A New Adventure

You guys, this is it!  The end of Brody and Liv's story.  This was one of my favorite posts to write, and it was both really easy (because I knew exactly what I wanted to happen) and really hard (because I know little about the subject matter as I have no direct experience with it, and I had to do a lot of research).  Luckily, my amazing friends and readers C and S helped me out, answering all my questions and beta-reading the post to make sure it's accurate and realistic.  Thank you both!

I hope you all love this post as much as I do.  You've been the best readers, and you've pushed me to up my writing game.  I'm so grateful for every single one of you.  Thank you all so much!

The nuts and bolts:  We're jumping three years into the future, and the post flip flops back and forth between Liv and Brody's perspectives.  It's also an incredibly long post, but there was no way around that.  Enjoy :)

THREE YEARS LATER

Liv

When I went into labor, I was 36 weeks, 6 days pregnant, and Brody was in Chicago negotiating a contract with a client.  He hadn't wanted to go, but there weren't many options and it was just for a couple days.  I had insisted he go, assuming we'd be fine until he got back.  He only agreed to go after we came up with two different plans of what we'd do if I did happen to go into labor.  At the time, I thought he was being an overprotective, paranoid first time parent, but in the end I was glad he'd insisted.

I talked to him the night before I went into labor.  I assured him I was feeling great--which I was, aside from feeling gigantic and being tired from working all day and not sleeping well, which was now a regular occurrence.  He told me he was going to try to get back tomorrow afternoon.  We talked for a few more minutes, then I got in bed and got as comfortable as I could.  I actually fell asleep rather quickly, which was practically unheard of for the last couple weeks.  I was hopeful I'd sleep decently, because I didn't have to get up for work in the morning, since it was a no-school day.

But I still woke up around 4am.  I assumed I had to pee, like the other two times I'd woken up.  Instead, I realized I'd woken up due to a strong, crampy pain.  Eddie--who I let sleep in the bed with me when Brody was gone, as long as he promised not to tell Brody--was nudging me in the back and whining quietly.  He'd been following me around like a shadow since I got pregnant, but he'd been especially clingy the last few days while Brody was gone. I shifted, trying to get more comfortable and alleviate the pain.  After several more seconds, the pain went away, and I discovered I did have to pee.

I hauled myself out of bed and to the bathroom, then made my way back to bed.  I tried to get comfortable but I couldn't, so I got up and wandered downstairs.  I let Ed out, got some water (what I really wanted was a glass of orange juice, but even just thinking about orange juice gave me heartburn) and some cereal, let Ed back in, and parked myself on the couch.  Eddie jumped up onto the couch next to me and rested his head on my feet that were stretched out in front of me.

I had just finished my breakfast when the cramp-like pain returned.  I winced and waited for it to go away.  Weird, random things hurt all the time by this point in my pregnancy, so I thought very little of it.  Eddie, on the other hand, lifted his head from my foot and whined.  "Shhh," I shushed him.  He cocked his head at me, gave me as dirty of a look as a dog can give, then set his head back down on my foot.  I flipped through the TV channels and tried to get comfortable while Eddie slowly snuck closer and closer to me.  Within about 20 minutes, he had squished himself between me and the back of the couch and had his head resting against my belly.

By 5am, when the pain returned for the fifth time, I knew I might very well be having contractions.  Per "Plan A," I called Lauren, who didn't seem at all irritated at being woken up (a small miracle in itself).  I had no idea how long it might be until I was ready to have a baby, but neither Brody or I wanted me stuck out here or having to drive myself into town.  After I hung up with Lauren, I called Brody.

He sounded a little less calm than Lauren had.  "Are you having the baby?" he said frantically when he picked up the phone.

"I have no idea," I replied calmly.  "I've had a few cramp-like pains that might be some early contractions.  I'm not really sure though.  I just wanted to let you know."

"Did you call Lauren?"

"I did."  His worry was starting to make me worried.  "She's on her way."

"I'm getting on the next flight I can," he assured me.  I could hear his carry-on zip, then the water running in the background.

"It's so early, there's a very good chance I'm not having a baby yet," I pointed out.

