Savanah bent over the crib to stroke her daughter’s downy cheek, then turned and led the way back downstairs.
Rafe, Kathy, Cara, and Vince were sitting in the living room with Rane and Kyle. Rafe gained his feet and gave Mara a hug; then, holding her at arm’s length, he said, “It is good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you, too.”
“Are you all right?” He glanced at her swollen belly and smiled. “This will take some getting used to.”
“Don’t tease her, Rafe,” Cara said. “The last few weeks of any pregnancy are uncomfortable, at best.”
“I am not teasing.” Keeping hold of Mara’s hand, Rafe led her to the sofa and gently drew her down beside him, so that she was sitting between himself and his wife.
“When’s the baby due?” Kathy asked.
“Soon, I think. I’ve been having contractions all day.”
“All day?” Kyle exclaimed. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“I didn’t want to worry you. Besides, I’ve been having them for weeks. The doctor said they were just Braxton Hicks. Nothing to worry about.” Mara bit down on her lower lip. “But they’re coming harder now, and closer together.” She groaned softly. “I think I’m in labor.” She had no sooner spoken the words than she doubled over as a sharp pain threatened to cut her in two.
“Mara!” Kyle darted across the room and dropped to his knees in front of her. “What should I do?”
“Make it stop!”
“No!” Kyle shook his head in vigorous denial. “You can’t be in labor. It’s too early!”
Mara groaned as another contraction took her unawares. “Tell that to the baby.”
“Maybe it’s false labor,” Cara suggested.
“I don’t think so,” Kathy said, coming up behind her mother-in-law. “Her water just broke.”
“All right, everyone, just calm down,” Savanah said, quickly taking charge. “Kyle, carry Mara into the guest room, last door on the left at the end of the hall. Kathy, find some clean towels. Cara, we’ll need some hot water. Rane, you’d better call your grandparents. They might want to cut their vacation to Italy short. Rafe, we’ll need something to cut the cord, and one of Abbey’s blankets to wrap the baby in.” She glanced around the room. “Now, people! Move!”
Mara groaned as Kyle picked her up and carried her down the hall.
“It’ll be all right,” he said. “I’ll be right here beside you.”
Savanah slipped into the guest room behind Kyle. She turned on the light and folded back the covers on the bed. “The contractions are coming pretty fast,” she said. “I don’t think this will be a long labor.”
“It’s already too long,” Mara said, gasping. “It hurts!”
“It’s supposed to hurt,” Savanah said with a rueful smile.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Kyle reached for Mara’s hand, wincing as her fingers closed tightly around his.
Mara groaned again. The pains came hard and fast, more painful than anything she had imagined or expected, worse than anything she had ever known. She remembered staying out too late soon after Dendar had turned her. She had barely outrun the rising of the sun. She recalled the pain that had consumed her when the sun’s light had touched her flesh. Even that hadn’t been as bad as this. She choked back a cry, unable to imagine how any woman in her right mind, having endured the agony of childbirth once, would willingly go through it all again.
She clung to Kyle’s hand as the contractions came, one hard upon the heels of the other. Was it always like this, she wondered. Maybe something was wrong . . . She groaned as another contraction threatened to split her in half.
“Try to breathe through the pain, like this,” Savanah said, demonstrating the technique she had been taught in her Lamaze classes.
“Forget Lamaze,” Rane said curtly. “Mara, look at me.”
She followed the sound of Rane’s voice and saw that he was standing beside the bed.
“That’s right.” He took a step closer. “Stay focused on me. Only me.”
Nodding, Mara gazed into his eyes, eyes that burned with a dark inner fire.
“You can do this,” Rane said, his voice low, hypnotic. “You don’t feel the pain anymore, just the urge to push. Listen to your body and push when you need to.”
“You can do it.” Kyle’s voice, filled with love and encouragement.
“That’s right,” Rane said quietly. “The pain is gone now. There’s only pressure and the urge to push.”
Miraculously, the pain receded. In a distant part of her mind, Mara knew he was using his preternatural power to mesmerize her, but she didn’t care. Caught in the web of Rane’s enchantment, she lost all track of time. There was only his voice holding the pain at bay, urging her to push when she felt the need, telling her that everything would be all right.
“We’re almost there,” Savanah said. “I can see the head. Lots of black hair. One more good push should do it.”
“Come on, sweetie,” Kyle urged, squeezing her hand. “You’re almost through.”
“Push, Mara,” Rane said quietly. “You want to push, hard, now.”
Helpless to resist his command, she gathered her strength, gritted her teeth, and pushed.
“Here it comes,” Savanah said. “One more good push and you’ll be holding your baby in your arms. Oh, my.” Tears filled Savanah’s eyes as the baby slid out of the birth canal and into her waiting hands. There was nothing in the whole world to equal the marvel of watching the birth of a new life. “It’s a boy!” she exclaimed, cradling the infant in her hands. “A perfectly beautiful little boy. Kyle, do you want to cut the cord?”
“Uh, yeah, sure,” he said.
There was a flurry of activity. Kyle cut the cord while Kathy wiped Mara’s brow. Savanah bathed the baby and then wrapped him in a blanket.
Lifting her head, Mara looked at her son for the first time. One look, and she knew why women through the ages had been willing to endure the pains of childbirth. Her heart swelled with a rush of love such as she had never known existed.
“You did great,” Kyle said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “He’s beautiful, but not as beautiful as you.”
“Girls are beautiful,” Mara murmured. “Boys are handsome.”