Angela started pacing her bedroom, nerves overwhelming her rationale "This is it Rayanne, I'm going to be having my baby today!!" she took a few deep breaths,her head was spinning and she didn't know what to do.
Rayanne calmly reached for Angela's phone. "Angela , stay calm, I'm calling the hospital..they'll tell us what to do"
Angela started getting a tightening in her stomach, pain shot throughout her body, like an intense aching throb.
"Jesus, it hurts" she gasped. Rayanne shook her head "Honey they'll get worse, just breath and start timing how often you are contracting.." Rayanne could see the panic and worry in Angela's face and knew no matter what, that she had to remain calm and take control for her.
Angela sat down on her bed and tried to focus on her watch, within four minutes the pain had shot through her again..
"Rayanne.." she was scared and needed Jordan with her.
Rayanne was on the phone to the maternity department, she took one look at Angela and told them that the contractions were roughly four minutes apart.
Rayanne hung up the phone and grabbed Angela's hospital bag " Sweetheart, we need to get you to the hospital, like now!"
Angela looked at her "What about Jordan?" she was worried , he needed to know.
Rayanne shook her head " I haven't time to ring him, I'll leave him a note, don't worry Ang, he'll meet us the hospital" She wrote a rushed note to Jordan and put it on the kitchen table.
She grabbed Angela's hand and dragged her to her car. She helped Angela into the passenger seat and started to drive to the hospital.
Jordan was putting the grocery's into Red, he finally managed to get her running but she was temperamental, stopping and starting when she felt like it.
He had made a conscious decision that when the time arrived for Angela to go to hospital, he would use a different car.
He got in front of the wheel and started the engine, Red coughed and spluttered into action.
As he got through his front door, he placed the grocery's on the counter and began to unpack them. "Fuck, I forgot the milk.." he mumbled.
As he turned to empty the fruit into the bowl on the kitchen table he noticed a letter. He picked it up and read it aloud.
JORDAN, TAKEN ANGELA TO HOSPITAL NO TIME TO EXPLAIN, SHE'S IN LABOUR..GET YOUR ASS HERE ASAP
RAYANNE.X
Jordan re-read Rayanne's note and his eyes widened. He looked around for his car keys and couldn't see them.
"Fuck fuck fuck!" he shouted "I've only just put 'em down..where the hell are they?" he spun round in circles, he couldn't see them anywhere.
He slammed his hands onto his kitchen surface and said aloud "think Catalano..THINK!", he rubbed his eyes in frustration and put his hand in his pocket, he felt the jagged cut of his car keys on his fingertips "dammit" he rolled his eyes and ran out of the house and into his work van, he raced up the street in the direction of the hospital.
Angela's contractions were now less than 2 minutes apart. She had discovered the joys of Gas and Air and was sucking in as much of the stuff as her lungs would allow.
The midwife smiled and reassured her "Not long now Angela, just keep breathing that stuff in slowly or else you'll start to feel sick"
The contractions were unbearable "make it stop, please!" she begged the midwife. The midwife smiled at her "just concentrate on your breathing Angela. I'm going to examine you now to see how much you've dialated, is that okay with you?" she asked gently.
"Whatever, just get it out of me" she panted, sweat pouring from her brow.
Rayanne was getting nervous, where was Catalano and would she herself really be going through this much pain when her time came to give birth, all kinds of questions without answers raced through her mind.
"Angela, I'm going to ring Patty and Graham, I wont be long" she backed out of the room..
Angela held out her hand " Rayanne, don't you dare leave me" she cried. Rayanne shook her head " Look Ang, I'll be two minutes I promise you", she turned away and headed for the phones.
Angela stared up at the ceiling, she didn't want to look at where the midwife was, if she wasn't in so much pain she'd have been mortified that another woman was staring intently at her vagina. "Ok Angela, you may feel a little bit of discomfort as I feel to check how far along you are.." Angela nodded and squeezed her eyes shut tight.
"Okay, you're around 8 centimetres dialated, as soon as you get to 10 I need you to start pushing, but don't push until I say so.."
Angela shook her head as pain tore through her " How the fuck do I push?" she spat "I'm new to this, I've never done this before..what if I can't push?" she screamed as another contraction tore through her.
The midwife held her hand " Honey you'll know how to push believe me, your body will tell you..I've done this four times myself" she tried to reassure her.
"Four times?" she gasped "Are you insane?" the midwife laughed and mopped Angela's sweaty brow with a damp cloth.
Rayanne was on the phone to Patty, just as she hung up the phone she saw Jordan running towards her blindly and clearly in a complete state.
"Where is she Rayanne?" he blurted , trying to catch his breath. Before he could answer he heard a blood curdling scream coming from one of the rooms. "Follow that scream" smiled Rayanne.
