Excerpt: Rising of the Samhain Moon --- A Collection of Pagan Stories for Children

Who is this man, who speaks with great intensity yet has a nature that she senses to be soft and gentle? He is a man who practices an area of law that earns him nothing but grief from human rights activists in all of Boston (“Why on earth would you defend that criminal?!”), but who articulates with such fervor his passions for the greater good of humanity that she can’t help but be captivated. Apparently, she isn’t alone, judging by the way everyone else held onto his every word, but she feels as if they are alone in the auditorium with her as his crystal blue eyes, sparkling under a lock of curly brown hair, locks with her own green ones.

“Oh, Jade, I’m so glad you called! Give me one moment while I check you really quick – is that okay, if I check you? Okay, good, this won’t hurt a bit… ah, most of the way there, you’re probably at six centimeters. Are you comfortable? Would you like anything to eat or drink? Sure, let me get you a glass of water. With ice?”

They laugh over the fondue pot for what feels like forever, switching between relaying their first weeks together to staring longingly into each other’s eyes. Had they known each other for eternity, before Fate even found it right to interweave their lives so tightly that a simple snag may unravel the universe? Jade had always believed in magic, but nothing that she could ever do could compare to the feeling she has as she holds his hands around the pot, stars twinkling in their eyes as he pulls out a glittering diamond and asks her to be his wife.

“Here you go, hon. Now, whenever you feel pressure moving from your stomach to your pelvic floor, you let me know, okay? That’s when the real magic starts to happen! I don’t think you’ll need the hospital at all. You’ve got a good birthing body, yes you do, even if you are so thin. Are you comfortable on your back like that? No? Here, let’s try something a little more opening. I have this stool here…”

The wedding is a blur of happiness. If it weren’t for the ring bearer falling into the cake that he left on the floor, or the way her mother shimmied to music that Jade could have sworn she had never heard before, she would swear that it never happened. Waking the next morning to find her husband lying next to her, still asleep from the crazy night before and donning his silver wedding ring, she knows that it was all reality, and pinches herself just to be sure. For how can two people be so incredibly happy together.

“There you go. This is what most of my mothers asking for. You can sit, but the pressure is gone from your sides. Nice open bottom makes for a nice open place for the baby! Oh, hon, a contraction… would you like my hand? Good girl, give it a squeeze if you like – you’ve got quite a grip on you! Now breathe, through the contraction… there you go. That wasn’t so bad. Oh yes, it will get bad, but we women are made for this. YOU are made for this!”

“Jade, honey, look…” She had stared furtively at the test for a minute before getting anxious and running from the bathroom, a goofy yet nervous smile plastered on her face. Then came Jason with the pregnancy test held in his hands, showing two pink lines, and she can’t help but cry over her joy. He gathers her into his arms, first to quell her cries, then to excitedly pick her up, her arms pinned to her side, and swing her around the living room before falling to the couch, where they snuggle and alternate between giggling and bursting out in happy tears for nearly an hour.

“They’re closer now, much closer! That’s it, take my hand, remember that you can do anything in one minute. That’s right, even this contraction. Your body’s working with the baby, to make a safe way out. Are you ready to start pushing? Trust me, you’ll know. It’ll feel like… yes, quite like that! Like the urge is stronger than your mindset, which helps because you are stronger than that, even. Whenever you’re ready, bear down. You can stay on the stool if you like.”

Picking out the midwife is the hardest part. Jade is determined to have a home birth, but needs to find one who is attentive to her needs and her spirituality. It is always hard to find someone who meshes well with someone’s individual needs and abilities, but even more so for someone who holds the power of magic. She doesn’t want to scare anyone away, but feels it to be appropriate to let each doula she interviews with know that the birth process will be especially worrisome with her… not because of the pain or imminent joy (as every woman experiences such pains and joys), but because of what may happen, even unconsciously, due to it.

“Oh, don’t mind that, honey, that was just your alarm clock. Yeah, you might need a new one, but that’s nothing, right? Sorry to say, your wall clock is shattered, too. But you said, you have the magic, and you also have the power to make this happen! Now, through the next one, you want to o-o-o-o-o-o-pen, create a nice big area for your baby, and let go. Here, I’ll brace you, will that help?”

Daniela strokes back Jade’s dark brown bangs from her forehead, trying to calm her as she experiences her first Braxton-Hicks contractions. Jason is nowhere to be found, but feels the power of her silent cries echoing through her mind, and calls to say he is rushing home, long before she even thinks to call him. Daniela was the first who springs to her mind, and she is suddenly here, rubbing Jade’s back as the mock contractions forces her magic out of control. Dishes break around them as they topple from cabinets, chairs are upset onto their sides, the sink faucet toggles between on and off, at one point using the sprayer to dance around the kitchen.

“Just ignore those things around you, don’t you worry about them, they’re not important! Nothing is more important than you and your baby. Now, push! Pu-u-u-ush! Fantastic job, great job, you’re doing it! It looks like just one more…”

Finally, they are over, and with a wave of her hand, Jade makes right the kitchen once again.