~A Once and Again Series~
Where Do We Go From Here?
***Okay, it's last-chapter-time! Big thanks for all who read this and reviewed it. I enjoyed writing this story, as I enjoy writing ALL my stories. And I will continue writing, because without it, I'd just be lost! :)
But one thing I hate to do is drag a story on and on... I like to end it while it's still good, and when I'm not having to fight to come up with ideas. I don't like to force my stories... so, even though it would be interesting to have more chapters... (like about Grace and Eli raising their little girl, and all that)... I think it's time for a good old fashioned happy ending. Much love, Taintedlove. (p.s. The Way We Were - season two will be my next endeavor!)
Chapter 27//Sleeping Beauty
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*
*
"Are you ready for the angel?"
Zoe nodded. Lily handed her the beautiful delicate angel.
Zoe climbed onto of a chair, grasping the angel with one hand. "Almost," Zoe cried, reaching.
"Don't fall!" Lily warned.
"I won't!" Zoe insisted. She stretched a bit further, and there... She set the angel on top of the Christmas tree. "How does it look?" Zoe asked as she climbed back down off the chair.
"Perfect," Lily gushed, drawing her daughter near. She kissed Zoe's forehead affectionately. Zoe hugged her back.
"Oh, that looks great!" Rick said, coming in from the kitchen, with his mouth full of Christmas cookies. He stood with them and they all observed the freshly decorated tree. "Wasn't Jessie helping you?" Rick asked when his mouth was devoid of crumbs.
"She was," Lily told him. "But then she went ice skating with Katie."
-THUMP-
They all turned at the noise. Grace appeared at the top of the stairs, struggling with a heavy suitcase. "Can someone help a pregnant girl out?" She called.
Lily's heart skipped a beat, "Is it time??"
"No," Grace said. "Not yet... but I did pack, so I'd be ready."
Rick went up the stairs, and carried down the suitcase for her, setting it by the front door.
"You're still not in labor?" Zoe complained.
"It's only Christmas Eve Eve," Grace explained, but she too was getting a little impatient. She couldn't wait to get this kid out of her and finally start a new chapter in her life. Grace saw the tree, "It looks beautiful."
"Thank you," Zoe said proudly. "We were going to wait for you before we started decorating, but we weren't sure if you'd ever wake up!"
"I'm awake, now, aren't I?" Grace grumbled. Then her stomach rumbled. She headed for the kitchen... where the scent of freshly baked sugar cookies called her. She found Eli sitting at the table, already eating a plate full of cookies.
"I'm supposed to be decorating them," Eli admitted, pointing at the bowls of homemade frosting Lily had whipped up.
"It'll be our little secret," Grace promised, finding a decorated one, and nibbling on it.
"How do you feel?" Eli asked, setting a hand on top of her belly.
"Like I've been carrying around a watermelon for far too long!" Grace laughed between bites, "It's time to get this sucker out.
"Have you thought about the names anymore?" Eli asked.
Grace sighed. They had stalemated on choosing a name. Nothing seemed... right. "Maybe we should just call her Maddy... since they'll be sharing the same birthday anyways," She joked.
"That's only if you have her when she's due and not early or late," Eli reminded her. He leaned forward and kissed her belly, "There was a name that came to me last night...." He trailed off as Rick, Lily and Zoe entered the kitchen.
"Eli!" Lily cried, seeing the barely decorated cookies. She smiled good-naturedly, "I thought you could handle a job like this... I don't trust Grace with it anymore, because she loves to 'sample' the cookies too much."
Grace paused with a cookie halfway to her mouth, "Guilty as charged. But I AM eating for two."
Zoe snickered, "You won't be able to use that excuse much longer!"
The side door opened, and Jessie came in, along with a burst of white snow. Her cheeks and nose were red, and her eyes were sparkling.
"Did you have fun?" Lily asked, but by Jessie's smile, it was clear she had enjoyed herself.
Jessie nodded, slowly taking off her assortment of winter accessories... scarf, hat, gloves, coat, shoes... When she had finally got down to her street clothes she sank into one of the kitchen chairs, grabbing a cookie that Eli was decorating.
"Hey! I wasn't done with that!" Eli complained.
Jessie opened her mouth to show him the remains of his cookie, "It tastes done to me!"
