No Matter What (92 page)

“I told you she shouldn’t have gone out so close to her due date,” Bobby said, making coffee and drinks for everyone who’d come home with them, those close friends Michael and India had wanted with them, although Michael was surprised, but not disappointed, to see that Kenny Ross was nowhere to be seen.

They’d all gathered in the large yet cosy kitchen with its huge fireplace at one end surrounded by sofas and cushions, and that’s where everyone had settled.
 
Although settled was probably the wrong word.
 
Nobody was really settled when there was a baby on the way.
 
They had the TV on for background noise and some distraction, and Bobby was doing a great job of feeding everyone and making sure they all had drinks but, in reality, they were all just sitting around waiting.

“Stop fussing, Bobby, I’m fine,”
India
said, standing watching him as he busied himself getting cups and glasses out of the cupboard.

“Fine?
 
She says she’s fine?
 
She’s standing there, after going into labour at her husband’s movie premiere, and she says she’s fine?
 
Shouldn’t you be lying down?”

“No, I shouldn’t.
 
Oh God ... here we go again ...”

Michael ran over as she almost doubled up in pain, another contraction ripping through her, and she fell against him, holding onto him until it was over.

“
I’m
drained already so heaven knows how
you’re
feeling,” Bobby sighed, leaning back against the counter top and downing a small glass of whisky as he fanned himself with a magazine.

“Ok ... I think it’s time we went where you’re gonna be more comfortable,” Michael said, taking her hand and squeezing it.
 
“No arguments.
 
You walking around is only making me nervous anyway.”

India
looked up, still clinging onto Michael’s hand.
 
“Where’s Bobby gone now?”
 
She looked around the room for him.
 
“He just seems to disappear every few seconds at the minute.”

“He’s gone to talk to your press officer.
 
He’s taking the call in the study,” Martha smiled, coming back into the room.
 
“Paparazzi and press are parked outside the house so they’re sorting out how to deal with it all.”

India
felt a wave of tiredness hit her again and she leaned into Michael.
 
It was definitely time to give in and hit their home delivery suite.
  

“Come on, baby,” Michael smiled, kissing her forehead.
 
“Let’s go.”
 
He looked over at Reece.
 
“We’ll keep you posted.”

Reece nodded.
 
“If you need us ...”

“I’ll be fine, dad.”

And she was.
 
For about another twenty minutes, and then it all started to happen.
 
All of a sudden the contractions came thick and fast and
India
knew nothing but pain.
 
She hadn’t wanted an epidural so she was going through it all with only gas and air which helped, to a point.
 
But, much to Michael’s frustration, walking around also helped with the pain, although she didn’t move far from the delivery room this time.
 
The nerves were setting in and she didn’t want to leave the safety of the professionals around her.

“How’s my princess doing?” Bobby smiled, sticking his head round the door as
India
sat on the bed, her hands round her bump.
 
Michael was talking to Dr Goldman, trying to find out as much as he could about what was going to happen in the next few hours.
 
It was his way of dealing with everything, of feeling like he had at least some control over the situation.

“Can you change the music please, Bobby?
 
Stick The Eagles on, I could do with something a bit more relaxing.
 
I’m saving AC/DC for the birth itself ... oh, fucking hell, not again ... Michael!”

Michael ran over as she stood up and leaned forward, her hands resting on the bed, breathing like she’d been told to as Michael started rubbing her lower back.

“There we go, honey ... you got it ... big, deep breaths in ... and out ... good job, baby.”

“You’ve got
him
trained,” Bobby said, sticking AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’ into the CD player.

“I said The Eagles, Bobby.
 
Christ, this is agony!”

“And it sounds like Junior’s closer than we thought so let’s just get going with the heavy stuff now, ok?”

“Whatever.
 
Stick it on repeat,”
India
breathed.

“Are you serious?” Michael asked.

“Who’s having this baby?”

Bobby smiled, cocking his head to one side as he watched
India
battle her way through the contraction.
 
“Do you know how much money people would pay to get a picture of you like this?”

“Shut it, Bobby.”

“Oh, we’ve reached
that
stage now, have we?”

She stood up as the pain subsided, turning round and looking at Michael.
 
“Do you think having sex tonight started this?”

 
“No,” Michael laughed.

“Is he going to be alright, Michael?”

“He’s going to be fine.”

She put a hand to his face, looking at him.
 
Her handsome husband.
 
“You look tired.”

“I’m doing just great, honey, don’t you worry about me.
 
Come on, onto the bed.
 
Dr Goldman wants to take another look at you.”

“Right, I’m out of here if they’re gonna start fiddling around down there,” Bobby said, blowing
India
a kiss.

She got onto the bed, sitting between Michael’s open legs as he sat behind her. and she leaned back against him, closing her eyes, feeling the warmth of his body close to hers as they waited for their son to arrive, and she couldn’t think of a more perfect way for it to be happening.
 
Just like he’d promised, Michael had been there for her every step of the way, right up until this moment when it was all suddenly becoming a reality, and she’d never loved him more.
 
She’d fought ever having this baby for so many years but now she couldn’t imagine this
not
happening.

