Sunset

  Ashley noticed Katy and Dayne sitting on top of a picnic table, their feet on the bench. They were off by themselves, their heads close together, and whatever their conversation, it seemed intense. Ashley took a step in their direction. Maybe Katy wasn’t feeling so good either. Earlier she had also been having what felt like contractions. Ashley looked back at the water. She wanted to find a spot close to the fishing action, but maybe if she wandered over to Katy and Dayne, the walk would distract her body from the tightening in her belly.

  Already the day had been so full, with swimming and throwing a Frisbee and of course the sand castle contest between the boys and girls. She glanced back at Cole, sitting with Tommy and RJ and Devin and cheering for Landon. The child was so competitive. At one point during the sand castle building, he’d stood up, raised his shovel in the air, and shouted, “No one can beat this castle! Especially not a bunch of girls!”

  After that Landon had gone over for a little talk with him. Ashley had watched from the hillside, and she saw Cole’s immediate remorse. He really meant well. And Maddie never lessened her efforts at egging him on. Still, he needed to be gracious, whether he won or not. In the end, Landon had declared the boys’ castle the biggest and most lifelike and the girls’ castle the prettiest and most thoughtful.

  Landon had no idea Ashley was having occasional contractions—at least she didn’t think so. Earlier she’d seen him talking to her dad. The conversation looked serious, and Ashley figured Landon had questions about her pregnancy. But other than that, he hadn’t seemed too concerned, and she hadn’t wanted to worry him unless they became more regular. Now that they were, he was in the middle of the fishing contest. A half hour wouldn’t make a difference.

  Ashley trudged up the hill. As she reached Katy and Dayne, she saw they had a pad of paper between them, and Dayne was writing something down. His face looked drawn, his eyes anxious. He looked up at Ashley. “She’s having contractions.”

  “Still?” Ashley took the spot next to her brother so he was in the middle. “You’re writing them down?”

  Dayne glanced at the paper. “Every eight or nine minutes for the last hour.”

  “They’re not strong enough to be real.” Katy stretched back and leaned against her hands. “I think I just need a little rest.”

  “You’re due this week, so I don’t know.” Ashley gave Katy a wary look. “If they don’t stop . . .”

  “It could be time.” Dayne swallowed hard. He looked at his watch. “It’s been four minutes.”

  Katy allowed a light laugh. She motioned at Dayne but kept her attention on Ashley. “You don’t happen to have a paper bag?”

  It took Ashley a minute, but then she laughed too. “For Dayne?”

  “In case he hyperventilates. I’d hate for him to pass out on the way to the hospital.”

  “Fine, go ahead.” Dayne tossed his hands, feigning persecution. “Mock me. I can take it.”

  Ashley was about to say something to her brother, something about never being too safe when it came to babies, when another pain grabbed at her midsection and held tight. She sucked in her breath and held it, leaning back in an effort to relieve the contraction even a little.

  Dayne turned to her. “Don’t tell me . . . you too?”

  A worried look flashed in Katy’s eyes. “It’s too early. You aren’t due yet.”

  Gradually the pain eased and Ashley exhaled. She caught her breath, fighting the wild fears inside her. “Three weeks away.” She breathed out more slowly. “Early . . . but not too early, I guess.”

  “So what are you saying?” Alarm replaced the laughter in Katy’s tone. “You’ve been having contractions since we talked earlier?”

  “On and off. Not regular enough to tell Landon.” Ashley sat a little straighter, stretching her torso, trying to get comfortable. “I keep thinking maybe they’re false.”

  “But not if they’re regular and they keep getting—” Katy squeezed her eyes shut, and her hand went to her rounded stomach.

  “Another one?” Dayne sounded almost panicky. He poised the pen over the pad of paper and checked his watch. “That’s seven minutes.” He stood up. “I’m getting Dad.”

  From down the beach came a loud cheer, and the three of them turned to the sound. Ashley watched their father steady himself and then reel in a struggling fish that had to be at least twenty-four inches long.

  The kids seated on that side of the competition jumped up, cheering and squealing and chanting, “Papa . . . Papa . . . Papa.”

  “Looks like the contest might be over.” Katy’s contraction had come to an end, and she sounded tired but not nearly as worried as Dayne. She slid her feet slowly to the ground. “Let’s go watch the last few minutes.”

  They walked down the hillside and reached the sandy shore.

  Landon appeared to get a bite. “This is it! I can feel it!” He dug his heels into the sand and focused all his attention on the movement in the water thirty feet out. “Come on, baby!”

  Cole bounded to his feet, his hands cupped around his mouth. “Get in here, you stubborn fish, and you better be huge!”

  Then with everyone watching, the fish on Landon’s line jumped into the air. It was easily the biggest fish of the day. But as it flopped in the air, it pulled free of the hook and swam off in the other direction.

  “What?” Landon reeled in as fast as he could, but it was no use. He let his hands fall to his sides. “That’s plain old wrong.”

  Ashley laughed quietly to herself.

  Cole was still staring out at the place where the fish disappeared, his expression frozen in shock. He tossed his hands in the air and looked over at his grandfather and then at the girl cousins supporting him. “You all saw it. So that counts, right?”

