8/14/2019 Birthdays by D.elliott “It’s Our Daughter’s Birthday

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Birthdays by D.Elliott

“It’s our daughter’s birthday in three weeks time,” she said as she got dressed.

“She will be five,” he said automatically, as if he was being tested.

“Five years old,” she wondered aloud.

“What a beauty we brought into the world,” he said as he checked his top in the mirror. He had been

early in getting ready to go to work.

“Five years old, almost as long as our time together,” her tone indicated she meant more meaning to

her words.

“Five years & nine months,” he replied matter of factly.

They had met one night, instant sexual attraction that had resulted in immediate conception & a

shotgun wedding. There had been plenty of advice from plenty of people & the odds on bets hedged

that they would be divorced within three years.

“I do love you,” he spun round to face her as he said it. “Honestly.”

She nodded, fighting back sudden tears triggered by his words.

“And I love our daughter,” he was saying as he walked over to her & took her in his arms.

“I’m sorry I’m crying,” she sniffed. “I can’t believe she is going to be five years old. I can’t believe

how quick the years have gone by. I don’t know why that is making me cry these tears.”

“Tears of joy I hope,” he whispered.

 Neither could deny it had not been an easy five, nearly six years together as they had watched their daughter grow along with their relationship. They had had to get to know each other as they reared

their daughter.

He looked back in time to that day when he had taken his wife to hospital as she went into labour. He

had been fretting inside for weeks at what was happening. Then, when that day had arrived, he had

stood in shock, his body operating but his mind on autopilot as it had been for weeks. That day, as he

stood in the labour ward, it had woken him to the fact that he had been in shock since the moment they

had found out that she was pregnant. He had hardly known this woman, except by attraction. He

remembered how she had stumbled over her words that day when she had come to tell him that she was

 pregnant; that frightened smile, her nerves showing through. A sharp spasm went through him as he

recollected her broken face from his first words after her announcement; “Are you sure it’s mine?”

He had flinched at the hurt in her eyes, the nastiness in her voice as she confirmed it was his. What had

 been a brief, fun relationship for two had turned into a serious threesome.

She, on the other hand had been terrified to tell him. She had been feeling different from the moment

they had met but had not recognised some of the slight changes to her body as pregnancy. She had

thought it had been excitement from her new found relationship, she could not deny she had found him

attractive, vibrant, he had made her dizzy whenever he entered the rooms. She later realised that these

had been enhanced emotions indicating first signs of her pregnancy.

She has expected him to dump her immediately. She resigned her life to becoming a single mother, for 

abortion was out of the question. To her relief it was for him too. Her own mother had said that he took 

on the role of chivalrous knight immediately. He had stood by her & done his best to support her & the

coming baby. Now, here they were, about to celebrate their daughter’s fifth birthday.

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“We have to make sure she has the best birthday, get some good presents, have a party for her, she has

made some friends at school we can invite along,” he said bringing them both back to the present. “Can

we get a clown? Do kids like clowns at parties?”

I always found them scary,” she said brushing back a lonesome tear. “We have to make her birthday

special, all birthdays are special.”

“As is our little girl,” he said, surprising her, though she did not know why, she knew their daughter 

was the apple of her husband’s eye. Their daughter was everything to him, their pride & joy. He had

 been a good father, always there; to change her nappy, to feed her, to help her sleep, to help her walk &

talk. He had been an active part throughout his daughter’s life & as his wife & mother of his child she

was proud of him.

He was once again recalling the day she had gone into labour. She had been short with her words

towards him as he attempted to help her get to hospital. She was panicking & so was he, yet he was

trying not to show it. It was obvious her contractions were painful & he felt helpless as he drove her in

the car. He had planned in his head the route & the routine they would take & follow to get her there; it

was the only thing he felt he had control over. He had early on realised that he had little control over 

the actual birth, yet as they sat in the car all he wished he could do was just stop her pain.

He had felt like an idiot as he watched the hospital staff attend to his wife, when all he could do was

hold her hand. Her hand had tightened its grip throughout the labour, she had been insistent that she

was to experience the birth as naturally as possible but after hours of watching her in excruciating

labour pain, her body arching & her face contorted & finally advice from the doctor, she allowed the

medication.

It had hurt him to see her crumble to her own wishes but seeing the woman, whom he had finally

accepted was actually giving birth to his child, seeing her become a mother that day brought a new

emotion; the joy & excitement to his heart as he experienced the coming of his first child. He knew

 birth was supposed to be an ordeal but to him that day was one miraculous event after another, as he

watched his wife struggle with the delivery. He saw her & wanted to comfort & care for her, because to

him, she was a champion.

“You were my champion that day,” he suddenly said to her.

“What?” She did not understand what he meant.

“They day you gave birth to Sue,” he told her, watching her face smile. He kissed the top of her head.

“I could not bear to see you in all that pain.”

“It was worth it,” she jumped in.

“I saw our child delivered onto this earth,” he said dreamily.

“You had a good view,” she reminded him.

“To get it I had to peel your hand from mine!” he chuckled as he remembered how he watched, truly

fascinated, fixated even, as he watched his child break through. That first moment when the crown of 

the head was visible, he still sent a tremor in his heart, It had looked so painful to mother & child & yet

also so graceful as he stood transfixed as a nurse helped deliver the child. It was a blurred image to

him, most of it seen through tearful eyes.

“We so have to celebrate that day of birth,” he almost mumbled.

“As we should celebrate everyone’s day of birth, they are joyous occasions,” she said pulling away

from him. “Every person on this planet went through it, every person had a mother there at that

moment of…well birth.”

He gave her a tight squeeze. “That is true.”

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“Even you,” she pinched his chest. “Your mother had to go through all that for you, your father pacing

in the labour ward.”

“I don’t think fathers were allowed into the labour wards in they days that I was born,” he suddenly

thought. “Wow, to miss your child’s birth.”

“You are a lucky twenty-first century man. You got front row seats.”

He pulled a face. “To have a birth means one needs to create & I suddenly had a terrible but thankfully

 brief glimpse of my parents creating me.”

She laughed. “See the feeling to create was there back in the old days.”

He pulled her back to him, so that she was snuggled in his neck. “Not sure which is my favourite bit,

the creating of the baby or seeing it finally arriving.”

“I know which is mine,” she said pulling his face down towards her & kissing him lovingly on the

mouth.