Welcome to the World

[Rhyspa Marinescu]

Rhyspa sat on the couch in her living room curled up under a blanket, one of her favorite books cradled in her hands. She propped it on her swollen abdomen, occasionally glancing down from her book to the baby in her womb that was due any day now. The young woman was so nervous and incredibly excited to see her baby. The baby she created with the love of her life. "Love? Could you bring me a cup of chocolate milk?" her Irish accent was mostly gone after years of living in New Zealand. Although Rhyspa really did want a cup of chocolate milk, she wanted to see her husband even more.

 

[Dominik Marinescu]

Dominik was in the kitchen fixing lunch for himself and Rhyspa when he heard her call out to him. He smiled. The couple was expecting their first child and it was due to arrive at any given time. Dom was nervous, but more so excited. Ever since his wife had told him that she was pregnant he had wondered about what their baby would be like. They'd decided not to know what the sex was until it was born, but down deep the man hoped it would be a boy. If he were blessed with a daughter then he'd be perfectly happy with that too and love and protect her the way any father would, but there was a small part of him that kept his fingers crossed for a son.

Grabbing a glass from the cabinet he grabbed the carton of chocolate milk from the fridge and poured some. Dominik carried the beverage to his wife who was wrapped up on the couch reading a book. She looked breathtaking...she practically glowed. Grinning he sat the glass down on the end table as he sat down next to Rhyspa, gently taking her face in his hands and kissing her full on the lips. With her face still cradled in his hands he kissed her gently on the tip of her nose before resting his forehead against hers and sighing. "I love you, you know that? You're absolutely perfect," he said to her before leaning down and kissing her very round belly and saying, "And daddy loves you too and thinks that you are just the most perfect thing on the planet. Your mommy and I can't wait for you to get here so we can all be together."

 

[Rhyspa Marinescu]

Rhyspa smiled as she turned a weathered page in her book, she was ready for her baby to get here. She realized that she wasn't paying much attention to the words she was reading, but her thoughts kept turning back to the baby and to her husband. Although they decided to wait until their child was born to know the sex, Rhyspa just knew it was a boy. Something about the growing babe in her abdomen told her boy. She knew Dominik would be so happy to have a baby he wouldn't really care what sex it was, just knowing that it was theirs made him love the baby more and more with each passing day.

Rhyspa smiled and set the book down on the table next to the couch. She pushed the blanket off of her lower abdomen, and lifted her shirt up over her swollen belly. Rhyspa gazed at the pale skin that had stretched to hold the baby she was carrying. She looked up when she heard the sound of a glass being set down on the table. Soon enough, Dom's slightly callused hands cupped her face and kissed her. Rhyspa returned the kiss with vigor and small smile on her face. "I love you too," Rhyspa murmured. She loved it when Dom talked to the baby. "I think he will be arriving very soon, Daddy. Mommy is about to burst!"

 

[Dominik Marinescu]

"He? Do you know something I don't know," Dominik asked his wife with a raised eyebrow. He'd read somewhere that when women were pregnant that they often had a feeling they knew what the baby was. Something about motherly intuition. "Are you uncomfortable? Do you need anything?" He knew that Rhyspa loved being pregnant, but the last week or so she'd started to look uncomfortable and he hated that there wasn't much he could do about it. Gently rubbing his hand over her bare belly he asked, "So do you think our little one will be here today?"

 

[Rhyspa Marinescu]

Rhyspa smiled at her husband, "I don't know for sure, but I just have this feeling that our baby is going to be a boy. She shifted, leaning her back against the arm of the couch in a much more comfortable position. "I'm always uncomfortable now, but I'm fine. And all I need is you and our baby," she smiled and gave him a quick kiss. Rhyspa wasn't sure when the baby would be here, but she hoped it was soon. "If not today, then surely tomorrow. My water hasn't-" Rhyspa gasped as she felt the material of her jeans dampen. "Okay, maybe it is today. Love, my water just broke."

 

[Dominik Marinescu]

Dominik felt his heart swell when 'Spa said that she had a feeling that they were having a boy. He was just about to ask her if she wanted a pillow or something when she said that her water broke. His eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. Their baby was on the way and all of a sudden panic overtook the man. Quickly hopping up he grabbed his wife's hands and lifted her gently to her feet. "Okay just remember to breathe evenly and deeply. I'll apparate us to St. Mungo's so just close your eyes and concentrate on the baby," he said suddenly flustered. Praying he didn't splinch either of them Dominik turned on the spot and they disappeared from their home.

When they reappeared, the couple was standing in a hallway where there were healers and nurses flitting about from ward to ward. "We need some help here. She's having a baby."

 

[Rhyspa Marinescu]

Rhyspa felt herself being gently maneuvered off of the couch and concentrated on the baby, just like her husband told her to do, as the couple apparated into St. Mungo's Hospital. The young woman was breathing deeply, calming herself down and hopefully if her husband noticed what she was doing, he would do the same to calm down. Almost immediately, a healer came to their aide and Rhyspa was in a delivery room. She was nearly at the point of delivery a few hours later. The soon to be mother took no pain relievers, she wanted a natural birth, and now it was too late for her to receive them if she changed her mind. Every contraction racked through her body, sending her into pain. Rhyspa squeezed her husband hand, hoping she didn't break it and praying that he didn't look down there. If he passed out, which she hoped he wouldn't, she didn't know what she'd do.

About an hour later, Rhyspa leaned back on the hospital bed, exhausted. Tears streamed down her face as she heard the mewling cry of her baby. "Congratulations! Say hello to your son!" the healer/midwife said. "I told you we'd have a boy!" Rhyspa said jokingly to her husband.

 

[Dominik Marinescu]

Dominik watched, feeling extremely helpless, as Rhyspa went through the entire painful process of giving birth to their child. He held her hand, feeling at times as though his fingers would be detached if she squeezed much harder. With one last push he heard a good lusty cry and immediately moisture flooded the man's eyes. Looking at his wife he leaned down and kissed her. "Congratulations! Say hello to your son!" Those words were like music to his ears. "I have a son. We have a son," Dom said as the healer handed the baby to Rhyspa. Gently he used his fingertips to brush over their child face as if he were trying to sear it's image into his memory that way. "He's perfect...just like his mother," he said aloud to no one in particular. "Welcome to the world Easton Blayne Marinescu. Welcome to the world our perfect baby boy!"