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Warning: Contains graphic childbirth.

Weathering the Storm

Through the seemingly endless sheets of rain and wind, a single car’s lights sliced through the darkness. The vehicle navigated quickly through various streets, each twist and turn sending a gush of rainwater against the sidewalk.

Probably not the only deluge of water that would happen that night.

Within the car, a young woman sighed, her fingers grasping the steering wheel tightly, eyes squinting as she attempted to keep sight of the road ahead of her. The stormy weather certainly wasn’t helping her concentration, nor her phone vibrating rather violently in her lap. The person trying to get in contact with her hadn’t let up for the past twenty minutes or so, panic clearly evident in the barrage of text messages.

Tessa let out another breath, though this time a ghost of a smile was coupled with it. Buzz it may, she paid no mind to her desperate client; surely her client’s fear would greatly intensify if Tessa got into a wreck from texting and driving. Reaching her client in one piece was her sole goal.

So she continued on her way, occasionally flitting her gaze from the street to check street signs, or to watch the lightning crackle above. It was the textbook definition of a dramatic night, with a monster of a storm pouring against the town, and a first time mother dealing with a sudden, unexpected labor somewhere in the middle of it.

The texts continued, unrelenting, and Tessa could not help but release a chuckle. Poor thing. The young doula knew that going into labor was scary enough as is. Factor in doing so without warning, doing so alone, and doing so in the middle of frightening weather, and it’s quite the situation.

But she knew everything was going to be fine. Surely her presence alone would comfort the mother to be. And surely she could fight her client’s ever-heightening nerves. She had done so many times before.

With a sunny mindset that rivaled the atmosphere outside, Tessa finally turned on to the correct street, and reached the desired address moments after. Pulling into the driveway, she had barely stopped her car before gathering her bags of supplies and hopping into the downpour.

She ran through the rain, not bothering with an umbrella, and reached the front door, albeit a bit wet.

“Claire?” Her voice was loud and clear as she knocked on the door. “Claire, it’s Tessa. Can I let myself in?”

All that answered her was the ambiance of the storm behind her, the barrier to the warmth and dryness remaining steadfast.

After a few more knocks and a few more calls to the laboring mother, the doula decided it was appropriate to let herself in, and trying the door handle proved to be effective.

Upon entering the house however, something appeared to be a bit...off.

What Tessa expected to be bathed in an orange, friendly glow was completely the opposite; a gaping darkness stood before her.

She frowned, and tried a light switch out of reflex...Only to have it yield no results.

A power outage. Of course. Why wouldn’t there be.

The young woman chuckled once more however, unfazed by the building series of unfortunate events. To her, it was just one more thing to make the job more interesting.

“Claire? Are you somewhere in this mess, hun?” she called through the darkness, holding on a wall and fighting to navigate safely.

To her delight, a strained, frightened voice eventually answered her questioning.

“Back....back here!”

As she headed towards the source of the voice, it dawned upon her that she had indeed brought an emergency flashlight. Reaching into her bag and switching it on, she traveled easily and made her way to where Claire was situated, only to pause in the doorway at the scene illuminated before her.

The bedroom itself actually looked quite beautiful and peaceful, lit candles dotting the space like fireflies against a night sky. There were also towels and blankets in folded piles, so at least preparation was attempted somewhat. To Tessa, it looked like the ideal atmosphere to give birth in, a rainy night in the darkness yet warmth of one’s home.

But clearly, that was not Claire’s mindset.

Because backed against one of the room’s corners, trembling, wide eyed, and saturated in bodily fluids, was the mother to be.

As soon as Tessa met her eye, what looked like to be tears of relief streaked down her laboring face. But before the doula could even move or utter a word, she was surprised to see Claire’s bare body wrench with a strong contraction, the young mother loudly crying out and writhing against the wall.

Tessa took no time in rushing over, paying no mind to the various amniotic fluids soaking the carpet around her. She plopped herself down in between Claire’s widely spread legs, giving the laboring woman a gentle smile as she began her delivery preparations.

“Well hello there,” she laughed softly, reaching in her bag and fishing out gloves, a suction device, and a clamp, “Little one didn’t want to waste any time, did he?”

Claire continued to struggle and strain through the squeeze, rolling her head against the wall and vocalizing before it eventually released its grip on her. Once it did, the shivering began again in its earnest, the young mother meeting the eyes of her doula once more.