“Have I been a total bitch yet?” she asked, her head on Michael’s shoulder as he laid his hands on her bump, an unusual moment of calm and clarity taking over for a few seconds.

“Nothing we can’t all sue you for when this is over.”

She smiled, holding onto his knees.
 
“You’re going to ruin these trousers, you know that, don’t you?”

He kissed her neck, laughing quietly.
 
“I think we can run to another pair somehow.”

She turned her head to kiss his mouth, just as another contraction hit and she dug her fingers into his legs, forgetting all about the gas and air for a second, just wanting it to pass as he whispered in her ear, holding tightly onto her.

“Come on, baby, you can do this, you can do it.”

“I’ve got no fucking choice, have I?
 
I want to push, Michael.
 
Can I push yet?”

Michael looked up at Dr Goldman, who shook his head as he took his position at the end of the bed.

“Not yet, honey, just hang on in there.”

“Easy for you to say.
 
Pass me the gas.”

“Ok India, sweetheart, we’re almost ready to go here so next time you feel the urge to push you can go for it,” Dr Goldman smiled.
 
She wasn’t smiling back.

Michael kissed her neck again, stroking her bump.
 
“Did you hear that, baby?”

“I’m pregnant not deaf.
 
Yes, I heard.”
 
 
She slipped her fingers between Michael’s over her bump as the pain subsided for a second.
 
Literally.
 
Just a second, or that’s what it felt like to her.

People were now rushing around the room, Dr Goldman issuing instructions left, right and centre but all she was aware of was Michael’s voice in her ear and the reality that she was now maybe only minutes away from becoming a mum.
 
India
Walsh – a mum.
 
She didn’t know what she felt anymore, she didn’t know if she was terrified or excited, she just knew that she wanted to meet her son more than she’d ever wanted anything else before.
 
She needed to see him so badly.
 
Because she needed to know.

Bobby stuck his head round the door again.
 
“I heard screaming.
 
I’m assuming that came from you, angel.”

She couldn’t help laughing, which actually hurt.
 
“Stop it, Bobby.
 
Jesus, I wish I’d gone for an elective caesarean.”

Bobby looked at Michael.
 
“Are we all set then?”

Michael nodded.
 
“Any time now.”

Bobby clapped his hands and jumped up and down.
 
“Ooh, how exciting!
 
I’ll go let everyone know.
 
You hang on in there, angel.
 
Love you, princess.”

“Love you too, Bobby ... oh, Jesus, here we go again, Michael ... I need to push ...”

Michael felt her squeeze the life out of his fingers as she pushed down hard, but he didn’t care.
 
He didn’t care if he felt every ounce of pain that she was feeling because his dream was finally coming true.
 
His beautiful wife was having their baby and this is what he’d wanted for so long.
 
From the very first second he’d laid eyes on her he’d wanted this, and every second of pain and heartache along the way had been worth it.

He picked up the cold flannel by the side of the bed and dabbed her forehead gently, kissing her damp cheek as she lay back against him.
 
“You’re doing just great, baby.
 
Just great.”

She said nothing, just closed her eyes and squeezed his hand like her life depended on it, and he hadn’t been aware of just how much strength she had in her.
 
She wasn’t in a hurry to let go either.

“Ow ... that really hurt there, honey.”

“You wanna swap places?”

“Squeeze away.”

And squeeze she did as she took a deep breath and pushed down again, and all Michael could do was hold onto her and tell her it was all going to be ok because it was.
 
He was going to make sure it was.

“His head’s out,
India
,” Dr Goldman smiled.
 
“Now, give me another big push and we’ll get his shoulders out.
 
That’ll be the worst over.”

“If that’s a lie I’m sueing ... Christ, that
really
fucking hurts!”

Dr Goldman laughed.
 
“It’s nearly over, I promise you.
 
We’re almost there ... come on, give me one more big push,
India
... good girl ... and, there we go.
 
His shoulders are out and we’re just a couple more big pushes away from meeting this little man. You’re doing so well, honey.”

Michael leaned over, still holding onto
India
’s hand, his heart almost missing a beat as he saw the first glimpse of his son as he made his entrance into the world, and he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face.
 
He hadn’t really known what to expect but what he was feeling here he couldn’t describe.

“Oh
Jesus
,
India
, baby, he’s got dark hair,” Michael laughed.
 
“He’s got so much dark hair.”

She heard him but she couldn’t reply, all she could do was squeeze his hand once more, pushing down hard and letting out one big shout in the process as she finally felt her baby boy leave her body, his cries filling the room, and she couldn’t stop the tears from falling.
 
Every emotion she’d had building up just came flooding out as she fell back against her husband.
 
Their perfect little boy was finally here and he was making his presence felt from the very start.

“Here we go little guy,” Dr Goldman smiled, handing the tiny bundle over to
India
, who took him so gently, scared she might hurt him he looked so fragile.
 
“Time to meet your mom and dad.”

India
looked at him, then at Michael.
 
He was right.
 
He had a shock of dark hair that stuck up all over the place, his eyes tightly closed and his tiny, tiny fists bunched up beside his face.

“He’s beautiful,”
India
whispered, the tears streaming down her face.
 
She couldn’t believe he was here and he was real.
 
The most perfect thing she’d ever seen.