02
When I got home, I froze in the doorway.
“Come on in! There’s still a bowl left. Reginald, hurry up and bring it to Nadia,” Eleanor called
out while holding a bowl of chicken soup for Clarissa.
Clarissa, with her big belly, hadn’t given birth yet.
She took a slow sip of the soup, looking a bit uneasy. “As soon as I lay down on the delivery
bed, I overheard the nurse say you had backed out. Well, if you weren’t going to do it, I sure
wasn’t either. I jumped off that bed and came straight home.”
Eleanor wasn’t as calm as Clarissa. Her face went dark. “Nadia, just thinking about it gets me
riled up. You picked the doctor! You got scared and backed out, leaving Clarissa hanging. What
on earth were you thinking?”
Clarissa quickly jumped in to smooth things over. “Maybe Nadia didn’t think it through. I was
already in the operating room. But look, everything turned out fine. Mom, don’t be too hard on
her.”
If this had been my past life, I’d have thought Clarissa was really standing up for me.
But after everything that’s happened, I’m not that gullible anymore.
I snorted. “I was always planning to go natural. You’re the one who insisted we give birth on the same day, and that’s why I agreed to a C–section. What’s wrong with changing my mind?”
Eleanor’s eyebrows shot up, and she marched right over to me, her finger nearly poking my face. “How dare you talk to your sister–in–law like that? She’s pregnant! What if you scare he
I was a bit startled by the sudden outburst, but Reginald quickly stepped in front of me. “Eleanor, Nadia’s pregnant too. You don’t think you might be scaring her?”
His words made perfect sense and Eleanor had nothing to say to that. She just huffed and
19:23 Sat, 15 Feb SO.
crossed her arms. Reginald kept going, “Clarissa, you misunderstood. Nadia wanted to go natural, but the C–section was something she didn’t want. That’s why she left. The doctor we
found is the best around.”
33%
As soon as Clarissa heard I was going natural, she panicked. While Reginald was in the
kitchen, she grabbed my arm, whispering urgently, “Nadia, don’t listen to those guys. He’s just worried that if you have a C–section, you won’t be able to have another baby for years. He’s trying to stop you from giving birth naturally just so you’ll be a baby–making machine!”
Eleanor nodded in agreement, no longer angry. “Exactly! Natural birth is risky. You could tear,
need an episiotomy, or even have your uterus prolapse. It’s dangerous.”
I was getting fed up and cut them off. “Whether it’s a C–section or a natural birth, it’s my
decision. If you two think C–sections are the better option, go get one yourselves. Don’t drag me
into it.”
They opened their mouths to argue back, but I quickly added, “If you think our doctor’s no
good, go find one you trust.”
S
This was the first time I’d spoken to them like that, and it caught them completely off guard.
They just stood there, momentarily stunned, unable to respond.
Eleanor awkwardly cleared her throat. “I’m just looking out for you. I’m your mom. Would I
really want to harm you?”
I rolled my eyes inside my head. I was too tired after a long day to deal with them. Besides,
Clarissa was further along in their pregnancies, so she’d probably give birth first. “You two should
go home. I need to rest.”
Clarissa thought for a moment, then placed a hand on her belly. “Nadia, for the next few
days, Eleanor and I will stay here. It’s closer to the hospital, and it’ll be more convenient in case
anything happens.”
Eleanor, not sure what Clarissa was really after, still nodded eagerly. “Yeah, yeah, your house
has plenty of rooms. I’ll be able to look after both of you.
Didn’t you say you wanted to eat sauerkraut fish? I’ll make it for you tomorrow.”