  “No.” Maddie giggled. “You have to catch the fish. Not look at it!”

  “And . . .” Peter raised the stopwatch he’d been holding. “Time!”

  “That’s it!” Maddie ran around in small circles, and the other girl cousins followed her lead. “Papa wins! Papa wins!”

  Ashley winced. She could only imagine the battle ahead.

  Cole put his hands on his hips. “That’s not fair, ’cause we had the biggest—”

  Landon walked up a few feet onto the beach and set his pole on the ground. He moved to their son’s side and messed up his blond hair. “Papa won fair and square.” He shrugged. “You win some, you lose some.”

  “Yeah, but—” Cole lowered his voice, but his determination remained—“you lost last time.”

  “Here’s the good news.” Landon pointed out at the lake. “That big ol’ fish is still out there. And next week you and Devin and I’ll come back and catch him for sure.”

  Cole hesitated, but a smile crept up his face. “Okay. Let’s do that.” He giggled and gave Landon a light push toward the water. “Plus, now we get to watch you jump in the lake!”

  “Lake . . . lake . . . lake!” The girl cousins formed a half circle a few feet up the sloped shore.

  Just as Landon took a deep breath and ran straight into the water, Ashley noticed Katy get hit by another contraction. Dayne put his arm around her and supported her, but he looked ready for the trip to the hospital. Ashley heard Landon hit the water, and she glanced back to the shore as—like last time—he ran out until the water was a little past his waist, and then he flopped back and disappeared beneath the surface. When he came up, he held his hands high, his face full of exhilaration. “Papa’s the winner!” he shouted.

  But at that moment, Landon looked at Ashley, and he must’ve caught the concern on her face because his expression changed and he moved quickly out of the water in her direction. “Ash . . . what is it?” He was breathless, drenched from the lake, his tanned skin covered in goose bumps.

  Ashley nodded at Katy. “Contractions. We’re both having them.”

  Landon wiped the water from his face and tried to wring out his T-shirt. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I . . . I kep
t thinking they were false.” Ashley gave Landon a weak smile. “I’m not so sure now.”

  “That was a big one.” Katy looked pale as she turned to Dayne. “Maybe we should have it checked.”

  “You too.” Landon was still dripping, so Cole ran a towel to him. He wrapped it around his waist, but his eyes never left Ashley’s. “You don’t look good.”

  Ashley felt clammy, and her heart was pounding. “I need to sit down.”

  Her father must’ve heard what was happening, because he set his pole down and made his way over. When he reached them, he looked from Katy to Ashley. “You’re both in labor?”

  “I know.” Ashley bent over slightly. “Crazy, huh?”

  “How long?”

  “Off and on all day.” Ashley gripped Landon’s wet arm. She looked at her sister-in-law. “I think it’s the same for Katy, right?”

  “Pretty steady for the past four hours.” Katy winced. “I think they must be real.”

  Brooke walked over with Peter right behind her. “What’s happening?”

  “Contractions.” Dayne’s eyes were wide. “For both of them.”

  The group talked about the situation for another minute, and before either Ashley or Katy could have another contraction, Ashley’s father, Brooke, and Peter agreed that a trip to the hospital was necessary.

  “What about the picnic? We have to pack up our things.”

  “We’ll get it. Don’t worry about a thing.” Peter looked at Dayne and then Landon. “You guys go. We’ll take care of the kids and your stuff, and we’ll all meet at the hospital.”

  The decision was made quickly, and Ashley was glad. She bid a quick good-bye to Cole and Devin, and as Landon helped her up the hill and into their van, she had another strong contraction. Landon helped her buckle her seat belt, and he was out of the parking lot headed for the hospital with Dayne and Katy right behind them by the time the pain subsided.

  Ashley slumped down, exhausted. “What if . . . I waited too long?”

  “You didn’t.” Landon’s jaw was set. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

  She looked straight ahead and tried not to remember the last time they headed for the hospital for the birth of a baby. But even so, her eyes blurred with tears. She reached out and worked her fingers between his. “Landon . . . please.” She blinked a few times and looked at him. “Pray for little Isaac.”

  Without hesitating, he began praying. “Lord, You know our hearts and You know our concerns.” His knuckles were white from the tight grip he had on the steering wheel, his clothes still wet from the lake. “Be with Ashley and give her peace, and please . . . please help our little boy be okay. And not only our baby but Katy and Dayne’s baby too.” A tense chuckle came from him. “This is a wild day. We won’t get through it without Your help. Thank You, God. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

  “Amen.” Darkness was falling over Bloomington, and in the distance a burst of fireworks filled the sky. Ashley watched the reds and silvers swell and fade. “Looks like we’re going to miss fireworks this year.”

  “The kind in the sky, anyway.” Landon managed a grin. “How’re you doing?”

  “Okay.” She looked at the spot in the sky where she’d seen the fireworks. Maybe if there were more, the display would help take her mind off the pain. But as the next burst of color appeared on the horizon, her body seized up and she was overcome with pain. Not five minutes had passed since the last one. She gasped. I’m so afraid. Please, God, let us get there in time. Please help my baby. . . .

