Have A Happy Birthday Baby

Liz glanced at her watch for the umpteenth time. Would she make it before the birth?

She turned back to gazing out the window, noting the snow on the Alps. She’d brought her trusty puffer jacket and had plenty of thermals at home. The thought of going home to the old farmhouse tugged at her heartstrings. It was old and needed work, but at least she owned it, and it was providing a home for her daughter and family. Sun glinted off the braided river, way down below. The Waimak, she thought, nearly there.

Minutes later, the plane hit the tarmac of Christchurch International Airport with a resounding thud. She braced her feet against the wall in front of her as the pilot slammed on the brakes. Her hand rested on the seatbelt buckle as she waited for the signal that she could leave her seat and escape the plane. Grabbing her backpack, she rushed up the air bridge and into the terminal, smiling to herself at the recorded sound of sheep bleating that greeted international visitors. Down the escalator and straight to the cab rank. “Christchurch Hospital please, as quick as you can, it’s urgent.”

Switching her phone on, she looked for a message from her daughter. Nothing since she’d left Auckland nearly 2 hours ago. She rolled her stiff neck and tried to ignore her queasy tummy. It was too early for the baby, and her daughter’s life was in danger. It was a huge risk to have another baby, but they wanted a girl after three boys. Liz desperately wanted her daughter and the baby alive. The three boys needed their mother. They were only 5 and 3 and their dad worked all over the world and was seldom home. He earned great money, and they had been saving hard but was their world about to come crashing down, she wondered.

The cab pulled into the hospital entrance, and Liz flicked her credit card at the PayWave machine. Rushing towards maternity, her mind silently screaming please, please, please. Please God let them both live. The nurse at the desk redirected her to the surgical suite. This time Liz ran. In the waiting room, she saw her son-in-law Geoff, with his head in his hands. Her heart felt ready to explode. Dear God, was she too late?

At that moment, Geoff looked up, “She’s in the OR. It’s not looking good.”

She sat down beside him put her arm around his shoulders and began to pray silently.

Liz must have fallen asleep and had no idea what time it was when she heard voices coming towards her. A man and a woman in surgical scrubs stood before them.

“Mr Jones, you have a beautiful daughter. She’s been taken to the NICU, where she’ll be for quite some time before you can take her home.”

Geoff was shaking as he asked, “And my wife?”

The older surgeon looked tired and haggard, but his face broke into a smile as he said, “She’s in recovery. We had to perform a hysterectomy, and she lost a lot of blood. Given this, she is doing as well as can be expected. Congratulations on the new arrival, Mr Jones. A nurse will let you know when you can see her.”

“Thank you, Lord,” said Liz as she embraced a relieved Geoff.

Sitting back down, she reached for her phone. There were twelve text messages from Bill, getting angrier in tone with each one.

When would she be home?

Who would cook his meals, go to the supermarket, wash his clothes?

How could she be so selfish, she had a duty to him?

Liz felt curiously numb as she read these. Not one iota of support or concern for her or her family. Switching her phone off, she followed the nurse who had appeared in the doorway. Her daughter was alive; her granddaughter was alive. That was what really mattered.

Amanda’s face was ashen, but her eyes brightened as her husband and mother walked in. Blood flowed into her body via a drip. Geoff got an extra chair so they could both sit close to the bed.

“Amazing what you have to do around here to get your own room,” Amanda said. “I guess the doctor told you what happened. No more babies…”

“It’s okay,” said Geoff, squeezing her hand while she drifted in and out of sleep with the effects of morphine.

“All we care about is your health and the baby’s health, my darling,” said Liz. “I’m here to help however I can. You just concentrate on getting well.”

Kissing her forehead, they left her to rest, heading for the NICU. Donning gowns and masks, they followed the nurse to the incubator. Tears of joy began to soak their masks as they gazed at the tiny miracle lying inside.

“What are you calling her?”

“Lilibet Frances, after her grandmothers”

Liz began to sob as Geoff enveloped her in a hug.

“We’d better get home to the boys. Lilibet is in safe hands.”

An hour later, an exhausted Geoff turned the people mover onto the gravel drive of the farm. The back door flew open, and three blonde-headed boys bounded out and flung themselves at him, all talking at once. Suddenly, they realised their dad was not alone. The two older boys came shyly towards her. She hugged them tight. The little one held back. He’d been a baby when she left for Perth two years ago. “Hello Thomas, I’m your Nana,” said Liz. Thomas hid behind his father’s legs.

Sally, the babysitter, was packing up her things as they went inside. The fire was blazing, and the old house was warm.

“The kettle’s on, I’m so pleased everything’s okay. I’d better be going,” said Sally.

Liz settled the boys in front of the TV and made a pot of gumboot tea. Carrying her cup to the French doors, she looked down the property towards the Ashley River.

“What’s that building?” she asked Geoff.

“It’s a tiny house.”

“Are you going to do Airbnb?”

She stepped outside to get a better view of the building. A huge deck ran the full length of the tiny house. She looked at Geoff, who hadn’t replied to her question. His tired face looked quite sheepish.

“Um, well, actually, it’s for you. Amanda thought you might like to have your own space when you came over, or if you came home. We’ve suspected for a long time that things with Bill aren’t that great. All those travel plans you had never came to fruition. You’re stuck in that retirement village as cook and housekeeper to him. That’s not the life you wanted. The world opened up again years ago, and using COVID as an excuse not to travel, even to New Zealand to see your family, doesn’t make sense anymore. We know you wouldn’t think of kicking us out with a baby coming, but this is your home, and we all miss you.”

Liz was silent for a long time. Geoff eventually patted her on the shoulder and went back inside, leaving her to look out over her beloved river. With a sigh, she reached into the pocket of her jacket for her phone. It booted up quickly. Lots of texts and Facebook messages of support and congratulations from friends and extended family. Lots of texts from Bill demanding her return. No kind words, no congratulations, just the usual demands.

She hit the reply button, “I won’t be returning to Perth. I’m sick of being your emotional punching bag. Buy a serviced apartment if you won’t do the basic life skills of cooking, washing and cleaning. I didn’t sign up to be your mother. This is 2025, not 1955. My family is my priority. Get a life Bill.” Blocking the number, she went back into the farmhouse where Geoff was standing with a key in his hand, surrounded by the boys.

“Welcome home, Nana”, they chorused.

“Thank you, my darlings. I’m so happy to be here with you.”