Jordan looked terrified. "Shit, she's really doing this isn't she?" he asked, shocked and scared. "Yes she is, and she needs your ass in there pronto Catalano..Go now!" Rayanne smiled and rolled her eyes.
Jordan ran into the room where the screaming was coming from and saw Angela holding on the the bedposts baring her teeth in a growl.
"Jordan, where the HELL have you been?" she shouted. Jordan ran to her side and held onto her hand " I'm here now baby..shit..I'm here now..."
The midwife smiled at Jordan. "Okay Angela, when I say push I want you to push as hard as you can okay?"
Angela nodded and looked at Jordan. "I'm scared" she muttered. Jordan kissed her forehead and rubbed her hand.
"You can do this Angela, you know you can..."
The midwife looked at Angela " When your next contraction hits I want you to push...okay...PUSH!"
Angela closed her eyes and holding onto Jordan's hand as tightly as she could , she gritted her teeth and pushed down into herself as hard as she could.
Jordan winced in pain, not for Angela but for his hand, it was pure white as Angela's fingernails had dug into the back of his hand drawing blood.
"Ouch Angela..my hand ..It's bleeding.." he whimpered. Angela opened her eyes and looked at him full of hate.
"Your hand is bleeding? YOUR FUCKIN HAND IS BLEEDING? TRY SHITTING A BASKETBALL!" she growled.
The midwife laughed and Jordan looked to the floor, his hand was small fries compared to the agony Angela must be feeling.
The midwife looked at Angela and grinned , okay Angela , I can see the head..a few more pushes honey and your baby will be here"
Jordan looked at Angela and then looked at the midwife. "Can I see?" he asked hesitantly The midwife nodded and Angela rolled her eyes in embarrassment.
Jordan held his breath and looked in-between Angela's legs, he grimaced at the blood but soon that grimace turned to amazement. Still caught in Angela's grip he tried to squeeze her hand as he smiled " It's got a lot of black hair Ang, Oh my god...it's our baby" His eyes began to cloud with tears and he briskly brushed them away. "This is amazing baby, I'm so proud of you"
Angela bore down again to the excited cries of Jordan saying "I can see the shoulders..pant Angela..pant", She gave one last tremendous push and the baby slid out of her, all pain had disappeared and she lay her head back on the pillows with relief and tiredness.
A baby's cries filled the room and Jordan was in tears " It's a girl Angela, we have a baby girl" he ran to her and hugged her.
Angela smiled weakly and put her arms around Jordan. "I'm never doing this again" she smiled.
The midwife wrapped the baby girl in a towel and handed her to Angela.
As she gazed into her daughter's face , tears rolled down her cheeks. In front of her was the smallest, most precious little girl, she had pink cheeks, Jordan's eyes and her mouth , she also had a full head of jet black hair. "Oh my god, Jordan she's perfect.." she gasped as she stroked the tiny infants face.
Jordan was leaning over them, one hand over Angela's shoulder and the other hand tenderly stroking the baby's soft hair.
"She's amazing, you're amazing" he whispered, as he tenderly embraced both of his girls.
Rayanne, Rickie, Patty, Graham and Danielle slowly walked into the room. Patty started crying as soon as she saw her first Grandchild as did Graham. "Sweetheart, well done..she's adorable" cooed Graham, overcome with emotions.
"What have you decided to call her?" asked Danielle, completely in awe of the little girl she was holding as she gently handed her back into Jordan's eager arms.
Angela looked at Jordan and smiled, he looked back at her full of love and without taking his eyes off of Angela he murmured
"Louisa Emilie Catalano, after my Mom" he smiled, his voice cracking. His mother never got to see what a beautiful woman her son had fallen in love with and she would never get to hold her first grandchild, but Jordan knew that she'd be proud of him.
"I hope you can see her Mom" he said quietly as he looked to the sky above.
Angela rubbed Jordan's back softly as he cradled his new born baby girl. He smiled and counted all of her little fingers and toes, he stroked her cheeks and kissed her tiny nose. He had never felt so much love and knew that no matter what happened he would never let this child or Angela down.
"Hello Louisa, I'm your daddy" he smiled down to her. He turned to look at Angela " I love you so much, I'm so proud of you baby..thank you, thank you for giving us such a perfect little girl" he kissed her softly on the lips and reached into his pocket.
"There's this thing I need to do" he whispered, as he unfolded his hand to reveal a small box.
Angela sat up, she looked into his blue eyes and a small smile spread across her face.
"Angela Chase, I should have asked you this years ago, but it's better late then never right?" he smiled as tears slid down Angela's cheeks. He opened the box and presented Angela with a beautiful diamond ring.
" Will you be my wife?" he smiled.
Angela nodded her head slowly, tears flowing endlessly down her face "I thought you'd never ask" she smiled as he bent down and gave her a lingering kiss.