Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

[Izaak Finch]

It was a particularly crisp June afternoon as Izaak Finch cruised home from the airport in his open-roofed Ford Falcon, a chilling change from the sticky Fijian tropics that had enveloped him just this morning. Having competed only yesterday in the Fijian leg of the ASP World Tour, it was a rather hasty return home that the blue-eyed man had undertaken, with his fellow surfers choosing to hang back in the tropics. However, his pregnant wife was waiting at home for him, as was his boisterous five year old who, Izaak was sure, had driven his mother almost to the point of insanity by now. Izaak chuckled softly to himself as the traffic drew to a halt at a stoplight adjacent to Bondi Beach. Usually he would bring his little family along to such events, he knew how much Liam loved mixing it with the surfing big guns and his beautiful Aly was always eager to join him on his adventures. However, Izaak had put his foot down this time. With Aly entering into her third trimester just a few weeks ago, he refused to put her body under any sort of stress; it was non-negotiable as far as he was concerned. Despite the fact that Liam had been delivered on time, a squirming picture of health, the ghosts of his two premature daughters would forever haunt his mind. Izaak was aware that his protectiveness over his wife might overwhelm and frustrate her at times but with all the heartache he had endured in his early twenties, he could not seem to shake this frame of mind.

The sea breeze licked chillingly at his cheeks as his eyes bore anxiously into the resplendent red light and as soon as the colour changed flooded into his vision, Izaak brought up the clutch and took off impatiently towards his family's abode. Even though it was mere blocks away, his destination could not seem to come soon enough. It had been a week since he had last seen the two of them, or three of them if you included their little jellybean, and the blue-eyed man missed them desperately. With a deep sigh of relief, he pulled into the drive of their beachside home and had barely pulled up the handbrake before he leapt out of the Ford. Grabbing the bouquet of flowers he had bought for his love on his way home in one hand and tucking his surfboard under his other arm, Izaak figured the rest of his luggage could wait as he excitedly made his way to the front door.

"Daddy!" Izaak heard his son exclaim from upstairs the moment the door had swung back on its hinges. A smile spread like wildfire across the father's lips as he leant his surfboard against the wall and watched as his little boy came galloping down the stairs. "Hey you!" Izaak grinned, dropping to his knees as Liam crashed into his father's open arms. "Mummy's having the baby!", the blonde boy whispered excitedly into his father's ear but Izaak shook his head with a laugh. Not a day had gone by of Aly's pregnancy when the five year old hadn't gushed excitedly about his baby sister's pending arrival, so it seemed that this was nothing new. "Not yet, buddy, not for another couple of months. We talked about this, remember?" But the boy gave a shake of his blonde locks, seemingly frustrated that his father wasn't getting the point. So he clasped Izaak's face with his tiny palms and spoke slowly to reiterate his point. "No, now." Izaak's azure eyes began to flood with anxiety as he looked into the indigo hues of his son's and the adopted authority within them, his heart thudding wildly in his chest. Grasping tightly onto the flowers he held for Aly, Izaak jogged up the stairs to the couple's bedroom, their son close on his heels. "Aly?" The man called out to his wife as he hurriedly rounded the corner into their room. He halted to a stop as their eyes met, a splendid clash of violets and blues but the look they exchanged was not the one that Izaak had been imagining upon their reunion. The colour drained quickly from his face and the bouquet of flowers slipped from his grasp and fell forgotten to the floor.

 

[Alianne Finch]

The sun poured through the kitchen windows of the comfortable home that Alianne Finch shared with her husband and son. Aly was sitting at the breakfast table with Liam as she just finished making him a snack in an attempt to hold his ever-growing appetite off until dinner. Liam seemed to always be asking for her for something to eat or telling his mother that he's hungry. Aly had a feeling that this constant hunger had to do with a growth spurt Liam was going through. Izaak was due home soon, and Alianne had planned to cook his favorite dinner in celebration. The blonde had been a little miffed to be left at home as she loved to travel with Izaak and watch him compete. Still, she had understood the reasons behind his stifling over-protectiveness even if it wasn't exactly welcome. Izaak had suffered several tragedies, losing two daughters and a fiancee, before he married Alianne, and she tried to be understanding of his unique situation. The blonde knew that deep down Izaak couldn't shake the feeling that something would happen to their baby girl. Aly placed a hand on her tummy, right over her little girl. She had faith that Lucy would be just as beautiful, healthy, and perfect as Liam had been at his birth.

"Mummy! I'm done!" Liam said, getting down from his chair. "Can we go play outside?" he asked her expectantly. His beautiful, unique periwinkle eyes looked up at her pleadingly. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Alianne stood up, getting ready to give her consent, when she felt a change. Something wasn't right. She looked down and saw wetness on the floor. Liam looked at her with wide eyes. "Mummy?" he asked hesitantly. "Liam, baby, we need to go to the hospital. I think your sister has decided to come earlier than Daddy and I planned. Go watch for your daddy. He should be home soon. I'm going to go pack our things for the hospital." she told him with a kiss on his head. Aly could see that Liam understood how serious she was as he ran to do what she asked. She sent up a silent prayer that Izaak would make it home before she finished packing the bag.

