It's Time

Ember paced around the birthing stall. The time had come. Her foal was arriving tonight. Despite having birthed foals before, this time was different. The previous times she’d always had Stacy with her. The woman had been there to calm her and ease the process. But now she was pregnant with her own baby ready to arrive and couldn’t spend the time with her. She wouldn’t be there.

Instead she had a red headed girl hovering near her stall door. Jane, a teenager as the humans called it, watched her nervously. She didn’t know what the girl was nervous about, she wasn’t the one having the baby.

Another human stomped down the hall, speaking to someone. “Yeah, I think you’d better get over here, Stacy. You’re the only one that can calm her.”

Ember’s ears perked. Stacy! Was she coming out? She stuck her head over the stall door and whinnied.

“Yes, that was her,” Phoenix said into the rectangular contraption that humans carried with them everywhere. Called them phones or something. “Are you sure? Okay, see you soon.”

“What’s happening?” Jane asked, looking up at the older woman.

Phoenix slipped her phone into her pocket and reached up to give Ember a scratch. “Stacy’s coming over. Phillip doesn’t like it, but even he admits that we risk losing the foal if she doesn’t calm down."

The red dun mare let out another neigh, pulling away from the scratches to pace again.

An eternity passed before Stacy arrived at the stall door. Ember nickered in greeting, eagerly accepting the woman’s affections.

“Easy, girl. I’m here now. Everything’s going to be alright. Yes. It would be. Ember relaxed. She wasn’t alone now.

Phillip arrived just as Stacy slipped into the stall, he glanced worriedly at his wife, but didn’t comment. He always trusted that she knew what she was doing with regard to the horses. “I just spoke with the vet. She’s on standby if something goes wrong. She’s just finishing up with a calf on a neighbouring farm, but since Ember has previously had two healthy foals and that there were no problems with her current pregnancy, she doesn’t expect there to be an emergency. But she still said that she’s going to come by to check on things once she’s done, just to be sure.”

“Good,” Stacy rubbed her hand down Ember’s neck, “cause we’re going to be all fine here, aren’t we? We have a happy and healthy mama, who’s going to have a happy and healthy baby.”

“C’mon, Jane, we’d better give them some space.” Phoenix nudged the girl.

“But I wanted to watch,” Jane whined.

“Ember doesn’t need all of us crowding around,” the woman said, laying a heavy hand on her shoulder and steered her away. “I’ll be within earshot, so give a shout if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Phoenix,” Phillip called after her.

Ember flicked an ear in their direction but otherwise kept her focus on Stacy. A calm centre in a whirlwind of emotions, tension still even as the rain outside started to fall.

Phillip shot a concerned glance at the roof.

“All the horses have been brought inside and the roof was double checked for holes yesterday,” Stacy soothed, smirking as she glanced at her worried husband.

He nodded, turning back to her. "Just hope we get a foal before the storm hits and the vet can’t get through.”

“I’m nervous about that too,” the woman stared into Ember’s brown eyes, “but we’re going to be okay.”

Phillip took a deep breath and let out a silent prayer for protection. "Okay." He glanced at Stacy again, noticing her tight shoulders and shifting stance. "I'm going to get you a chair, you can't stand all night."

"That would be great," she sent him a grateful smile. "Thank you."

He nodded and hurried off.

Ember let out a soft neigh, pulling away from Stacy to turn around. Her foal was coming tonight and tonight it would storm. Snorting, she shook her head. Time to settle in for the long haul.

….

Ember lay on the ground breathing heavily. Yet even in the midst of her birth, she glanced worriedly over at Stacy. She was certain that the woman had gone into labour, even knew that it had started and yet hadn’t said anything. The woman sat through the sparse contractions and then continued to soothe the mare under her watch. Ember was starting to wonder if they were both going to have their babies in the stall, because she knew that’s not how humans normally birthed their young.

A clap of thunder startled some of the other horses in the stable. Frightened whinnies and thumps could be heard over the sound of the rain. Ember herself was too tired to care. A little bit of thunder wasn’t about to scare her, not when she had more pressing things on her mind.

