4. I Pulled Through!

It had been some time since Mother and Father Fisalis had rushed home to their territory, but Bitsy had yet to grace the manor.

The in-laws must have been getting pretty anxious, considering they’d send us a message to check on the situation every few days. For each one, all we could do was send back a reply of “Not yet.”

I’m getting impatient to meet the little one myself. You awake in there, Bitsy?

“My tummy is sooo daaarn heavy!”

Whenever I stood up, I couldn’t help muttering something along the lines of “Upsy-daisy” or “Here we go.” Was I turning into an old lady over here?!

My baby bump was really starting to weigh me down, but for now, I had to accept it as the price of my future happiness and learn to live with it.

“Nevertheless, it’s no good for you to sit still all day,” Dahlia giggled as she helped me up from the sofa.

“True. Plus, the doctor said that staying active would get the baby here faster.”

“Exactly. Though you ought to remain aware of your limits, of course.”

“I know, I know!”

Dahlia gave me a preemptive lecture, knowing full well the sort of stunts I was liable to pull.

I’d learned from my last mistake. No more strenuous activity, no more fits of laughter—I didn’t need to be told twice!

So as you can see, the one who was actually pregnant in this scenario was taking it nice and easy. But meanwhile...

“How are you feeling? If you’re having a hard time, don’t hesitate to say something!”

“Does your stomach hurt? Someone call for a doctor immediately! The baby could be born any second now!”

“It’s dangerous if you can’t see your feet over your belly. Oh, I know—don’t we still have that wheelchair from when your leg was injured? Why don’t you ride in that?”

There was a certain individual I could name who was going crazy with worry.

Whenever he was home, he did nothing but fret over me. It was charming, sure, but he could afford to calm down a little!

“I’m fine, Cercis,” I assured him with a strained smile.

“No, no, we mustn’t get careless! Remember last time? There’s no telling when something might happen,” he replied, dead serious. He was taking this so seriously I almost had to laugh.

“Relax. It won’t be long now before you’re a daddy, so you’ve got to pull yourself together. It’s time we learned to take things in stride.”

“Ugh... You’ve got me there.”

I could practically see the drooping ears and the tail tucked behind his legs. The fact that I found the kicked puppy look cute on him was starting to make me feel like the older one here.

He may be taking it a little far, but I am glad he’s worried about me!

Ever since my false alarm, he’d made a daily routine of telling my belly: “Make sure you’re born when Daddy is home. You hear that, Bitsy?” It had become his new morning ritual before heading out to work each day.

It was after that dream he’d had a while ago—that nightmare where our baby turned out to be a girl (still TBD), and she grew up to be the crown prince’s future queen—that he and I had taken to calling our unborn child “Bitsy.”

The reasoning behind the name was that although we didn’t know if it was going to be a “bitsy” Viola or a “bitsy” Cercis—either way, the child was going to be a miniature version of one of us. And I had to admit, the nickname had started to grow on me.

Mr. Fisalis was already going ga-ga over our kid before they’d even been born. The sight of his devotion really tugged at my heartstrings; never had I dreamed I’d see the day, after all.

Before we’d gotten married, he’d been the sort of scoundrel who could propose a purely contractual marriage without a single crack in his smile, but the more time passed, the more he had changed. He used to only look out for number one, but somewhere along the line he’d learned to consider the people around him instead. These days, the worst he was guilty of was excessive fussing; he’d grown into a truly wonderful husband. Here’s hoping he’ll keep it up and grow into a good father too.

* * *

We’d been slowly but surely making preparations since before I’d entered the final stage of my pregnancy, so by the time Doctor Granny told us the baby might be born any day now, we had a nursery complete with a crib ready to go.

“Even looking at it in the light, it’s hard to believe this crib is over twenty years old.”

“It’s a good quality piece, and we’ve done a solid job of cleaning and fixing it up,” Rohtas explained to me as I admired the gorgeous antique cradle.

Get a load of this—it was the very same baby bed Mr. Fisalis had slept in as an infant! I’d found it lying around and pulled it out of storage. That’s what you’d call my knack for recycling in action. The servants had touched it up for me, and now it was practically good as new.

I could tell it was well-made even in the dim light of the storage shed, but now that I’d brought it out into the light of day, the amber luster of the wood gave it a nice antique feel.

I’d also sewn the baby’s clothes and diapers by hand—yet another trick I was known for.

“Infants grow out of their clothes in the blink of an eye, so it’d be a waste to buy a fancy wardrobe! Besides, hand-sewn clothes feel best against a baby’s delicate skin.”

“Goodness, Madam... You’re so knowledgeable, it’s almost hard to believe this is your first child.”

“That’s what happens when a girl practically raises her brother and sister!”

Ho ho ho! I may not know much about delivering a child, but I know all about taking care of one! Not to brag, but Thistle’s and Freesia’s clothes were all made by yours truly!

Sitting alongside the maids, who were all watching me in awe, I stitched away at my future child’s clothes and undergarments.

