Where Does My Heart Beat Now- Chapter 21

*Author's Note: Gaelic phrases and meanings from this chapter... A stór: My darling (pronounce it like ah store)

Chapter 21

A faint gray light peered through the trees in the east, signifying early dawn. The group had been hard at work throughout the night trying to clean the small farm up after the storm, and they were beginning to feel exhausted from their hard labor. At one point Mae stopped her son while he was moving a fence post, worried about Kate.

“Where’s Kate? I haven’t seen her.”

He dropped the wooden post and straightened up to look at her and seemed just as concerned about his wife, “Neither have I. The last time I saw her she was going to find Bo and Yankee… and she should be back by now. Okay, why isn’t she back, yet?”

A noise behind them caught their attention, and when they turned around they had to contain their laughter, for Kate scuffed up with Bo and Yankee right behind her. She looked as if she’d gotten attacked by the Creature from the Black Lagoon, because she was covered in slimy, dark green moss with dirty water dripping off of her. As she neared them, they could hear her shoes make a squishing sound whenever she took a step. Her hair was plastered to her head, and she reached up to pull off a string of algae. After reaching the group, Kate released the horses and stared at everyone.

“What happened to you, honey?” Gabriel questioned, trying his hardest to stifle a giggle.

Kate crossed her arms over her chest and scowled defiantly, “Your horses are a pain in the a*s, Gabriel. I was getting ready to grab for their halters when both of them turned on me. I lost my balance and fell backwards into that absolutely repulsive swamp you Texans call a bayou.”

“That’s what a bayou is.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure there’s a fish trapped in my panties, and he’s moving his tailfin and tickling my hoo-hoo,” she jumped unexpectedly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go fish him out and take a shower.”

Both Gabriel and his mother shook their heads in wonder before going back to work. If they were lucky, they’d get at least most of the debris cleaned up out of the yard by the time the sun came up. So far, all that was left to do was to get Gabriel’s destroyed truck out of the tree.

 

Inside the bathroom, Kate was wiping off most of the moss when she noticed something red on the bottom of her chemise. At a closer glance she recognized the stain as blood. Almost immediately she began to panic.

Oh, no! No! I can’t have miscarried! I’ve been taking care of myself and doing everything to keep the baby safe. Kate slumped down onto the floor with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head pressed to her knees before starting to cry.

It wasn’t long when Gabriel appeared at the bathroom door to find his wife weeping, and he hurried over to console her, “A stór, what’s making you weep so?” His gentle voice caressed her soul, making her look up at him with tears in her pale eyes.

“I think I’ve miscarried,” she choked back a tear. “I found blood on the bottom of my chemise.”

The possibility of losing their baby startled him, and he immediately noticed the red stain. Oh, dear God. Gabriel pushed back her chemise over her legs, letting out a sigh of relief, “Oh, Kate. You haven’t miscarried. When you fell into the bayou you must have cut yourself on a log or something. There’s a cut on your thigh. That’s why you have blood on your chemise.”

“What?” She looked down at her leg and gasped. “No wonder my leg’s been hurting.”

“Here, let’s get that cut cleaned up so it doesn’t get infected,” Gabriel gently scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom, where he set her down on the bed. While she waited patiently, he gathered together some cotton swabs, bandages, antibiotics, and a bottle of whisky. After setting the items down on the nightstand, Gabriel propped her leg up on a pillow before opening the bottle of golden liquid.

“What’s the whisky for?” Kate questioned curiously.

He glanced up at her with a smile, “It’s an old family remedy. We’ve always used whisky to clean cuts.”

She watched her husband as he soaked a cotton swab in the whisky before gently rubbing it over the wound. The liquid made the cut sting for a few seconds as it went to work disinfecting it. Despite the pain, Kate never flinched, for Gabriel touched her ever so tenderly as if he were caring for a newborn. Gabriel is going to be such a wonderful father. He’s so gentle in everything he does. A cold sensation caught her by surprise, and when she looked down, Gabriel was placing a bandage covered in the antibiotics over the cut, “I guess I should have been watching where I was going.”

