Status: The epilogue is up and posted. Thanks for reading, lovelies!

Blue Moon

Afterbirth

I woke to a ear splitting scream. I had been sleeping dreamless, Will sprawled out next to me. I had sat up right, listening closely with wide eyes. Maybe I had imagined it.
I heard it again, and I knew that it was Emily, she was the only other girl in the house. I stumbled out of bed, almost knocking Will off the bed in the process. He grumbled and woke, sleeping like a log.

“What's wrong?” He mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

“Something's not right,” I spit out quickly, running out of the room and down to Emily and Collin's room, not bothering to knock. As I swung the door open, Collin was about to open it, jumping back at my presence.

“I—I don't know what's going on,” he shook, trying to get a hold of himself.

Emily was curled unnaturally in bed, a tight grip on the sheets. Sweat formed on her forehead, her hair sticking to the sides of her face. She moaned in pain, her teeth gritted to the bone.

“Emily, what's wrong?” I asked, trying to see what it was.

“The baby,” she choked out, “I think it's coming.”

I nodded, thinking fast. I turned to Collin who was wide eyed and frozen with fear. “Collin, call for the midwife,” I ordered but he just stood still. “Collin!” I snapped and it seemed he turned himself on auto-pilot and ran out of the room.

I turned back to Emily and threw the sheets off her. The bed was wet and I didn't know what to do, I hadn't the first clue. My heart was racing when Will jogged into the room and I could only wonder how he slept through that scream.

“What's happening?” He asked, running a hand through is bed hair.

“The babies coming,” I answered, wondering if Emily was going to give birth here or if she wanted to be moved to Collins house, it was probably too late. Emily grabbed my hand and squeezed tightly, I clamped my mouth shut, trying not to tell her to stop. “Get a cloth and some water,” I told Will quickly. He nodded and left Emily and I alone.

“I'm not ready,” Emily wheezed, loosening her grip on my hand. Her eyes were either red from crying or the pain, I couldn't tell.

I smiled, “Well you can't not give birth.”

She shook her head, “It'll be worth it, it will be.” She repeated it over and over to herself. Will returned with the cloth and a small bowl of water. I dabbed the cloth over her forehead and waited anxiously for Collin to return. Will stood against the wall, keeping clear of Emily's death grip, knowing that she would grab onto anything when another contraction hit.

Collin returned minutes later, mumbling something about how the midwife will be here soon. He took my place and I felt the blood rush back into my hand as I walked over and stood beside Will, waiting for the midwife to get here.

During the wait, Emily couldn't muffled her cries of pain and Collin's fear was showing clear as day. I did what I could but it was Collin's job to be there for her during this more that it was mine. When the midwife arrived, she carried a bag and a grin on her face, looking calm as a summer's day.

“Hello, Emily,” she greeted, setting her stuff down. “How are we doing, dear?”

“I don't know,” she gritted through a contraction and the midwife nodded, not looking worried.

“Do you mind if I take a look?” She asked, taking some large clothes out of her bag and some clear bottles of liquid I couldn't place.

Emily nodded and I turned to Will, he looked mostly at ease. It wasn't until the midwife threw a small glance that he realized that he needed to leave, as did I out of privacy. We shuffled out of the room, shutting the door behind us. I let out a deflated breath and leaned against the railing looking over the foyer of the house.

Will and I didn't say much, we just stood and waited. I didn't know what to expect time wise, I've never been around when someone had given birth and I felt clueless. After hours of waiting, going in and out of the room, Collin slid out of the room.

He looked sick, as he leaned against the door. He didn't utter a word as he moved to the ground, running his hands through his hair obsessively. “Emily wants you, Eliza.” He told me quietly, staring at the ground as he did. I looked to Will who shared the same confused expression as I did but nonetheless I entered the room.

Emily was in bed, lying still as the midwife wiped the wet cloth over Emily's forehead. “Is everything okay?”

“She's close,” the midwife breathed, looking excited, which worried me a little. Shouldn't she be a little nervous or anything but excited? Maybe she's been doing it so long it didn't bother her, I didn't see how though.

“Collin was going to faint so I told him to wait outside,” Emily muttered with her eyes shut, “he was also making me nervous.”

“Men aren't so tough during these births, most wait outside during the delivery,” the midwife pipped up.

“I wanted you in here because I didn't want Collin to get faint but I didn't want to be alone. I hope you don't mind.”

“Of course not, I wouldn't let you be alone anyways,” I smiled nervously. I took a seat in the chair next to the bed, waiting through contraction after contraction before the midwife told Emily to push.

“I can see the head,” she called over Emily's screams of pain. Emily's nails dug into my hand as I tried desperately not to pull away. I saw the veins popped out the side of her neck, her face beet red and sweating. She was glistened with sweat as she breathed heavily and unevenly.

“I can't..do another..one,” she cried, shaking her head.

“I promise you're almost there, deary. I just one big push and you'll have your baby,” the midwife encouraged. Emily heaved a push, letting out a almost inhuman scream of agony and I felt my hair stand up on end from it.