He grunted.  "I don't care.  I shouldn't be here anyway with you that pregnant.  I'm coming home either way."

I didn't argue with him, because I had a very strong suspicion that I was having a baby soon.

Brody

"Liv?" She had stopped talking abruptly, which made me nervous.

"I'm here," she said, but her voice sounded funny.

"Are you okay if I let you go so I can get out of here?  I'll call you and let you know what the plan is when I get to the airport."

"Yes," she said shortly.  I briefly wondered if she was upset, then realized she was probably in pain.

We hung up, and I swore softly under my breath as I quickly gathered all my stuff.  I was halfway out the door before I checked for my phone and realized I had tossed it on the bed.  I swore, then left my bag in the hall to run back into the room and grab it.  I waited for the elevator for about 7 seconds before I decided it was taking too damn long and took off down the stairs.  The whole way down, I cursed myself for letting Liv talk me into taking this trip.

I arrived at the front desk, slightly breathless after the 12 flights of stairs, and said, "I need to check out."

"Alright sir, how was your stay?" asked the pleasant young woman behind the desk.

"Fine, room 1207," I said shortly.  She blinked in surprise, but immediately began tapping keys on her keyboard.  "I'm really sorry," I apologized sincerely, feeling bad for snapping at her.  "I just got a call from my wife that she thinks she's in labor with our first baby, and she's in Denver.  So I'm just in a bit of a hurry.  I didn't mean to be rude."

She smiled.  "Congratulations! You're all set, I hope you make it home quick."

"Thank you," I called over my shoulder, already headed for the door.  I managed to get a cab right away and on the way I searched flights on my phone.  The earliest flight I could get was 3pm, which was not going to work.  I booked it anyway, figuring it was better than nothing.

When I got to the airport, I went up to the ticketing counter.  "I need to get to Denver as soon as possible," I said.  "I have a 3pm flight booked, but are there any other options? Like earlier standby options, or a flight to somewhere else and then a connection to Denver?"

"Let me see, hold on just a second, sir," the bored-looking woman said.  I fidgeted nervously, praying there would be something.  "Okay," she said finally.  "You have a couple options.  I have a direct flight to Denver that leaves at 8:15.  It's full, but if you want to try standby in case someone doesn't show up, we can do that.  Otherwise, I have a 9:30 flight to St Louis, then a flight from St Louis to Denver that will get you there around 1:30, Denver time."  I considered this.  I wanted to be there now but 1:30 was better than 4:30.

"I'll try for the standby, but I also want to get a ticket for the St Louis flight as well, just in case," I decided.

She gave me a puzzled look.  "Sir, I won't be able to refund whichever ticket you don't use."

"I understand," I replied.  "I want to buy it anyway."  She looked completely perplexed, and wasn't doing anything.  "My wife is having a baby.  Just take my money," I said, exasperated.

"Oh!" she said.  "Well, that makes sense!  Is it your first?"

"Yes.  Can I please just buy the ticket?"

"Of course," she said, flustered.  She typed away and then told me the total.  I finally walked away with a ticket and made it through security just in time to get to the gate of my potential standby flight as they started boarding.

I checked in with the gate agent and called Liv.  Lauren answered.  "Is she okay?" I asked, worried.

"She's fine, she's trying to get some sleep," Lauren replied calmly.  "We're still at home.  Her contractions aren't even regular yet, they've all been somewhere between 12 and 16 minutes apart.  I've got her bag packed. You need to get it together by the time you get here, because you know she's going to be an anxious mess and you also being an anxious mess isn't going to help anything."

"I'll be fine once I get there," I replied evenly.  "I'm just worried about being halfway across the country when my wife needs me."

"I know," Lauren said, her tone kinder.  "What's the plan?"  I explained the flight situation and I told her I'd let them know if I managed to get on this direct flight, but it wasn't looking very likely.  We hung up and I called my mom to let her know that Liv was probably in labor but it was really early, so we'd keep her posted.

I didn't get on the direct flight, so I moved to the gate for the St Louis flight and waited some more.

