09- The Addition
Twenty-eight year old Cotey Mallory stood by a rack of maternity clothes, holding a shirt up to her five-months pregnant stomach.
“Sam, does this look ok?” she asked her husband Sam Giran. She was a jockey, so she had decided to keep her maiden name. The tall, black haired man looked over at her.
“You’ll look beautiful in anything,” he told her. Cotey smiled and put her arms around his waist.
“Yeah right. I look like a hippopotamus right now. Honestly, does this look ok?”
“I like it… you should get it. Are we going to buy some stuff for the baby? I thought we were here for baby clothes.”
“I’m glad my clothes are so disinteresting to you,” she kidded. Sam grinned.
“Like I said, it doesn’t matter what you wear. You’re going to look beautiful no matter what you do. Come on, let’s pick out some clothes for the baby.” She grinned and followed him to the section of the store that had the baby clothes.
That afternoon Cotey sat in the obstetrician’s office. Sam sat next to her, holding her hand.
“I wonder what’s taking them so long? I mean… we’ve been waiting for almost twenty minutes for those test results,” she muttered. Sam squeezed her hand affectionately.
“Everything is fine honey. They’re just taking their time and making sure everything is alright.”
“I guess you’re right,” she murmured. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. Just then the door opened, and Cotey’s doctor walked in.
“I have some good news for you two. According to our tests, you’re going to be having twins,” she explained. Cotey felt her jaw drop.
“Oh my gosh,” she whispered. The doctor watched them for a minute before saying anything.
“Are you guys ok? I know this is a big shock,” she said with a smile. Cotey glanced at Sam and smiled.
“I think so… I’m just surprised.” Sam nodded.
“I can just picture the VISA bill now,” he murmured with a grin.
“I’m glad you’re happy about this. Twins are such a blessing,” the doctor said.
“Is there anything special I should do now because we know it’s twins?” Cotey asked.
“Just keep eating healthy, doing your exercising. You’re going to want to cut back on the riding soon I’m afraid.” Cotey nodded.
“OK.”
“You only have four months to go, so just keep pushing ahead.” Cotey smiled and stood up, taking Sam’s hand.
“Let’s go. We have some lessons to teach this afternoon,” she said. Sam stood and followed her out of the office, a large smile on his face.
Carrie and Jason walked into the barn in search of Cotey and Sam.
“Are you guys anywhere around here?” Jason called. Sam’s head appeared over a stall door.
“Hey guys. I’m just grooming Miami; Jess had to leave right after she rode him.”
“You’ve been demoted to groom?” Jason kidded. Sam smiled and opened the stall door, carrying the grooming bucket.
“Yeah, it’s painful. Let’s go watch Cotey teacher her dressage class. She’s got some really good students riding right now.” Carrie and Jason followed him to the indoor ring, where lessons were held in the winter. Cotey stood in the center of the ring calling instructions to the various students throughout the ring.
“Michelle don’t slouch! You need to look comfortable and you can’t let people see the aids you’re giving them.” The girl sat up straighter and pushed her heals down further. When she asked Maiden to trot the next time Cotey could barely see the aids. “Good job! Feel how she’s moving forward now?” The girl nodded, sitting to the trot. Sam stood by the rail and watched as Cotey looked around the ring and then glance at her watch. “Alright pick up a working canter. After one time around, switch to an extended canter!” She watched as the four students circled around her, one at a time telling their mounts to canter and then extend.
“Hey C, we need to talk to you!” Sam called. She told the students to keep cantering and she walked to the rail.
“Hey guys, what’s up?” she asked cheerfully.
“We wanted to know what happened at the doctor’s office,” Carrie said.
“Well, everything looks good. We found out today that I’ll be having twins.” Carrie squealed in excitement and Jason smiled. They each hugged her.
“That’s great Cotey! I can’t believe it,” Carrie said enthusiastically.
“Thanks guys. I’m going to get back to this group of students. They’re missing some of the finer points,” she said with a grin. They watched as she walked to the center of the ring and continued calling out instructions.
Three and a half months later Cotey looked at Sam and said, “If they don’t decide to come out soon I’m going to kill them.” He smiled and kissed her forehead.
“Take a breath and relax hon,” he said. She smiled weakly.
“I’m serious. You try carrying this thing around day and night,” she explained, putting a hand on her huge stomach. Sam laughed.
“I don’t think so. My back and legs would give out.”
“This makes me wish I hadn’t been so petit my whole life. All this extra weight is killing me,” she said.
“You only have a little while longer to go C, we’ll get through it,” he murmured. She nodded, hoping he was right.
The next night Cotey awoke from a sound sleep. After a moment she took a breath and shook Sam’s arm.
