the coffee table.
"mom" i smiled
"hi, i just wanted to see how you are"
"i'm okay"
"contracting"
"really?"
"yeah, probably will happen in the next few days"
"that's amazing, cassie"
"i'm so excited for you"
"and sorry i can't be there"
"it's okay"
"did you get my package?"
"no"
"well, keep on the lookout"
"sounds good"
"call your sister if you need any help once the baby arrives"
"i will"
"how's peter, anyways?"
"he's doing a lot better than the last you saw him"
"thats good"
"i felt so awful for him"
"yeah, i know you did"
i looked over at quinn "me too"
"you have to call me when the baby comes"
"i will, mom"
"your sister anastasia is arriving soon"
"have fun" i smiled
"καληνυχτα"
"talk to you later, mom"
"i love you"
———
it was about 1:47 in the morning. i looked at the clock. i had been watching it for the past hour.
my contractions were getting closer and closer. more painful too.
i threw the covers off of me, slipping a pair of socks on my feet. peter was wide awake, watching me.
"what are you doing?"
"i'm going into labour" i whispered
"like actually, right now"
i dug a sweater from my closet and stretched it over my body.
"did your water break?"
"a half an hour ago"
he sat up
"what?"
"why didn't you say anything, cass?"
i went down the stairs, throwing the hospital bag over my shoulder.
"because this shit takes awhile"
"i don't want to be sitting in a hospital bed for 15 hours"
"you drive" i panted, holding onto my bump.
another contraction.
i wobbled to the car while quinn locked up the house.
i threw the bag in the backseat with the car seat.
"please drive" i said, still in the middle of a contraction.
"how're you feeling, cass?" he asked, worried.
i groaned "not good right now"
"hold it" quinn said, looking out the window.
the man across the street sped off in someone's car.
he was going the same way as the hospital anyway.
quinn followed his car, taking pictures of the license plate.
"what're you doing, quinn?"
"this is going to help" he said
we drove past the car, he took pictures of the men in it too.
they were at some truck transport sight.
"okay, hang in there" quinn hushed as we got closer to the hospital.
"fuck" i sighed
he rubbed my thigh up and down.

3:12 that morning, i delivered our baby girl. she's 6 pounds 4 ounces and 17 inches long. peter and i named her Avra Ariti Quinn.
quinn fell asleep holding the baby, but we woke up later that morning to the news of a bomb going off on the highway.
i shot quinn a look and he shot me one.
the van looked like the same company of the one we saw last night.
"fuck" he groaned
maybe he was right, maybe quinn knew this was coming. maybe i should have believed him.