Page 30 of The Cloud Catcher

‘If it’s a boy, Aden Joseph. And if it’s a girl, Amy.’ She breathed out the name, feeling it settle around them with a rightness that defied explanation. ‘Amy Nadine Maverick.’

‘Mum will love that,’ Jay said with a grin.

‘I love it, too.’ Zara smiled. ‘Your mum has been the mother I’ve always wanted, and then some.’

‘Well, I reckon we’ll be using her name, because like I keep telling you, I really do think we’re having a girl.’ Jay’s eyes softened, the corners crinkling with his smile. ‘And she’ll be as brave as her mother who lives life to the full, and as boundless as her father who adores soaring through the skies.’

‘Uh-huh, and as stubborn as the pair of us,’ she added with a giggle.

‘Oh, lord help her, and us.’ Jay’s chuckle echoed around the room.

They spent hours nestled in the comfort of the nursery, surrounded by the walls that still held the whispers of waves and the laughter of seagulls, but up above, the ceiling was now adorned with a painted blue sky with a few plump white clouds — an addition Jay had suggested, and that she adored. With both of them cuddled up in the oversized rocking chair, they spoke of the values they wished to instil in their child — the strength to stand against the tide, the courage to chart their own course, and the wisdom to find beauty in life’s simplest treasures. And there, amid the lullaby of dusk, they dreamt of the days to come, when they would no longer be a duo but a trio — a family unit syncing harmoniously with the rhythm of a world they’d joyfully build together, one heartbeat at a time. As the sun eventually dipped below the horizon, casting the room in the golden glow of twilight, they took a moment to kiss before rising to prepare dinner. They watched the first stars emerge like scattered pearls against the velvet tapestry of night from the kitchen window.

Time went on like this, from day to night to morning, in an easy flow of life, until it was a month before she was due to give birth. They’d decided to move closer to the ocean they both loved to visit, into a three-bedroom cottage they could call their own, where the salty tang of ocean air mingled with the sweet scent of Zara’s beloved rose garden. Another perk was that it was only a fifteen-minute drive from where Suzanne and Mark had moved in together. Miracles really did happen. Zara couldn’t be happier for their friends, who were head over heels, ridiculously, in love. Now, sitting with her nearest and dearest, she enjoyed the comfort of her best friend’s home where tissue paper, in delicate pastel hues, crinkled under her touch as she unwrapped the thoughtful gifts brought for her baby shower.

‘Open this one next,’ urged Suzanne, presenting a box adorned with ribbons that shimmered.

Gratefully taking it, Zara carefully peeled back each layer to reveal a plush seahorse, its eyes kind and knowing. ‘Oh, Suz, it’s beautiful.’ She held the thoughtful symbol of their nursery’s nautical theme close to her chest, overwhelmed by gratitude for the love that surrounded her. ‘I absolutely love it.’

‘Come here, you.’ Suzanne pulled her into a tight hug. ‘I’m so happy for you and Jay.’ Unwrapping her arms, she gently tapped Zara’s big round belly. ‘This little one is going to be so very loved, and so very spoilt, too.’

‘She sure is.’ Sniffling, Zara wiped her teary eyes. ‘Thank you, everyone,’ she said, her voice carrying above the soft chatter of the group. ‘I love all the gifts, so very much.’

Outside the window, Jay stood with a couple of the blokes over at the smoke-billowing barbecue. As if sensing her regard, he turned and caught her gaze, and his piercing blue eyes lit up. She offered an adoring smile, and he returned it with gusto. He’d been her rock throughout this pregnancy, weathering every emotional wave with her, curbing every fear and every doubt. And as he gazed at her now, amid the celebration, there was that same sense of unshakable strength, like a silent vow that he’d stand by her side through any storm.

And as her due date quickly approached, and nerves fluttered within her like butterflies in flight, he did just that. Always. Without question.

‘Hey,’ Jay whispered one evening as he found her gazing out at the glimmering stars from their bedroom window.

‘Hey, you,’ she replied ever so softly.

‘I was looking all over for you.’ His warm hands found hers, intertwining their fingers. ‘Please remember, we’re in this together, okay?’

She turned to face him, the soft light from the lamp catching in her eyes. ‘I know,’ she replied, her voice barely audible above the sound of the overhead fan. ‘It’s just, I’m scared, Jay. What if …’

‘Shh,’ he hushed her gently with a single finger against her lips, then by planting a tender kiss on her forehead. ‘We’ve got this, Za. Amy will be healthy, and well. And we’ll learn everything we need to along the way, as her parents.’

The following afternoon, they attended a childbirth class at the community centre that smelled faintly of waxed floors, recently polished in preparation for the swing-dance classes both of them longed to one day attend, when their busy lives permitted. Among the group of twenty parents-to-be, they sat side by side, with Jay’s arm wrapped protectively around her as they practised breathing techniques that mimicked the ebb and flow of tides. Then, laughing through their awkwardness, they tried different labour positions, each movement in preparation for the moment they’d bring new life into the world. With every shared glance, and every wide smile, there was an unspoken language brimming with anticipation and love between them, and them alone.

‘Not long now, and we’ll get to meet our little angel,’ Jay murmured against her sea-breeze-tousled hair after the class, their steps slow as they made their way back home along a winding footpath.

Zara squeezed his hand tightly in response, her grip strong despite the tremor of uncertainty in her belly. She couldn’t help but feel scared, and Jay completely understood that. Until she held their healthy baby in her arms for the very first time, as much as she craved to, she couldn’t bring herself to believe that everything was going to be okay. Every time she went to the toilet, every time she felt an odd niggle in her womb, every time she hadn’t felt their baby move for a few hours, there was a rush of fear. But as she looked up at the vast expanse of stars beginning to shimmer overhead, she knew their journey to this point was about more than just welcoming their daughter into their world, it was also a testament to the enduring power of their love, deep and boundless.

They were almost there.

It was a week before her due date when the first twinge of childbirth stirred her from deep sleep. She slowly sat up and her hands went to the thin cotton of her nightie, atop her rotund belly. Taking a few slow breaths, she silently uttered to herself in, one two three, out, one two three. It didn’t take her long to realise this wasn’t a trial run. She instinctively knew the gentle but insistent sensation was a harbinger of the day to come. So, in the peaceful light of dawn filtering through their bedroom curtains, she sought out the warmth of her husband’s skin.

‘Jay.’ Her voice was a soft murmur, breaking the stillness of the room. ‘It’s time.’

Eyes flashing open, he was instantly upright and alert, enfolding her in his strong arms before he’d said a word. And as the hours passed, the world outside their home seemed to hold its breath in anticipation, as if Mother Nature knew that another innocent life was about to enter the world. Together, just as they’d learnt in the prenatal classes, they moved through each contraction as Jay’s whispered words melded with her deep, focused breaths.

‘I think it’s time we get to the hospital now, Za,’ he said, after checking the timing of her last contraction.

Nodding, she breathed through the imminent arrival of another doozy.

They arrived at the hospital twenty-five minutes later, and from there the journey through her labour was a tumultuous odyssey shaped by both determination and grace. Jay, steadfast at her side, guided and propelled her forward when the waves of pain threatened to pull her under. Breathing along with her, he held her hand, a tether amid the unpredictable territory of childbirth, his touch a promise of safety, and a retreat from the world blurring in pain around her.

‘You’re doing beautifully, Za,’ Jay encouraged, his voice laced with emotion. ‘Not long now and we’ll meet our little Amy.’