“It’s...it’s coming,” she whimpered, holding her stomach as if to keep her infant inside.

“I figured,” Tessa chuckled, slipping on her gloves and giving Claire a quick visual examination. She was shocked to see that the mother’s labia were already inflamed, the apex of her thighs already ballooning with baby.

“How long have you been in labor, love?”

“A few...few hours pr-probably,” Claire panted.

“Mind if I give you a quick check?”

When Claire shook her head, Tessa gently inserted two fingers into the young woman’s vagina, feeling the muscles clench tightly at her breech.

“Things...things started moving really quickly not...too long ag- OH GOD!”

Again, Claire hunched forward in a powerful contraction, yelling her discomfort into the quiet of the home. Tessa felt the vaginal muscles quivering and begging to be utilized to their full potential, and suddenly a patch of softness lurched against her exploring fingers.

“Wow. I’ll say. You’ve definitely got the impatient infant,” she snickered, withdrawing her fingers when the muscles relaxed. Despite Tessa’s attempts at being lighthearted, Claire did not reciprocate.

“OH GOD...Oh God...Shit...It’s right there,” she sobbed, “Oh God, it’s too soon...I can’t...”

“Shhh,” Tessa soothed, removing her gloves and focusing her efforts on rubbing the mother to be’s thighs, “It’s alright. You’ll be alright. But you’re definitely about to deliver. Do you feel like you need to push?”

Claire shook her head violently, tears cascading down her face as she tightly shut her eyes.

“N-no...I don’t want to...I can’t....I’m-”

Her body quickly shut down her protests and offered a powerful counter argument, squeezing her form tightly and coaxing her to join its efforts.

“GAAAAAAAAAH!” she screamed, her fingers tightly digging into her stomach. She trashed around, clearly attempting to fight back the urge to push, sweating and crying and screaming all the while.

Despite Claire not bearing down, Tessa watched as her labia protruded the tiniest bit more, her body set on getting the baby out one way or another.

“Honey, listen to me,” the doula murmured, continuing to soothingly rub her tight muscles, “Your baby is coming whether you like it or not.”

At this, Claire let out a sob, clapping a hand over her mouth as she attempted to contain her emotions.

“I know it’s scary. I know all these sensations and feelings and pain are difficult to deal with. Trust me, I do,” she continued gently, “But just know you’re in a safe place, and I’m here with you now. We’re going to get this baby out, but trust me, it’d be so much easier on the both of us if you went along with you body.”

The laboring woman opened her eyes, sending a new wave of tears out as she panted and met the warm stare of her caretaker.

“What do you say?” Tessa asked, again offering a caring smile.

“I...I think that-...OH!”

Perhaps it wasn’t just the baby that was impatient; Claire’s unrelenting womb took hold yet again, sending another constricting wave throughout the young woman’s body. Her entire face contorted with pain, coupled with a loud groan as she began to climb up the agonizing peak.

“Try giving me a push, sweetheart,” Tessa urged, “Take all that pain you’re feeling and push it down towards your bottom.”

Claire refused and fought for a few seconds more, before her composure broke like a dam, sending her barreling into a powerful push.

“MMMMMMMMM...” she groaned even louder, leaning forward in her efforts.

“There we go. That’s it,” the doula said with a smile, “Good momma...Keep on it as long as you can.”

Claire strained with the contraction a while longer, before discontinuing her efforts the second her body did, the release sending a grunt from her throat.

She went back to her shivering and crying, continuing to hold her stomach as if she was unable to process the current events.

“Ow...ow...ow,” she moaned with every breath, shifting her hips around in discomfort.

“Excellent,” Tessa said, continuing to closely watch the mother’s vaginal opening for any signs of progress, “I’m sure it won’t be too much longer before we have something here. Is this the position you want to deliver in?”

“I can’t...I can’t move...”

“Fair enough. Just give me another big push on your next contraction then.”

The two women waited in the dim light, Claire’s pants melding with the sounds of rain outside. It wasn’t too long before another sharp vocalization broke the peace, Claire leaning forward and bearing down once more.

“Good...Good,” Tessa murmured, gently spreading Claire’s legs a bit more to give the infant room to descend. It must have worked, because suddenly Claire let out a shrill cry, simultaneously bucking and swiveling her hips, almost as if she was trying to escape the agony between her legs.

Though the jolt distracted Tessa for mere moments, she looked back down just in time to see a dark circle of hair disappearing back to which it came.

