“I have three and a half more weeks.”

David Finley looked at his granddaughter and wondered how she could possibly hold out another minute much less another twenty-four days.  “Are you comfortable?”

Even as he spoke, Willow shifted in her seat trying to give her lungs any kind of relief from the constant pressure.  “When I’m standing, I can breathe but I get tired quickly.  When I’m sitting I don’t feel like I’m about to tip over and my back doesn’t ache but then I feel as though I’m drowning out of water.”

“Have you considered asking them to induce your labor?”

She shook her head.  “The doctor mentioned it when Chad was concerned about my feet swelling but we all agreed that as long as I’m healthy and the babies aren’t in any kind of distress, the longer they’re in there, the better in the long run.”

Eager to show him her progress in learning the camera, Willow pulled Chad’s laptop from the bookshelf in the library and brought it to the coffee table, swaying a bit as she stood upright again.  “Oh I hate it when I get off balance.  It feels so weird,” she muttered as she punched the button for the screen to come on.

“It is very strange to be watching a laptop boot up by candlelight,” David remarked amused.

“I guess it is.  I hadn’t thought of that.”

“You wouldn’t, I suppose,” he agreed smiling.  His granddaughter looked so much like his mother and yet he’d seen pictures of Lynne Solari and the resemblance between them was uncanny.  How could two women who looked nothing alike have a granddaughter that clearly resembled both of them?

“How is Grandmother?  Is she over the flu yet?”

“Just a slight residual cough.  This is the first time she’s gotten the flu from the shot but she says it isn’t as bad as getting it without one so I guess we’ll keep getting them.”

“Well, I’m glad she’s better.  I could have these babies any time and she promised to come sit with Mom and hold them while I sleep.  I plan to get lots of sleep when I get half a chance.”

“She’s all ready to go.  Has a bag packed as if she was having the babies herself.  She even has one of those journals you made her all ready to write down her first thoughts as a great grandmother.”  He paused.  “You know, she’s been writing down everything she can remember that has happened since we lost your mother.  She wrote about Kyle’s graduation, his marriage, the grandchildren, everything.  It has been amazing to see all that has happened in our lives.”

“You read it?”

He blushed.  “Well, she said I could…”

“Chad reads mine several times a week usually.  It’s a great way for us to make sure that he knows what is going on around here.  His hours mean that sometimes things happen that I thought I told him and then wham, nope.  I didn’t.”  She blushed.  “Like yesterday.  He came home ready to butcher the chickens but I’d already done over the past three days.  Boy was he relieved.”

“He doesn’t like butchering?”

“Not chickens!”

Something didn’t make sense to David.  “What, not that I’m not interested mind you, but what does that have to do with the journals?”

“Oh, I keep doing that,” she muttered exasperatedly.  “He came in to ask me about it but I was sleeping so he opened my animal journal and saw how many I butchered, how I prepared them, and who we should call to have them come get them.  He made calls instead which is fine by me.  I really do not like the phone.”

“Carol mentioned something about that the other day.”

“I didn’t realize I’d told her.  Keeping in touch with her is so important to me that I’d never imagine not using the phone.”

“Oh she just said that you always seemed more at ease in your letters or when she visits.”

“I feel guilty sometimes,” Willow confessed, “for not coming more often.  She must get tired of the drive.”

“Actually, I think she enjoys it.”

1. David followed her to the kitchen where David watched the process all over again.

“It’s work just keeping the house warm, isn’t it?”

“It’s a good work.  It feels good to accomplish something so important with such ease.  I mean, I spend two minutes and our house stays warm and toasty for a couple of hours.  It’s really quite amazing.  I’ll be back down.  It’s time to light the upstairs stove.”

Watching her climb the stairs was more painful than he could have imagined.  She looked like she was twelve months pregnant and carrying triplets both.  She’d given up trying to wear anything remotely attractive and settled for house gowns that hung from the shoulders and covered her.

These visits were hard for him.  He came because it was right and because he loved his daughter.  Whatever mistakes she’d made, she’d done it to spare them.  She’d sacrificed her happiness and ease in order to protect them and he worked hard to remember that but unlike his wife, Willow wasn’t a link to Kari, she was the thing that had ultimately torn Kari from them.  While he didn’t blame Willow per se, he did find it hard to connect with her across the chasm that Kari’s disappearance created.

He glanced at his watch.  Twenty-five minutes.  Surely he could leave in another twenty minutes.  After all, he was just stopping in after a business meeting.  It wasn’t a typical social call.  She wouldn’t expect him to stay for dinner; would she?