Phillip glanced over the stall door, this time catching the grimace on Stacy’s face as she silently went through her own contraction. Without even thinking, he fumbled with the latch and knelt by his wife’s side. “Stace, what’s going on? Are you in pain? What’s wrong? Is it the baby?”

Ember snorted. About time he noticed.

“It’s nothing,” she tried to assure him, but he wasn’t buying it.

“It’s clearly not nothing. Do I need to call an ambulance?”

“No, we’ve still got plenty of time before we need to think about getting to the hospital.”

“Plenty of…? You’re in labour? Stace, we need to go! Phoenix!” he shouted. “Grab the bags by the door and throw them in the car! Tell Evelyn to call the midwife and the doctor, we’re headed to the hospital.”

“Sure thing, boss!” came the yell from down the hall. “Jane, stay with the horses!”

“We’re not going to the hospital,” Stacy protested. “I’m fine. The contractions aren’t even that far apart yet. How do we know they aren’t just pre labour ones?”

“I’m not taking any chances with you or our baby,” he said firmly, helping her to stand up.

“And what about Ember?” she asked, though she didn’t resist his help as he manoeuvred her out of the stall.

“She’ll be just fine. She’s doing great and the vet will be here any minute.”

Phoenix ran up to them, jacket soaked. “Bags are in the car, Evelyn is on the phone with the midwife and headed for the car, which is parked right outside.”

“Thanks,” Phillip nodded to her.

“Are you going to be okay, Stacy?” the older woman cast a worried glance over her.

“I’ll be alright,” she smiled.

Phillip huffed. “She’s in denial.”

Phoenix grinned wryly. “Just think, this time tomorrow you’ll have a beautiful new baby in your arms.”

“Please keep an eye on Ember,” Stacy implored as they headed down the stable aisle. “I don’t want her to stress.”

“I’ll do my best,” the woman replied. “Just take care of yourself now. You and that baby are important too.”

With final goodbyes said, Phoenix slipped into the stall and knelt beside Ember, stroking her neck. “You know what you’re doing girl, don’tcha? And while we both know I’m not Stacy, she’s got important things to do. She’s got her own little one coming and even though she wants to be here with you for yours, she has to take care of her own. So let’s make her proud and bring your little foal into the world for her.”

Though tired, Ember nickered warmly. It was time.

….

In the early hours of the morning, in the middle of a storm, in two different places, two little ones were born: one grullo colt and one little girl.

“He’s gorgeous,” Jane whispered as the colt suckled from his mother, not willing to break the magic of the special moment.

“That he is,” Phoenix murmured, taking a quick picture on her phone.

Ember neighed in agreement. He was a beautiful little colt. A grullo coat with a few splashes of overo on his face, rump and shoulders, each with an extra halo of white around them. A special little colt indeed.

A rumble of thunder echoed through the stable and the colt startled briefly before calming down. The sound might be louder now, but he’d been hearing them for the last several hours. Surprise over, he went back to feeding from his mother, tail flicking happily.

….

In the town hospital, lying in bed, Stacy held her own special bundle. Phillip sat on the bed beside her, arm wrapped around her shoulder as they stared at the beautiful gift they’d been given.

“We never did fully decide on a name. Any thoughts?” Phillip asked, running a finger down his new daughter’s cheek.

“What do you think of the name Talia Nicole?”

He grinned. “I love it. Our little Talia Nicole Bailey.”

“She’s perfect.”

“And so very small.”

“She’ll grow.”

“I’m not sure I’ll ever want her to grow up.”

Phillip’s phone chimed and he checked it. “Phoenix just sent an update. The vet just left. Ember’s foal arrived and it was healthy. A little colt. She even sent us a picture.”

He showed her the photo of him suckling.

“He’s beautiful. I can’t wait to go see him.” The baby in her arms fussed, capturing her attention. “But first I have to take care of this one. Both born on one stormy night.”

“I guess that makes them birthday siblings.”

“A special connection for my special babies.”