Eli attacked her with a spoonful of frosting. Jessie dodged away, but Eli managed to get a dollop of it on her chin. Jessie licked it off, grinning. "Good stuff."
Eli gave up, slinking back into his chair.
"So, Jessie, were you going to go to your mom's tonight?" Rick asked.
"Yeah," Jessie agreed, "And I'm staying there till Christmas Eve... so Grace, you better not have the baby without me!"
Grace made an exaggerated sigh, "I'm beginning to think this baby will NEVER come out!"
"Just wait till you get in labor... then comes the real fun," Rick said.
Lily elbowed him, "Hey! No scaring the girl before her due date!"
"I'm just saying..." Rick grinned.
"And how would you know how bad it is? I didn't see you giving birth to any babies lately," Lily said, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked at her husband challengingly.
"I'm just basing it on how hard you squeezed my hand when you had Dominic," Rick kissed Lily lightly. "And THAT hurt."
Lily pulled back to make a face at him, but then couldn't resist kissing him. Jessie turned her attention away, "So, Eli... you ready to go?"
"Yeah," Eli said, standing up, "I guess these cookies are just going to have to get decorated without me."
"I can do it," Grace offered, munching on yet another cookie.
Lily pulled away from Rick's lips long enough to say, "I'LL do it."
Grace grinned, knowing her mother knew her too well. Grace couldn't resist eating the cookies while she was decorating them.
"Wait, so you're leaving?" Zoe asked Eli.
"Yup," Eli said shrugging into his coat.
"Why did I take off my coat and stuff?" Jessie asked herself, as she began putting back on her winter outerwear, only minutes after she had taken them off.
"But... what if she has the baby while you're gone!?" Zoe asked.
"Not going to happen!" Grace called out.
"That most likely won't happen, Zoe. And if it did, that's what phones are for..." Eli said, trying to be reassuring.
Zoe was disappointed. "So, you're just going... like that?"
"I'm coming back later tonight," Eli explained. "I just know my mother wants me to spend some time with her... which I haven't done lately."
Zoe frowned at him, and swung around to look at Grace. "And this is okay with you??" She cried.
Grace nodded, "It was my idea."
Zoe was beyond exasperated. She didn't get them. "That's not how I'd want MY husband to act when I'm about to have a baby!"
Lily and Rick looked over, their attention having been caught, "What?"
Zoe rolled her eyes, "I mean... almost-husband, or whatever."
"What?" Lily repeated.
"Mom..." Grace said, cutting in, knowing whatever Zoe said next would just probably make it worse. "She didn't mean anything by it."
"Yes, I did!" Zoe insisted. Eli shot her a warning look.
"Does Zoe know something that you'd like to share with us, Grace?" Lily asked, waiting.
Jessie, standing by the door, fully bundled up, sighed as she sank down on a stool. This better not take long, she thought... because she didn't feel like taking off all her winter gear AGAIN. Zoe realized she wasn't a part of the conversation anymore, and moved to the counter, pulling out a bagel from the breadbox.
"No..." Grace struggled for the right words. "It was just something we were thinking of... I mean, Eli and I can't live in the garage forever."
"But, it's nice and compact," Lily said, trying to make it sound better. "And... you're SO close!"
Grace rolled her eyes.
"Okay, okay," Lily admitted, "I can see why you would want to get your own place, but... marriage?"
Grace looked at Eli. Eli looked back at her. "It was just something we've been thinking about," Grace said softly.
"It seems like the right thing," Eli spoke up.
Grace noticed her mother and Rick eyeing her ring finger. "No, we're not engaged yet!" She assured them.
"Oh," Rick said simply. "Any definite plans of when... this wedding might take place?"
Eli shrugged, "Like I said, we were just thinking about it. We haven't made any plans. But we'd like to... get married, someday."
Lily finally broke into a smile, "That's wonderful."
"That so cool," Jessie added.
Rick nodded, "That's great."
"Really?" Grace asked, relieved.
Lily nodded. "Really. I just can't believe my little girl is SO grown-up..."
By the fridge, Zoe rolled her eyes. On the counter her bagel popped up, and she pulled out the slightly burnt sides, spreading butter on them.
"So, Eli..." Jessie hinted.