Alianne had changed her clothes and packed all the necessary items. She was zipping up the leather bag when she heard the front door open. A little relief crept into her as she heard Izaak's and Liam's voices. Footsteps pounded up the stairs. Aly turned to meet Izaak's eyes. Her amethyst eyes reflected worry and concern as they met the deep azures that she loved so much. Flowers fell to the floor, and Liam picked them up helpfully. It was clear that he didn't understand what was going on. "Iz? I think it's time to go to the hospital." she told him, her voice calm. Panicking wouldn't be useful. She wouldn't allow herself to panic. Not yet. "I packed the bag and called the doctor to let him know that we are on our way. We need to leave now." she told her husband. with a little bit of urgency creeping into her voice now.

 

[Izaak Finch]

Izaak Finch's anxieties had been running high from the moment he found out he and Aly were to have a girl. Twice before Lucy's conception, the man had been told that he would soon have a little daughter to spoil. And twice before, he had had those hopes wrenched away from him. Both Cassie and Ella had attempted to enter the world all too early, their bodies too fragile to survive outside of their mother's wombs and for the duration of Aly's second pregnancy, he feared their little Lucy would meet the same fate. He remembered the delight that had illuminated his beautiful Aly when the doctor told them of their baby's gender and he remembered how his apprehension had subdued him. And now, his anxieties were coming to a head. The blue-eyed Finch could not seem to rid himself of the thought that there was a common denominator here. How was it that Liam, his only son, had been carried to term and all three of his daughters had decided that preterm labour was their only option? Izaak registered the words his wife spoke to him but could do nothing except stand in the doorway, paralysed in fear as his worst nightmare materialised right before his eyes. His usually sun-kissed face was now washed of any colour and although he opened his mouth to speak, he could formulate no words. Although he had fretted over this scenario for months now, the man could not believe it was happening to him once again.

It was not until Liam pressed the bouquet of flowers back into his father's hand that Izaak snapped back to reality. That oceanic gaze swept down to his son before darting back up to Aly's eyes, the fear that laced the violet hues betraying her calm words. The man nodded gingerly, silent as he grasped the bag for the hospital and laid his hand in the small of his wife's back, ushering her carefully down the stairs. A million thoughts seemed to race through the man's head as the small family made their way outside and of the few that were logical and calculated, he pondered over their mode of transport to the hospital. Apparition was the fastest but Izaak could not trust himself to apparate the three of them safely in his current state of mind, they would be lucky to keep all their limbs. Being that the hospital was only up the road, Izaak swiftly decided that driving would be a safer option, albeit it would add a few minutes onto their travel time. He hastily guided his wife and son to the SUV they had bought when Liam had been born, his old Ford was in no way fit for children. The man helped his wife into the passenger seat and pressed his lips comfortingly to her forehead once she was settled before turning his attention to his son. "Are Lucy and Mummy going to be okay?" The young boy asked as his father strapped him into his booster seat, looking up at Izaak with eyes brimming with worry. Although the man was not sure of the answer himself, he put on a brave face for his son and pressed him a smile "They sure will be, buddy." He said reassuringly, tousling his son's hair before jumping into the driver's seat. His hand reached for Alianne's as he started the car and interlaced his fingers with hers as they took off towards the hospital. They quickly exchanged a knowing glance, Izaak's own eyes full of wounded fear, before he had to focus back onto the road in front of him. "I love you, so much," he croaked quietly and squeezed his love's hand in his own. She needed to hear it, he needed to hear it and remind himself that their love could move mountains if need be. They could do this and they would do it together.

 

[Alianne Finch]

Alianne knew that this was not going to be easy for Izaak, but she needed him right now. Surely, he would not let her down. He never had before. Aly looked anxiously at her husband, who was completely frozen in the doorway with a mask of horror and despair on his face. The blonde mother knew that this was Izaak's deepest fear after what had happened with his other two daughters, but she was sure that it would not be the fate of their little Lucy. Aly was determined that Lucy would be fine, but in order to assure that she was, Aly needed to get to the hospital now. Alianne felt relief creep into her as her husband snapped out of his paralysis and moved forward into action. He picked up the bag she had packed as she spoke to Liam. "Honey, go and put your shoes on." she told her barefoot son, sending him downstairs to the front door where she always had him take off his shoes. Aly knew he would have them on before they arrived at the bottom of the stairs. Somehow, Liam understood that they needed to hurry, even if he didn't understand the gravity of the situation. Aly attempted to smile at her husband, to reassure him and herself that everything would be alright as they walked down the stairs.

It was only a few moments before the Finch family was in their SUV, ready to make the short drive to the hospital. Aly's hand found Izaak's, lacing her fingers with his. The touch was steadying and familiar. They had been through a lot together, starting with the death of Izaak's former fiancée. The blonde woman had faith that they could get through this together as well. She saw the look of fear in the quick glance that Iz gave her. Despite his calm words to Liam, Izaak was still afraid for her and for Lucy. Alianne smiled at him, lovingly, as he told her he loved her. "I love you too, Iz." she said, with another reassuring squeeze of his hand. Her breath caught as she felt another stabbing labor pain. At least they were slow coming right now. Her beautiful face winced with the pain. As the contraction passed, Aly was grateful to see the hospital right ahead of them. "Everything will be okay." she said, calmly and reassuringly, both for herself and for her husband. The Finches pulled into the parking lot of the maternity ward. Aly got out of the car slowly, knowing that Izaak would get Liam out of his seat and remember the bag. She looked towards the hospital. A nurse spotted her, as Aly had called ahead, and rushed out to her with a wheelchair. Alianne sat down in the chair carefully. The nurse turned and began to quickly make her way towards the sliding hospital door. "Iz?" she called, worriedly. She didn't want to let him out of her sight. Aly needed him with her to get through this.