“Master Fisalis insisted it would be easier to buy everything.”

“Is Cercis still going on about that? I’ve told him over and over that you can’t just throw money at every problem. When is he ever going to get it through his thick skull?” I muttered under my breath.

“Hee hee. He was only thinking of you, Madam; he wanted to spare you all this trouble.”

“One of these days, I’d like him to learn that money can’t buy love.”

“No need to worry. I think he is starting to realize that.”

“Maybe you’re right. He has changed a lot.”

“Hasn’t he just?”

My hands never stopped working for a moment while I ran my mouth. The project was going right according to schedule.

“Now that I’ve finished all the necessities, I might as well use the time to make a few extra outfits.”

“I’m impressed, Madam.”

Heh heh. I’ll have you know that this sort of thing is my specialty!

The preparations were in place. All that was left was to wait for the moment of truth.

* * *

The servants and I had soundly rejected Mr. Fisalis’s idiotic—ahem, overprotective Wheelchair Transit Plan. Instead, we came to an agreement that whenever he was home, he would personally escort me wherever I needed to go.

He turned out to be everything I could ever want from an escort; not only did he help me through the corridors, but he would even head down the stairs a few steps ahead of me and make sure that I didn’t miss my footing.

Who could have guessed he was such a conscientious worrywart? I thought, once more finding myself moved by the unimaginable transformation he’d undergone since the early days of our marriage.

I mean, c’mon! Back in those days, our conversations (“business reports” might be more like it) would consist of nothing but “I spent the day doing embroidery (lie)” and “I’m glad to hear you passed the time without incident. See you,” before we went our separate ways. He’d always go back to his girlfriend in the cottage without so much as a backward glance...and now look! It was too funny not to laugh.

When a grin broke out across my face as I reminisced about Mr. Fisalis’s past self, he gave me a curious look from where he was walking a few steps ahead of me, holding my hand. “What’s up?”

Only now that there were a few steps between us was my gaze finally level with his. He was pretty tall, after all. It wasn’t often that we stood eye to eye; the sensation was a novel one, and my heart fluttered as I was reminded of just how gorgeous his deep-brown eyes were.

“Nothing.”

I wasn’t about to say that I was reflecting on his old ways.

“Oh, yeah...? Somehow I’m getting the feeling I shouldn’t ask, so I won’t.”

“Good plan.”

That’s some sharp intuition you’ve got there, Mr. Fisalis!

Then, he placed a hand over my enormous belly and said his usual line (or was it a command?) to Bitsy. “Make sure you’re born when Daddy’s home.”

“Something tells me Bitsy is dying to meet you, so I’m sure the little one will wait for you to come on out.”

“Let’s hope so. Though in the end, what matters most is that both you and the baby make it through okay.”

“You’re such a worrywart.”

“What did you expect? I’ve told you before—this is a first for me, so it’s scary!”

“Fair enough.”

He held me in his arms and stroked my hair, and I felt I could rest easy knowing he would keep me safe.

* * *

“I’m off. But first—Bitsy? Try to be born when Daddy is around, okay? You have to hold off until I get home.”

“That’s asking a lot... I’m not sure the baby has control over that, Cercis.”

I saw Mr. Fisalis off once he’d performed his daily ritual (by which I mean his unrealistic demands). I then returned to the parlor with Rohtas, Dahlia, and the rest of the servants who had bid him farewell, and together we got started on the day’s work.

My belly had grown too cumbersome for me to move around much, of course, so I was banned from roaming the manor in my maid uniform for the time being. I was to sit still and continue working on the preparations for the baby’s arrival.

“Why don’t we finish sewing the diapers today?”

“Good idea. A little one can never have enough undergarments!”

“Right? It doesn’t take long for a baby to get them all dirty.”

“Precisely! You’re such an expert on this, Madam.”

“Heh heh. What can I say? Looking after my little brother and sister gave me a lot of practice.”

“I can tell!”

It happened in the middle of that conversation with Mimosa, just as I’d picked up my needle and fabric.

Cramp.

“Hm?”

My stomach felt strange all of a sudden.

I put down the needle I was holding and placed a hand over my belly. It felt tight. Almost like something was stretching me out from the inside—or perhaps a dull ache was a better way to describe it.

“Is something the matter?” Mimosa asked, peering into my face with concern when she noticed I had stopped working to touch my stomach.

“I don’t know. I’m getting the same feeling I had the other day.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Hmm... I wouldn’t say—”

Just as I was determining whether I would classify the sensation as painful or not, I was hit with an even more intense wave of agony.

“Aghhhh! Yes, it definitely hurts!”

“What?!”

“Are you all right?!”

It was so painful that I curled up on the spot, clutching my abdomen. Mimosa and the rest of the maids were dismayed by this sudden turn of events.

Holy smokes, does my stomach hurt! Can someone please explain...just kidding, I’m good! Man, the pain doesn’t even compare to those false contractions!

“Agh! I can’t breathe!”

“Easy, Madam! Relax. You’re going to be okay.”