“Beautiful, hun. We had a bit of head for a second there!” the doula chimed, a warm smile playing across her features.

But again, Claire deflected the positivity, going right back to sobbing as the contraction eased up on her.

“No...no....no,” she moaned, rolling her head against the wall behind her.

“Claire, you’re doing so well,” Tessa comforted, “It’ll all be over soon. You’ll be holding your sweet little baby before you know it.”

The laboring mother said nothing, instead shutting her eyes tightly and allowing her lip to tremble. Though the stubborn fear drew a sigh from Tessa, the midwife kept at her encouragement and warmth.

“Alright. I’m going to try and make this a little easier on you,” she murmured getting ready to stand up, “If you feel another contraction, feel free to push through it.”

Right as she was about to depart from her spot however, she was surprised to feel a hand whap against her arm, fingers curling tightly against her flesh.

“Tessa...”

Her name uttered into the air froze the doula in place, gazing at her client with understanding yet curious eyes.

“Don’t...don’t leave me...”

Tessa gave a knowing, gentle smile, slipping her hand over Claire’s and offering a reassuring squeeze.

“I won’t be gone long, I promise,” she whispered, “I’m just going to dampen a rag in the bathroom. I’ll be just a few steps away.”

Claire looked at her like a frightened child, her eyes round with fear and her lip quivering.

“Claire...You’ll feel so much better from this. I promise I won’t be long.”

A few more tears dripped down the mother to be’s face, but just as the past few times, she relented, loosening her grip on Tessa’s arm. With a parting smile, Tessa quickly left her post, rummaging through one of the bags she had plopped down earlier. She located a soft rag, and darted to the adjoining bathroom, being sure to keep the door open.

As she ran the rag beneath warm water, she could hear Claire beginning to strain once more, growling and yelping as she got into her next push. Once the rag was thoroughly saturated and warm, Tessa darted back to her bag, located a few vials of relaxing oils, and dripped a few drops on to the cloth.

She then assumed her position between Claire’s legs, gingerly pressing the warm rag against Claire’s angry, inflamed genitals.

“Does that feel alright?” she asked softly.

Again, Claire grunted as she released the push, but was able to give a small nod despite her heavy pants.

“Good...Now, I want you to try and let go of some of your fear, Claire...I want you to focus on what you’re feeling down there...Feel yourself slowly begin to stretch...Feel the warmth of the cloth and my hand supporting you...”

The mother to be continued to shiver, but her pants grew deeper, more controlled. She seemed to be inhaling and exhaling with purpose now, as if she was honing in to her helper’s words.

“Good...Good...Let the oils relax you...Let the warmth soothe you...”

With a quiver of her belly, Claire’s face began to scrunch up, her body readying her for another stretch of effort.

“Push into my hand, Claire...Feel your muscles working against me, and against your baby...”

For once, the mother to be cooperated, and went along with Tessa’s encouragement. She pressed her pelvis into the doula’s clothed hand as she pushed, a loud grunt rumbling in her throat.

“Nnnnnnnggggh!”

“Good girl...Good...Keep on that...”

Claire’s facial muscles contorted even more, like her entire body was tightening in an effort to expel her baby. Tessa could feel some movement beneath the rag, and moved it slightly aside just in time to see the familiar teardrop shape reappear.

Claire yelped at the stinging sensation of her labia parting, her pelvis growing heavy, tears pricking her eyes and sweat dotting her skin.

“T-Tessa,” she whimpered, unsure.

“It’s alright,” the doula consoled, “It’s alright. Your baby is right there. I’m getting little peeks of the head again!”

“I’m not...I’m not ready...”

“You are. I know you are. You were so excited during our checkups, and you seemed to know what to expect.”

“That’s the...thing,” Claire weeped, “It...it hurts so much...”

“I know it does. And I know you’re scared of what’s to come. But try not to focus on the pain, okay? Focus on slowly opening yourself up...Focus on your breathing...Do you want me to breathe with you?”

The young mother gave another timid nod, which of course was met by a gentle smile. Still keeping the rag pressed against Claire’s swollen labia with one hand, Tessa reached for Claire’s fingers with the other, softly encircling them with her own.

“Okay, ready? Inhale with me...And hum it out....Inhale with me....And hum it out...”

