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It started as the tiniest pang ever. A lower back pain that would go unnoticed on a regular day. It was sharp enough to wake Caitlyn up but it was still gentle, a ghost of a pain that allowed her to go back to snuggling Vi as she slept. Her body relaxed as she let her wife’s warmth cover over her, a grin appearing on her face as one strong arm wrapped around her stomach and caressed it, as if trying to soothe their baby.
It wouldn’t until a few hours later that the pain became stronger.
Vi had gone out for a moment, needing to buy some groceries after being stuck at work for the past few days. She had the day off but so many things to do that Caitlyn was barely able to look at her before she ran out the door to get to the store. The pregnant woman laid on the couch, her favorite blanket over her as she played with one of what felt like hundreds of toys they had bought for their little one. A little stuffed dinosaur clutched between her hands became her only source of comfort as she felt like someone stabbed her on her spine. She gasped, her eyes tearing up while she tried to calm down.
The pain dissipated after a split second and Caitlyn thought it was on its own. She was wrong.
By the time she managed to grab her phone and call Vi the pain became sharper. Her fingers trembled as she dialed her wife’s number, her other hand never releasing the toy.
“Vi!” She cried out the moment she heard the call being picked up. “It’s time! I think it’s time!”
“Oh shit! Fuck! I’m on my way. Did your water break, beautiful?” Vi sounded anxious, if it had been any other time Caitlyn would have mocked the fact that she was able to hear her stumbling around to run back home.
“No, not yet.” She sobbed, another contraction tensing her whole body. “We might need to wait before going to the hospital, but I need you here, Vi!”
“I’m on my way, baby. I will be right there,” she was short of breath, the sound of her feet crashing against the dirt as she ran back filled the call. “Where are you?”
“On the couch,” she took in air, trying to calm down as the last pain allowed her to. “I was playing with the blue dinosaur you got our baby.”
Vi laughed as best as she could with the effort she was making. “The one you insisted was too big for our little one?”
The pregnant woman nodded before realizing her partner couldn’t see her. “It is too big. But they will grow to be able to play with it. Won’t they?”
“They will grow as big and strong as you, beautiful. I’m almost home, how do you feel?”
“Better, actually.” She let out a sigh as the pain took a backseat. She wanted to meet their child so much, but she felt so scared at that moment. “I think it stopped for now.”
“Alright,” the word echoed as Vi appeared in front of her, not ending the call until she had eyes on her wife. “You are right to say that we can’t go right now to the hospital so how about we try and get you comfortable?” She was flushed, her red hair tussled from running. “Do you want to walk around the garden for a bit? And if it still isn’t time to go by the time we are back in I could draw you a bath.”
Caitlyn thought it over for a few moments before nodding. “Fresh air sounds great, help me up, please.” She lifted her arms, a watery smile on her lips as she felt Vi’s calloused hands wrapping around her to pull her up. She couldn’t stop herself from stealing a kiss, enjoying the rosy blush on her wife’s face.
“I love you, beautiful.”
“I love you more,” she answered while holding the offered arm. “Now let’s get through the day.”
Vi was careful with her movements, walking slowly to allow Caitlyn to keep up and smiling as she stared at the blue-haired woman’s side profile while she glanced around their garden.
“We need to trim that tree,” she said as she stepped closer to the redhead, trying to stay warm.
“I will get right to it when we get back with our muffin.”
They did a few laps around the garden, Vi snickering as Caitlyn was able to find another thing to complain about, no matter how tiny it was. There were a few moments where they had to stop after a contraction, but they were still so far apart that they couldn’t go to the hospital. The redhead felt helpless, watching her partner’s face contouring in pain as she just stood there.
“That’s it,” she suddenly snapped, picking her wife up in a bridal hold before carrying her to the bathroom.
“Vi! What are you doing?” Caitlyn laughed, even if she had been on the verge of tears a few moments before.
“We are getting you in a bath to try and help you relax for a bit.” She kicked the bathroom door open before sitting Caitlyn on the toilet’s lid. “Stay here beautiful.” The redhead whispered, leaving a peck on her lips before moving around the room to prepare the best bath she could.
The woman smiled gently as her partner pampered, not letting her lift a finger until she was laying on the water. “Thank you, darling.”
“You’re welcome.” Her gaze dropped to her partner’s stomach. “Now, little muffin. I understand wanting to be dramatic and all that, but maybe go easy on your mother, will you? We want to meet you so much, there is no need to announce your arrival like this. How about you give your mommy a few moments to herself and in a while you can start your journey here.”
Caitlyn laughed loudly, her eyes filling with tears as she heard Vi speaking. “Everything will be alright, darling. Won’t it, muffin? You are going to be good to me and do as your mama says?” There was a slight pressure on her stomach as her baby kicked, almost as if accepting the terms they had just laid down. “They agree,” she said playfully. “This is perfect, darling. Thank you.” She cupped her wife’s cheek and pulled her in, smashing their lips together in a kiss filled with love. “I love you.” She whispered against Vi’s lips, giggling as she noticed the dopey smile on her lips.
