Uncle Good Riddance

“Morning sweetheart, what you doing today?” My mam asked, as I let her into my house and she handed me a chocolate chip muffin. “Baby feeling okay?”

“Baby fine, Bodaceia hungry and is doing nothing today. I feel little fat though, I might go for a walk this afternoon, just around the neighbourhood, maybe walk to Mike's or something.” I took a large bite out of the muffin and happily moaned, it tasted so damn good.

“A walk? Really? Do you think that's wise? I mean, you are a week off your due date, I think you really should be taking it easy and relaxing yeah?”

“I'm not planning on walking up Everest and back you know, Mike's house is literally 10 minutes walk away and I am bored of sitting here, watching trashy TV.” I groaned, rubbing the baby who was enjoying wriggling around happily. It felt like it was trying to swim.

“What did your last scan say the other day?” Mam asked, putting on the kettle in the kitchen. “Have you baby proofed the apartment?”

“They say the baby is in a good position to be born now, and yes Tre has done it, I told you that last time.” I grabbed two mugs out of the dishwasher, groaning as it was increasingly difficult to bend down and get back up again.

“Bodaceia, for god's sake, accept some help. You have a week left before you are going to be pushing out a screaming baby. I bet you haven't even gone to birthing classes?” I winced. Okay Mam knew me too well.

“I didn't want to scare myself about giving birth.” I shrugged. “Plus, life has been messy. I was working, and then the whole relationship with me and Tre was completely fucked up and I just couldn't bear it. Me and you were barely talking. Last thing I wanted to do is try and concentrate on pushing a 10 pound baby out of my privates.”

“You had a job?” Mam poured two lovely cups of tea and we settled down onto the sofa together.

“Yeah, I worked at a book shop in the mall. It was fun. They knew when they hired me that I was pregnant, and they've allowed me maternity leave which is nice. I can go back to work when the baby is over three months they said. I like it there.” I smiled, and I was telling the truth. I really did enjoy it there. I had always enjoyed reading when I was younger, then alcohol came along and ruined it all.

“Really?” Mam looked at me, with new found respect and compassion. “I can't believe this is you, Bodaceia.” She smiled at me, giving me a hug and drinking down her brew. We sat in silence for a while, both lost in our own thoughts, until Mam glanced at her watch at the time.

“Well, I'll leave you be. Adrienne is treating me to a hair appointment.” She smiled. “It's so nice being back here in the sunshine, I've missed my family.” She gave me a kiss of my cheek and hugged me tightly. “Now don't do too much okay?”

“I won't. Hey, don't forget to come and show me your new hair later yeah?” I smiled, drinking the rest of my brew as she let herself out.

***

Wrapping up in my coat, the weather was chilly now in March but thankfully getting warmer, I set off around an hour after Mam had left to walk the short distance to Mike's house. My stomach actually started to feel pretty uncomfortable as I left our driveway, automating shutting the gates and locking them behind me. Paparazzi were stood on the pavement outside the house, snapping away. I thanked my lucky stars I had put on my large sunglasses to save my eyes from the flashes. I had learnt off Tre.

The gossip blog's, namely Perez, had stopped talking so much about me, but every now and then a picture popped up and he was horrible again to me. I had taken it in my stride however, and Tre had promised that when our baby was born we would do some magazine interviews with our baby and put the record right about our relationship and our angel.

“Hey, guys, come on, I'm 8 months and 3 weeks pregnant, give a girl some space please?” I smiled sweetly at them as they let me walk off shouting questions and trying to get me in some banter with them.

I gasped as I felt a twinge in my belly from the baby and I tell you right now it bloody hurt.

“God, baby, calm down with that kicking!” I scolded playfully to my belly, standing up again and carrying on walking to Mike's.

As I entered Mike's driveway, I felt another large twinge in my belly which nearly made me double over. I had to grab the wall to give myself some support, and I found myself almost panting I was breathing that deeply.

It hit me, this could be contractions.

Oh please, please, God! Please do not let me go into labour right now, I am alone in a driveway and my god I can't deal with this God! I mentally screamed, walking very quickly up to the doorway of Mike's and banging down the door.

“Mike?! Mike!” I called. No one came to the door, no one at all. “MIKE!!” I felt like crying, I felt like screaming.

What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!

I began to walk as quickly as I could the 15 minute walk from Mike's to Billie's. I prayed I wasn't in labour, I was almost hyperventilating.

“Argh!” I gasped, as the pain came again harder and painfully. A camera clicked behind me, and I looked up from my doubled over position, to see a few paparazzi with camera's watching me from their car. Tears were in my eyes and I had to walk quickly on as soon as the pain subsided, praying that I would make it to Billie's without popping out the baby right in the middle of the street.
On the long street that Billie's house is situated on, the pain was overwhelming and my tears were falling freely. I could see Billie's house in the distance and I knew that my goal.

“God, please let me get to Billie's house and that he be in. I know I haven't been a good girl at all but if you do this for me, I promise you, my child will be the most religiously brilliant child ever who will be brought up beautifully.” I sobbed, praying as another wave of pain hit me ridiculously hard. “Ah, ah, ah, please help.” I was never very good at coping with pain, seriously. I am such a big baby.

A sudden warm sensation came over me as I reached the end of Billie's gate and pushed the intercom buzzer.

“Hello?” Billie's stupidly comforting voice crackled over.

“My water's just broke!”