There was another small respite of peace, the room filled with nothing but humming sighs and pounding rain. Claire’s head lulled back against the wall, her eyes shut as she attempted to bring her fear levels down yet again. Of course, her body had different plans in mind. Her body didn’t have time for such trivial matters. Her body had one agenda and one agenda only, and was sure to remind the two women of its intentions, locking Claire in another vice.

“Oooh, contraction...” Claire warned, fear threatening to wrap around her tighter than her muscles within.

“I know...Continue breathing with me....We’re going to hold this one...Breathe in...Hold it....And push.”

Tessa watched as her client threw all of her efforts into pushing, and the results produced nicely. Her folds parted more and more, ever so slowly, revealing a larger area of the baby’s head.

“AAAAH...” Claire cried as she released her breath and the push, but was stunned to feel another pain building right on top of her break,” OHH...OHHH...”

“Breathe,” Tessa gently commanded, “Inhale with me...Hold it...And give me another push.”

Again, Claire went temporarily silent in her efforts, all of her focus centered on her flowering labia. The slivered teardrop slowly widened into more of an oval, only to regress back to a dot of hair encased in muscle on Claire’s groaning exhalation.

“UUUHH...”

“Good girl...You know the drill...Inhale...PUSH.”

This time, Claire grunted her way through the squeeze, the air growling out of her lungs as she shoved down hard.

“NNNNGGGGHH...”

Her efforts weren’t for naught, the push moving the baby forward just enough to catch between her lips, an oblong slice of hair holding her sensitive folds open.

“OHHH...GOD....Shit...There it is...Oh my God...”

“Yup, he’s coming!” Tessa cheered, grinning and gently moving their hands to rest atop the peeking baby, allowing Claire’s fingers to brush against her infant’s wet cranium, “Feel how close you are, hun...Feel what your body’s doing...You’re doing so well.”

For the first time that night, Tessa was graced with a shaky smile from the laboring mother, tears streaming down her cheeks as she felt the infant pushing its way out of her.

“If that doesn’t motivate you, then I don’t know what will,” the doula chuckled, “Give me a good, hard push on your next contraction, and let’s have this baby!”

When the next pain presented itself, Claire was ready, keeping her own fingers situated against herself as she bore down. Long gone was the idea of remaining silent through her pushes, vocalizing loudly as the delivery progressed.

“OOOOOOHHHHH...”

The head revealed itself a small bit more, before stubbornly slipping back at the lack of a contraction, earning an animalistic huff from the woman birthing it.

“Good Momma...Make as much noise as you need to...Focus on getting that baby out...”

Claire growled, and brought both of her hands to grasp her inner thighs instead, spreading them widely and digging her fingers into her skin as she pushed.

“GGGGGHHHH....”

Yet another instance of one step forward, and two steps back, the head remaining steadfast despite the battering forces upon it. Claire sunk her own head back against the wall, frustration manifesting itself in her harsh exhalations. Before her client could get too discouraged however, Tessa stepped in to be the light in the darkness once more.

“Why don’t we let gravity give you a helping hand?”

When Claire brought her head back up and offered the doula a look of confusion, Tessa shuffled backwards towards the bed, patting it and inviting the birthing mother to join her.

“Try leaning against the mattress and kneeling. I know you said you didn’t want to move, but I guess your baby has the same mindset,” Tessa chuckled, “I think you could both use some coaxing.”

Claire huffed, but when her next push produced similar results, she found the willpower to shuffle towards her midwife, throwing herself against the mattress.

“Good girl,” Tessa encouraged yet again, watching as Claire leaned her front half into the bed and grasped the sheets as she spread her legs in a kneeling position, “Let gravity help you draw your baby down...”

As the sheets scrunched from Claire’s ever tightening grasp, as did her inner muscles from an ever tightening contraction. A guttural groan sounded from her, but it quickly turned into shrieks and cries as more progress was made.

“AHH..OH...OHHHHHH...”

With the newly implemented push/pull effect, Claire’s labia parted far faster than before. The head drove itself downwards, a teardrop quickly widening into an oval. Tessa reached for the flashlight and shone it on Claire’s behind, lowering herself close to the ground to get a good view.

“There we go!” she cheered when she saw the emerging infant, “That’s it! Just like that!”

Even when Claire stopped contracting, gravity continued half of the effort. And so when the mother to be jumped back into the fray with a new push, the baby suddenly lurched to a full crown, causing Claire to release a muffled scream into the blankets.

