[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Before: Elvis Has Left The Uterus


Ashley

"Don't forget the bag."

"The bag. Right. Shit the bag. I mean shoot. I mean -- crap where's the bag?"

"I moved it to the closet," I answered.

Nick scrambled, tripped over a plastic firetruck, and just caught himself before falling down. He hopped two steps to the hall closet door and yanked it open.

"Why is daddy acting crazy?" Zoey asked from my feet.

"Because Daddy's very nervous," I answered, "Although I don't know why, it's not like we haven't done this before!" I called after him.

Nick struggled to yank the bag out of the hall closet. "That doesn't make it any easier!" he called back. He flung the duffle bag over his shoulder.

"By Baby Number Four it should be routine," I answered.

Nick almost tripped over the fire truck on his way back to my side. He scooped Leslie up onto his hip and held out his hand for Oliver's. "C'mon, lil man, let's go."

"Where we goin'?" Oliver asked.

Leslie pulled on Nick's ear, her thumb in her mouth.

"Mommy's going to have your new baby sister," Nick replied.

"I already have two of those," Oliver complained, "I want a puppy."

"Yeah! A puppy!" cried Zoey excitedly. She whipped around to look at me. "Mom! Can you have a puppy instead of a baby?"

"It doesn't work like that shortstack," Nick said. "Now c'mon everybody, let's goooo out to the car! Before your mother pops."

"Why would mommy pop?" Oliver asked.

"Zoey, get the door," Nick said, ignoring Oliver's question. Leslie pressed her face against his shoulder. Nick let go of Oliver's hand for a second as he jumped down the steps to the lawn. He held out his hand for me and helped me down the steps as best he could while carrying a 2-year old, and a full duffle bag of stuff.

"Always the gentleman," I said, smiling at him.

"I try," he replied. Then, "OLIVER! Do NOT go near the street. C'mon, we gotta get mommy in the car and you guys next door."

"WHY CAN'T WE COME SEE THE PUPPY BE BORN?" Zoey wailed.

"There's no puppy!" Nick said. "Only a baby sister."

"When do we get to meet her?" Oliver asked, "Is she gonna be stinky like Leslie?"

"You're stinky, too, you know," Zoey retorted.

"I'm not stinky," Oliver whined.

Nick opened the car door for me, looking thoroughly stressed. "I'll be right back. Are you okay? Should I call and have them come get the kids?"

"I'm fine, sweetie. Bring the kids over."

"Okay. C'mon goof troop..." Nick grabbed Oliver's hand and Zoey led the way through the hedges to the next door neighbor's yard, and up to the door.

The neighbors, Jenna and Robbie, were a new couple who were expecting and liked borrowing our kids to practice with. They'd graciously volunteered to baby sit after AJ and Rochelle had to go home because Miss. Presley - who we'd named after Elvis, in honor of Las Vegas, the moment we'd found out she was going to be a girl - was taking her sweet time coming out of her squishy little home in my belly.

I watched as Nick heaved Leslie onto Jenna's hip and transferred Oliver, who was promptly throwing a fit realizing that we were both leaving, into her care. He hugged Zoey, then thanked Jenna, shook Oliver off his leg, and galloped back to the car.

He swung into the driver seat. "We still okay?" he asked, turning the key.

"Yeah," I breathed heavily.

Nick backed down the driveway, "This never gets less stressful," he muttered.

"Well this time you had three kids to deposit before taking mee-eaahh!" I clutched my stomach. "Oh God. You'd think at least this would get easier."

"Don't forget the first time you thought you were dying with the contractions," Nick reminded me.

"Oh Jesus, you're right. This is easier than Zoey."

"And the second time Oliver was like a billion pounds."

"Which is why I don't understand why Leslie didn't just slide out like she was on a slip-n' slide," I groaned.

Nick had perfected the drive from the house to the hospital. Years of pregnancies, crazy mishaps, high fevers, ear aches, (and that one time when Oliver swallowed an apple core), had led to his ability to weave through the streets, getting there in the shortest possible time. He pulled up out front and ran inside for a wheel chair, returning moments later with it. He helped me out of the car and into the chair and closed the door and pushed me inside, the duffle bag strung across him.




Nick

I think it was more stressful because we'd agreed this was the last one. I wanted this time to be perfect. I wanted it to be our milestone memory.

The nurses and doctors were a whirlwind, bringing me and Ashley upstairs. She was brought right to a delivery room, and Dr. Jorryn, who had flown in to Nashville just for the occasion of delivering our fourth baby, was waiting with his scrubs on. He smiled, "Are we ready to welcome Presley into the world?" he asked.

Ashley nodded, "Oh God yes," she said. "I'm so done with being pregnant."

Dr. Jorryn smiled, and helped me and the nurse get Ashley up onto the table and her legs into the stirrups. "Let's see how far along you are," he said, ducking down.

Ashley looked at me, "Now no wandering off anywhere this time." When she'd had Oliver I'd been sick and not allowed into the delivery room, and when she had Leslie I'd been at a meeting in New York, reinstating my status as a member of the Backstreet Boys. This time would be the first time since Zoey that I'd been in the delivery room with her. And Zoey's circumstances made it complicated. This was the first time I'd be an active part of the delivery.

"I'm not going anywhere," I promised her sincerely. I held her hand in mine and looked down at Dr. Jorryn as he rolled his stool backwards and stood up.

"Well," he said, smiling, "It looks like it's already show time, Ashley."

I gripped her fingers.

Ashley stared up at me.

Nurses and Dr. Jorryn crowded around her and Dr. Jorryn said, "Push, Ashley."

And Ashley pushed. She grabbed onto my hand with both of hers and I used my other hand to wipe her hair off of her brow. Sweat poured off her body. But despite all that, she was beautiful, giving life. Despite the sounds and the horribly pained expression and the death-grip on my fingers so tight I thought they were going to break, I was glad that I was there for this.

It could've been moments or hours, I'm not sure which because I got caught up in the sweep of the event, but I heard Dr. Jorryn say, "And here she is... Ladies and gentlemen... Elvis has left the uterus." He winked at me as Ashley dropped back onto the pillow, exhausted. "Dad... you wanna get in on the action or what?" A nurse was holding up these medical scissors and Dr. Jorryn motioned for me. I took them and went over and he held up the umbilical cord.

He also held up Presley. She was a little writhing raisinette of a thing, all covered in blood mess and purple. My heart swelled like the Grinch's heart. I cut the cord and they swept her away.

I rushed back to Ashley's head. "Baby, she's beautiful," I gasped, "Wait until you see her. She's beautiful."

Ashley smiled tiredly up at me. "I can't wait."

Presley was crying from the table where they were weighing her, measuring her, cleaning her. Then they wrapped her in a soft pink blanket with little pink ducks all over it, slid a pink cap on her head, and they brought her back over to Ashley.

They laid Presley down across Ashley's chest and I leaned over so I was hovering behind Ashley, looking over her shoulder at Presley's little wrinkly face. "She's like an old man," I laughed.

Ashley laughed, too, but then she said, "Nooo, she's perfect." Her finger gently touched Presley's nose.

"Yes she is," I agreed. "She really, really is."