Page 62 of Pieces into Place
“Hmm?”
“Can you help me out of the float?”
“Of course, baby.”
Guiding the float over to the stairs, Isla helped Blake out and onto the middle step. Their legs were still in the water, but neither of them moved to get out further. Isla thought Blake needed to catch her breath after the hurdle of getting off of the float. What she didn’t notice until Blake grabbed her arm was that she was having a contraction. Blake nearly doubled over as Isla supported her sides the best she could.
“It’s okay, Blake. I’m right here. I got you.” Isla turned her head toward the house, her heartbeat pounding in her ears as she yelled for Vera. “Vera!”
“It hurts.”
“Where does it hurt, baby?”
“My back.”
“I can massage your back. Will that help?”
Blake only nodded. Isla pressed her palms into Blake’s lower back as she leaned over the handrail. Vera and Alexiscame running back to the pool, concerned looks on both their faces. Instantly jumping into doctor mode, Vera assessed Blake. They got her moved over to a nearby chair where she sat as the contraction eased up. Blake looked up at Alexis, obviously scared.
“Do you think that was just a Braxton-Hicks contraction?”
“I don’t know,” Alexis honestly answered as she looked at Vera. “What do you think?”
“It could have been. It’s hard to know for sure. Have you been having contractions?”
“No,” Blake shook her head. “Not like that. At least none that I noticed.”
“Well, maybe it was just a Braxton-Hicks.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it was,” Alexis quickly agreed with Vera.
“We’ll keep an eye on them tonight and see if you have any more, okay?”
Both Alexis and Blake nodded.
Vera’s encouraging voice was accompanied by a firm hand on Blake’s shoulder. Isla knew that was her way of trying to ground not only Blake, but herself as well. As Alexis helped Blake up and to the house, Isla took Vera’s hand as they walked inside. Alexis helped Blake into their room to shower and change as Isla and Vera stood in the kitchen. Putting her hand on Vera’s lower back, she looked into her wife’s blue eyes.
“Do you think that was a real contraction? Is there a way you can check and see?”
“I don’t know,” Vera shrugged, obviously feeling frustrated. “If she were Alexis or Mason or you, I’d be okay with asking to examine her to make sure she’s not dilated. But it’s Blake.”
“I know.”
“She’s my daughter, not my patient.”
“I know.”
“And I’m not checking her cervix unless she asks.”
Isla sadly laughed, wrapping her arms around Vera. “I know, baby. I don’t know what I was thinking. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to know with just looking at her if it was a real contraction or not.”
“I feel like Blake would tell us if she’d had them before or if she has any more. So I say we just wait and see.”
“You know I hate that.”
“Oh, I know,” Vera laughed. “But I’ve got the lasagna in the oven, and I know that’ll make you feel better.”
“You always know that pasta is the way to my heart.”
