I tried not to think about it as the contractions came faster, and lasted longer. The entire time Branna was monitoring the baby’s heartbeat, which always remained strong and steady like it was supposed to. She checked to see how far along I was dilated every thirty minutes to an hour, and during the last hour I went from five centimetres to ten. The brothers had set up the birthing pool Kane and I purchased weeks ago, in our bedroom, and Branna lit some candles and played soft, instrumental music.
It really helped me relax, or relax as much as could.
I was in the middle of pulling my nightie off my body and fanning myself as heat attacked every inch of my body. I was naked from the waist down, but I didn’t care. I had a comfortable sports bra on, but nothing else.
I was too far gone with pain to even consider the brothers being uncomfortable. I didn’t care about them or anyone else; I just cared about myself and my own comfort.
“Fuck, fuck, fuucccckkkk,” I all but snarled as I bent forward and placed my hands on my bed. I swayed from side to side and tried to focus on the music instead of the pain that stabbed me.
“Branna,” I said in a very calm voice when the urge to get this baby out of my body occurred. “I need to push. I need to push right now.”
Branna and the lads lead me to the birthing pool.
“This is very different than what I imagined seeing Aideen’s private parts would be like,” Alec murmured from behind me as I eased myself down into the birthing pool.
Nico choked on air. “You imagined that? Bro, she is our brother’s girl. The mother to our niece or nephew.”
I looked up at them when I was settled on my knees and leaning on the pool’s side.
Alec blinked. “I’ve imagined it since I first met her... should I be sorry about that? Because I’m not.”
Nico shook his head. “I’m telling Kane you said that.”
“You’ve always been a little snitch bitch!” Alec hissed.
“Time and place, bro,” Damien grumbled. “Time and place.”
I wanted to laugh at them; they sounded like arguing little boys, but I couldn’t because all I could focus on was the pain that consumed me.
“Kane!” I cried as a mighty contraction tore through me. “Oh, please. I need him.”
“Death!” Alec hissed. “That is what he has asked for by not answering his fucking phone!”
Nico nodded in agreement then reached for my hand and grabbed ahold of it.
“He will be here, Ado.”
“When?” I screamed and squeezed Nico’s hand when the pain I felt intensified. “I’m goin’ to fuckin’ kill him if he isn’t already dead or worse.”
Nico’s face turned red and his eyes almost bugged out of their sockets.
“Ow,” he whimpered. “Ow. Ow. That hurts.”
I let go of his hands and focused on Alec laughing at Nico as he shook out his hand and cradled it against his chest.
“I can’t do this,” I panted.
Branna looked up and locked her eyes on mine. “Babe, a few more minutes and you’ll be a mammy. You got this.”
I didn’t have anything.
I couldn’t fucking do it.
“Make it stop,” I screamed as burning filled my vagina. “Help it stop. Damien!”
“Oh Christ,” he whispered and scrambled closer to me, but full blown panic came over him and he could do nothing but move to the side and rub my hand.
Alec took his place in front of me.
“Take her mind off of it,” Nico whispered to him, but had his eyes locked between my legs.
The way I was positioned was not ladylike at all.
“Sons of Anarchy!” Alec suddenly shouted. “I’ll put on the show and you can-”
“Shut. Up,” I growled as I stared at him. “And don’t move a bloody muscle. You’re me focus point.”
He began to panic and started to sing, “I love you, you love me. We’re a happy family-”
“Alec!” Nico snapped. “Barney songs? Really?”
Alec placed his hands on the side of his head and he whimpered, “I don’t know what to do!”
“Just do what Aideen asks,” Branna said in a calm voice as she dabbed a cool damp cloth over my forehead.
Alec looked at Branna then to me then to Nico. “I take it back. I don’t want babies, not ever.”
“Bronagh is already pregnant,” Dominic cried into his hands. “It’s too late to pull out.”
“I’m never ever having sex ever again,” Damien whispered.
For God’s sake.
“Stop pushing?” Alec then suggested. “Squeeze your cheeks together and keep that little Slater up there until Kane gets here.”
Branna and Nico looked at Alec who was demonstrating to me what I had to do with my arse cheeks. I didn’t want to copy him because he looked constipated and it freaked me out.
“It doesn’t work like that, Alec,” Branna said then refocused on me and smiled. “Honey, you’re doing beautifully.”
“She can’t do beautifully because Kane isn’t here!” Alec stated for a second time. “He needs to be here for this.”
Branna laughed. “Tell the baby that.”
Alec did just that. The bloody freak of nature kneeled down next to the pool, cupped his hands at the sides of his mouth and shouted, “Stop your journey down the vaginal canal, we’re not ready for you yet. Your daddy is at the gym pumping iron, have some respect and wait for him!”
Dominic pulled Alec away from my most private body part and smacked him on the nose. “Stop it.”
Alec jumped with fright and silently lifted his fingers to his nose while he stared at his brother with wide eyes.
“I can’t believe you just did that to me.”
Nico shook his head, chewing on his inner cheek probably so he wouldn’t smile. Branna rubbed Alec’s shoulder, smiling before she looked back to me and winked.
“Aideen?!”
Oh, thank God.
Branna smiled wide. “In the bedroom!”
Seconds passed by, then Kane and Ryder burst into the bedroom. I didn’t look up. Instead, I lowered my head and screamed as pain swam around my abdomen.
“Strip down and get into the pool with her, she needs you,” Branna ordered Kane.