Chapter Nine

Not What They Expected

 

It's been several months since the wedding and that day was fast becoming a pleasant memory. Quickly fading to the ever present mundane realities of life. Jessica was finding being a wife and mother more difficult than she expected. She spent days alone, stuck at home, cleaning and caring for the baby. There was a never ending pile of dirty bottles to wash and diapers to change. There were days where she couldn't help but cry along with her new born infant.
 

Not that she didn't absolutely adore and love her infant daughter, it was just so much harder than she ever expected. One day while holding her daughter in her arms she thought about the day she was born. She had gone into labor shortly after William came home from the resturant. They were both tired and William was frantic to get her to the hospital. While she gathered her bag she had packed in advance, William went to get the car. It was an old clunker but it was all they could afford. 

William was gone for several minutes trying without success to get the car started. No matter what William tried, the car just wouldn't start. William came running back into the house to call for a taxi. While they waited for the taxi, William called the hospital to inform the doctors that Jessica was on her way in to have the baby, then he tried to remove some of the grease he was covered in from trying to start the car.

Jessica kept trying to convince herself that everything was going to be alright, people had babies all the time. All she had to do was breathe. The cramps and labor pains were getting worse and she knew this baby was coming whether she was ready for it or not.

"Come on Honey, the taxi's here" William told her as he grabbed her bag and guided her out the door towards the waiting taxi. She did her best to waddle to the taxi and William helped her. Once she was in, William ran around to the other side and held her hand. It was then that her water broke, all over the back seat. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the driver who would have to clean up after her. What was it about taxi's that she and William couldn't help but make a mess?

William apologized for the mess and the taxi driver smiled in response and congratulated them on their soon to arrive son or daughter. It was a relief to know that he wasn't upset with them for the mess. When they arrived at the hospital, William ran it to get a wheelchair. He returned with an orderly following him pushing a wheelchair. While Jessica had waited all she could think about was how she wanted a happy, healthy baby. Nothing else mattered.

They rushed her into the delivery room where someone kept telling her to push and William kept telling her to breathe and telling her what a good job she was doing. "Ok, one more big push" someone said who she assumed was the doctor told her. Shortly after she heard a tiny shrill cry and a nurse was handing her a tiny, baby wrapped in pink, saying "Congratulations you have a healthy, beautiful baby girl". She looked into the eyes of her new born baby and immediately lost heart, she was so full of love and adoration for this precious little girl.

Abruptly Jessica was jolted back to reality when Sydney started to fuss and wriggle in her arms. Jessica's nose wrinkled in disgust as she caught the aroma of Sydney's soiled diaper.

"Don't worry honey bunny, Mama will have you feeling and smelling fresh in no time."

William enjoyed helping with Sydney as much as possible. When he wasn't working, he would get up with her so that Jessica could rest. He adored his baby girl and couldn't help but wonder at the miracle he held in his arms. Sometimes he was saddened that his parents weren't there to share in this joyous time. He knew how much his mother would have enjoyed being a grandmother.

"You're daddy's precious, little princess. Daddy loves you, sweetheart." William told Sydney as he put her to bed. He stood watching over her as her eyes slowly closed. Once she was asleep William silently left and went to his room to get some rest. He noticed that Jessica wasn't already in bed waiting for him. Then he heard her calling him from the kitchen.

"William, I thought you said you fixed the dishwasher."

"No, I said I would fix it in the morning. I'm tired and want to go to bed." William said as he came into the kitchen not wanting to yell from the bedroom for fear of waking Sydney.

Feeling frustrated and unreasonably upset, Jessica frowned at William and said "I need it fixed now. Look at all these dirty dishes and bottles."

"Leave'em and I'll do them tomorrow"

"I can't leave them sit overnight. It will be twice as hard to clean with all that dried food and baby formula on them. You just don't understand" Jessica accused William.

Sighing deeply William noticed Jessica was near to tears, so simply gathered his tools to fix the dishwasher. One crying female in the house was enough, he thought becoming irritated with Jessica. It took a couple of hours for him to find the problem and fix it. By the time he had fixed the dishwasher there was water all over the kitchen floor. He got up and went to ask Jessica to at least mop up of the water, when he noticed she was passed out on the sofa fast asleep.

Perfect, just perfect. I work all day, come home cook supper, take care of the baby and when I want to get some sleep I have to fix the dishwasher. All the while she's asleep. He felt tears of frustration building up behind his eyes. He knew it was because he was tired mixed with disappointment at how hard being married and raising a baby was. He hadn't expected it to be so difficult and how much he would just crave sleep.

While William grumbled and complained to himself he mopped the floor, filled the dishwasher and as he was crawling into bed the baby monitored carried the cries of his baby girl and he knew his princess was awake and demanding attention.