“Damn, beautiful. If you kiss me like this everytime you are about to go into labour I might get you pregnant more often,” she wiggled her eyebrows jokingly, happiness shining on her eyes.
The blue-haired woman slapped her shoulder, a louder chuckle breaking through her throat. “You suck!”
“And yet you love me.”
“That I do. Now shush, let me rest for a bit.”
“Yes ma’am.”
A few hours later, a wet spot underneath Caitlyn as they watched a movie and a few curse words shouted at the air as the contractions got worse and more often, forced the couple to get into their car and drive to the hospital. The blue-haired woman tried to concentrate on her breathing but the pain was quickly becoming unbearable.
“Vi!” She cried out, trying her best not to burst out sobbing. A hand made its way to her thigh, clutching it lovingly.
“I know, beautiful. I know. We are almost there, alright? Think about our little muffin. They are almost here with us!” Caitlyn smiled as best as she could as she noticed the small cracks on her wife’s voice, the woman failing to keep calm. “I will be with you every step of the way, beautiful. You just focus on delivering our little one safely, please.”
The last word was merely a whisper, Vi’s eyes focused on the road but her partner knew her enough to know she was about to cry too. Caitlyn took a deep breath, crying out as another contraction tensed her whole body but nodded once it was over. “Our little muffin.”
“Our little family,” Vi whispered back.
“Next child will be yours, Vi Kiramman,” the woman playfully snapped, knowing full well that she didn’t mean it. Even in that moment, when the pain was drowning her mind, she couldn’t help but want to go through it all over again if it meant having Vi’s kids, if it meant having the big family they had talked about.
“Whatever you want, beautiful.”
Caitlyn was used to people fussing over her, being an only daughter and the youngest at every event she would find herself being looked after. But that day was anything but what she was used to. The second Vi carried her into the hospital she suddenly found herself surrounded by people. Strange and known faces around her, telling her to breathe in, telling her to stay calm and helping her change from her street clothes to the hospital gown. But even when the touches and the words were starting to become overwhelming she would find Vi's eyes and calm down. Even when a nurse tried to pull her wife away from the bed her presence was a constant in the room.
“It’s almost time, Mrs Kiramman,” their doctor suddenly said with a wide smile on her lips. “Are you ready to meet your little one?”
“So fucking ready,” Caitlyn answered, her eyes filled with tears as a hand clasped hers, Vi instantly trying her best to support her. “Is it too late for the epidural?” She jokingly said, knowing perfectly well about the answer.
“This would be your last chance, Mrs Kiramman,” a nurse replied, the woman’s eyes warm and gentle, helping the pregnant woman to calm down.
The blue-haired woman shook her head after a split second. “Let’s just do this.”
Lavender Kiramman drew her first breath 14 hours later. In between the moment she started pushing and the second their daughter cried out as she finally joined them there were so many curse words that Vi had no idea Caitlyn would know about, a hand almost getting broken once a nurse condescendingly tried to pat the woman’s cheek and a lot of tears. The redhead was the one to cut the umbilical cord, her hands trembling up until the moment the scissors came near their daughter. Lavender was 3 kilograms and 570 grams, her eyes were the same shade as Vi’s eyes and she had Caitlyn’s nose. She was the perfect mix between the two women and the redhead was unable to stop herself from sobbing once the nurse wrapped their daughter and handed her to Vi.
“Cait,” the woman sobbed as she stared at the little muffin on her arms. “She is so tiny!”
Caitlyn giggled tiredly, the labour taking more of her than she thought it would. She had long forgotten the hospital gown as it had become too warm to wear it, her face was still flushed and her hair tussled but Vi had never seen her look more beautiful. “Let me see her,” she asked while stretching her arms. Her wife gently laid their baby on her arms, Lavender instantly snuggling into her mother’s warmth. “Hey there, muffin.” She cooed, her fingers running through the thin patches of hair their baby had. “I’m your mommy. I hope you had fun kicking my insides these past nine months.”
Vi laughed loudly, sitting next to her wife and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I love you, Caitlyn. And I love our baby girl. Thank you so much,” she sobbed as she rested her forehead on her wife’s temple.
“She is beautiful, isn’t she?”
“Lavender Cassandra Kiramman,” Vi decided to reply, smiling gently once she noticed the blue-haired woman’s eyes filling with tears. “It suits her, doesn’t it?”
“It’s perfect, just like her.” Caitlyn moved slowly to not wake up their sleeping baby, managing to snuggle deeper into her wife’s arms. “Thank you.”
“Anything for you, beautiful. I would give both of you the whole word if you ask,” the redhead whispered before leaning down to leave the softest kiss on her daughter’s forehead. “It’s nice to meet you, Lavender. I’m your mama.”