What shows skyes feminine grace ? Her cheeks were flushed with warmth, glowing under the stringent lights of the birthing suite, a slick layer of perspiration shining on her abdomen. Her skin radiated heat, her breasts full and tender, and her body was filled with an energy unlike the one that coursed through her veins when she conceived her baby. As she closed her eyes, savoring the respite between contractions, she was transported back to that moment . Skye closed her eyes , taking slow breaths as she concentrated on the twinges of pain and pressure melding between her hips , her skin pulled taught from inside. “He’ll be back… soon, baby boy” she breathed, bracing herself as her womb gripped her baby , dragging him slowly downward, eliciting a soft moan of exertion . As she pushed back against the overwhelming peak , she embraced her child’s decent , her back arching and her fingers circling her hipbones. As she labored alone , it was just her and her  baby as nurses and beeping machines created an orchestrated chaos around her. The counter pressure of her own hands was delicate , precise , but her mind drifted to Ryan’s rough voice in her ear as her muscles slowly relaxed , and she sank back into the pillows, blissful reprieve bathing her. Then he caught her eye as he entered the room, his dishevelled state revealing the rest he’d found in the corridor . “Ryan-“ she gasped out , desperate to connect before the next surge stole her attention . “I’m sorry I was out cold, but I’m here now ” he muttered as a nurse drifted past him , and a monitor beeped from the electrode on Skye’s oblique. “Welcome back , Dad “ a nurse smiled as she filled in . “She’s doing well , but it’s time to check her dilation .” Positioning himself behind Skye , Ryan nodded as he stroked her hair . “Five inches. Still some time to go. Keep doing what you’re doing, Skye.” As Skye leaned into the next contraction , his hands, broad and firm , offered an anchoring strength in contract to the exactness of her own touch . His calloused fingers rotated on her hipbones he had done when her contractions first started. She let out a controlled moan, lacing the air with her effort to stay on top of the pressure . “You’re doing great baby” he said, voice low and hoarse in the din of medical staff. Skye gasped at the cool gel as a doctor ran the ball of an ultrasound Doppler over her tightening skin, as they both glanced at the screen before Amur’s eyes fluttered closed . “Just checking our baby’s position Skye, keep breathing….seems our little one is settling above your pelvis in an optimal position” . His voice was a distraction that she barely heard as she worked on riding the peak with inward focus . “Ryan, let her know she’s moving her baby down well. “ He said as he removed the Doppler and wiped the trails from Skyes abdomen. “ Her  small groans  spilled over his voice as the contraction eased , leaving her breathless . As Ryan kept a hand splayed on her abdomen , she rode out wave after wave , her breaths and moans weaving together . Finally, she felt a shift, the heavy weight of her baby , filling her and stealing her composure as fluid flowed between her thighs.  It was a new sensation , and demanded adjusting to as her breathing grew shallow. “Ry-my -water-“ . His eyes , filled with bloodshot exhaustion, wandered to a nearby water bottle , “here you go baby “ he offered with an absentminded grin . She brushed his hand away with dismissal , her moan edged with an intensity. “No Ryan, My -waters” . A nurse ran a hand down Skyes trembling arm . “Our water is starting to break , breathe through it Skye , you’re doing well . “ As Ryan’s thumbs continued their work ,  he said with a more alert tone , “Got it, I’m right here.” She leaned into  the new , definite expansion of her baby’s head as her womb both drew closer and opened wider at once, flooding her with a mix of brand new sensations as she moaned out the next trickle  of amniotic fluid. “That’s it , baby , you’ve got this .” Ryan muttered , as she grabbed his hand and pressed it even harder against her abdomen. His silent support helped her navigate the contrasting sensations as she entered transition, and a nurse checked her dilation . “Sky, we’re at a seven, our baby’s head will start coming through your pelvis and things will get a lot more intense . I need you to keep up that breathing for me.” The nurse then  offered Ryan a concerned glance. “Did you rest earlier, ready to help her through this?” As Ryan rubbed a hand over his eyes , the arenaline making him awake with a worry in his gaze he replied  . “I hope so..I slept quite well but. Skye are you sure you don’t want the pain meds?. Or the epidural. I just-” . As Sky lay panting against his chest , her hands curled around his biceps as she closed her eyes and shook her head, seeming to only process half of what he’d said . As she let out a deep moan and her grasp twisted in his jacket , the nurse reassured . “Your being here is what she’ll need the most .Just keep talking her through it. Now let’s feel our  baby’s position.” As the nurses hand glid over Sky’s abdomen, she smiled , pointing g to the ultrasound screen .  “Our little boy is  much lower down, you may experience some back labor Skye . a lot of fullness and pressure. Remember to breathe . Position is excellent at this stage.” Ryan returned a weak grin before lowering his head to Skyes ear “everything’s perfect. “He whispered .  She nodded with a sharp exhale , her hold iron-cast as her pelvis was driven into with slamming  pressure  and she dug her nails deeper into his skin.  “Ry-“ she gasped between small moans as her womb compressed from under her ribs , expanding above her hips , as sweat rolled down her navel . She let out a whimper mingled with a shaking breath, the contraction lasting over a minute. She’d barely recovered  when the next one one took hold . Skye's hands stayed embedded in her husbands solid arms , as he muttered a few words through each contraction, his voice stiff from lack of use . As she found a rhythm of gentle moans, long exhales and rolling her abdomen back and forth as her back arched ,  he maintained his rotation of her hipbones.  the next hour seemed like a haze of contractions  that left her shaking , breathless , but each one also bringing her pregnancy full circle., each breath and moan drawing her closer to meeting her son.  As the intensity impinged her pelvis she moaned “ Ry-please help-“, his expression filling with confusion as he kept his hands by her hips . A nurse took Skye’s trembling hand, absorbing the desperation in her grip as she she squeezed back and reassured .  “You’re doing great , and you’re getting close .. if you start feeling the urge to push , we’ll manage it very carefully . Focus on those noises. You’re doing beautifully, Skye. .” . Another hour trickled past , as Skye’s womb closed in around her yet opened with an irresistible force and she clung to the rails of the bed , moaning out the increasing pressure . He was ailing behind her, his distinct masculine energy and familiar smell raw in her lungs as she balanced the polarising challenge of opening with each contraction. “I can’t -“ she breathed as her legs collapsed inward , and she fell onto Ryan’s chest . The air was close, an intimate bubble where the outside world ceased to exist . “We”re at an eight Skye. You can and you are. “ Her moans grew light, softened by an edge Ryan recognised as he ran a thumb down her shoulder , massaging circles . “That’s it baby “he said with a weary smile as a nurse adjusted a monitor on Skyes abdomen. The screen displaying the intensity of contractions dipped into the high end , as Skye grit her teeth, heat radiating from her body. 

No here’s my version : as skyes hand shook writhing then nurses hold, her forehead glistening in sweat she managed . “I need ….” . The sensation was unrecognisable yet definite as it swept over her abdomen, the pressure stealing her voice. Ever muscle fibre screamed and she reached for Ryan’s arm, wordlessly as a grunt escaped her. It was a dragging sound , rasping through her voice and the nurse held her shoulder back firmly. “Skye , you sound like you might needing to push. But we’re only at a none so I need you to pant for me” . As sweat rolled down her face and breasts , the nurse ran a damp towel across her face and chest. “Breathe Skye” she instructed as Ryan muttered “I’m here baby” Skye thrashed her head back against Ryan’s chest , panting out . “Ry…tell them I need to …..I …have …to” . As she panted urgently , her muscles a force to be reckoned with , the intensity only built as her contraction peaked . “I know baby. You’ve got this .” He said , as her head bucked against his shoulder and she clenched her teeth . Another nurse kneeled at skyes level , glaring her sternly in the eyes. ”pant Sky, if we can’t slow things down it’s alright, but we may have to intervene so you don’t tear. Now focus on panting. Hard and fast.