Clara's absence became more apparent the more the baby grew. At first, I learned to distract myself by humming as I cleaned. It was enough to get my mind off that terrible day she died. Unfortunately, my stomach grew so large that the pain in my back would easily become unbearable. I was forced to sit on the couch and rest so I would have enough strength to prepare dinner before Miles and Joseph came inside.

Joseph was unable to get a midwife, but he reassured me multiple times that he knew how to deliver my baby. Any time I thought about how I was going to give birth in a few days, my body trembled with anxiety. I had to keep reminding myself whatever pain I would experience would be worth it when I could hold my daughter. That was what Clara had always told me.

There was the familiar click of the lock when I finished placing dinner on the table. Miles and Joseph had been locking the door every day since Clara's death. I checked the door myself when they went outside. Knowing I was safe in the house caused most of my anxiety to ease. If no one could get in, then no one could hurt me.

I sat to rest my aching bones while Miles and Joseph washed up before eating. Miles lingered around the kitchen windows to stare out at the farm. He would sometimes stare out the windows for what felt like hours. Initially, I would try to convince him to return to bed when I would wake in the middle of the night and see him staring out the bedroom window. He was too stubborn for me to put the effort into arguing.

Joseph was no longer stumbling around the home drunk. I never saw him with a bottle of whiskey anymore, and the stench of alcohol no longer lingered on his breath.

Once they were at the table, I struggled to eat. The pain in my lower back was growing more intense and diminished my appetite. I closed my eyes and leaned back my head as I rubbed my sore muscles. I listened to the sound of cutlery against the plates as a form of distraction. At least I was not stuck in silence.

"Maisie, you should lie down," Joseph said.

"No." I shook my head. I needed their company so I could continue to distract myself. "I am fine. I promise I am fine."

"I'll bring her upstairs," Miles said.

I opened my eyes to see neither of them had any remaining food on their plates. Miles walked around the table, but I shook my head. I stood and grabbed the plates, wanting an excuse to remain around people. Miles put his hand on my shoulder.

"Maisie, put the plates down," he said.

I forced a fake laugh as I continued to shake my head. Surprisingly, Miles let me step away from him and head toward the sink.

"Nothing is wrong," I said. "You two are overreacting."

While placing the plates in the sink, a wave of pain ran through my abdomen. The dishes slipped from my hand as I cried out in pain. I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut as I gripped the edge of the counter. I took a few deep breaths and held my stomach while I waited for the pain to disappear.

Miles shouted my name twice, but I did not respond. He slid his hand around my back and grabbed my elbow to support my body. When I opened my eyes, I could see his brows were furrowed in worry. His eyes scanned my body for any injuries.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I had a really bad pain," I said.

"Is the baby hurt?"

A chair screeched across the floor. I looked over my shoulder to see Joseph walking toward us. A small smile was on his lips as he rubbed his hands together.

"I think this means the baby is coming," Joseph said.

"Now?" I asked.

I wished I could hide my panic in my voice. I expected this to happen soon—maybe in a couple of days—but not now.

"It could be," he said. "Edith told me about this, and something similar happened to Clara. The pain is going to get worse. You need to lie down, Maisie."

I nodded. My body recovered from the unexpected pain, but I shuddered at the thought of it getting worse. Miles pulled me toward the staircase. I held onto the banister as we went up the stairs, and Miles tightened his grip to ensure I did not collapse if I was taken over my another wave of pain. When we were halfway, a liquid gushed between my legs. I gasped as I stopped and held onto my stomach.

"Is it more pain?" Miles asked.

"Something else happened," I said.

The liquid soaked through the front of my dress and trickled onto the floor. Miles's eyes widened as he looked at me.

"The baby is definitely on its way," Joseph said as he stood at the bottom of the staircase. "Miles, help Maisie get changed and get her comfortable. I will be upstairs soon."

Miles nodded and tightened his grip. I focused on my breathing to push away the panic while Miles brought me to our bedroom. He helped me change out of the wet dress and into a nightgown. When he pulled back the blankets on the bed and stacked the pillows, another pain spread through my lower stomach. I cried out as I held onto my stomach, leaned forward, and placed my hand on the bed to keep myself on my feet.

How was I supposed to handle this pain when it got even worse?