Suddenly, a cry sent David flying up the stairs faster than he’d imagined he could move.  The sight of her leaning against the woodstove, her palms flat against the metal alarmed him until he realized the door was open and there were no flames inside.  “Are you ok?”

“Towel,” she gasped.  “Please.  Cupboard behind me.”

He grabbed a fluffy white towel and passed it to her.  “What’s wrong?”

“Can you call Chad?  I need him to come home.”  Her knees buckled for a moment before sheer willpower forced them straight again.  “Now,” she growled before a low moan escaped.

“Where do I call?  What’s his number?”

To her utter frustration, she couldn’t remember.  Numbers swirled before her eyes but the pain of squatting to clean up the flood of water around her ankles pushed the right combination from her consciousness.  “I don’t know.  Station.  Call the station.”

Within minutes, the message was relayed and David informed that Chad was in court and his cell phone off but they’d send someone in to get him.  “He’ll come soon Willow.  What can I do?”

“Help me downstairs.  Please.  I don’t think I can do it by myself.”

The trip downstairs was slow and tedious.  Every step left her gasping and panting for air until David was certain she’d give birth in the living room.  Once she reached the bottom, Willow sent him back upstairs for fresh towels to sit on.  Every errand, no matter how small, sent him racing to help until there was nothing left for him to do but wait for Chad to arrive.  All ideas of leaving were gone now.  There was no way he’d leave her alone like this.  His daughter had been alone in labor but his granddaughter would be spared that pain if it was the last thing he did.

She whimpered with another pain causing his heart to contract with it.  “Would it help if I rubbed your shoulders?”

Willow shook her head and then hesitated.  “Um-“

“What, sweetheart.  What can I do?  I want to help if I can.”

“My lower back.  It’s what really hurts.  Would you rub that?”

One hand pushed stray tendrils away from her damp forehead while the other rubbed her lower back until he thought it’d go numb.  Somehow, he found the exact spot she needed for him to apply firm pressure and the relief was almost instantaneous.

“Oh that feels good.”

“When this hand gets tired, I’ll move to your other side and use the other one.”  He passed her the glass.  “Drink Willow.  You need your strength.”

“I can’t,” she gasped as a new pain began.  “I can’t until I’m on my way to the hospital.  I can’t get back up those stairs to use the bathroom.”

“You need another one down here.”

“That’s what Chad keeps saying.  Like I’ve got time to clean two of them.”  The edge in her voice told him she was nearing the peak of the contraction.

“Would you like me to get you a wet wash cloth for your forehead?”

She nodded, whimpered, and slumped over the couch pillow clutched to her chest.  “Thank you.”

For thirty minutes, he held her, rocked her, sang the songs he’d sang to Kari as a little girl, and wiped the perspiration from her face.  For thirty minutes he endured the pain from the side of one who can do nothing to alleviate it.  He kissed her temples, rubbed her hands, massaged her back, and even brushed her hair when she asked.

With each minute that passed, she grew more and more anxious calling- no crying- for Chad as each contraction built upon the last until she thought she’d go insane with agony.  Nothing she’d ever endured prepared her for the sheer torture of those contractions.  She’d read about breathing, practiced religiously, and prepared for focusing to ensure minimal discomfort in the beginning stages of labor but to no avail.  Either the contractions she was experiencing were worse than most people’s early labor or her pain tolerance level had dropped to negative numbers.  She truly didn’t want to know which it was.

Finally, she looked into her grandfather’s concerned eyes and begged to be taken into the hospital.  “We can call Chad, leave a note- I don’t care.  Please take me now.  Please.  I don’t think I can drive it.”

1. She didn’t know.

A wheelchair wheeled out from the emergency room doors and met them at the car.  Willow’s surprise was evident.  “I called ahead and told them I was coming.  I’ll be right in after I park ok?  You’ll be ok?”  David’s concern was touching.

“I’ll be fine.”  She gasped.  “Thank you, Grandfather.  Thank you.”

“We’ve got to work on this title thing.  Be right back.”

Inside the hospital, they wheeled her down corridors, into a labor room, and onto a bed that seemed little more than a table to Willow’s way of thinking.  From that moment on, her images of labor changed irrevocably.  Starting with the IV, baby monitors, and internal checks that nearly sent her through the roof in pain, it moved to a quick ultrasound to check baby positions, Demerol for the pain, and occasional vomiting that neither she nor David understood.