Eli turned, "Oh, right." He went over and kissed Grace briefly, "I'll be back in a couple of hours."
"Okay," Grace said giving him a smile. Then her smile faded...
"Grace?" Eli asked.
Grace's face twisted into a puzzled expression, "That was weird."
"What?" Eli asked.
Grace held onto Eli's arms, helping herself to her feet. "There was a... weirdness. Just a tiny one."
"Oh my God!" Zoe squealed, dropping her bagel.
"Grace?" Lily said, rushing to her side. "Are you in labor?"
Grace shook her head, "I don't know. But there was something that wasn't right... it didn't hurt that much, though. It just felt more weird... than painful."
Eli's face was slowly losing all color. "Is she in labor?" Eli asked Lily.
"It might just be Braxton Hicks," Lily said, "Or... yes, she might be in labor."
"Braxton Hicks?" Jessie repeated, her face widened with fear.
"False contractions," Grace answered her, showing that she had been reading those pregnancy books Judy had lent her.
"So, what do we do?" Rick finally asked.
"Call the hospital... tell them we're coming," Lily informed Rick.
"Right," Rick said, rushing to get the phone.
"Eli, grab Grace's bag by the front door and bring it out to the car. This may be a false alarm, or it may be the real deal..." Lily said taking charge.
Grace grabbed onto her mother's sleeve. "Mom..."
"It'll be okay, sweetie," Lily said, hugging her, sensing her anxiety. "Zoe, you want to go grab Grace's coat and her shoes?"
Zoe nodded, and rushed over to the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Grace sank back down onto the kitchen chair. She was suddenly terrified. Lily put a comforting arm around her. Jessie looked over at them, "Hey, at least the baby won't be born on Christmas, then... We already have one little messiah in the family," She said, meaning about how Maddy was born on Christmas.
Grace managed a smile.
Eli came back from outside, just as Zoe came flying down with Grace's coat and shoes. Eli helped her into them, "I started up the car," He told her.
"Oh, we're going to have to take two cars!" Lily realized. She looked towards the stairs where Dominic was upstairs sleeping... the baby monitor was turned on, resting on the kitchen counter. "And I have to wake up Dominic, and get him dressed!"
"You go ahead with Grace and Eli," Rick told her, "I'll take care of Dom, and be right behind you."
"What about us?" Zoe said, motioning at herself and Jessie.
"I don't want to miss anything," Jessie said.
"Then you can go with Eli and Grace too," Rick said.
Zoe scrambled into her coat, and Lily also put on her coat, leaving it hanging about her frame, unzipped. She leaned over and kissed her husband quickly. "This might be it," She breathed.
"Oh..." Grace said in the background.
They all looked at her.
"There was another one..." She said, taking a deep breath.
"Okay, out to the car!" Lily cried. She and Eli helped Grace along to the car. Zoe and Jessie scampered after them.
* * *
"Yeah, it looks like you're doing fine," Dr. Celia assured her.
"So, I'm actually having this baby?" Grace asked, clutching onto Eli's hand.
"Yup," Dr. Celia said, giving her a warm smile. "But, you've still got a long process to go. Right now I just want you to relax, or maybe talk a walk around if you feel anxious. But you have nothing to worry about, you and the baby are looking good."
Grace smiled.
"Well, it looks like you're adoring public is piling up outside the door," The doctor said, as she heard excited chatter. "So, I'll let you enjoy this while it's still fun..." She joked.
The doctor left, and immediately family started filling the room: Lily, Rick, Zoe, Jessie, Jake, Tiffany and Maddy, Judy, Sam and Felix, even Karen and her boyfriend Henry's faces ventured into the room...
"How you doing?" Lily asked, "What she'd say?"
"She said I'm doing fine. And that it will still be a while," Grace informed them. The troops began filling up chairs and wall space, as they settled down, getting comfortable. Grace smiled, glad to have this wonderful extended family in her life.
* * *
"OH GOD!"
"That's it, just keep pushing..." The doctor called out.
Eli's eyes fluttered as Grace squeezed his hand even tighter. "You can do it, Grace," He reassured her. "I love you."
"I love you too," Grace cried out between gasps for air.
"Come on, Grace! You're almost there!" Dr. Celia urged her. "Just a little more... push!"
