Chapter 28

There was one more day to go, before the end of the holiday, and, after a great deal of pestering from Emily and Rosie, Jon and Donna agreed to pay one more visit to the on-site pool.  Although she loved the sea, Emily felt safer in the shallow water in the pool – mainly because she could see the bottom!

There was a small area at the end of the pool, separated by a small glass partition, where there were tables and chairs, and also an area where food and drink could be bought. After their visit to the pool, they decided to have something to eat and drink.  They waited for about five minutes, before a waitress came to the table, sighing heavily as she squeezed past Emily’s wheelchair.  Donna noticed her impatience, but decided to ignore it.

“What would you like?” she said, pasting on a smile.

Donna placed their order, then the waitress gestured to Emily, and said:

“And what would she like?”

“Why don’t you ask her?” said Donna, glaring at her  “It’s her legs that don’t work – not her brain!”

“Thank you, mummy!” said Emily, trying to keep a straight face  “I’ll have a bowl of chips, and a Coke, please!”

“I don’t think daddy should have Coke!” piped up Rosie, subtle as ever.

“Why?” said Emily, wondering what the reason could possibly be.

“Mummy said, if he has too much fizzy drink, his arse is a lethal weapon!” said Rosie, without a hint of a smile.

“That’s enough, Rosie!” snapped Donna, embarrassed  “that’s very rude!  I won’t have you talking about daddy like that, especially in public!”

“You said it!” protested Rosie, indignantly  “That’s not fair!”

With that, she lifted up her bowl of chips, and launched them across the table.  Unfortunately, there were people walking by at the time, and they were caught in the crossfire.

“I’m so sorry!” said Donna, feeling her face burning  “The bowl didn’t hit you, did it?”

The lady, seeing her obvious embarrassment, said it did not matter, but her boyfriend was not quite so understanding.  He gave her a dirty look, and said:

“You ought to keep that child under control!”

“I’m sorry!” said Donna, feeling her voice shaking  “I am trying to!  I have apologised – what else can I do?”

“I know what I would do!” he said, glaring at her   “I’d give her a good slap, if she were mine!”

Jon decided it was time to step in.  He got up from his seat, and walked over to the couple, and, despite the fact that the man was a good three or four inches taller than him, he looked him straight in the eye.

“Well, she isn’t yours, is she?” he said, his voice shaking with anger  “so I suggest you keep your opinions and your hands to yourself!  My wife has apologised, so why don’t you just shut your yap and let it drop!”

“Jon, please!  Leave it!” said Donna, taking hold of his arm  “He’s not worth it!”

“Take her advice, sunshine!” said the man, with a derisive expression on his face.
“Leave it – pick on someone your own size, or you could find yourself in a lot of trouble!”

“Don’t you threaten him!” retorted Donna, standing her ground  “Why don’t you get lost, macho man!  You don’t scare me – you haven’t got the chest measurements!”

“Oo, get you!  Fiery little thing, aren’t you?  I’ll tell you something, mate – if she’s as feisty as this in the sack, then you’re one lucky bloke!”

Before anyone could draw breath, Jon grabbed hold of the man by his collar, and forced him up against the wall.

“That is my wife you’re talking about!” he said, his eyes blazing  “If you say one more word about her, I’ll shove your teeth so far down your throat, you’ll need to shove your toothbrush up your arse to clean them! Do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly!” was the strangled reply, before the other man turned tail and ran out of the building.

“That was fantastic, daddy!” said Emily, grinning from ear to ear  “Why didn’t you punch his lights out?”

“I was prepared to!” he said, returning her smile  “but I didn’t need to in the end!  No one, but no one talks about my wife like that!”

“Thanks, love!” said Donna, trying not to laugh  “I appreciate you defending my honour – what a wonderful turn of phrase that was!  Where on earth did that come from?”

“I don’t know!” he said  “I surprised myself with that one!”