While I crouched and groaned in pain, Dahlia began firing off orders from behind me. “There’s a good chance you’re going into labor for real this time. Someone find one of the male servants and have him carry Madam Fisalis to her bedroom! Ria, go get Cartham. You stay here with the madam, Mimosa. I’ll track down Rohtas.”

“Yes, ma’am!” the maids replied.

I was in too much torment to feel like moving anywhere...but giving birth right there in the parlor would’ve been a lot more trouble for everyone! I had to keep it together.

“It’s okay... Once I’ve collected myself, I can walk to the bedroom on my own...”

“Please don’t push yourself, Madam. Just wait until Cartham gets here. Shall I help you lie down?”

As I did nothing but moan, paralyzed with agony, Mimosa gently laid me down on the sofa.

“I’ll carry her to her room,” said Rohtas when he made it to the parlor one step ahead of Cartham. “Dahlia, go call for the doctor.”

“Right away.”

The butler then picked me up in his arms and carried me off to the bedroom. And when my weight is at an all-time personal high too... I feel bad imposing on him.

I appreciated how he made sure to handle me with care without letting that slow him down. What a perfect gentleman he was.

While he was carrying me to the bedroom, Dahlia had run off to call for the doctor.

By the time I was laid down atop the bed, the worst of it had subsided. I could hardly believe that I’d been in too much pain to breathe only moments ago.

“Uh-oh. After all this fuss, what if it turns out to be a false alarm again?”

That would be such a pain in the butt for everyone else! And I’d feel super embarrassed for making such a big deal about it.

But Mimosa only said, “Non, non!” with a wag of her finger. “If it is, no one will mind. But we’re better off taking it seriously in case it is the real thing, no? Let’s keep a cool head about this.”

The familiar dulcet lilt to her voice was nowhere to be heard. Her tone was authoritative, speaking to her wealth of experience.

“Good point. We won’t know for sure until we wait and see.”

“Exactly. You should focus on conserving your energy for now; better safe than sorry, after all.”

“Okay. I’ll take it easy.”

“Oh, and since there’s no telling how long the pain will go on, you ought to eat a little something while you still can.”

“Do I have to...? I’m not really hungry. And what do you mean, there’s no telling how long it’ll last?”

“To my understanding, it varies from person to person. But just think—once you make it past the agony, your baby will be waiting for you on the other side. Hang in there.”

“I see... So the pain isn’t going to let up any time soon... And when it reaches its peak, that’s when my baby will be born.”

Uh, hold on—that sounds terrifying, actually.

I shuddered to imagine how bad the apex of my suffering was going to be.

“Exactly! That’s why you need to relax and save up your strength while you’re feeling some relief. You ought to, I don’t know...have a bite of something easy to digest!”

“Seriously...? I don’t think so.”

Eat something? That’s asking a lot of me at the moment. But wow... I may have plenty of knowledge when it comes to raising kids, but I’m definitely a novice when it comes to childbirth. I’ll do what I can to save my strength, but I don’t think I can handle food.

“Anything will do. Fruit, a sandwich—you name it.”

“I’ll take the fruit, then.”

I went ahead and requested some fruit. I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to keep it down or not, but I had to at least try for Bitsy’s sake.

For a while after that, the sharp flashes of pain would ebb just as soon as they’d come...and rinse and repeat. Unlike during my false alarm, the intervals between the bouts were indeed getting shorter and shorter.

“I know it hurts, but try not to tense up. Take deep breaths.”

“Hee-hee-hoo! Hee-hee-hoo!”

“That’s too fast! Slow it down a little.”

Doctor Granny had rushed over as soon as she got the word, and now she was by my side, instructing me in gentle tones. But as much as I hated to ignore her advice, I was in way too much pain for that! It was impossible not to brace myself.

“You’re going to be all right,” she assured me, at times giving my hand a firm squeeze, at others calming me down with gentle caresses.

I’m sorry. I know this isn’t the time to be saying I can’t do this or that; I have to do what the doctor says.

“Hoo...”

“That’s it. Nice and slow.”

In too much agony to even think, I focused every last ounce of my attention on the midwife’s words. Otherwise, I could’ve very well passed out from the pain.

The lulls between flare-ups were growing ever shorter, and by now I was pretty much in a constant state of anguish. I had no idea how much time had even passed. I was already spent, teetering on the verge of losing consciousness.

I can’t believe how many people I know have gone through all this torture. I’m more grateful to my mother than ever!

Just as I felt myself hitting the limits of my physical stamina and mental willpower, I heard, “You’re almost there. Hang on just a little bit longer.”

“What?!”

My stomach hurt so bad that it had dulled the rest of my senses, so I had no idea how close “almost there” actually was.

When I gave a push at the doctor’s command and found myself assailed by a fresh wave of pain, I was positive I’d reached the end of my rope.

But then...I was met with the sound of a tiny cry.

“The baby is here. It’s a darling little girl.”

The doctor’s voice was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.