“ Ryan’s gaze flitted to the nurse as he argued, his own jaw tight, as Skye’s chest rose and fell , her shoulder blades digging into his chest as he placed his head atop hers . “Intervention..drugs -but we’ve established she doesn’t want.-“ . The nurse placed a hand on Skye’s arm, seeming not to hear Ryan’s confusion as she replied “Let’s  focus on getting through this  . you’re getting there Skye, just focus on the panting while you finish dilating. Nine and a half. “ As Skye fought the erupting urge ripping through her uterus , Ryan muttered with a firm resolve “you can do this Skye, “ . The tension in the air was draining, yet urgent and energising as she battled against her instincts , every breath a sharp blade slicing through the grip of her womb. Until finally a clinical voice cut through her dizzying haze. “Skye were at a ten” . She gasped as she felt her baby’s head drop into her birth canal and she was unable to fend off another contraction. “Skye it’s time to push. You did it. “ 



Here’s a conversation Ryan and Skye have earlier : As Skye ran her index finger across the small of her back, following the tightening of her skin , a smile crept across her face. “Ryan , I think …I’m having my first contraction.”, she near yelled . Unlike the Brixton hicks she’d been tolerating for days , the sensation spreading across her abdomen carried a mild twinge of pain. Sharp, yet mild enough to almost mistake as a muscle ache from being a week overdue . As he tore his eyes away from the game he asked “Are you sure? How does it feel ?” She eased herself down onto the sofa beside him as her hand lingered over the dying ache. “Nothing worse than a period cramp, but there was a strength to it. I just know it was different” . As Ryan snatched up the remote and switched off the game he cracked his knuckles . “Well, we waited six years for this moment . So ya got my attention. “ His grin, almost stultified , deepened as he teased “but seriously, call me a fertile bastard again like you did when we found out one of my lazy swimmers made the goal-“ She swatted at him with a cushion and laughed . “Go on , watch the game Ry, we have plenty of time . I know you’ll be gutted if you miss the finals” As Skye flipped the remote into his lap her second twinge crept across her back, slithering above her hip . “There’s another one “ she smirked with an excitement in her voice, the crowd on the television not coming close to the adrenaline rushing through her veins. Ryan eyed her with a raised eyebrow before turning back to the television and mouthing “nesting”. Sky managed a smile a she breathed away the slight cramp, pushing at his shoulder “I have no urge to clean, you’re still doing the dishes before we head to hospital . “Yeah ..but I still want to be sure about this doing it naturally business . I mean I don’t see the appeal of pain but..” Skye cocked a leg over his as she settled in the sofa before staring at the bags they’d packed earlier , her voice more serious . “It’s just that I may only get to do this once Ry’ and I want to experience ever minute of it. It’s not that I want pain. I just want to feel this little guy coming. “ Ryan groaned at the missed goal on the screen , muttering in football jargon before he replied “ well you deserve this Skye and I want you to have it.” She sighed as her third contraction tugged gently at her navel this time, dull but persistent and she guided his hand to her hip. “Well while we wait for things to pick up a bit, you Coukd help me time these , and try some moves from those classes.” As Ryan’s hand curled her hipbone he said “Sure, I do want to help if I can” Skye dipped her hand into his popcorn as stared at the now blank television screen .”I can’t believe this is really happening, three contractions in but I’m sure he’ll still be here in time for my birthday. “ His hand paused on her abdomen as he broke into an amused grin . “Well here’s hoping , if he took long than two days I’d be kinda worried . And a mini Ryan os one hell of a gift. You’ll be run ragged and wishing you Coukd have a refund-“ she laughed , her face aglow with anticipation as she replied “Oh shut up and keep rubbing”


Her eyes fluttered open, the weight on her chest reassuring as she felt Ryan’s hair on her forehead. “Morning , baby..you passed out with him still ..” As Ryan gestured to their new son , his finger latched around Skye’s he added “you were only out a minute but I swear he hasn’t let go. Makes two of us wrapped round that finger. She smiled in utter exhaustion as Ryan placed a hand on Liam’s back , as Skye whispered “our little man , he’s perfect.”