TUS NUA - ch 55

TUS NUA – ch 55

New Beginnings – Mia and Midnight

(*)(*)(*)

Mia, still grinning said, “I’ll portal home and get mom. We’ll meet you there.”

Finola nodded, opened her portal, then just before she vanished, Alistar bound through his own portal. He shouted, “Finola, cousin, what was that? It sounded like the howl of the banshee. For whatever reason, I can’t get a reading on whatever it is or whatever has happened.”

She shook her head as she laughed, “Oh Alistar, mo ghra, we witches never had to experience anything like that but having dealt through the years with many humans, I’ve come to know more about them than you would expect. Jules is having a baby.”

Alistar stood tall and with his fists on his hips, looked bewildered. “Finola! For stars sakes, I know she’s having a baby. But I’m concerned. That thing, whatever made that sound won’t hurt her or her newborn, will it?”

Finola sighed deeply. “Alistar, go into my little office and pull out my mirror. Scry Jules and you’ll understand. And before you ask, no I won’t take you there. Being a man, even a male witch, this is something more for women and her husband. Go and let me do what I can.”

Still a bit perplexed, he did what Fiola suggested, then sat and began to watch.

Finola arrived seconds before Mia and Morena who opened her medical kit and studied Jules’ vital signs. “So far, so good, sweetheart. You’re doing fine.”

Jules looked at her stepmother and said, “Mom, that pain was beyond anything I ever imagined. How long does it last?”

“That’s a question only Baby Itt can answer. “Labor pains can take as long as it takes for the baby to present itself to the world. Sometimes the labor can be as quick as an hour, but I’ve attended to women whose labors lasted almost a full day. There really is no set time span.”

Finola quietly stepped through her portal and eased her way to the foot of the bed. “How’s our girl?” she asked.

“Oh, Aintin,” Jules said breathlessly, “they always romanticize having babies in movies, but reality is a far cry from the Hollywood glamour.” She took a deep breath and grunted loudly.

She squeezed her husband’s hand, “Oh, Mickey. Oh, God!” She took a deep breath and screamed.

Mia turned her head so no one would see how she tried to hide her smile. She’d seen the look on Mickey’s face when Jules forcefully and tightly squeezed his hand. He looked as though he needed to cry out. Mia allowed her thought to travel to her aunt, “Well, Aintin, we should give him credit. He may have been his lip to almost the point of bleeding, but at lease he was quiet about it.”

“Jules, mo ghra,” Finola stepped to the side of the bed and reached for Jules’ other hand, then said,

“To offer you a bit of peace, your pain will lessen but not release.

Pain and joy go hand in hand, or appreciation will never stand.

As the pain increases think of the joy of holding your tiny girl or boy.

With the light of the moon, a child you’ll see.

So, it is written; so, mote it be.”

Jules quickly snapped her eyes towards Finola. “Aintin, you mean my baby will be born tonight?”

Finola nodded. “Yes, mo stor. Tonight, as the moon is at its highest, you’ll see Baby Itt in person.”

Although Finola already knew, it had been the decision of Jules and her husband, Mickey, not to know the gender of the child. They wanted the excitement of choosing names and the inevitable joy of calling their child their chosen name for the first time.

“Mickey,” Jules whispered with a hitch in her voice and a tear in her eye. “There are no words to tell you how much I wish this child were yours. It breaks my heart to know otherwise.”

Mickey leaned over and kissed his wife’s forehead. “Sweetheart, as far as I’m concerned, the child is mine in every way but DNA. And, honey, that couldn’t be helped.”

Neither of them saw the gleam in Finola’s eyes.

Her next scream took them by surprise. Even Jules was startled. “Wow, I didn’t feel that coming. Guess the baby really wants out.”

Mia held a cup of ice water to Jules’s lips. “Small sip, my sister. I know your mouth is dry, but no gulping! Don’t need you vomiting while you’re pushing. We’d have to clean up both ends and what a mess that would be.”

Jules chuckled a bit, “Mia, you’ll never change. Thank you, I fell like I really need to laugh.”

“Then laugh at this,” and she told her about Ali and her family starting to drive away, then hurrying back with Ali screaming that she almost forgot her kitten!”

“OMG! Mia, I don’t know how she thinks she’s going to have a career in teaching. She always was a bit of a scatterbrain!... OWWWWW!!” Out came another scream.

Morena commented, “Good. The pains are getting closer.”

Mickey wanted to pull his hand away from his wife to retrieve a clean cloth. Jules was sweating profusely, but he didn’t dare yank his hand away. He was terrified it might upset her. Mia, reading his mind, reached for the cloth and placed it in his free hand. “Thanks, Mia. What would I do without you?” She smiled, “Hey, gorgeous, what’s a cousin for?”

Her comment made Jules laugh a bit more. “Oh, Mia, thank God you and my husband are cousins, or I’d have to smack you for that comment!”

Morena found it necessary to stick her two cents in. “Jules, if Mickey hadn’t asked you to marry him, we had it all planned to adopt you. Either way, our family was determined that you should have our name.”

Another forceful grunt, then through hurried pants, Jules said, “Asked? He didn’t ask. He just told me how it would be a great idea! Said he thought how wonderful it was that we could make a family. How could I refuse such a beautiful proposal?” While her words were a bit sarcastic, she looked at her husband and smiled.

Everyone smiled and the pain etched across Mickey’s face as Jules squeezed his hand and let out another horrific scream.