"Eli!" Grace screamed.
"You're doing fine!" Eli guaranteed her.
"No!" Grace pushed as she fought through more pain, "I want you to say it!"
"I love you," Eli said quickly.
"No, the other thing..." Grace pushed, gasping, "What we talked... ugh... about!"
Eli shook his head. He didn't know what she meant, and then it came to him. "What, you mean here? Now?"
"Yes!" Grace screamed.
"Almost there, honey!" The doctor called. The nurses began to get ready for the arrival of the baby. They had the little stand all set up in the corner to check out the baby to make sure she was in good health.
Eli looked at Grace, "Are you sure?"
Grace nodded.
"Will you marry me?" Eli asked.
Grace tightened the grip on his hand even more... if that was possible. She gasped through the pain and cried out, "Yes!"
Eli smiled, kissing the top of her sweaty head.
The sound of a baby crying broke through.
The doctor held up the baby, "You have a baby girl."
"Oooohhhhh," Grace breathed, "She's beautiful."
Eli was speechless, looking at the little creature in wonder.
"You want to cut the cord?" Dr. Celia asked, holding out the medical scissors.
Eli nodded, taking a step forward, and he felt the blood finally rushing back to his hand as Grace released it. He cut the cord, and watched as the team of nurses scurried the baby over to the stand, checking her out. In a short time, they brought her back, all freshly scrubbed.
Dr. Celia handed the baby to Grace. Grace cradled their baby, her eyes filling with tears. "She so beautiful..."
* * *
"Ooooooohhh," Zoe squealed as they were let into the room. Their eyes all focused on the beautiful baby in Grace's arms.
"Oh my God," Lily whispered, clutching onto Rick's arm for support. "She's beautiful."
Rick shifted Dominic in his arms, "Wow" was all he could manage.
"Oh," Jessie said, her words failing her. She put a folded hand up to her mouth.
"Oh, she's so tiny," Karen whispered. Henry nodded in agreement.
Judy smiled at her niece, "You did it."
"Grace, Eli... she's perfect," Tiffany announced. Maddy made an "Oooggg" sound.
"Are you going to introduce us?" Jake said, his face was lit up with pure joy.
Grace smiled, and looked down at the baby, "Now, baby girl, these are the people that are going to be a big part of your life. They may be TOO much a part of your life at times, and you'll wish they could leave you alone every now and then, but still... remember that they have the best of intentions for you. And they'll always be there for you, when you get sick of your 'mean' parents." Grace smiled at Eli. Then she looked up at the rest of them, "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Briar Rose."
"Briar... Rose?" Zoe repeated.
"Hey, isn't that from Sleeping Beauty?" Jessie asked.
Eli nodded, "I just... thought of it last night. It sounded nice, and then we can always call her our 'Sleeping Beauty'."
"I thought Sleeping Beauty's name was Aurora?" Zoe asked.
"It is," Grace said, "But the three fairies... remember them?" Zoe nodded. Grace continued, "They tried to protect her from a curse by disguising her as a normal girl... Briar Rose."
"We thought Briar Rose had a nicer ring to it than Aurora," Eli said.
"I like it," Judy spoke up. "Briar means shrub or small tree." She noticed the weird looks this statement received. "What? I so just happened to read through the whole 'B' section of the baby name book... And all the rest of them too," She admitted with a smile. "I had nothing better to do! My doctor prescribed bed rest the weeks before I had the baby!"
They all smiled at this. Grace brushed Briar Rose's light brown hair with her fingertips. She hadn't realized her baby might come out with hair and all! She was just so... beautiful... perfect... amazing.
Eli put a hand on her shoulder, smiling down at his two loves. "And we have news... We're getting married."
There were congratulations, but Grace barely heard them... she was too busy looking into Eli's eyes. "Everything worked out," She said happily. She had never thought it would all come together so well. That she and Eli could actually be happy together after everything that happened between them. But as they say, whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger... and what she and Eli had now was strong. It was unbreakable.
"It did," Eli agreed. "I love you."
"I love you," Grace said back.
They kissed, and then their attention was drawn to their new baby girl... Briar Rose. Her eyes were shut, and she slept, peacefully. The little Sleeping Beauty............................
