“And this is how we ended up with three babes one after another. You need only look in my direction and I seem to find myself with child.”
“It that’s the case, we shall have babes until we are old and white haired because I have no intention of stopping looking at you.”
Gressa had a retort ready, but a pain seized her middle. She bit back the moan and tried to relax her face, but she knew she already alarmed Strian.
“Gressa, please just stay in bed this afternoon. This pregnancy isn’t like the other two. We both know that. This one has been much harder since the beginning. If you won’t do it for my sake, or even your own, then for the babe. Please.”
Gressa nodded and tried to smile, but another pain seized her.
“Damn it,” she muttered.
“What? What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’d just hoped to have supper cooking before this started.”
“Before what star-- Damn it, Gressa! Are you in labor?”
She scrunched her eyes closed as she nodded.
“For how long?” Strian pulled Gressa to lean against him as he rubbed her lower back.
“Last night,” she whimpered.
“Gressa,” he moaned. “When did the pains get worse?”
“A few hours ago, but I thought I had plenty of time. They were far apart and not very regular. But now—ugh,” Gressa could not finish as a contraction stole her breath.
Strian eased her back against the pillow once the pain subsided. He ran to the door of their longhouse and almost wrenched it from its hinges. He scanned the passersby and thanked the goddess Freya when he saw Leif and Erik heading towards the jarl’s longhouse.
“Leif! Erik! Get your mothers. It’s Gressa’s time.”
“I can’t! My mother’s gone to attend Tyra!” Leif called back, but Erik was already running towards the home where his parents were also staying, having come to visit with Freya and Erik in anticipation of Sigrid’s delivery and staying on through Freya’s and now both Tyra’s and Gressa’s.
“Strian!”
Strian crashed through their living space not caring what he pushed aside as he ran back to Gressa’s side.
“This is happening too fast. It all seemed fine when I walked over to Tyra’s, but now I feel like I need to push already. It’s too soon. My waters haven’t even broken.” Gressa froze as she felt a puddle surround her hips. She leaned her head back and cried. “I’m all wet now.”
Strian understood what she meant after sitting with her through the last two deliveries. He also knew she was right that things were moving far faster than in the past.
“What do you need me to do, Gressa?”
She shook her head.
“I don’t know. I can’t think right now. Oh gods, Strian, it hurts. I’m not doing this again. I’ll take pennyroyal like Tyra and Freya did. I won’t stop bedding you, but I’m not doing this again either. It hurts too much.”
Strian pulled the sheet from the bed and pushed Gressa’s gown up over her knees before sliding behind her.
“Lorna will be here soon, my love.”
“I’m here now.” The woman who had become like a second adoptive mother to the two of them over the past two and a half years entered their chamber and examined Gressa. “You’re ready to push. It’ll all be over soon.”
The next two hours were a whirlwind as Strian supported Gressa through each contraction. Her labor was not as swift as they thought, or as Gressa hoped. But after two hours of pushing, Gressa held their daughter while Strian held their son. They did not notice when Lorna slipped away.
“A little sister for our three boys,” Gressa crooned.
“And she will be in charge just like her mama,” Strian kissed his son’s downy scalp before placing a kiss on his daughter’s forehead. “She will be just as beautiful as her mama.”