Once the pain disappeared, Miles helped me lie on the bed. He tucked the blankets around my body and adjusted the pillows behind my back and neck. The pain lessened in my back, but it was still noticeable. He sat on the edge of the bed as he ran his fingers through my hair. A mix of emotions appeared on his face, forming a confusing expression. His brows were furrowed in worry, but the corners of his lips were lifted into a smile.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked.

"For now," I said. "I don't know when the pain is going to return."

Miles placed his hand on my stomach. The door opened, and Joseph walked into our room. Miles kept his attention on my stomach and did not look at his father. Joseph stood next to the bed and crossed his arms over his chest. They both had such intense stares.

"She had another one of those pains," Miles said.

"They will become more painful and frequent the closer the baby is to being born," Joseph said.

I closed my eyes and placed my hand on top of Miles's. Clara had told me small details about giving birth before she was killed. She told me how she was in labour for over a day when she had Miles, but did not want to explain much more. She was worried about giving me unnecessary worries before the birth.

"I'm scared," I said.

My voice was a soft whisper, and I was unsure if either of them could hear me.

"Edith said you need to focus on taking deep breaths," Joseph said. "It will help you and the baby."

"How long will it take?" Miles asked.

"The baby won't be here for a while."

When I opened my eyes, Joseph was staring at me. His attention was no longer focused on my stomach but on my face. His smile was wide, and I could see the excitement in his eyes.

"We're going to have a new addition to this family," he said.

–

Labour was the worst pain I had ever experienced. As each slow and agonizing hour passed, the pain managed to get even worse. I refused to look at the clock, but the sun had risen a few hours ago. It seemed like this horrific experience would never end.

Sweat coated my skin and soaked my hair. Joseph frequently reminded me to keep breathing. It was such a simple action, but I struggled not to hold my breath and tense up every time I experienced a contraction. Miles stayed by my side throughout the night. When I cried out in pain, he gave me his hand to squeeze.

In the last hour, I was lying on my side to relieve some of the pain. Joseph was leaning against the dresser with his pocketwatch in his hand. He said nothing as he stared at the watch when I gritted my teeth and cried out in pain. Miles was washing the sweat off my face when I was hit by another contraction. The mixture of pain and pressure was becoming too much to handle.

Joseph tucked his watch into his pocket and pushed himself off the dresser.

"It looks like it's time," Joseph said.

"I want this to end," I muttered.

"You have been going through this for more than fourteen hours," Joseph said. "You're doing great. Miles, we need to sit her up."

My body was so weak when Miles rolled me onto my back. Joseph helped him rest me against the pillows. My hand trembled when I pushed the wet strands of hair off my face. I closed my eyes as I tried to focus on breathing.

The entire process went by like a nightmare. Most of it seemed like a far away dream, and I could only recall certain parts. The pain somehow became even worse and caused me to scream, which were noises that sounded like they came from someone else. My head was so distracted by the pain and anxiety that I did not put much thought into Joseph being between my legs. Miles switched between holding onto my hands and rubbing my back.

A high-pitched cry filled the air. I collapsed against the pillows, and exhaustion overtook my body. For the first time in hours, I was able to smile. Clara always told me about the sweet sound of your baby's first cries. She told me it was how you knew your baby was breathing.

We both made it through this. We both survived.

My eyes were heavy, and I struggled to keep them open. I craned my neck to see my baby, who was still crying, but Joseph's body was blocking my view. My elbows buckled as I tried to push myself up. Miles was quick to push me back against the pillows.

"You need to rest," Miles said.

"Our baby," I said because they were the only words I could form.

"Maisie, you have a daughter," Joseph said.

A daughter?

Clara had been right.

Joseph walked toward the bed before I could try to push myself up again. He placed the small bundle in a blanket into my arms. My baby was so much smaller than I anticipated. I had never seen a newborn before, but I was not expecting her to look so tiny and fragile. Her skin was red as she continued to cry.

My own tears pricked at the back of my eyes when I looked down at my daughter. Miles shifted himself closer to me on the bed. His one hand was around my waist, and his other hand pulled the blanket back so he could see our baby better.

I looked up at him to see he was smiling. It was not the subtle smile I had grown used to seeing, but a wide grin. His face lit up with happiness in a way I had never witnessed before.

This was what I always wanted. This was what I had dreamed about. I had a family of my own. My life was so much more than the hell I was once stuck in. My fantasies of a better life had now turned into a reality.

All of this happened because of Joseph.