“Just try to be more careful,” Gabriel scolded softly, planting a kiss on her forehead. “Now, why don’t you go lie down on the couch and get some sleep? There isn’t anything that you need to help us with outside.”

“What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me, Kate. Just sleep.”

After laying Kate down on the couch in the living room and covering her up with a warm blanket, Gabriel leaned over to kiss her lips sweetly. She looks so tired. Poor baby. I’ll let her sleep as long as she wants, “I’ll be right outside if you need anything, baby. Later, I’ll send someone in to check on you.”

Her eyes seemed to smile at him, “Okay. Be careful, Gabe.”

“I will. Now, close your eyes,” his voice lingered in her ears before he disappeared out the front door to help the rest of his family outside.

 

Later on that afternoon Kate was still lying on the couch with her hands resting on her belly, thinking about the day when she’d give birth. How much would it hurt? Would she have enough strength to push the baby out? As she lay there, the sound of metal clanking and men’s voices giving orders was heard through the open screen door. She sat up to see out of the front windows and smiled at the sight of her husband balancing on Sean’s shoulders while Sean stood on a ladder as they tried to coax their neighbor’s cat out of the tree.

And they wonder why women live longer than men, Kate rolled her eyes.

“A little more to your left, Sean,” Gabriel directed while reaching for the terrified feline, and wobbled around when Sean moved in the opposite direction. “Your other left.”

“Huh?” Sean sidestepped carefully on the ladder, almost dropping his friend. “I am going left!”

“No, your left that’s not right.”

“Well, who’s left? My left or yours?”

Gabriel blinked a few times before answering, “Sean, you’re not getting a face full of my man goods, which means that we’re facing the same way, and therefore my left is also your left.”

“Oh,” Sean shimmied over, allowing Gabriel to easily grab the cat, but he moved just before he could get a grip on it. “Ugh! Are you getting a boner? And you’re sitting on my neck?! Sick!”

The other male smacked his friend on the head and said, “I would never, ever dream of humping your neck, Sean.”

“No, but you’d hump Kate in a heartbeat.”

Kate found herself chuckling at the amusing conversation between the two boys, and then she swung her legs over the edge of the couch, preparing to get up so that she could get dinner started for the others. After napping for a few hours, her body felt rejuvenated and ready to take on anything thrown her way.

While pouring cooking oil into the frying pan, the sound of the boys continuing their conversation came in through the open windows. It appeared that Gabriel had managed to get one of his legs up on a higher limb, but Sean still held onto his other one to steady him.

“Ah, s**t! That stupid cat jumped up to a higher branch. Give me a boost, Sean!”

Sean grunted from the pressure being put on his legs, and rose up on his tip-toes, “You weigh as much as a pregnant woman in her third trimester! Lay off your mama’s biscuits!”

“Kate would slap the hell out of you if she heard you say that. Now, get me higher!” He reached for the nearest branch, but his foot that had been on the lower branch slipped just as Sean let go of his friend’s leg, causing Gabriel to come down rather painfully on the lower limb of the tree. “Ohhhh, sweet mother of Jefferson Davis! I didn’t need you to move just yet before I got a hold of the branch. You just made me rack myself. Geez, my nuts are probably going to be purple after this!”

“Well… you weren’t planning on having sex tonight, were you? That wouldn’t feel that great, especially if Kate is one of the grabby types.”

“Sean, shut up and help me get this damn cat out of the bloody tree before I kick you in the face,” Gabriel growled through gritted teeth; his nether regions were still throbbing unmercifully.

Kate shook her head in wonder, and then went back to filling the pan with a mix of veggies. At least she’d be eating something packed with nutrients to help keep the baby healthy. If she kept doing everything responsible instead of putting her life in danger, there was a very high possibility of having an easy birth. You only have a few more months left. Don’t do anything stupid, Kate.