Liv

My attempt to nap was useless as my anxiety grew, and I couldn't even find a comfortable position to rest in between contractions.  Plus, every time I had a contraction, Eddie felt the need to whine and slobber all over me.  They were still fairly weak and irregular, and I was a little worried that Brody was freaking out for no reason.  But when my water broke a little after 11, I was glad he was rushing to get back, because I knew that this by this time tomorrow our daughter would be here, one way or another.

Lauren carried my bag out the door, and Eddie tried to sneak out with us.  "No, Ed," I said.  "It's okay.  Alex is going to come get you."  He barked sharply and sat down in front of me, between me and the door.  "I wish I could take you with me too, but you're going to go stay with Uncle Alex and have a vacation!"  I gripped the door frame as I had another contraction and Eddie whined and licked my hand.  I ended up having to put him in his crate so we could get out of the house, and I felt awful listening to him bark and whine as we left.  He normally went happily and quietly into his crate, but he could clearly sense that something was up.

I called my parents as Lauren drove me to the hospital.  I had decided to wait to call them until I was sure I was in labor, because I didn't want them flying out only to have it be a false alarm.  My mom was so surprised she thought I was kidding, then she dropped the phone in her excitement when I assured her I wouldn't joke about being labor.  I kind of hoped they wouldn't make it here before the baby was born because I knew she'd just make me more anxious.

I called Brody but it went straight to voicemail.  He would have just gotten on the plane from St Louis to Denver.  I was starting to get nervous that he wouldn't make it here in time.  Reading my mind, Lauren said, "Relax.  He'll make it.  Your contractions are barely even regular yet."  I stared out the window and sucked in a sharp breath when another contraction hit.  They were definitely getting stronger.

"Is Alex going to pick Brody up?" I asked, even though I had heard Lauren call Alex with Brody's flight info.

"Yes, he's going to head there after he gets Eddie settled," Lauren responded patiently.  Alex was our designated dog sitter, and had agreed to watch him at his house for as long as we needed.

"Thank you for doing this," I said, suddenly overwhelmed with gratefulness for Lauren's patient managing of the day.

"I wouldn't dream of letting you do this alone, Liv," she said.  By this point she was pulling into the patient drop off area of the hospital.

"Go ahead and park, we can walk from the car," I said.  "I want to."  Without a word, she found a parking spot and we made our way slowly from the car to the hospital.  It took awhile to get checked in and settled in a room, and by then my contractions were getting closer together and stronger.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here yet," came a voice.  Dr. Jenkins, my favorite OB here, was coming into the room.  "Is Brody on his way?"

"I wasn't expecting to be here yet," I agreed.  "And Brody is--" I stopped suddenly, squeezing my eyes shut as I had another contraction.  Inexplicably, I suddenly missed Eddie and wanted him here, slobbering on me and gently nudging my belly with his curious nose.

"Brody's on a plane somewhere between St Louis and Denver," Lauren finished for me.  She introduced herself to Dr. Jenkins as she got ready to examine me.

Dr. Jenkins informed me I was dilated about 4 centimeters and assured (depending on how you look at it, at least) me that I likely had several hours to go and Brody should make it with plenty of time.  It did little to assuage my anxiety, and I spent the next hour compulsively checking my phone while Lauren tried to distract me.

"You should try to get some rest if you can," the nurse advised me, coming in to check on me.  I glared at her and Lauren laughed.

"Don't be a dick, Liv," she said.  I turned my glare on Lauren and she smiled.  "Brody will be landing any minute," she soothed me.  "The nurse is right."  But I knew I wouldn't be able to do any resting until Brody got here.

Brody

The two flights were the longest hour and two hours of my life.  Not even being able to have access to my phone in case something changed was the worst.  Last time I'd get on a flight without at least WiFi so I could email.

The older woman next to me on the flight from St Louis to Denver was probably getting really irritated with my fidgeting and sighing.  "Are you okay, dear?" she asked, barely masking her irritation with faux-concern.

I smiled sheepishly.  "I'm sorry," I replied.  "I'm on my way home from a business trip, and my wife is currently in labor, so I'm a little worried."

Her face lit up and she returned my smile.  "No wonder you're wiggling all over the place.  I would be too, if I were you.  Is it your first?"

"It is," I said.  "We're having a girl."

"Congratulations.  How long have you been married?"