“Good girl, good girl!” Tessa chanted, awing over the sight of the mother’s beautifully stretched lips bordering a melon of a head, “Now listen to me. You need to breathe this baby out. Do not push, you hear me? You’ve got a big baby here. Breathe. Do not push.”

Harsh huffs and snorts sounded from Claire, rolling her hips as she attempted to channel the same fighting efforts from before. With a baby wedged deeply between her legs though, things were quite different than when she had first started the birthing process. Every ounce of her body was screaming to expell the weight sitting heavy on her pelvis, screaming to release her burning vagina of its torment.

“Huhh...Huhhh...Tess...” she warned, pulling the sheets so tightly her knuckles began to white out.

“Breathe, Claire,” Tessa commanded, sensing the mother’s building discomfort, “Breathe. Do it with me; hoo hoo hoo...”

“Hoo...hoo...hoo...”

Claire’s legs began to shake from exertion, her muscles feeling seconds away from rebelling and taking a mind of their own.

“Hooo...HOOO...HOOOOO...”

A vice-like contraction, the strongest one yet, took over, Claire’s body acting on disconnect and practically pushing against her will. Her vagina widened to an impossibly large circle, running thin as the impeding cranium fought its way through.

“HOOOOOO....HOOOOOOOOO...”

Wider she stretched still, every ounce of her apex lighting ablaze and begging her to get it over with. It was the most primitive and strong urge Claire had felt in her life, and after a few agonizing moments more, she could resist no longer.

“Claire-”

The concerned warning from Tessa was no match against Claire’s body, which sent her spiraling into an explosive push, her entire form shoving down hard against the ground. Her battered labia held for a second longer, before giving in as well, expelling the head halfway out in a violent rush.

The birthing mother screamed in terrible amounts of pain, writhing against the bed and forcing herself into another strong push, desperate to deliver the head and end the agony. And again, the efforts worked, because the infant’s head popped free with a gush of fluids.

“AUGGGGH OH!...Oh....Oh God....”

Claire practically wheezed, delirious from the amount of tearing fire that just went through her. Unable to kneel any longer, she lowered herself downwards, the head awkwardly dangling between her legs.

“Uhh...Uhhh...Uhhh...” she moaned, laying back against the carpet and attempting to recover from the forces her body just put her through.

“Well, the head’s out,” Tessa snickered, checking the infant’s neck for a cord and finding none, “Let’s hope you didn’t tear just then.”

Claire could offer nothing but a whimper, panting heavily and mentally readying herself for the final league of the journey.

“Alright, hun. You’re incredibly close now. Just the shoulders and the rest of the baby will deliver easily.”

The midwife continued on with her duties in the slight respite, replacing the flashlight with a small towel and the suction device. She gently dried the baby’s face off, before clearing some fluid from its nose and mouth.

“Do you want to feel your baby’s head?”

Surprisingly, Claire shook her head no, continuing to do nothing but breathe heavily and lie practically motionless against the carpet.

“I can’t...I can’t move...”

“Alright. Well, you know the drill. Feel free to give me a big push on your next contraction.”

“I don’t...know if I can...”

Tessa let out a snort of a chuckle.

“I don’t know about that. With the way you popped that head out, I don’t think the shoulders should be an issue,” she laughed softly, before continuing with more gentle encouragement, “Just think. With one or two more strong pushes, this could all be over, and you could be holding your little one in your arms.”

Though Claire didn’t verbally respond, simply continuing to catch her breath, she seemed to be taking the doula’s words into consideration. She adjusted herself against the carpet, hooking her hands against her inner thighs and tugging her legs wider apart. It was almost like her baby was readying itself as well, turning to face inwards and preparing for the final stage.

There was a bit more of a pause, like Claire’s womb was patiently allowing the rest of her body to catch up. Then suddenly, the squeezing returned with a vengeance, the laboring mother’s stomach pressing itself down and shoving everything on the nearly-expelled infant.

Claire’s fingers dug into her thighs, and even in the amber glow of candlelight, Tessa could see her face run red with exertion as it grimaced and contorted.

“GGGGGGGHHHH!”

The hard push was marked with spurts of amniotic fluid, but the baby remained steadfast, its shoulders a giant bulge in Claire’s vagina.

“Puuuussssh, Claire! Come on, momma, push everything down to your bottom.”

“I.....AM!” she yelled, her back arching slightly off the ground from her efforts.

She grunted and growled heavily as the contraction let up, and immediately jumped right back into it, writhing on the carpet as she strained against her stubborn child. Liquid trickled out ahead of the dam, but the dam itself refused to budge, holding steady still.