Suddenly, a little voice piped up from the other side of the table.  They exchanged incredulous glances, as Rosie said:

“I’m sorry, mummy!  Can I have some more chips, please?”

Most of the next day was taken up with packing cases, and the long journey home.  It was a fairly hot day, and even with all the windows open, it was still hot in the car.  The girls were complaining, and Donna could not get comfortable, so at the very next lay by, Jon stopped the car, so they could all get out and stretch their legs.

“I need a wee!” announced Rosie, bobbing up and down  “Can you take me, mummy?”

“All right!” said Donna, sighing heavily  “but I do, too! Don’t take too long, I can’t hang on for as long as I used to!”

She disappeared behind a clump of bushes with Rosie – fortunately Emily had already visited the toilets at a nearby service station, but Rosie had insisted she did not need to go!  She arrived back at the car to find Jon sitting in the driving seat, drumming his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel.

“You can stop doing that!” she snapped, slapping his hand.
 

“What was that for?” he said, looking surprised  “I was just wondering why you were taking so long!”

“It’s all right for you men!” snapped Donna, folding her arms  “We have to find somewhere discreet – all you have to do is point and aim!”

“I could answer that, but I won’t!” he said, starting the engine  “I want to go home in full possession of all my body parts!”

“Don’t know what you mean!”

She lay her head back on the headrest, and, within five minutes she was asleep.  Her pregnancy and the hot weather were obviously beginning to take their toll on her.  He smiled fondly at her, placing a gentle hand on her bump, as they stopped at the lights.

It was only two weeks now before she was due to give birth.  All the scans had shown that the baby was fine, and a good, healthy weight.  The sonographer had told them she was 100% sure what sex the baby was, but, once again, they did not want to know – as far as they were concerned, the element of surprise was all part of it!  As the car pulled up on to the drive, he gently shook her awake.  It took her a minute to realise where she was.

“We’re home, sweetheart!” he said, kissing her cheek  “Let’s get you inside, then I’ll start unloading the cases!  Come on, girls – shall we go and make mummy a nice cup of tea?”

“I’ll help you!” said Donna, climbing out of the car  “I’m not helpless, you know!”

“I know that!” he said, putting a protective arm around her  “but I don’t want to take any chances – with my wife, or my baby, so you can sit down and have a cup of tea – do as you’re told for a change!”

“Smile when you say that!” said Donna, pinching his backside  “Come on, then – what are you waiting for?”

Later on that evening, when the girls were in bed, they were both sitting there watching TV, talking about the holiday, and how much they had all enjoyed it.  It had been a very welcome break for all of them – it was very much needed, and seemed to have had the desired effect.  Every so often, Donna shifted around in her seat, but Jon put it down to the fact that she was just uncomfortable.  He was just about to suggest going to bed, when she said:

“I hate to rain on your parade, but I don’t think either of us are going to get much sleep tonight!”

“You mean, you’re…..”

“Yes, they’re about ten minutes apart!  We need to get to the hospital now!”

“But, you’re early…”

“Don’t worry about it!  Rosie was early, too – but she was all right!  Come on, I’ll ring my mum and dad, and as soon as they get here, we can go!”

As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Donna was taken straight through to the maternity unit, where she was given a hospital gown to change into, and hooked up to a monitor.  She glanced over at Jon, who seemed a little lost.

“What’s up, love?” she said, holding out her hand  “You look a bit hot and bothered!”

“I don’t know what to do!” he said, sitting down on the chair next to her bed  “I feel a bit like a spare part!”

“You don’t need to do anything!” she replied, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze   “just be here – that’s all I ask!”

“That’s all you wanted last time, wasn’t it?” he said, his voice almost a whisper.

“Stop it!” said Donna, putting a finger on his lips to silence him  “that’s last time – this is now!  Concentrate on what’s happening now – forget the past!  Just…..”

She broke off, as another pain took her by surprise.  She gripped his hand like grim death, until it passed. The force of it took her breath away, and, despite her vows that she wanted no pain relief, she decided to swallow her pride and ask for some gas and air.