David, on the other hand, was familiar with the ideas of modern labor but felt utterly helpless to do anything to comfort his granddaughter.  He tried joking but they fell flat.  He sang until he grew hoarse, and finally wrapped a hand around hers and told her to squeeze whenever she needed relief.  He recognized his mistake immediately.  Willow’s strength was foolishly unexpected.  He should have known she’d be able to break a thumb- or an arm.

“Sorry,” she gasped as another wave hit her.  “Where is Chad?”

“They said he’s coming as soon as they tell him.  Carol’s on the way too.”

“Mom Tesdall is on the contact information.  Can you call her?”

He rose to go and she gripped his arm even tighter.  “Where are you going?”

“Do you want me to go?”

Illogically, Willow whimpered and shook her head.  “Don’t leave me.  I don’t know how Mother did this all alone.  Please-“  Her words were cut short with a cry of pain.

Her nurse, Sandi, rushed into the room surprised to hear her growing louder so quickly.  “You doin’ ok sweetie?”

“No.”  Before Willow could answer, David’s answer cut the air.  “Do something for her.  She’s the strongest, healthiest young woman I’ve ever seen.  If she’s hurting this badly, do something.”

“I’ll call Dr. Kline.”  She paused by David’s side.  “Have you heard from her husband?”

“No.”

“How long since the contractions started?”

“Water broke at two o’clock almost on the nose.  I heard the clock chime about the time I grabbed her a towel.”

“Two hours.  Hmmm.”

“If you could call the emergency contact number- Mrs. Tesdall can get in touch with her son better than I can.”

David helped Willow from the bed and hung her arms over his shoulders.  Pulling the IV pole with them, he slowly backed around the room hoping what had helped Sheryl would work for Willow.  Their shuffling traveled very little distance around the room but she seemed to like the change.  Her head flopped against his chest as she struggled through another contraction.  “Grandfather,”

“Oh we have to find something else for you to call me.”

“Not now.  You smell good.  Like pine and soap.”

His deep chuckle reminded her of Chad’s when Chad was amused with her.  “I’m glad you approve.”

“I want my babies to recognize that scent with the sound of your voice and the touch of your hands.  Please keep coming.  They need their great grandfather.”

“As long as you don’t make them call me great grandfather.  That’s too much of a mouthful even for me.”

“Double G-pa.  How’s that,” she murmured before a deep groan cut off his reply.

“They’re getting worse, aren’t they sweetheart?”

“I don’t know how Mother did it,” she sniffled between tears.  “I’m about to die and they said I’m at ‘four’.  That means I have six more of these to go.  If time is equal that’s…”  Confusion clouded her features and her eyes.  “A lot more hours.”

“My Kari was a strong woman.”

“And she swore she’d never have children again.”  Willow retorted grumpily.  “I think I get it.  I don’t know if I’ll do this again if it’s like this.”

“The memories will fade sweetheart.  My wife and Sheryl both swear that after a few weeks it’s just a fuzzy memory.  The babies-“

“Why didn’t Mother have that?” she wailed.  “Why did she have to keep such a vivid memory of such a horrible time?”

In the same soothing voice that had comforted Kari through scraped knees, bruised feelings, and a broken heart in the tenth grade, David Finley promised her he’d be there, he’d never leave her, and like Jesus, he wasn’t going to forsake her.  He promised that Chad was coming and that he’d be there soon.  This is exactly what Willow needed to hear.  Once he hit on the one thing that truly soothed her, David didn’t quit.  He talked about the little boy that Chad would have to stop and scold for not wearing his helmet causing Willow to smile.

“Aiden.  He never learns.”

Going from there, David assured Willow that Chad had to turn in the cruiser so the next officer could take his shift.  “He’s probably turning in the keys right now.”  After helping Willow to lay on her side once more, he continued with stopping at the farm, feeding and caring for the animals- “He’ll probably have to push some more alfalfa down from the rafters of that big ole barn you guys built so the sheep don’t starve while you’re gone.”

“Call Ryder and Caleb.  He has to call them.  For tomorrow.  Ask.”

“When he gets here, I’ll make sure he did.”

From washing up the dishes to changing sheets and getting the house ready, David mentioned everything he could think of to keep Willow’s husband from arriving.  He sent Chad back to town for a bank robbery, over to Westbury to pick up his mother, and help a kitten out of a tree for a little old lady.  This made Willow snort.

“Cat’s aren’t worth the trouble.  He has babies to help,” she whined as another contraction started to build.

“You’re right.  They’re not.  But kittens are.  Kittens are delightful until they become cats.  Then they’re disposable.”