“Sam, I think I’m having the twins,” she said.
It took Cotey a total of thirty hours to have the twins. After they had been given a clean bill of health, Sam and Cotey sat in her hospital bed each holding one. Sam was holding the boy, Dominick. Cotey had the girl, Rachel.
“This is so amazing,” Sam whispered. Cotey glanced up at him and then back down at Rachel, smiling.
“Yeah it is. They’re so perfect Sam. Even with the fall off of Miami I took way at the beginning, they’re fine.” Her fall had been something both she and Sam had been concerned about, wondering if it would harm the twins.
“I told you that they’d be ok. You were just too stubborn to listen.” Cotey laughed.
“I wonder which one of them will be more like you and which one will be more like me. Maybe Rachel will love racing and hate dressage.” Sam laughed.
“Yeah, and maybe Dominick will love everything about horses, even stupid dressage.” They both laughed for a moment, but stopped as the door opened. Carrie and Jason walked in, each carrying balloons and stuffed animals.
“Girls or boys?” Carrie asked. Cotey smiled.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“They’re both girls aren’t they? All those boy clothes we bought will go to waste!” she exclaimed, looking at Jason with a frown on her face.
“No, they’ll be used,” Sam told her.
“Then they’re both boys! Oh, how wonderful. That means that all the…” Cotey cut her off with a smile.
“They aren’t both boys either. I got a boy and a girl.” Carrie’s smile grew.
“That’s wonderful! Have you named them yet?”
“This is Rachel, and Sam has Dominick.” Carrie smiled again and put her arm around Jason’s waist.
“Those are great names. Where did you find them.
“I have a book at home, why?”
“Well I might need to borrow it,” Carrie said. Cotey looked at her with big eyes.
“You mean you’re…” Carrie nodded. Cotey handed Rachel to Sam and wrapped her arms around Carrie’s neck.
“I’m so happy for you Carrie!” she exclaimed.
“Now everything is going to be perfect,” Carrie murmured.
Almost 7 months later Cotey was awakened during the night, not by the twins but by the phone. She picked it up on the second ring.
“Hello?” she mumbled. There was a pause before the person spoke, and when they did Cotey wished they hadn’t.
“Cotey, it’s Jason. There’s something wrong with Carrie… there’s blood everywhere. God, Cotey I need your help,” he explained frantically. Cotey got out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans over her night shirt.
“Let me wake Sam up. I’ll be there in a minute. Call 911 Jason,” she ordered.
“Hurry… I think it’s the baby.” Then the line went dead. Cotey hung up the phone and shook Sam’s shoulder hard. He rolled over and looked at her.
“What?” he asked sleepily. Cotey pulled the covers off the bed so he would get up.
“There’s something wrong with Carrie, and I need to get over there. I need you to be awake in case the twins wake up. There are two bottles in the fridge.”
“Is it the baby?” he asked. Cotey sighed, knowing it must be.
“I hope not, I really hope not,” she whispered. With another deep breath she said, “I’m heading out now. I’ll call you as soon as I can. Tell the munchkins I love them,” she said.
“Tell Carrie and Jason that I love them,” he said. Cotey nodded, but was already grabbing her hiking boots and hurrying out the door.
At the hospital Cotey sat and watched Jason pace around the waiting room.
“Jas, sit down. I can’t stand you pacing around.” Jason glanced at her, an apologetic look on his face.
“Sorry. Do you think she’ll be ok? I mean, the baby and everything.” Cotey shrugged, not knowing what to tall him. She had called Sam, and he had said he would call Jess to have her baby-sit so he could be at the hospital.
“I’m praying Jason. That’s all we can do right now.” Jason nodded and sat down next to her and he reached over and took her hand.
“Thanks for being here Cotey. I know how much that would mean to her.” Cotey nodded slowly, trying hard not to cry.
“I hope she knows I am,” she said. There was a noise from the hall and they both looked up. Sam was walking quickly through the crowd and had knocked a tray over.
“Sorry,” he murmured without stopping. He saw Cotey and hurried over.
“What’s going on?” he asked. She gave Jason’s hand a squeeze and stood up, pulling Sam to the side.
“I’ve been in hospitals enough to know what certain things mean… how doctors act when it doesn’t look good. They don’t think she’ll make it, and they don’t think the baby will either,” she said, biting her bottom lip. Sam closed his eyes for a brief moment.
“Does Jason realize that?” Cotey shook her head and glanced at him; he was staring at the hallway, waiting for a doctor to come out and give him some news.
“I don’t think so. He’s just focusing on her being ok… so am I. I don’t want her to die Sam.” He nodded and pulled her closer.