"A little over three years," I replied.

She smiled again.  "Do you have a name picked out?"

I frowned.  "Yes and no.  We have a first name picked out: Celia.  We haven't been able to decide on a middle name, though.  Nothing we like sounds good with Celia or our last name, and we don't like anything that sounds good.  She's only about 37 weeks pregnant, so we thought we had a little longer to decide."

"You'll figure it out when you see her," she assured me.  "My husband and I had no idea what we were going to name our first son.  We couldn't agree on anything!  But when we saw him, we knew.  We ended up picking a name that wasn't either of the ones we were arguing over."

I chuckled.  "I hope so.  I really hope I'm able to be there for the birth."

"First babies usually take their good old time," she replied.  "Not always, of course, but I'd be surprised if you didn't make it."

We talked for a few more minutes, and I felt considerably calmer.  I thanked her for her reassurance and put my headphones in and closed my eyes.  I didn't think I'd be able to sleep at all, but I woke up to the woman next to me gently shaking my shoulder.  "We're landing," she said, when I had pulled out my headphones.  I thanked her and adjusted my seat back to be upright.

As we made our way off the plane, she touched my back gently and said, "Congratulations again, and good luck to your wife.  I hope everything goes well!"

"Thank you," I said, smiling at her before hurrying to find Alex while turning my phone on.

I spotted him right away as I came out of the secure area.  He led me to his car while I called Liv.  Lauren answered.  "Hi, hold on a second," she said.

"Did I miss it?"

"No, you didn't miss anything," she assured me.  "We're at the hospital and she's definitely in labor, but she's also definitely still very much pregnant.  Here."

"Brody?" Liv's voice came over the line.

"Hi, baby," I replied.  "I'm with Alex and we're on our way.  How are you doing?"

"Hanging in there," she replied.  "I'm glad you're almost here, though."

"Me too," I said.  "You'd better keep that baby in until I get there!"

She laughed weakly.  "Unfortunately for me, I think this baby is going to be staying put for quite awhile still."  Then she gasped and whimpered quietly in pain and I felt a stab of guilt for not being there with her.

"I'll be there soon, Liv," I promised her.

She didn't say anything for several seconds, then she exhaled sharply and said, "Good, because Lauren is driving me nuts."  I heard Lauren protest in the background and Liv laughed, and I was relieved that she was still making jokes.

When we got to the hospital, it seemed to take forever for the elevator to come, then for it to go up to the right floor.  When I finally got to her room, I wasn't prepared for the sight of her laying in the hospital bed, face pale and eyes closed.  Lauren saw me and touched Liv's arm, alerting her to my presence, and her eyes flew open.

Even though she was clearly tired and uncomfortable, she smiled so brightly at me that I was overwhelmed with how much I loved her.  "You're here," she said.  I blinked hard and took a deep breath, suddenly worried how the rest of the day would go if I was already emotional.

"I'm here," I replied, walking over to the bed and sitting carefully on the edge of it.  I reached for her hand, but she sat up to hug me.  She winced as soon as she sat up and quickly laid back against the raised head of the bed, and I leaned down to her instead.  I kissed her and wrapped my arms around her as best as I could while she was reclined.  "I'm so sorry I wasn't here before," I said into her hair.

"Stop," she said.  "You didn't miss much, and you're here now."

When we separated, Lauren softly said, "Liv, I'm going to go home and get a little work done, okay?  But you guys call me when that baby is really on her way, or if you need anything at all."

"Thank you, Laur," Liv said.

I turned to her.  "Yes, thank you.  I really appreciate everything you did for us today."

"You owe me," she said, smirking.  But her smirk didn't cover up the worry in her eyes as she glanced back at Liv.

As Lauren was walking out, Liv suddenly tensed and squeezed her eyes shut, gripping my arm hard.  I rubbed her shoulder and reminded her to breathe, all while wishing I could do this so she didn't have to.  There were few things I hated more than seeing someone I loved in pain.

Liv

By 7pm, my sense of humor was gone.  "Stop touching me," I snapped when Brody tried to soothe me by rubbing my shoulder.  "Don't touch me anymore."