“MMMMMMMMPH...”

Claire held the push until she was forced to gasp for air, but was quick to continue the valiant battle. The baby inched forward ever so slightly, all of its head and neck delivered. But the shoulders refused to show, remaining concealed behind a pair of swollen lips, a giant mass sitting heavy in Claire’s birth canal. The effects of which, were clearly being felt.

“PULL IT OUT,” Claire yelled, her panic likely rising again at the slow process, “PULL IT OUT OF ME. GET IT OUT!”

“Shhhh,” Tessa soothed, even though she was progressively starting to sense trouble, “Don’t worry, love. You’re so incredibly close. Just try giving me a few more big pushes, the biggest you can manage.”

“I....CAN’T,” she cried, tears beginning to cascade down her cheeks once more.

Her body sent her spiraling back into another push, and she sobbed and keened her way through another failed attempt, the delivery coming to a standstill. Between her legs, the baby opened its mouth in a silent plea to be born, like it too was fighting for a way out.

“UGGGGGGHHHHHH....”

Tessa sat back for a moment, worrying her lip between her teeth. This whole scenario pointed to possible shoulder dystocia, what with the shoulders absolutely refusing to be delivered. Though it was a very concerning situation, especially in a home birth setting, the midwife refused to show any distress. In fact, she didn’t even feel the need to inform Claire right away, as it would likely amplify the anxiety even more.

A loud crack of thunder outside reminded her of her place, and she could almost chuckle at the series of challenges. Someone or something was definitely testing her baby-delivering abilities. And it was not a fight she’d back down from any time soon. All of them were going to get through this hand in hand.

“Alright, Claire. Time to switch up our strategy here!”

Before the mother could even respond, Tessa was gently pulling one of Claire’s legs back against her swollen stomach, bringing it as far back as it would comfortably go. This caught Claire’s attention, and she looked at Tessa in confusion.

“This’ll give your baby way more room to come out,” she explained, before gesturing to Claire’s free leg, “If you could grab your other leg and pull it back towards your chest, we might get something going here again!”

The laboring mom hesitated just slightly, before doing what she was told with a huff, showing off the melon of a head wedged between her legs.

“Good Momma...” she praised softly, and placed a gentle hand on Claire’s lower abdomen, “I’m just going to apply some counter pressure here as you push, alright?”

As soon as Claire nodded, Tessa felt the birthing stomach tighten and ripple beneath her hand, and she shoved down in unison. The usual loud groans and grunts quickly escalated to high pitched keens, Claire vocalizing far more than she had before.

And with good reason; Tessa watched in relief as Claire’s labia began to painfully part, exposing small glimpses of the ever so stubborn shoulders.

“That’s it!” she cheered, “There we go! Push, honey, PUSH!”

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

Her cries echoed throughout the household, draining out the ambient noise of the storm still raging outside. She aggressively bucked her hips forward with every effort, trying desperately to dislodge the mass prying her open.

“Puuuuuush, Claire!” Tessa continued to chant, applying an even greater pressure onto the still-contracting stomach.

The laboring woman screamed in pure pain and effort, digging into her own thighs so hard that Tessa was sure she’d draw blood. Her labia continued to stretch more and more, beginning to slowly white out with the emergence of the large shoulders.

“Push....Push.....PUSH.”

Bullets of sweat dripped down her laboring body. Tears of plenty flowed down her cheeks. Gushes of amniotic fluid spurted from her tortured vagina.

But with one last shove, one last gigantic effort, one last scream, the shoulders suddenly found their way out and burst forth, the rest of the baby erupting out after them. With the dam bursting, a torrent of fluid rushed free, splashing against the carpet and against the triumphant midwife.

She obviously paid no mind to it however, all smiles and laughs as she scooped up the already-crying bundle in a fresh towel.

“It’s a boy!”

As she handed off the infant to his sobbing, beaming mother, and listened to the sound of the departing thunder and lessening rain, she realized she had gotten through two storms. She realized the clouds were parting and allowing light to shine through.

Continuing to watch mother and baby with a sense of pride and joy, she was stunned to see Claire tear her gaze away from her newborn, connecting their glassy gazes together.

“T-Thank you,” she whispered, before releasing a hiccuping laugh and turning her attention back to her son, cooing to him inaudibly.

And for Tessa, that was the payoff that always made every ounce of her job worth it.