“Don’t we sound horrible,” Willow giggled as she realized what they were saying.

“You’re smiling.  I’ll talk about just about anything to keep you smiling.”

His hands worked on Willow’s hips back, and shoulder.  Just as she thought she’d learned to control the contractions, they grew harder sending her into deeper and more frantic cries of pain.  David thought he’d go insane if he had to see her suffer any longer.  “I’ll be right back.  I promise.  Count to sixty and I’ll already be here.  Ready?”

Ignoring the terror in her eyes, David dashed from the room, found the nearest nurse, and demanded they get his granddaughter relief.  “She’s in agony.  If she’s making this much noise, she’s suffering ten times more than you think.  I want that doctor here now or so help me-“

“What doctor?”  The voice came from behind David’s ear.

“Her doctor is Dr. Kline and I want him now.”

“I’m Dr. Kline.  How can I help?”

“Do something for Willow.”

Anxious to get her some help as quickly as possible, he raced back to Willow’s side wetting the cloths he’d left again and wiping her forehead.  “Look at her.”

Dr. Kline settled at the end of the bed, ready to check her progress.  How David hated this.  He wanted to be far away when his granddaughter was in that position but instead, he focused on her eyes, told her to breathe a little slower, and squeeze his hands harder.  The doctor pulled off his gloves and tossed them in the garbage can.  “Well, you’re at five already-“

Willow’s wail pierced their ears.  “I can’t do this.  I just can’t do this,” she moaned.  “Cut them out of me now!”

“I’m not going to do that Willow,” Dr. Kline argued.  “It’s not in your or their best interests at this time.  However I am,” he continued at the despairing look in the eyes of man and granddaughter, “going to order an epidural for you.  You’ll be able to stay on top of the pain with it.”

The doctor dragged David from the room and demanded, “Where is her husband?  I expected to see Chad by her side the whole way?  He told me her mother went through this alone and he’s concerned about her mental stability over it so where is he?”

“We’ve called.  He was in court with his cell phone off and they said they’d go tell him.  I have no idea- it’s been three hours!”

Another shriek send David back to her side leaving the doctor confused.  A woman burst into the O.B. ward demanding to know where Willow Tesdall’s room was.  Seconds later, Marianne collapsed in a chair next to Willow’s bed and sighed.  “Finally.  I’m so sorry it took me so long.”

“Where’s Chad?”  Willow’s eagerness couldn’t be hidden.

“He’s coming.  The officer, Brad I think, who was supposed to call him was called to a barroom brawl and couldn’t go to the courthouse.  Everyone’s in a mess, the trial is taking longer than expected and Chad was last on the witness list.  I told him to stay until dismissal but he can’t get through anyway.”

David’s eyes widened.  “Why not?”

“Big accident.  Two tractor trailers hit each other around the bend where Chad was hit last year.  The whole road is blocked off.  I had to backtrack and come around through New Cheltenham.”

The anesthesiologist came through the door all smiles and too chipper for anyone’s comfort.  “Let us be getting you some relief mama,” the man said in his deep Indian accent.

The torture of laying on her side, bending in half when there was no where for her upper body to bend, and all through a contraction sent tears of pain rolling down her cheeks.  Marianne mopped her face and kept eye contact promising that it’d be better soon.  David tried to slip from the room but Willow grew hysterical as he disappeared behind the privacy curtain.  He returned, laid his gentle hands on her feet, itching to get back to the other end of the bed and away from areas that might send a baby flying into his fumbling hands.

The relief from the epidural was nearly instantaneous.  The anesthesiologist watched for five minutes to see if she responded well to it, and then gave her a full dose.  Her eyes nearly glazed over in abject relief and gratitude.  “He is my new hero.  I want to name the babies after this man.  What is your name?”

“Jasvinder.  I am thinking you’ll want to choose another name perhaps.”

Marianne, satisfied that Willow wouldn’t be splitting in half anytime soon, kissed her forehead.  “I’m just going to call Christopher and tell him you’re resting easier now.  I’ll call Chad too.  He’s going crazy with worry.”

To David’s surprise, she smiled her thanks and turned to him without a murmur.  He’d expected her to come unglued as Marianne left but she hardly noticed.  “You doing better sweetheart?”  His hands never left her arm, shoulder, hands.  The moment his hands moved away from her, she whimpered as her eyes pleaded for him to hold her.  “I’m not going anywhere, Willow.  I’ll stay right here until Chad comes.”

“Please stay.”

“I’m staying little girlie, I’m staying.”