Don't Need A Man

extra: in which she has a baby ×3

"Momma! Momma!"

Prim and Basil race-- since everything is a competition between the two-- over to me. My fat ass lounges on our living room couch. Whatever they want they are going to have to come over here to get it.

"Momma," Baze calls once more before he stops at my swollen feet, shortly followed by his sister. Two year old Prim, with my help, climbs onto the couch beside me. "Can we please go to the park with James and Fredrick. Please."

I stroke Primmy's soft blonde hair. Lately she's been adamant about wearing her hair down, no more of Momma's fancy braids. She's only two and already outgrowing me. This third one better never leave me.

"I don't know, bubba. Momma's back and tummy hurt."

Prim clutches to my very pregnant self. "Noo. Momma got boo-boo?"

I smile down at her. I fucking love my babies. "No, your baby sister or brother is about ready to come out."

"You said that two weeks ago," Basil deadpans. "I don't remember you saying that about Primmy."

"Primmy came early. This baby is coming late."

Prim softly presses her face onto my stomach. Her hair fans out everywhere. "Baby. Out my Momma!" Her voice is muffled and soft, but it warms my heart nonetheless.

Another sharp pain bolts through me. Calmly, as to not alarm the kids, I grab my cellphone and dial my mother's number. My contractions are six minutes apart. I know to come in when they're five minutes apart, but who know how long that will take.

I pass the phone to Basil. "Here baby. Tell Grandma that Momma needs her to come now. And then I need you to call Aunt Ginge and tell her Momma is having a baby."

"Grandma, now. Aunty, baby." Basil nods. "Got it." He presses my cellphone to his ear and greets his grandmother. I leave the two alone and waddle over to my closet. I grab the baby bag I've prepared for the hospital, along with separate clothes for me. On my way back to the living room I pass a throw blanket. Without thinking I shove it into my purse.

Basil chats on the phone for two more minutes before hanging up and tossing my phone into my purse. I grab Prim and pull her jacket on. It's a breezy April afternoon, but Prim gets cold fast. Plus, the hospital isn't the warmest place. Another contraction flows through me and I'm left breathless. They're beginning to become less uncomfortable and more painful.

Twenty minutes later Basil opens the door to my mother's smiling face. Prim jumps for joy at her grandma's arrival. I grab my bags and meet them at the door. "Hi, Mom."

She greets me with a kiss on the cheek. "Hello, Rosemary. Are we waiting for anyone else?"

"Aunt Ginge and Uncle Clove said at the hospital," Basil informs us. We nod and head towards my SUV. I lock up the house, take a deep breath, and smile. Next time I'm here, I'll have another baby.

How fucking cool.

➖✖➖

If Luke tells me to push one more time I'm going to lose my mind. I've have two children vaginally; I know that I have to push.

"I can see the head. C'mon, Rose, really push."

"I'm fucking trying!" My words end with a scream as I use all of my energy to push this damn child out of me. My body is drained and achy. I want a heating blanket and come food. But I really want this baby first, then we'll talk dinner.

We arrived at the hospital a quarter after one o'clock. It's nearing eleven PM. I'm exhausted.

Ginger grips my hand. She smiles down at me, probably remembering being in my spot not so long ago. She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl three months ago. Her and Luke named my neice June. She has gorgeous brown curls and olive skin. She takes after her biological father, but that didn't stop Luke from bawling his eyes out when he first held his daughter and signed her birth certificate.

"Rose, you got this. You've done it twice, what's a third time?"

Squeezing the life out of Ginger's hand, I push a child out of me. "It's a girl." Her cries bring me to tears. She's crying, she's alive, she's mine.

"I want--."

"Here you go, Miss Beckett." A small bundle of white is gently put into my waiting arms. "She is seven pounds, eight ounches, fifteen inches."

My thumb strokes her soft pale cheeks. My baby. My baby girl. Everyone leaves to give us a minute. I stare down at her. She's all mine. Another girl. Her eyes blink and I spot shiny blue eyes the color of the ocean. Softly, I move her hat back a little and spot short brown hairs. Primmy's eyes and Basil's hair.

"Hi, Momma." My two kids walk in alone. Prim stands on the chair next to the bed while Basil stands by my head.

"Hi babies." I press a kiss to out new additions forehead. Saliva bubbles at her mouth. "This is your new sister."

Basil's voice is soft. "A girl." Prim grins.

"Let's name her, okay?"

Both children think for a moment. Prim speaks first. "Mint."

"Mint?" I look down at my youngest daughter. I nod. "Mint."

Both of my children climb onto the bed and lie down where my feet are. A nurse wheels a portable crib into the room and places Mint comfortably. She allows Mint to stay in the room with us for a while longer.

Basil and Prim crawl up to my arms and snuggle into me. One on each side. Slowly, my family enters, one by one, to say hello to me and Mint.

I'm glad I don't have a baby daddy. My family is enough.