Violetta Craft's Arc

Chapter 61 of 65

Twenty weeks slid past like a thread pulled through silk. The nursery was done. Blue walls, a white crib, a shelf of small folded clothes. The baby shower filled the closet with diapers and bottles and soft yellow blankets. Eli had everything he would need for his first year. Violetta packed her hospital bag at thirty-eight weeks and set it by the door. Her water broke at two in the morning. She was forty weeks and three days. She sat up in bed, felt the warm rush, and shook Jordie's shoulder. He was on his feet before she finished the sentence. She called her mother next. At her mother's house, Lymber woke Missy first. Missy sat up in her t-shirt and shorts and rubbed her eyes. "Is it Eli?" she asked. Lymber nodded and pulled a sweatshirt over Missy's head. Paul was already dressed. He grabbed the keys. They drove to the clinic in the dark with Missy pressed against the window watching the streetlights. Violetta was in a gown by the time they got there. Jordie sat by the bed holding her hand. Elowen was asleep in a stroller in the corner, one arm flung over her stuffed rabbit. Lymber went straight to Violetta and touched her hair. Missy climbed onto the foot of the bed. "Contractions are eight minutes," Violetta said. "They said it could be a while." A while turned into hours. Then more hours. The nurses came and went. The monitors beeped. Violetta breathed through each contraction with Jordie counting for her. Lymber fed her ice chips. Missy dozed in the chair. Paul walked Elowen up and down the hallway when she woke. By hour twenty the doctor came in with a flat mouth. Eli was not dropping. Violetta's numbers were climbing. "We need to move to a C-section," the doctor said. "Soon." Violetta looked at Jordie. She had done this once before, at thirty-two weeks, terrified and alone in her body. This time she nodded once. "Okay." Paul called his father from the hallway. Within the hour Paul came to the clinic and lifted a sleepy Elowen into his arms. "I've got her," he said. "Take your time." He kissed Violetta's forehead and carried Elowen out. They wheeled Violetta back at three that morning. Jordie went with her in scrubs, his hand on her shoulder. Lymber and Missy waited in the room. At 3:42 AM the doctor lifted a red, screaming boy over the blue drape. "Eight pounds, four ounces," the nurse said. Eli was placed on Violetta's chest. He was heavy. He was loud. He was full-term and pink and whole. Jordie pressed his forehead against hers and cried without trying to stop. "He's here," Violetta said. "He made it all the way." She closed her eyes. Eli's fist gripped her hospital gown. The showcase, the studio, the dresses waited on the other side of this room. For now there was only her son's weight, and the steady sound of him breathing on his own.