By the time dinner was on the kitchen table, Gabriel and the others had filed into the house, only Gabriel had a limp to his stride, an indication of the failed rescue mission from earlier that evening. They took their seats at the table before filling their plates with the delicious-looking food. The stir fry smelled tangy with a mystery seasoning, and Mae was curious as to what it was.

This is absolutely mouthwatering, dear,” she said after swallowing a bite of broccoli. “But what is that spice you used in it?”

She smiled wryly, “I squeezed an orange half over the veggies.”

“I thought I recognized a citrus taste.”

Gabriel nodded in agreement while chewing a mouthful. The fact that his wife had cooked for all of them meant she cared about her family and everything they did for her, “You know, ever since we’ve been married I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cook dinner. What’s with the sudden impulse?”

“I decided to give Mae a break. Besides, it’s about time I learned how to cook without burning it. I’m the type of person who could burn water.”

“It’s impossible to burn water, baby.”

“Not for this girl.”

“Well, I’m curious to see what kind of dessert you can whip up.”

“How does strawberry cheesecake sound?”

Sean was the one to reply, his fork grasped tightly in his hand, “Bring on the sweets, honey!”

All of them chuckled as Kate got up and stepped over to the refrigerator, where she pulled out a circular shaped cake covered in homemade strawberry sauce and topped with seven plump strawberries, one for each of them. She placed the creamy delight in the center of the table before passing out small plates, “I may have gone a little overboard on the strawberry sauce.”

Her husband stared at the cake in awe, fighting the urge to pounce on it, “Are you kidding?! I love strawberries!”

Once all of them had a piece on their plate, Gabriel was the first one to try it. His eyes widened after a few seconds, “Oh, my God! This is like an orgasm in my mouth!”

“I’ve never quite got that reaction before,” Kate replied. “Is it seriously that good?”

“Heavens, yes! Mama, I hate to say it, but I think she’s got you beat on the cheesecake.”

Mae smiled, “I have to agree with you, son. This is very delicious… and creamy.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you like it… Honestly, I thought I had messed it up,” Kate admitted while watching the others’ expressions. As soon as she swallowed a mouthful of cake, little flutters tickled her belly, bringing a smile to her face. “The little one’s moving. I guess she also likes it,” she leaned back against her chair and looked at the more defined bulge the baby made, pondering how big she would get and if that would create problems for her during the birth. “Daddy, do you think I’ll have to have a ‘C’-section?”

Her father’s face softened as he thought about what he would say, “I don’t know, sweetheart. That would depend on several factors.”

“Like what?”

“Well, how stressed the baby gets during labor; if it’s turned the wrong way; if you can’t push the baby out naturally; the size of the baby… but I think the biggest issue I’ve seen with many women is the size of the mother,” he straightened. “With you, you’re a slender woman, so your hips aren’t as wide as others’… and definitely not as wide as your mother’s. That may be a problem, especially if the baby is large.”

Kate sighed and looked directly at Gabriel, “Yeah, watch it be my luck that Gabe got me pregnant with the heavy weight champion. Thank you so much, honey.”

“You’re welcome,” Gabriel replied in a smart-alecky way.

Corey broke in, “Not necessarily. You were pretty small when you were born, and if he was on the large side, then your baby’s size should even out.”

“Thank God, because I was planning on having the baby here since I can’t stand hospitals and those doctors stabbing me with needles.”

“Do you have a midwife?”

“Not yet,” Kate smiled at Mae, who cocked an eyebrow in response. “Mae, what do you say about delivering our baby?”

The older woman seemed shocked, “I’ve given birth, but I’ve never actually helped anyone deliver a baby, so don’t ask me.”

To make Kate more comfortable, Gabriel got up from his chair and walked around to her with a loving smile on his face. He tenderly wrapped his arms around her, laying his hands over hers, “A stór, don’t worry about who’s going to be here during the birth. If anything, I can give Sean a call and have him come over. He’s delivered a cow before.”

“That’s very encouraging, Gabriel. Thanks,” she responded sarcastically. “I’m sure that the mama cow appreciated it. What’d he use to cut the cord? Hedge clippers?”

