Snow & Ash: Endless Winter by Theresa Shaver Read Free Book Online Page A

softened and she reached out and cupped my face.
    “Oh, honey, it’s ok! It’s going to be fine! This isn’t the first time I’ve done this remember? You were such an easy birth, six hours of labor, forty minutes of pushing and voilà, there’s baby! Second babies usually come faster so this should be quick.”
    Her tone was reassuring and she was trying to make light of it so I wouldn’t be afraid, but I could see the fear in her eyes reflected back at me. She took the bags from my hand and we worked on spreading them out over the rug before covering them with some towels. As she started to lower herself to the ground, another contraction gripped her and she went to one knee with the loudest moan yet. I had tears streaming down my face at how helpless I felt. I didn’t know what to do or how to help her. I kept glancing at the door in the hopes that Dad would walk through it and take charge so I could go and cower in my room. It was breaking my heart seeing Mom in so much pain, even when she reassured me that it was natural and part of the process.
    Every minute seemed to last forever when she was panting through a contraction and the breaks between seemed to get shorter and shorter as time went by. Mom had me open the first aid kit and lay out some of the supplies. She also sent me on a search for string that she said we would need to tie off the baby’s umbilical cord before we cut it.
    Again, my body was in motion before my brain caught up to the implications of her words and I was like, “Right, find string to cut the cord”, and then it penetrated and my head whipped back and my stomach heaved.
    “Cut the what? We have to cut something on the baby?!!!”
    This was too much for me, I’m only ten, and I’m not supposed to know any of this let alone see it happening. My heart started racing and I was having a hard time catching my breath. My hands were fluttering in front of me and I didn’t know what to do with them.
    “Sky, SKYLAR! Look at me, look at me! You are having a panic attack and you’ll hyperventilate if you don’t calm down!” Mom yelled at me in her very effective Mom tone before grinding her teeth and groaning.
    I don’t know whether it was the no nonsense tone or her pain that snapped me out of it but I dropped to my knees beside her and gripped her hand.
    “I’m so sorry, Mom. I’m just so scared. All of this, it’s just…we were going shopping for back to school clothes like five minutes ago and now we live in a cave and bombs are dropping and you’re having the baby on the floor!” My voice got faster and more shrill as I spoke. She gripped my hand tighter and pulled me down beside her.
    “I know, I know how overwhelmed you are, honey, I am too. This certainly isn’t how I planned to have the baby and I’m trying to be grateful that we have a safe place that will protect us from what’s happening in the world. The most important thing is that we’re together and safe, so focus on that.” She was going to say more but the next contraction hit so she just grunted.
    I brushed her hair off of her sweaty face and got to my feet. Dad wasn’t here so it was up to me to help her. I finished gathering what she had asked for and then went to the bedroom and emptied all the bags I had brought from the nursery at home out onto the bed. I sorted through it and found a tiny baby sleeper with a matching hat as well as wash cloths, baby soap and the tiniest diaper I had ever seen. I carried it all out to the living room and left it on the coffee table before going into the kitchen and finding a big bowl to fill with hot water.
    I almost dropped the bowl as I turned to take it to the table when Mom started making new scarier noises. Something had changed, her face was red with the strain and her groan was a drawn out sound of determination. I got the water safely to the table and kneeled beside her. Her groan ended with heavy panting that sounded like she had just done a mile long