Alison Roberts - Midwives On-Call

‘Yes,’ Alessi said when his mother raced over. ‘Allegra is having the baby.’

‘Why aren’t you in there?’ Yolanda demanded.

‘Isla’s there. She’ll call if she needs me.’

Alessi closed his eyes.

She just had called.

Private, deep, she had told him she was pregnant and he was eternally grateful for the drama of tonight, for not demanding to know if the baby was his, in some Neanderthal reaction.

Whatever the answer, he was there for her, too.

Alessi knew it.

Isla didn’t.

‘Is everything okay?’ Steve asked, his eyes anxious.

‘Everything,’ Isla said, ‘is perfect.’

Allegra pushed and when she couldn’t push, she pushed some more and then let out a scream, not that anyone would hear outside, where there was music and chattering and laughter. And as Allegra rested her body against her husband, Isla demanded more from her.

‘Again.’

‘No.’

‘One more, come on …’

‘Do what Isla says.’ Steve was both supportive and firm. Behind his wife, he held up her thighs and helped Allegra bring their child into the world.

Their baby was almost here—the head was out and with the next push it would be delivered. The door opened at that moment and Isla smiled as Aiden Harrison, a rapid-response paramedic who had arrived on motorbike, stepped quietly inside.

‘Put your hands down, Allegra,’ Isla said.

Allegra did and together she and Isla delivered the baby.

It was a gorgeous fat baby girl with big cheeks and chunky arms and legs, who cried on entering the world and was born with her eyes open. Allegra and Steve wept when they saw her, their strong, healthy baby, and so, too, did Isla.

Not a lot, but some tears did spill out, especially as Steve cut the cord.

‘I think you’ve stopped the party.’ Isla smiled through her tears because the noise outside had faded.

‘Steve …’ Allegra said. ‘Maybe you could let them know that everything is okay?’ She glanced up from her beautiful daughter. ‘And let Alessi in, poor guy.’

His face was as white as chalk but he smiled when he stepped in and saw his niece.

It was so completely different from the last time.

Then, it had needed to be all sterile equipment and everyone avoiding meeting his eyes. Then it had been his sister and nephew on different intensive care units and the joy of childbirth completely missing.

Now smiling faces greeted him and the surroundings didn’t matter.

A backup ambulance had arrived and as Allegra was transferred to a stretcher it was Alessi who held the baby.

There were repercussions to his job. He generally dealt with the babies that had run into complications, with the battlers to survive, but this little girl was feisty, dark, hungry, angry … Alessi looked into very dark navy eyes that in a matter of weeks would be as black as his.

She needed no help from him, just love, and this little lady had it.

So, too, did Isla.

He loved her—of that he was completely sure.

A PROCESSION OF cars followed the ambulance to the hospital and once there a celebration ensued.

Isla was more than used to the excitement within a Greek family when a baby was born but it was all multiplied tonight, because this little lady had been born on her grandparents’ fortieth wedding anniversary. Isla was aware, too, of the exhaustion having so many people around might cause for a new mum, but Alessi sorted it and suggested that the party continue back at his place.

‘Thank you so much, Isla,’ Allegra said as Isla went to go. ‘It might not have been the ideal location but it really was the best birth.’

‘It was wonderful.’ Isla smiled. ‘You made it look very easy.’

‘It has been the best wedding anniversary present ever.’ Yolanda was ecstatic. Niko was asleep on her shoulder and would be staying with his yaya tonight, but first they headed back to Alessi’s, stopping for champagne on the way.

The mood was elated as corks popped and Alessi watched as Isla took a glass and pretended to take a sip so as not to draw attention to the fact she wasn’t drinking.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

‘Of course.’ Isla smiled.

‘Isla?’ Alessi checked, because he could see that she was struggling.

‘I’m a bit tired,’ Isla admitted, which was the understatement of the year. She was exhausted. The high of the birth was fading and the enormity of her revelation was starting to make itself known. They hadn’t had a chance to discuss it and from the way things were going it would be a good while yet till they could.

‘Go and lie down,’ Alessi suggested.

‘I can’t just go to bed in the middle of a party. My father would have kittens if I—’

‘He’s not here, though. Isla, you can do no wrong today, you just safely delivered Allegra’s baby. I know they are a bit over the top but they really are so grateful and relieved.’

‘I think it’s lovely how happy they are,’ Isla said.

He led her to the bedroom and she walked in, glad to escape from all the noise. Alessi closed the blinds and Isla undressed down to her underwear and slipped into bed. He came and sat on the edge.

‘Thank you for tonight,’ he said.

‘I really didn’t have to do much. Your niece made her entrance herself,’ Isla said. ‘She’s such a gorgeous baby.’

‘It will be you soon,’ Alessi said, and watched as her eyes filled with tears. He could only guess how overwhelming this all must be for her. ‘How long have you known?’ he asked, and then answered his own question. ‘The Monday before Valentine’s Day.’

‘How do you know?’

‘Your texts went from ten lines to two words,’ Alessi said. ‘Don’t worry about all that now. Just get some rest.’

‘You’re not cross.’

‘Cross?’ Alessi checked. ‘Did you expect me to be cross?’

‘I didn’t know what to expect.’

‘I only get cross when you dump me for no good reason, Isla,’ he said. ‘Get some sleep. We’ll talk later.’

There was a lot to talk about but when Alessi finally got to bed around two, he certainly wasn’t about to wake her for The Talk. He had never intended to wake her at all, but Alessi hadn’t forgotten how nice it was to have her in his bed and he had missed her so much.

Asleep, Isla wriggled towards the source of warmth. Her back was to him and, deprived of his touch for ten days now, her body knew who it wanted and her bottom nudged into his groin and sank into his caress as his arm came over her.

Alessi lay there. No, it would be completely inappropriate, he told himself, because there was that damn talk to have. Except his fingers didn’t care about such matters and were stroking her through the silk of her bra and then burrowing in.

‘Isla …’ Alessi said, which wasn’t much of a conversation. His mouth was on her shoulder, tasting her skin again and then moving up to her neck. The response in her had him harden further, the craning of her neck to meet his mouth, the consent, the want had a flare of possession rise in Alessi and there was no conversation to be had.

Isla was his.

His mouth suckled her neck and Isla bit down on her bottom lip as he deliciously bruised her. His hand was sliding down her panties and she wanted to turn but she didn’t. She liked the arm holding her down and Alessi’s precision as he took her from behind.

Of all his responses, of all the reactions she had anticipated, this hadn’t been one of them. Alessi’s hand was on her stomach, gently pressing her back into him, and Isla, who had never been taken like this, writhed in pleasure as his hand moved down and stroked her intimately.

‘Alessi …’ She said his name, the only thing now on her mind as he moved her towards orgasm.