After her epidural, she managed to nap for a while.
By the time she woke up, it was nearly dusk. She and Charles Chase picked up their phones, ready to call Cecilia.
The call connected quickly. With her stomach no longer aching as much, Mia Moore’s voice was upbeat: “Baby, Cecilia, my little darling—”
“What is it, Yaoyao? You miss me?”
On Cecilia’s side, it was only breakfast time. Breakfast in Country Y was nothing fancy—just milk and sandwiches. She’d even bothered to buy a pot so she could get up early and cook lean meat porridge herself.
The steaming porridge sat on a small tray atop the hospital bed. Xavier Foster lounged against the headboard, blowing on the bowl to cool it, waiting for her to eat.
Mia Moore sighed, frowning. “What on earth’s going on with you? Something happened and you didn’t even tell me—you scared me half to death.”
“Didn’t want you to worry, and it wasn’t a big deal anyway. How are you? Is the baby being good?”
At the mention of the baby, Mia Moore absentmindedly stroked her belly, mischievous: “She’s being good. Guess what I’m doing right now?”
“Hmm, since it’s almost dinnertime, are you... about to eat?”
“Nope, not even close. I’m at the hospital, getting ready to give birth!”
“What? You’re in labor already? But it’s so soon. I haven’t made it back yet.”
“Don’t worry. By the time you return, you can come meet the baby at the hospital.”
“Mm, hang in there! I really wish I could be with you now.”
“Be good. Sister Song Ying already said I’m tougher than you—I’m even giving birth faster! I’ll probably have the baby sometime tonight.”
Cecilia took a deep breath. When she’d had her child, Yaoyao had stayed with her in the hospital for a day and a night, and now she couldn’t do the same for Mia Moore.
“Don’t be afraid; once she’s here, the pain will be over.”
“Charles Chase and my brother, and Sister Song Ying are all here. Don’t worry about me—just take care of your dear hubby!”
Mia Moore, her hand still resting on her belly, felt re-energized after her nap, ready to chat her friend’s ear off.
But before she could finish, she noticed a spreading warmth under her hips. Her hand instinctively checked the bedsheet below—it was wet.
Her water... had broken?
“Charles Chase! Charles Chase—my water just broke!”
Charles Chase raced out from the bathroom. “Your water broke? I’ll ring for the nurse. Don’t panic.”
“Wah, Cecilia, I have to hang up now!”
“You can do this, babe—don’t be scared!”
With that, Cecilia hung up and looked at Xavier Foster. “Yaoyao’s at the hospital—she’s about to have her baby.”
“It’s okay; Song Ying and the others are with her.”
Xavier Foster placed the cooled porridge in front of her. “Eat while it’s hot.”
…
Back in the delivery room, Mia Moore tossed her phone aside. Now that her water had broken, the tension in her belly had eased a little.
The warm wetness spreading beneath her made her frown; she couldn’t help feeling a bit grossed out by herself.
“Wahhh, Charles Chase, I feel all dirty. Can you wipe my hands for me first?”
Charles Chase carefully wiped her hands clean with a towel, then bent down to feel the wet sheet and gently scooted her to a drier spot.
“Honey, are you really not disgusted by me?”
…His beautiful, fox-like eyes flicked up and he threw a fond, exasperated look her way, then leaned in. “What are you thinking, darling? There’s nothing about you that could disgust me.”
…
Mia Moore’s face turned bright red. She coughed awkwardly, realizing her mind had wandered to strange places.
The door swung open—Song Ying and the nurses came in, with Sarah Chase close behind.
One quick glance was all it took. “It’s just your water breaking. We’ll check dilation in the delivery room; for now, lie down, don’t sit up.”
Supporting Mia Moore onto her back, the nurse pushed her bed toward the delivery room.
Sarah Chase walked alongside, looking down at Mia Moore. “Yaoyao, don’t worry. I’ll be waiting just outside. If it hurts too much or you get mad, just pinch Charles Chase, and don’t go easy on him!”
