ISLA
Iris rubbed my enlarged stomach with her small hands.
Her siblings, decorated the living room.
Ian stood on a stool, trying to place the star at the top of the tree. Magnus and Maple hung the lights on the walls, while Madison and Isabelle ate cherry candy canes and watched How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Just like always, we were putting up decorations on the evening of Christmas Eve.
"There's a baby in here?" Iris asked, her eyes wide in awe.
I nodded.
"Did you swallow it?" she asked.
I laughed. "No sweetie. It's growing inside of me."
She tilted her head in confusion. "Like a tree?"
Considering that Iris was only two, Mia and I hadn't exactly had 'the talk' with her. We tried to correct her without too much detail as we did with the other kids sans Ian considering he was eleven.
Iris jumped away from me. "I felt it," she said.
I smiled. "That's the baby kicking."
Iris frowned. "Baby no kick mommy."
"It doesn't hurt." I sighed and shifted to a more comfortable position. "It's just annoying."
"When is baby coming out?" she asked.
"The doctor says a week," I said. "Could be soon could be-"
I cut myself off with a groan of pain.
All the kids turned to me.
"Are you okay, mommy?" asked Madison.
I shook my head. "Magnus go get your mom," I said. "Maple call Uncle Parker and Noah. Tell them the baby's coming." I threw my hands up. "Ian help me up."
With a bit of effort, Ian was able to lift me before Mia ran into the living room.
"Contractions," I explained as I waddled to the door.
"How far apart?" she asked.
"Maybe five minutes," I guessed.
She tossed everyone's shoes to the right person. "Hurry," she said to the kids. "Bundle up." She turned to me. "I'll get the car heated. Wait here."
She rushed out the door and down the porch steps to the minivan.
Ian helped me put on my shoes and attempted to fit a jacket over my large stomach.
Mia honked the horn twice and Ian and Magnus helped me waddle out.
I sat in the front seat and pulled the seat belt over my stomach.
Mia turned to me as she pulled out of our driveway.
"Let's go have a baby," she said and sped towards the hospital.
+
We had arrived at the hospital at eight pm. The birth lasted twelve hours.
After I had squeezed the little rugrat out of me, Parker and Noah had willingly taken their baby girl.
Noah held her tightly in his arms. "She's so beautiful."
Parker smiled. "We made a human."
Noah teared up a bit. "Fuck yeah we did."
"I wanna see," Iris said, standing on a chair.
Isabelle and Madison quickly pulled her down.
"You okay babe?" Mia asked me.
"I'm fine," I replied. "Not like this is my first time."
"We keep her?" Iris asked, looking up at the baby who now in Parker's hands.
"It's not ours, sweetie," Mia said. "She's for Uncle Noah and Parker."
"Why?"
"Because mommy was just holding the baby for them," she said. "She always belonged to them."
Iris nodded, satisfied with that answer.
"Decide on a name yet?" Mia asked, Noah and Parker.
"For the love of all things good, don't name her something Christmassy just because it's Christmas," I said.
Parker nodded, his eyes on his little bundle of joy.
"Her name is Joy," Noah said.
"Welcome to the world, Joy," I said.
"And Merry Christmas," Mia added.
