‘I suppose so.’
‘Maybe you should have a breather for a bit. How about I make us a cup of tea before we head back down?'
'Yes, yes, sounds like a good idea,’ Nina replied, staring out the window at the bay and the beautiful sliver of moon. ‘I’ve had cups of tea in worst places.’
‘Too right, me too. Okay, I’ll pop down. Don’t move a muscle.’
Nina gazed out at the view and felt another twinge zoom across the centre of her huge bump. She took a sharp intake of breath as the twinge came again about five minutes later. She frowned and wondered what was happening as, after a bit, another one came, and what had been a twinge, which she’d initially dismissed as nothing serious, began to morph into something sharper. Hard and fast pain. It was accompanied by pressure in the small of her back. As she was wondering what it was and more importantly what she was going to do, just like that it was gone again. As she heard Nancy coming back upstairs with the tea, she put it to the back of her mind.
Nancy walked in, put a mug down by the window, and pulled over a chair herself. ‘Are you feeling okay now?’
Nina decided to downplay the whole episode now that the pain appeared to have eased. ‘Yep, fine. I have no idea what that was, but it’s gone.’
‘Good. Oh, I meant to send you a text. How did you get on with that class? It was here, wasn’t it, in the hall? I remember seeing the booking.’
‘Yes, yes, it was. It was really good. I had a nice time, and it was presented in a way that wasn’t too scary.’
‘Oh, that’s excellent. Better than that online one you did, right?’
‘Yep, that’s for sure.’ Nina nodded and suddenly squeezed her eyes together as pain shot through her. She inhaled and then winced as it came again.
Nancy shrieked. ‘Oh my God! What was that?’
Nina shook her head. ‘I don’t know.’
Nancy swore as Nina put down her tea and winced again. Nancy sounded panicked. ‘Ahhh! Do you think this is it?’
Nina flicked her hand dismissively, ‘No, no, of course not. I’ve still got a few good weeks or so to go.’
‘Yep. Yes, you have.’
‘It’s probably those Braxton Hicks contractions or something…’
‘What are those, when they are at home?’
‘Just like a precursor to the real thing. To get you ready for it.’
‘Right, I see.’
They sat and chatted for a bit about a new member of staff at Nancy’s work who was driving her around the twist and the fact that Robby was away on a job. Finishing up their tea, Nancy took the cups and tucked her chair away.
Nina went to follow suit, stood up, and felt lightheaded and dizzy. She put her hand out on the windowsill to steady herself at the same time as she felt a whoosh underneath.
‘What was that? What’s wrong?’ Nancy asked, as she saw the look on Nina's face.
Nina looked down. ‘Oh my god, I think my waters just broke.’ She fumbled behind her for her chair, eased herself down and took a huge inhale of breath.
Nancy flapped her hands, looked around and swore. Just as she went to speak, Nina’s face contorted with sudden intense pain and she squeezed her hands into fists. ‘Ahh!’
Before she knew what she was doing, Nina found herself on all fours. She swore again and marvelled at how her hips seemed to have taken on a will of their own and were swaying from left to right. She whipped her underwear off and blew out whooshes of air through her mouth. ‘Nance! I... I think she’s coming. I think it’s happening! Like now!’
Nancy, wide-eyed with shock and concern, knelt down and placed her hand on Nina’s back. ‘Okay, Neens, deep breaths. It’s going to be okay.’
Nina felt herself drift off as she tried to focus and manage the sudden, overwhelming waves of pain. ‘I can't believe this is happening now,’ she gasped between contractions. She then went silent as the intensity rose.
Nancy was on her phone dialling emergency services. ‘Yes, hello, we need an ambulance at the lighthouse – yes, she’s in labour, and it’s happening fast. Sorry, yes, Lovely Bay lighthouse. Lovely, yes. Can I see any part of the baby? Are you kidding me? No, I cannot see any part of the baby! She’s on all fours!’
Nina could hear Nancy talking on the phone but it felt as if she wasn’t really quite there. As if on all fours waiting for the next contraction, she was removed from the situation. She stared at a knot in the timber floor and tried to stop herself from panicking.