"Okay," he said, his voice soft and calm.  He shifted so he wouldn't even accidentally brush against me, and I immediately felt bad.

"I'm sorry," I groaned between contractions.  "Everything hurts."

"I know," he said.  "You're doing great."  I bit my tongue to keep my temper in check, because I certainly didn't feel like I was doing great.  It had been 8 hours since my water broke, and I wasn't even close to ready to push.  8 hours ago, I was excited to meet our daughter.  Now I just wanted her out.  Or maybe to stay in forever.

"This is the worst idea we've ever had," I hissed as another contraction hit.

The nurse--whose name I couldn't remember because everything sucked right now--came in to check on me as Brody was asking if I wanted an epidural.  I honestly hadn't been sure if I wanted to attempt a med-free birth or not, and I shook my head.  "Not yet," I said stubbornly.  I was terrified that I'd finally decide I wanted an epidural and then it wouldn't work, even though the doctor had assured me that didn't happen often.  I wasn't ready to face that reality if I was one of the lucky ones.

"I need to get up, I can't lay here anymore," I said.  "Can we walk?"  The nurse and Brody helped me get up, and Brody didn't say a word about my sudden willingness to be touched.  He kept his hand on my arm as we slowly made our way down the hallway.  Shortly after we turned around a sudden, strong contraction gripped me and we stopped.  Brody supported my weight easily while I pushed the top of my head against his chest, trying to breathe and stay on my feet.

That ended my desire to walk, and as soon as I could stand upright again, we made our way back to my room.  We had to stop again for another contraction, but finally made it back.  Brody helped me into bed and I collapsed against the pillow.

Brody

By 1am, Liv was practically delirious.  "I think I'm dying," she moaned after a particularly bad contraction.  She looked miserable--pale except for her bright red cheeks, sweaty, and exhausted.  She could hardly keep her eyes open, but there was no chance of her getting any rest.  She suffered fairly quietly through most of her contractions, then lashed out at anyone who so much as looked at her wrong in between.

When the overnight doctor came in, she desperately begged him to tell her she was almost done.  "Please," she whimpered.  "I can't do this anymore."  She had to stop for a contraction, and I thought she was going to break my hand.  When she looked back up at the doctor, her eyes were bloodshot and desperate.  He frowned sympathetically and calmly delivered the news that she was still only 6 cm dilated, and it would likely be an hour or two at the very least before she could start pushing.  When he said that, she began to cry, horrible sobs that shook her entire body and the bed she was in.  I wasn't sure if I should touch her or not, so I played it safe by taking her hand.  She yanked it away, but then leaned her head against me, still sobbing.

I was so agitated that there was nothing I could do to help or make it better.  I just spoke quietly to her while she cried, resisting the overwhelming urge to put my arms around her.  She said something that I couldn't understand, and I had to ask her to repeat it.  "Epidural," she choked out between sobs, a little louder.  I pressed the nurse call button and within seconds one of the nurses that had been in and out appeared.  Liv calmed down enough to ask for an epidural and the nurse went to go do...whatever nurses do when someone needs an epidural.

I hate to admit that I was selfishly relieved Liv had finally asked for the epidural.  I didn't know how much longer I could handle watching her pain.   It took nearly an hour for the anesthesiology team to get there, and Liv spent most of the hour crying off and on and telling me that she hated me for doing this to her.

It seemed like it took forever for them to get the epidural in, but as soon as it started working, I could see the relief on Liv's face.  Her whole body relaxed and she exhaled a deep, shaky breath.  Now she just looked completely exhausted, which was something I could handle at least.

"I'm an idiot," she grumbled after the anesthesiology team had left.  "I should have done that hours ago."  She opened her eyes and looked at me.  "You're amazing," she said softly.

I laughed.  "Not as amazing as you.  You should try to get some rest now."  She nodded and shut her eyes again, then reached for my hand.  I snuck a look at my watch and was surprised to see it was after 3 am.  I got comfortable and shut my eyes too, hoping for even 5 minutes of sleep for either of us.

Liv

The epidural helped my mood and general state of mind considerably, but even after it I still couldn't sleep.  I was too anxious, and on top of that, I was now nauseous and shaking uncontrollably.  I could still feel the pressure of my contractions, which the nurse assured me was a sign of a great epidural, but told me to let someone know if they became painful.