******************* THE END *************************
Where Do We Go From Here?
***Okay, it's last-chapter-time! Big thanks for all who read this and reviewed it. I enjoyed writing this story, as I enjoy writing ALL my stories. And I will continue writing, because without it, I'd just be lost! :)
But one thing I hate to do is drag a story on and on... I like to end it while it's still good, and when I'm not having to fight to come up with ideas. I don't like to force my stories... so, even though it would be interesting to have more chapters... (like about Grace and Eli raising their little girl, and all that)... I think it's time for a good old fashioned happy ending. Much love, Taintedlove. (p.s. The Way We Were - season two will be my next endeavor!)
Chapter 27//Sleeping Beauty
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*
*
"Are you ready for the angel?"
Zoe nodded. Lily handed her the beautiful delicate angel.
Zoe climbed onto of a chair, grasping the angel with one hand. "Almost," Zoe cried, reaching.
"Don't fall!" Lily warned.
"I won't!" Zoe insisted. She stretched a bit further, and there... She set the angel on top of the Christmas tree. "How does it look?" Zoe asked as she climbed back down off the chair.
"Perfect," Lily gushed, drawing her daughter near. She kissed Zoe's forehead affectionately. Zoe hugged her back.
"Oh, that looks great!" Rick said, coming in from the kitchen, with his mouth full of Christmas cookies. He stood with them and they all observed the freshly decorated tree. "Wasn't Jessie helping you?" Rick asked when his mouth was devoid of crumbs.
"She was," Lily told him. "But then she went ice skating with Katie."
-THUMP-
They all turned at the noise. Grace appeared at the top of the stairs, struggling with a heavy suitcase. "Can someone help a pregnant girl out?" She called.
Lily's heart skipped a beat, "Is it time??"
"No," Grace said. "Not yet... but I did pack, so I'd be ready."
Rick went up the stairs, and carried down the suitcase for her, setting it by the front door.
"You're still not in labor?" Zoe complained.
"It's only Christmas Eve Eve," Grace explained, but she too was getting a little impatient. She couldn't wait to get this kid out of her and finally start a new chapter in her life. Grace saw the tree, "It looks beautiful."
"Thank you," Zoe said proudly. "We were going to wait for you before we started decorating, but we weren't sure if you'd ever wake up!"
"I'm awake, now, aren't I?" Grace grumbled. Then her stomach rumbled. She headed for the kitchen... where the scent of freshly baked sugar cookies called her. She found Eli sitting at the table, already eating a plate full of cookies.
"I'm supposed to be decorating them," Eli admitted, pointing at the bowls of homemade frosting Lily had whipped up.
"It'll be our little secret," Grace promised, finding a decorated one, and nibbling on it.
"How do you feel?" Eli asked, setting a hand on top of her belly.
"Like I've been carrying around a watermelon for far too long!" Grace laughed between bites, "It's time to get this sucker out.
"Have you thought about the names anymore?" Eli asked.
Grace sighed. They had stalemated on choosing a name. Nothing seemed... right. "Maybe we should just call her Maddy... since they'll be sharing the same birthday anyways," She joked.
"That's only if you have her when she's due and not early or late," Eli reminded her. He leaned forward and kissed her belly, "There was a name that came to me last night...." He trailed off as Rick, Lily and Zoe entered the kitchen.
"Eli!" Lily cried, seeing the barely decorated cookies. She smiled good-naturedly, "I thought you could handle a job like this... I don't trust Grace with it anymore, because she loves to 'sample' the cookies too much."
Grace paused with a cookie halfway to her mouth, "Guilty as charged. But I AM eating for two."
Zoe snickered, "You won't be able to use that excuse much longer!"
The side door opened, and Jessie came in, along with a burst of white snow. Her cheeks and nose were red, and her eyes were sparkling.
"Did you have fun?" Lily asked, but by Jessie's smile, it was clear she had enjoyed herself.
Jessie nodded, slowly taking off her assortment of winter accessories... scarf, hat, gloves, coat, shoes... When she had finally got down to her street clothes she sank into one of the kitchen chairs, grabbing a cookie that Eli was decorating.
"Hey! I wasn't done with that!" Eli complained.
Jessie opened her mouth to show him the remains of his cookie, "It tastes done to me!"