  If ever Ashley wanted a clear, audible answer from the Lord, it was now. But He gave her something just as helpful—a Scripture that had brought her peace time and time again in the days since she and Landon first reconnected. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

  The words spoke deeply to Ashley’s soul. She focused intently on the baby growing inside her. How long had it been since she’d felt him move or kick? She dismissed the question as soon as it hit her. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving . . .”

  She had two more contractions before they reached the hospital, and by then Landon was on his cell with Dayne. Katy’s were getting stronger, but they were no closer together. If Ashley weren’t in so much pain, the situation would almost be comical. Both of them going into labor at the same time, rushing to the hospital caravan-style.

  Landon helped Ashley out of the van, while right behind them Dayne did the same with Katy. Inside the emergency room waiting area, there were only a few people seated in chairs—a man with an Ace bandage around his ankle and an exhausted-looking woman with a sick child in her arms. But no one seemed in critical condition, and the staff behind the desk responded quickly to the arrival of two pregnant women in advanced labor.

  It took twenty minutes before they were registered and taken to separate rooms. Ashley had time for a quick good-bye before she lost sight of Katy. By then, Katy’s contractions were coming every five minutes, and Ashley’s had slowed, but she seemed to be in more pain. As she and Landon were set up in a labor room and a nurse hooked her up to a monitor, Ashley stretched out on the hospital bed and silently recited the verse again. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Please, God, give me Your peace. Let my baby be okay . . . please. Be with Isaac James.

  “We’ll let the monitor pick up the next few contractions.” The nurse was young, but she seemed adept. “Use the call button if you have any concerns.”

  When the nurse was gone, Landon stood at the side of her bed, the way he had when Devin was born and of course when she had Sarah last summer. His clothes were drier now but still damp as he stroked her hair and whispered to her. “We’ve been here before. You can do this.”

  And she could; she knew that. God was with her—she could feel His presence. But even still something about this delivery felt different from either of the last two. With Devin, she’d gone into labor during a tornado and her blood pressure dropped. He’d nearly been born in the basement of the Baxter house, but she’d made it to the hospital in time to have a C-section. Then with Sarah, they’d known what terrible loss awaited them in the hours after her birth. But this time . . .

  Ashley was hit by another contraction. She worked with it, releasing short bursts of air while the pain grew and peaked. As it tapered off, her thoughts picked up where they left off. This time there seemed to be something very wrong, something in the severity of the pains. But whatever was going on inside her, the situation was shrouded in the unknown. At least it felt that way.

  A few contractions passed before a doctor and a nurse finally made their way into the room. The doctor apologized and wasted little time as he conducted an exam and asked Ashley questions about her contractions. As he finished, he crossed his arms and his brow lowered in concern. “You’re definitely in labor, but the baby’s transverse. Sideways. That would explain the severity of your pain.” He looked at the monitor again. “So far the baby’s heart rate looks good, but if he doesn’t turn on his own, or if I see any sign of stress on the baby, we’ll have to do a C-section pretty quickly.”

  “How . . . ?” Landon looked concerned. “How will you know . . . if he becomes stressed?”

  “The nurses can read your wife’s monitor at their station.” He gave a firm nod. “As soon as we see any sign of struggle, we’ll be on it. I promise you that.” He smiled at Ashley. “A lot of times babies turn on their own. We have to give him time for that to happen. At least as long as his heartbeat stays steady.”

  With that the doctor asked if they had any questions, and when they didn’t, he excused himself with a promise to be ba
ck often.

  Again tears blurred Ashley’s eyes. “I don’t like this.” Her voice cracked. “I knew something was wrong. Can’t it ever just be easy?”

  Landon pulled up a chair so his face was closer to hers. “With you—” he kissed her cheek—“nothing worthwhile ever is.”

  Two hours passed slowly, but with every exam the news was the same. The baby was still transverse. Ashley survived the terrible waiting and intense pain with God’s strength and the support of Landon and because the baby’s heartbeat remained unaffected. The doctor offered her an epidural, but he felt fairly sure that the medication would increase the odds of a C-section. So rather than that, Ashley tried to endure. She felt strongly that a traditional birth would be better than a C-section, since traveling through the birth canal was better for a baby’s lungs. Even if she had undergone the surgery before. That was different, of course. They had known Sarah wouldn’t survive, but this baby was supposed to be healthy.

  At least up until now.

  Once in a while Landon would leave long enough to get an update on Katy in the room four doors down. He kept Ashley at least a little distracted with a constant stream of information. Katy’s exam had gone better than Ashley’s. She was dilating, and the contractions were progressing fairly quickly.

  Ashley’s dad, Elaine, Cole, and Devin were gathered in the waiting room watching a John Wayne movie. The rest of them had gone back to Kari and Ryan’s house.

  As Ashley’s most recent contraction let up, she readjusted the cold cloth on her forehead and nodded to Landon. It was eleven o’clock, and they hadn’t had news from the other room in almost an hour. “Please . . . find out how Katy’s doing.”