By 5am, I was so exhausted that I didn't know how much longer I could manage any of this.  Brody had gotten a little bit of sleep, and I was glad he had.  I was back to not wanting to be touched, but I didn't even have the energy to say something to Brody when he pushed my sweaty hair off my forehead.  I was so grateful for how amazing he'd been since he'd gotten here.  I could tell he was upset by how much pain I had been in, but he had been remarkably calm the entire time, even when I was snapping at him and being completely unreasonable.

Dr Jenkins was gone, of course, but luckily the overnight OB was my second favorite.  Dr. Henry came in and checked me, then pulled up a chair.  That couldn't be good.

"You're not progressing very well," he informed us, his voice calm and kind as always.  If I wasn't so exhausted, I would have had a smartass comment for him.  "We need to start talking about what we're going to do to get things moving."  He told us our options, then gave us some time to talk about it.  We decided to wait awhile longer and see what happened.

"Stubborn like her mom already," Brody said, after he'd left.

"You're really in for it," I replied, managing a weak smile.

He returned my smile and brushed his lips lightly across my forehead.  "I can't wait."

After two more hours of labor with little progress, the baby's heart rate began to drop and I ended up on my way to the OR for a c-section.  Being separated from Brody so he could get properly prepared to be in the operating room was absolutely the worst thing that I could have imagined at this point, besides something happening to our baby.  It couldn't have been long, but it felt like hours.  I was already exhausted and terrified, and by the time he got into the operating room, I was in tears again.

The doctors and nurses in the room continued with business as usual while Brody took my hand and tried to soothe me.  I was finally able to calm myself down right before they started.

Brody

Being away from Liv while I was prepped to go into the operating room was terrible.  When I finally got to go in and saw her crying again, I was so glad that this would be over soon.

Despite the ordeal of the last 26 hours, seeing my daughter for the first time was something I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.  I can't even describe it.  I immediately loved her, more than anything I've ever loved, and I was so relieved by the loud cry that came from her.  Dr. Henry lifted Celia up enough that Liv could see her over the screen before they whisked her over to the other side of the room, and Liv whispered, "She has hair."

I laughed, emotion swelling in my throat.  "She does," I agreed, blinking hard.

"Is she okay?" Liv asked, suddenly frantic.  "She's okay, right?"

"She's fine, sweetheart," said one of the nurses, an kind-faced older woman.  "She's absolutely beautiful.  You can hold her soon.  You did a wonderful job, and now you can rest."  Liv began to cry then, but this time her tears were happiness, relief, and sheer exhaustion.  I stroked her fingers, and I'm not too proud to admit I had a few tears of my own.

Liv

It took long enough for them to stitch me back up that I actually fell asleep while they did it.  I was so exhausted after 20 hours of labor that Brody had to wake me up in the recovery room so I could hold our baby.

"She looks like you," I said, staring down at Celia's perfect, sleepy little face.  I touched my nose to her soft, dark hair and inhaled, then looked back at Brody, who was also just staring at her.

"She has your nose and mouth," he replied, lightly touching her nose with the tip of his finger.  She wrinkled her face up and we both held our breath, exhaling together when her face relaxed again and she continued to sleep.  "Actually, she looks like Heather," he said suddenly.  I craned my neck to look back at him again, and he was smiling slightly.  He ran his fingers over Celia's hair.  "My mom could show you Heather's baby pictures.  She looks just like her, except with your nose and mouth."

"Heather would make a really nice middle name," I suggested softly.

He was silent for a minute, then he said, "Yeah, it would.  Celia Heather Adler.  What do you think?"

"I love it," I replied.  "Do you?"

"I do," he answered.  Then he shifted so he was laying next to us, and when I looked at him, he kissed me.  "And I love you, Liv."

"I love you too," I responded.  I looked back down at our daughter and smiled as Brody gently played with her tiny fingers.  I had to swallow hard around the lump in my throat when those tiny fingers curled around the tip of Brody's much larger finger.  I was absolutely terrified to be responsible for such a tiny little life, but I knew deep down that we were ready to take on this new adventure.