Eli attacked her with a spoonful of frosting. Jessie dodged away, but Eli managed to get a dollop of it on her chin. Jessie licked it off, grinning. "Good stuff."
Eli gave up, slinking back into his chair.
"So, Jessie, were you going to go to your mom's tonight?" Rick asked.
"Yeah," Jessie agreed, "And I'm staying there till Christmas Eve... so Grace, you better not have the baby without me!"
Grace made an exaggerated sigh, "I'm beginning to think this baby will NEVER come out!"
"Just wait till you get in labor... then comes the real fun," Rick said.
Lily elbowed him, "Hey! No scaring the girl before her due date!"
"I'm just saying..." Rick grinned.
"And how would you know how bad it is? I didn't see you giving birth to any babies lately," Lily said, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked at her husband challengingly.
"I'm just basing it on how hard you squeezed my hand when you had Dominic," Rick kissed Lily lightly. "And THAT hurt."
Lily pulled back to make a face at him, but then couldn't resist kissing him. Jessie turned her attention away, "So, Eli... you ready to go?"
"Yeah," Eli said, standing up, "I guess these cookies are just going to have to get decorated without me."
"I can do it," Grace offered, munching on yet another cookie.
Lily pulled away from Rick's lips long enough to say, "I'LL do it."
Grace grinned, knowing her mother knew her too well. Grace couldn't resist eating the cookies while she was decorating them.
"Wait, so you're leaving?" Zoe asked Eli.
"Yup," Eli said shrugging into his coat.
"Why did I take off my coat and stuff?" Jessie asked herself, as she began putting back on her winter outerwear, only minutes after she had taken them off.
"But... what if she has the baby while you're gone!?" Zoe asked.
"Not going to happen!" Grace called out.
"That most likely won't happen, Zoe. And if it did, that's what phones are for..." Eli said, trying to be reassuring.
Zoe was disappointed. "So, you're just going... like that?"
"I'm coming back later tonight," Eli explained. "I just know my mother wants me to spend some time with her... which I haven't done lately."
Zoe frowned at him, and swung around to look at Grace. "And this is okay with you??" She cried.
Grace nodded, "It was my idea."
Zoe was beyond exasperated. She didn't get them. "That's not how I'd want MY husband to act when I'm about to have a baby!"
Lily and Rick looked over, their attention having been caught, "What?"
Zoe rolled her eyes, "I mean... almost-husband, or whatever."
"What?" Lily repeated.
"Mom..." Grace said, cutting in, knowing whatever Zoe said next would just probably make it worse. "She didn't mean anything by it."
"Yes, I did!" Zoe insisted. Eli shot her a warning look.
"Does Zoe know something that you'd like to share with us, Grace?" Lily asked, waiting.
Jessie, standing by the door, fully bundled up, sighed as she sank down on a stool. This better not take long, she thought... because she didn't feel like taking off all her winter gear AGAIN. Zoe realized she wasn't a part of the conversation anymore, and moved to the counter, pulling out a bagel from the breadbox.
"No..." Grace struggled for the right words. "It was just something we were thinking of... I mean, Eli and I can't live in the garage forever."
"But, it's nice and compact," Lily said, trying to make it sound better. "And... you're SO close!"
Grace rolled her eyes.
"Okay, okay," Lily admitted, "I can see why you would want to get your own place, but... marriage?"
Grace looked at Eli. Eli looked back at her. "It was just something we've been thinking about," Grace said softly.
"It seems like the right thing," Eli spoke up.
Grace noticed her mother and Rick eyeing her ring finger. "No, we're not engaged yet!" She assured them.
"Oh," Rick said simply. "Any definite plans of when... this wedding might take place?"
Eli shrugged, "Like I said, we were just thinking about it. We haven't made any plans. But we'd like to... get married, someday."
Lily finally broke into a smile, "That's wonderful."
"That so cool," Jessie added.
Rick nodded, "That's great."
"Really?" Grace asked, relieved.
Lily nodded. "Really. I just can't believe my little girl is SO grown-up..."
By the fridge, Zoe rolled her eyes. On the counter her bagel popped up, and she pulled out the slightly burnt sides, spreading butter on them.
"So, Eli..." Jessie hinted.
