Amanda was exhausted, yet she couldn’t seem to find sleep. She continued walking around the house, changing her position every time she felt another twinge in her stomach. “Love, are you sure you’re okay?” Niels asked, wandering into the kitchen where Amanda was making a cup of tea.
“Yeah, just those false contractions again,” she said. She softly rubbed her stomach. “You don’t look well,” said Niels. Amanda glanced at him. Indeed, she wasn’t feeling well, but she wasn’t about to admit that to her worried hubby. “Here, you relax. Put your feet up,” he told her. Amanda nodded and complied, letting Niels lead her into a seat. He made sure that she put her feet up, but immediately a frown tugged on the corners of his lips. “Your ankles are swollen,” he said. “You know you’re supposed to be relaxing.” “I’m fine,” said Amanda. She rubbed her temples; another headache was coming on. Niels continued frowning, but he left her side for a moment to make her a cup of tea. He returned to her, placing the cup on the table in front of her. “I’m worried about you,” he said, softly dropping a kiss onto her forehead. “Perhaps we should go to the doctor tomorrow.” Amanda opened her mouth to protest, but one look at Niels’ face and she knew there was no arguing. “Alright,” she said. She lifted the cup and sipped the tea slowly. Meanwhile, they spoke of Emilia’s birthday. “I’m sure she’d love a picnic at the park,” said Niels. “That way you could relax too.” Amanda nodded. “Come on, let’s get you to bed,” said Niels. He helped her up and they walked towards the bedroom together. “What time is it?” Amanda inquired. “Nearly midnight,” said Niels. Amanda was already dressed for bed, so all there was left to do was to climb in beneath the warmth of the sheets. She still couldn’t seem to find sleep, so she cuddled up against Niels while they tried to find something on TV to watch. Another twinge. Eventually the pain melted away. Moments later, her phone notified her of a text message. She reached out to grab her phone from the side table and discovered a text from Dawn. “She’s in labour,” she she told Niels. It was always exciting news when a child decided to come into the world. Amanda texted Dawn back, wishing her luck, then she cuddled up against Niels again. She caressed her stomach gently. It would be a while before they got to meet their baby girl, but perhaps they’d be able to meet Dawn’s baby girl soon. Suddenly, Amanda felt a rush of nausea and sat up in a hurry. She didn’t even have the time to warn Niels before she struggled to get up from the bed and rush off towards the bathroom. By the time she’d emptied her stomach, her head was spinning. Luckily, Niels was right there to support her, holding her hair back while she retched once more. She barely noticed the worry on his face after she’d washed her mouth out. Nor did she clearly hear him when he asked her if she was alright. As she made it back to the bedroom, it seemed that the earth had shifted beneath her feet. She grappled for the wall, only to grasp empty air and stumble into Niels’ arms. “Baby?” he held on to her, looking into her eyes. “Just a bit… dizzy…” she admitted. “And my head—” Hurts, she wanted to add. Yet before she could finish her sentence, she felt something more painful travel from her back and tear through her stomach. She groaned and doubled over at the waist. That didn’t feel like false contractions. “Okay, you need to sit down,” said Niels. He quickly led her to the bed, but before they could get there, Amanda stopped abruptly and looked down. She could feel the warm sensation dripping down her legs. Fear spread through her like a cold splash of water, making her whimper and cling to Niels. “No…” she whispered. “It’s too soon.” Niels stared down as well, unsure of how to react. “It’s too soon,” Amanda repeated tearfully.
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Amanda at a GlanceNames: Amanda Pontremoli, Amanda van Loon Archives
August 2017
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