Living on Love

twenty nine

"okay, calm down... please calm down," ariana whispered as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

"are you okay mommy?" junior asked.

"yeah baby. i'm okay. what are the little kids doing?"

"stella's playing and the babies have bottles."

"i didn't make them bottles."

"i did. you were throwing up and they were hungry so i made bottles for them. just like you taught me. i filled the bottle up to the six and then i put three scoops of the powder stuff and shook it up real good."

"aw, honey. you're the best big brother, you know that?"

"you tell me every day. are you hurt?"

ariana sniffled and stayed quiet for a few seconds before nodding. "just a little bit baby, but it's okay."

"do i need to call someone?"

"no. mommy's fine, the baby is just coming. you know what though, you actually can call daddy and nonna and tell them the baby's coming, that would be really helpful."

"okay."

as junior ran out of the room, ariana exhaled slowly, making her way to the living room and sitting on the couch. stella ran to her and climbed onto the couch, leaning against her.

"mama, milk," stella said.

"not right now baby, mommy doesn't feel good. i'll have bubba make you a bottle okay? malcolm, did you call daddy and nonna?"

"daddy wants to talk to you," he said as he ran into the living room and handed her the phone.

"okay. make stella a bottle for me okay? if the milk jug is too heavy then just use what you did for the babies," she said as she put the phone to her ear. "this baby isn't gonna wait, i need you here now and i need the midwife, i need you now," her voice cracked.

"why didn't you tell me you were in labor?" mac asked.

"i wasn't when you left, it started thirty minutes ago. please come home and get my mom."

"i'm on my way just hang tight."

"please hurry, i can't wait."

ariana hung up and stood up from the couch, grunting as she lifted stella up and placed her in the playpen. "malcolm, hurry up buddy."

"i'm here mommy, i got stella's bottle," he said as he ran into the living room and put the bottle in the playpen.

"come with mommy, i need your help."

"where are we going?"

"to my room. are the babies buckled in their bouncy seats?"

"yeah, i put them in them before i got their bottles."

"alright. they'll be okay down here, come on."

it took a few minutes for ariana to get upstairs because her water broke half way to her room, but once she was finally in her room she slid her wet bottoms off and sat on her bed, breathing slowly.

"are you okay mommy?" junior asked.

"i'm fine, it just hurts. go get mommy's mirror from the bathroom. the bigger one that doesn't have a handle."

"how come?"

"because i need to see what i'm doing and that's the only mirror big enough. hurry."

once junior came back into the room with the mirror, ariana was already on her bed, legs spread and able to feel the baby's head protruding with her finger tips. "what now mommy?"