Mother Love

The second, ten years later, caught her body less prepared. Had finger nails been more pared her clench might well have spared his palms so close to drawing blood. Her pelvis did not dilate in that hot steam tub. Hours of pain through day and night were test and strain enough to exhaust the parents both. Was he then induced? He cannot quite remember. But when no breath was left to push, and she was all but done, the button was then quickly pushed to summon others to a run, all scrub-green-gowns with wellingtons to fill the meagre room. Just out of sight a scalpel cut, and cockle forceps clawed him out as spattered boots slathered blood-red water gore across the polished vynil floor. Emotions barely held, like the churn of vomit just withheld, for her sake, as he saw the bloodied face appear. No nose, raw gaping flesh exposed, cleft through his upper jaw. The room shock silence fell, with frozen eyes above the medic masks all rigid with surprise. No scan had seen his cleavered mouth obscured by sucking thumb. Proud parades of parent picture-scan concealed what now in birth struck dumb, with defect's shock revealed. As father saw his new birthed child taken by the nurse a while and cleaned and breathed like any other, he searched for words to tell this sight while needles stitched child's mother. "There's something wrong, something right here", he pointed to his face. But mother reached her hands outstretched to becon child to her embrace and son was laid upon her breast just like her first had done. No less of love's adoring gaze signed love's great test was won and would endure all testing days for this beloved son.