Eli turned, "Oh, right." He went over and kissed Grace briefly, "I'll be back in a couple of hours."
"Okay," Grace said giving him a smile. Then her smile faded...
"Grace?" Eli asked.
Grace's face twisted into a puzzled expression, "That was weird."
"What?" Eli asked.
Grace held onto Eli's arms, helping herself to her feet. "There was a... weirdness. Just a tiny one."
"Oh my God!" Zoe squealed, dropping her bagel.
"Grace?" Lily said, rushing to her side. "Are you in labor?"
Grace shook her head, "I don't know. But there was something that wasn't right... it didn't hurt that much, though. It just felt more weird... than painful."
Eli's face was slowly losing all color. "Is she in labor?" Eli asked Lily.
"It might just be Braxton Hicks," Lily said, "Or... yes, she might be in labor."
"Braxton Hicks?" Jessie repeated, her face widened with fear.
"False contractions," Grace answered her, showing that she had been reading those pregnancy books Judy had lent her.
"So, what do we do?" Rick finally asked.
"Call the hospital... tell them we're coming," Lily informed Rick.
"Right," Rick said, rushing to get the phone.
"Eli, grab Grace's bag by the front door and bring it out to the car. This may be a false alarm, or it may be the real deal..." Lily said taking charge.
Grace grabbed onto her mother's sleeve. "Mom..."
"It'll be okay, sweetie," Lily said, hugging her, sensing her anxiety. "Zoe, you want to go grab Grace's coat and her shoes?"
Zoe nodded, and rushed over to the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Grace sank back down onto the kitchen chair. She was suddenly terrified. Lily put a comforting arm around her. Jessie looked over at them, "Hey, at least the baby won't be born on Christmas, then... We already have one little messiah in the family," She said, meaning about how Maddy was born on Christmas.
Grace managed a smile.
Eli came back from outside, just as Zoe came flying down with Grace's coat and shoes. Eli helped her into them, "I started up the car," He told her.
"Oh, we're going to have to take two cars!" Lily realized. She looked towards the stairs where Dominic was upstairs sleeping... the baby monitor was turned on, resting on the kitchen counter. "And I have to wake up Dominic, and get him dressed!"
"You go ahead with Grace and Eli," Rick told her, "I'll take care of Dom, and be right behind you."
"What about us?" Zoe said, motioning at herself and Jessie.
"I don't want to miss anything," Jessie said.
"Then you can go with Eli and Grace too," Rick said.
Zoe scrambled into her coat, and Lily also put on her coat, leaving it hanging about her frame, unzipped. She leaned over and kissed her husband quickly. "This might be it," She breathed.
"Oh..." Grace said in the background.
They all looked at her.
"There was another one..." She said, taking a deep breath.
"Okay, out to the car!" Lily cried. She and Eli helped Grace along to the car. Zoe and Jessie scampered after them.
* * *
"Yeah, it looks like you're doing fine," Dr. Celia assured her.
"So, I'm actually having this baby?" Grace asked, clutching onto Eli's hand.
"Yup," Dr. Celia said, giving her a warm smile. "But, you've still got a long process to go. Right now I just want you to relax, or maybe talk a walk around if you feel anxious. But you have nothing to worry about, you and the baby are looking good."
Grace smiled.
"Well, it looks like you're adoring public is piling up outside the door," The doctor said, as she heard excited chatter. "So, I'll let you enjoy this while it's still fun..." She joked.
The doctor left, and immediately family started filling the room: Lily, Rick, Zoe, Jessie, Jake, Tiffany and Maddy, Judy, Sam and Felix, even Karen and her boyfriend Henry's faces ventured into the room...
"How you doing?" Lily asked, "What she'd say?"
"She said I'm doing fine. And that it will still be a while," Grace informed them. The troops began filling up chairs and wall space, as they settled down, getting comfortable. Grace smiled, glad to have this wonderful extended family in her life.
* * *
"OH GOD!"
"That's it, just keep pushing..." The doctor called out.
Eli's eyes fluttered as Grace squeezed his hand even tighter. "You can do it, Grace," He reassured her. "I love you."
"I love you too," Grace cried out between gasps for air.
"Come on, Grace! You're almost there!" Dr. Celia urged her. "Just a little more... push!"