“Okay, Mom, I swear I’ll pinch him with all my might!”
She nodded earnestly, trying to reassure Sarah Chase. She didn’t miss the redness in her mother-in-law’s eyes—clearly, she was worried about her too.
…
Squeezed at the back, Charles Chase rubbed his nose dubiously. Was he really their biological son-in-law?
But if it helped make Yaoyao more comfortable, she could squeeze his hand as much as she wanted.
Inside the delivery room, Song Ying examined her—it was already fully dilated.
Mia Moore, still riding the wave of her epidural, giggled.
But the moment her legs were hoisted up and the delivery truly began, realization hit.
The epidural only dulled the pain from the contractions. The pain of delivery—that was unavoidable!
“Ahhh… mmm…”
The baby pressed down on her lower abdomen—a rough stone caught in a narrow path, desperate to escape.
Mia Moore arched forward, following Song Ying’s instructions, bracing herself and pushing hard.
Her slender neck stretched into a delicate curve. The room wasn’t kept too cold, and her fair skin gleamed with a fine sheen of sweat.
Charles Chase dabbed at her forehead. “Hang in there, sweetheart, it’ll be over soon…”
Through gritted teeth, she glared daggers at him. "This is all your fault!"
“My fault, my fault, all my fault. Be good—it’ll be over once the baby’s here.”
"Ahhhh…"
She suddenly arched, pain ripping through her so sharply tears sprang to her eyes.
"Charles Chase! You jerk!"
"I’m a jerk, I’m a jerk!"
“Wah, why can’t you be the one giving birth!”
“Sure, sure, I’ll do it, let me take your place.”
He agreed to everything; Charles Chase would take any blame.
The two young nurses nearby watched, struggling not to laugh at the sight of the great CG Group president sweating bullets, doubled over, coaxing his little wife.
Finally, Song Ying cut in, "Yaoyao, no talking! If you talk, you’ll lose your breath and can’t push properly!"
That tone yanked Mia Moore straight back to her childhood, haunted by memories of Song Ying nagging her over homework.
She shut up at once, reduced to muffled whimpers.
"Unngh…"
"Now, with the next round, hold your breath and push—don’t let it out until I count!"
Mia Moore didn’t dare protest, but silently regretted not having someone else deliver her baby. Poor her.
"Ten... nine... eight…"
Every second felt endless. The baby crept out shyly but slowly.
Her little face turned crimson from the effort, fingers locked tight around Charles Chase’s hand, no mercy just as Sarah Chase advised.
When Song Ying finally counted down to zero, Mia Moore collapsed, exhausted, back onto the bed.
"It hurts so much, wah..."
Charles Chase wiped the sweat from her forehead, then kissed her gently. “Almost there, darling, just a few more pushes.”
"Charles Chase, am I going to die from the pain..."
"Ahem..." Song Ying cleared her throat. The girl still had so much to say—she definitely had energy, it was just that the baby was slow coming.
Looking pitiful, Mia Moore shut her mouth again.
Finally, after five or six more pushes, the shy little baby’s head appeared.
"Yaoyao, you can see the baby! Just a couple more pushes, but go slow and steady."
Those words, 'you can see the baby,' gave Mia Moore fresh hope.
"Okay."
She could feel it too—the baby was almost out, because the pain reached its peak.
Now she really had no energy left to curse at Charles Chase. Gathering her last burst of strength, Mia Moore pushed.
Instantly, she felt all the pressure in her body give way—something slipped free.
Song Ying’s voice came, smiling, “That’s it, that’s it, the baby’s here—it’s a little girl.”
The umbilical cord was cut, and a nurse gently carried the baby aside to clean up. Seconds later, tiny cries filled the room.
Mia Moore’s heart clenched, and at last it really hit her. She turned, tears streaming sideways into her pillow, looking for her baby.