A new cry pierced the air as Emily stood crying tears of pain and started crying tears of joy. “Eliza, sweetheart, can you please take the little one,” the midwife asked, wrapping the baby tightly in the cloths. I thoughtlessly walked over and took the newborn from her as she told Emily there would be an afterbirth of the placenta. Emily was almost incoherent as she answered, obviously exhausted.

I felt a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach, it wasn't pleasant. The baby cried as I tried to sooth, eventually getting the baby to settle down by the time the midwife told me to is was alright to hand the baby over to Emily.

“It's a girl, congratulations,” the midwife smiled as she cleaned up the area. It was then when I recognized the feeling in the pit of my stomach.

It was jealousy.

I looked on to Emily, blinded with guilt and mixed emotions. The look her face was something I haven't witnessed before. It was natural, only a look reserved for a mother. And I would never be able to use it.

I quickly told Emily I would get Collin as I opened the door. Collin looked beside himself as I gave him an assuring smile. He rushed past me, Will squeezing my hand as he followed behind. I turned and watch, hearing Emily tell Collin that Sophia should be the name. I left after that.

As I reached the porch, a million things ran through my head. Emily would be alright, so would the baby. Sophia. I like that name, I can't help but wonder what I would have named my child if I had any. I remembered back to the look on Emily's face. It was pure love for her daughter, something that I would never understand. I felt guilty, thinking jealous thoughts but I couldn't help it.

My mind wandered further into what Will and I's children could have looked like. I would have wanted a least one girl, I knew that Will would say a boy but deep down he would just be afraid to have a daughter. All these false memories ran through my head and before I knew it, I was weeping silently on the porch. Tears dripped down my checks and I tried to calm myself. I didn't know how badly I wanted children I saw the raw nature of it unfold before me. I could now only mourn my unborn children who would never see the light of day. Who knew if they were even meant to exist, if they were just a thought sprouted in my mind.

I heard the door opened behind me and I quickly wiped my tears away. I could tell by the footsteps it was Will. “There you are, we wondered where you ran off too.”

“I just wanted some fresh air,,” I told him, clearing my throat slightly. He didn't respond as I turned away, not showing my face. “Let's go back in.”

I felt his hand grasp my arm, stopping me. He turned me around and I could see the curious look on his face change to worry and concern. “You've been crying. What is it? What's the matter?” I could only give him a sad smile, not ever being able to hide anything from him.

“I don't want to worry you,” I told him, averting my eyes. His finger came up under my chin and turned my face closer to his.

“Eliza.” He looked at me knowingly.

“Did we make the right decision?” I asked, feeling the tears spring up into my eyes. “I feel so bad; guilty. I'm jealous, Will. I want a baby, a child and I didn't know how badly I wanted one until I saw the look on Emily's face, the whole thing. I'll never feel that, we'll never feel that,” I cried quietly.

Will bore a heartbroken expression. I knew he was in just as much pain as I was. He pulled me in tightly, resting his head on mine as I let the tears flow freely down my face and onto his shirt. “I was wondering the same thing.”

“We can't change it now, it's too late,” I muttered into his chest. He hummed something, I didn't catch it but we stood there in each others embrace for a few minutes. I untangled myself from him and sighed, pushing the pain down and locked it away.

“Do you regret it?” He asked, and I looked down to my feet in thought.

“I don't know,” I whispered and walked in side, Will trailing behind.
♠ ♠ ♠
I don't know how I feel about this chapter. It's alright, I guess. I dunno, I just had a scene in my head and just wrote it out.

Sorry for not updating sooner, guys. My life has been consumed by playoff hockey and finals. Mostly playoff hockey though, other's alike can attest that it is pure torture and agony and I highly recommend not getting into if you don't like being a glass case of emotions after your favorite team is eliminated because I sure as hell was.

Anyways, I'm rooting for the Penguins now. Not rooting for the Kings, I would rather lick a cactus that do that. But them Penguins, they're a classy team and there's no way in hell I'm rooting for Chicago because well it's Chicago and there's an unspoken rule that if you're from St. Louis and you're a Blues fan (or a Cardinals fan), you don't root for Chicago. They are good though, hella good.

Can't believe I just said hella but it seemed fitting.

Whatever, I could go on and on about hockey so I'm stopping myself before I bore and annoy you guys into unsubscribing. Before anyone you think that the next chapter is the last, you are absolutely correct. Actually this was the end, it's over.

Not really. Kidding, just kidding. That wasn't funny was it because how unfair would that be to leave the story with Eliza all upset and shit. No, no I don't know when I'm going to end this. I guess when it feels right and I feel like it's going to be soon because shit, I'm not going to beat a dead horse and have this story turn into some weird supernatural fantasy story. You know the kind you steer clear from but the plot is so bad it's interesting. Yeah, not going into that territory.

I'll stop rambling now. I always manage to ramble, even on here.

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Avec l'amour

-Mel