"Eli!" Grace screamed.
"You're doing fine!" Eli guaranteed her.
"No!" Grace pushed as she fought through more pain, "I want you to say it!"
"I love you," Eli said quickly.
"No, the other thing..." Grace pushed, gasping, "What we talked... ugh... about!"
Eli shook his head. He didn't know what she meant, and then it came to him. "What, you mean here? Now?"
"Yes!" Grace screamed.
"Almost there, honey!" The doctor called. The nurses began to get ready for the arrival of the baby. They had the little stand all set up in the corner to check out the baby to make sure she was in good health.
Eli looked at Grace, "Are you sure?"
Grace nodded.
"Will you marry me?" Eli asked.
Grace tightened the grip on his hand even more... if that was possible. She gasped through the pain and cried out, "Yes!"
Eli smiled, kissing the top of her sweaty head.
The sound of a baby crying broke through.
The doctor held up the baby, "You have a baby girl."
"Oooohhhhh," Grace breathed, "She's beautiful."
Eli was speechless, looking at the little creature in wonder.
"You want to cut the cord?" Dr. Celia asked, holding out the medical scissors.
Eli nodded, taking a step forward, and he felt the blood finally rushing back to his hand as Grace released it. He cut the cord, and watched as the team of nurses scurried the baby over to the stand, checking her out. In a short time, they brought her back, all freshly scrubbed.
Dr. Celia handed the baby to Grace. Grace cradled their baby, her eyes filling with tears. "She so beautiful..."
* * *
"Ooooooohhh," Zoe squealed as they were let into the room. Their eyes all focused on the beautiful baby in Grace's arms.
"Oh my God," Lily whispered, clutching onto Rick's arm for support. "She's beautiful."
Rick shifted Dominic in his arms, "Wow" was all he could manage.
"Oh," Jessie said, her words failing her. She put a folded hand up to her mouth.
"Oh, she's so tiny," Karen whispered. Henry nodded in agreement.
Judy smiled at her niece, "You did it."
"Grace, Eli... she's perfect," Tiffany announced. Maddy made an "Oooggg" sound.
"Are you going to introduce us?" Jake said, his face was lit up with pure joy.
Grace smiled, and looked down at the baby, "Now, baby girl, these are the people that are going to be a big part of your life. They may be TOO much a part of your life at times, and you'll wish they could leave you alone every now and then, but still... remember that they have the best of intentions for you. And they'll always be there for you, when you get sick of your 'mean' parents." Grace smiled at Eli. Then she looked up at the rest of them, "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Briar Rose."
"Briar... Rose?" Zoe repeated.
"Hey, isn't that from Sleeping Beauty?" Jessie asked.
Eli nodded, "I just... thought of it last night. It sounded nice, and then we can always call her our 'Sleeping Beauty'."
"I thought Sleeping Beauty's name was Aurora?" Zoe asked.
"It is," Grace said, "But the three fairies... remember them?" Zoe nodded. Grace continued, "They tried to protect her from a curse by disguising her as a normal girl... Briar Rose."
"We thought Briar Rose had a nicer ring to it than Aurora," Eli said.
"I like it," Judy spoke up. "Briar means shrub or small tree." She noticed the weird looks this statement received. "What? I so just happened to read through the whole 'B' section of the baby name book... And all the rest of them too," She admitted with a smile. "I had nothing better to do! My doctor prescribed bed rest the weeks before I had the baby!"
They all smiled at this. Grace brushed Briar Rose's light brown hair with her fingertips. She hadn't realized her baby might come out with hair and all! She was just so... beautiful... perfect... amazing.
Eli put a hand on her shoulder, smiling down at his two loves. "And we have news... We're getting married."
There were congratulations, but Grace barely heard them... she was too busy looking into Eli's eyes. "Everything worked out," She said happily. She had never thought it would all come together so well. That she and Eli could actually be happy together after everything that happened between them. But as they say, whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger... and what she and Eli had now was strong. It was unbreakable.
"It did," Eli agreed. "I love you."
"I love you," Grace said back.
They kissed, and then their attention was drawn to their new baby girl... Briar Rose. Her eyes were shut, and she slept, peacefully. The little Sleeping Beauty............................
******************* THE END *************************