“Is that helping?” said Jon, his face a picture of concern  “I hate to see you in so much pain!  I’d bear it myself, if I could!”

“Well, you can’t!” she snapped, glaring at him  “so don’t be so damn self-righteous!  Just shut up and hold my hand!”

On seeing the hurt expression on his face, she immediately apologised.

“I’m sorry, love!” she said, trying to catch her breath before the next contraction came  “I’m tired, and I’m in pain, I shouldn’t take it out on you!”

“It’s all right!  Shout all you like, if it makes you feel better!”

It was proving to be a long night, and Donna was breathing gas and air like it was going out of fashion.  With every contraction, her patience wore a little thinner – she did not think she could take much more.

“Come on, Donna!” said the midwife, encouragingly  “Push!  Not much longer!”

“I’ve had enough!” she moaned, looking at the midwife  “I can’t push!  I can’t!”

“You’ve got to, Donna!” said Jon, well-meaning as always  “You’ve got no choice!”

That did it – Donna finally lost it.  With beads of sweat standing on her forehead, she turned her head, and rounded on him.

“I sodding well know that!” she yelled, glaring at him “I don’t need you to tell me that!  This is all your fault!  Do you realise that!  If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in this mess!  I’m warning you, don’t you dare come anywhere near me for at least the next six months, otherwise I’ll chop your balls off!”

“Ouch!” he said, looking up at the midwife  “She doesn’t mean that, does she?”

“Yes, she does!” yelled Donna, as another contraction gripped her.

Suddenly, her mood changed, and she gripped his hand for all she was worth, her eyes filling with tears.  For some reason, this contraction was more painful than the others.  She soon found out why.

“I can see the baby’s head!” said the midwife, lifting up Donna’s gown.  “one more push for the shoulders, then you should be there!”

Donna did as she was told.  There was a moment’s silence, then there was a strong, healthy cry, and the midwife lifted the baby up.

“You have a beautiful baby boy!” she said, smiling  “Let’s cut the cord, then we’ll clean him up, and you can hold him!”

After what seemed like an age, Donna’s tiny son was placed in her arms, wrapped in a white shawl.  Jon sat on the bed next to her, his arm around her shoulders, his other hand gently touching his baby’s face.  His fingers were shaking, and tears were streaming down his face.

“Hello, son!” he whispered, his voice trembling  “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world!  Nothing I have ever done in my life compares to this – I watched my baby come into the world!”

“Do you want to hold him?” she said, softly “there you are, sweetheart!  Say hello to your daddy!”

He gently took the sleeping bundle from her arms, and held him close to his heart.  He could not describe how he felt – this was the first time he had actually watched one of his children being born.  Rosie had been born by Caesarean section, and he did not want to dwell on what had happened with Clare.  As he looked at his tiny son’s perfect features, he stroked his hand, and instinctively, his tiny fist curled around his daddy’s finger, gripping it tightly.

“My baby!” he said, fighting back tears  “My son!  You’ve only just been born, but I love you so much!  I’ve got everything I ever wanted – it just doesn’t get any better than this!  I’ll always be here for you, I..   oh God, it’s no use, I can’t hold it in any more…..”

With that, he bowed his head and wept, shaking with almost silent, but uncontrollable sobs.  The midwife put her hand on his shoulder, giving Donna a reassuring smile.

“He’s all right, love!” she said.  “He’s not the first father to cry at their baby’s birth, and he won’t be the last!”

After a few minutes, he pulled himself together, and, standing up, he walked over to the window, still holding the baby.  He looked out at the night sky, littered with stars, and, gesturing to it with his hand, he looked down at his tiny son, and said to him:

“See all these stars!  I’d gladly give you all of this!  And that moon up there – I’d get it for you somehow, if you asked me to!”

As Donna gazed at the two of them together, her eyes misted over with tears, and she had no doubt whatsoever that he would.