“No, actually it was a rusty pocketknife he found in the bed of his old truck.”

“My point exactly.”

Kate’s mother stopped their conversation after realizing that Gabriel had spoken in a foreign language, “Wait! Gabriel what was that word you said a few minutes ago?”

“A stór?”

“Yeah, that’s it!”

“It means ‘my darling’ in Irish Gaelic,” he gently kissed the top of his wife’s head, excited that someone had questioned his use of the old language. “You’ll often hear me speak some words in Gaelic if you listen closely. Actually, the song I was singing to Roxanne when we were in the shelter was in Gaelic.”

Corey thought about everything his son-in-law was saying, trying to remember some of the things he’d learned about ancient languages in college. He’d learned some things about the Irish language, but there was a part that made him frown, “Gaelic is a dead language. It hasn’t been used in years.”

A sly smile crept across Gabriel’s face as he soaked in everything Corey was saying. Clearly, there was something he didn’t know about the language, “Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong. It is still spoken. People living in small villages use it. It’s few and far between. I like using it to keep it alive in the Dawson family. Hopefully someday Kate and I will have a son to carry on our last name and the language.”

“Well, never mind what I said. Apparently my professor was wrong… again,” he chuckled while watching the others’ reactions intently. “I may not know much about European languages, but at least I know how to deliver a baby when the mother is screaming her head off.”

They nodded in agreement before Mae gathered the plates to put them in the sink. She continued to listen to the conversation, but somewhere inside of her she kept thinking about the baby. Only about four months left until it was time for Kate to have the baby, and she prayed everything went well for her. Oh, she couldn’t wait to see her first grandbaby. She’d probably have to fight over who’d get to hold it first.

I wonder what our little one’s going to look like. Hopefully, she’ll take her daddy’s eyes. I hope the baby’s a girl, especially since Gabriel lost his first baby girl, Mae thought, watching the scene of her son caressing Kate’s belly. It was very obvious that he wanted to be there for her throughout her pregnancy, “Gabriel, have you two decided what color to paint the baby’s room?”

Both of them stared at her, somewhat confused by the question, but Gabriel managed to speak, “Mom, we don’t have a room. We thought the baby would be staying with us.”

“Oh, yes we do have a room. Remember, we have that spare room next to ours that could be turned into a nursery. That would free up your bedroom once the baby gets older,” Mae crossed her arms over her chest while leaning with her back against the sink. “That way Rob or I can get to the baby if you’re gone or something, and you could always use our help… even if you don’t think you do. Trust me, it’s a learning experience.”

I guess the saying ‘mother knows best’ is true. Mom could really help us out, Gabriel thought deeply about how much they would value Mae’s generous offer to help them with their baby, “Thanks, Mom,” he tried to stifle a yawn. “Oh, God I’m tired. I think I’ll head to bed. Are you coming, honey?”

Kate tilted her head back to see Gabriel smiling down at her, his brilliant aqua eyes glittering in the light. For some reason they looked bluer than usual, “I’ll be in there later, Gabe. I’d like to talk with the others for awhile since I’m not exactly tired after taking that nap earlier.”

“Alright. Don’t worry about waking me when you come in. I’ll probably be knocked out,” he mumbled when he left the kitchen.

As soon as he was out of earshot Sean beckoned the rest of them closer to him, a sly grin on his face. He had a rather nasty trick to play on Gabriel, and he wanted the others to play a role in it, especially Kate, “Listen up, guys. I’ve got a great prank to pull on him. Kate, you’re going to have to act, sweetheart. Are you capable of acting like you’re in pain?”

“You bet,” she replied, already itching to put the plan into action.

“Wonderful,” Sean’s grin turned devilish as he finished explaining what would happen.

Reviews

[Crimson Apples]

rofl.
My friend and I tried climbing a tree to get her cat, failed miserably, and had to watch like idiots as her mom took out a cat treat, and the stupid feline jumped down purring.
Great chapter xD

[Sympathy Heart]

This chapter is hysterical.

[Crimson Apples]

xD
A lot of your chapters are.