“I know honey. Let’s not think that way right now. Carrie’s a strong girl and she’ll fight this.” Cotey nodded and they went back to Jason. He was starting to doze off. Cotey let her head rest on his shoulder and let her eyes droop.
Sam shook Cotey’s shoulder and said, “Hey guys wake up!” Cotey opened her eyes and sat up, grimacing when she realized how stiff her neck was.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. Sam shrugged and tilted his head toward a doctor who had walked into the room. Jason had awaken too and was looking anxiously at the doctor.
“Are they ok?” he asked, standing up. Sam took Cotey’s hand and squeezed it.
“The baby is perfectly fine. You have a beautiful little girl,” the man explained. Jason glanced at his friends before looking back to the doctor.
“What about my wife?” he whispered. The doctor sighed.
“I’m sorry Mr. Fute… but she died during labor. She lost too much blood.” Sam stepped forward in time to catch his friend before his knees gave out.
“Come on and sit down Jas,” he murmured, leading him to a chair. After a moment Jason looked up at the doctor, tears streaming silently down his cheeks.
“You’re telling me that my wife is dead?” Jason asked.
“We can arrange for the baby to be taken to an adoption agency if you prefer.” Jason glanced at Cotey and Sam. Sam had his arms wrapped around her and she was crying.
“I want to keep my daughter,” he said finally. “I want to see her… now.”
“Alright. Follow me. Your friends can come along too if they like.’ Jason turned to Sam.
“Come on Cotey, let’s go see Carrie and Jason’s daughter,” he said softly. Cotey stood up and went to Jason’s side, putting her arm around his waist.
“Did you and Carrie talk about names?” she asked. He shrugged, staring straight ahead, his eyes blank.
“Not really. She’d had some ideas but nothing had been decided upon.”
“Can we help name her?” she asked. Jason looked at her, his eyes holding pain, confusion, and anger.
“I’ve never been good at naming anything besides horses. I want you guys to be her god parents… and I’ll have to talk to my parents watch her so I can keep running the farm.” He had taken over managing Sam’s training stables after Cotey and Sam had gotten married.
“Jas, why not take a couple days off? Sam can run things over there and I can run things at home. You need to get use to having a baby… and believe me it will take some getting use to.” Jason smiled a little.
“I’m sure it will.” They had come to the nursery window, and a nurse held up a pink blanketed bundle. She pulled the fold away from the baby’s face, and all three friends gasped. The little girl was beautiful, and already bore a striking resemblance to her mother. Cotey wiped tears away quickly and looked up at Jason. Tears were falling down his cheeks again, but he just let them fall.
“She’s so tiny,” he muttered. Cotey smiled and put her arm around his waist again.
“She’s going to grow so fast Jason. You’re going to be ok… we’ll get through this together,” she promised.
“I hope so,” Jason murmured.
Almost a year and a half later Cotey rode Maiden around the ring with Rachel, now two, sitting in front of her. Sam had them on the longe line and Dominick was eagerly awaiting his turn.
“My turn?” he called. Cotey laughed and asked Maiden to trot. Rachel giggled and squealed happily.
“Not right yet honey. Just wait a few more minutes.” Dominick sighed but waited quietly beside his father.
“Hey guys!” a voice called. Cotey pulled Maiden up and turned in her saddle. Jason had walked in with his one year old daughter.
“Hey Jas. Come on over and I’ll give her a ride.” Jason smiled and carried her over. She was wearing a pair of breeches and paddock boots. Her curly blonde hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail.
“How would you like to get up there and ride with Aunt Cotey?” he asked the little girl. She smiled and nodded bashfully.
“Ok. Dominick is going to go first, but then it’s your turn Elizabeth.” She smiled as Jason tossed her into the air.
“Are you going to get up there and ride Bethy?” he asked. She giggled. Cotey smiled and when she was done with Dominick she lifted Beth up in front of her. The girl smiled as Jason took pictures. He always had a camera with him now, wanting to catch everything his daughter did.
“Let’s tort a few times, and then maybe we’ll canter,” Cotey said. She told Maiden to trot, and after several times around they cantered. Elizabeth giggled the whole time. When Cotey pulled Maiden up, tears replaced the giggles.
“Come on Bethy, don’t start crying now. You can ride with Daddy and Christine when we get home.” Christine was his new girlfriend. Sam lifted the little girl down and unclipped the longe line.
“Let’s watch Aunt Cotey do some jumping and then we’ll go home,” Jason said. They watched as Cotey took the mare over some simple jumps. When she was done, the three children clapped wildly. She dismounted and ran her stirrups up. Jason put his arm around her shoulders after handing Elizabeth off to Sam.
“She looks so much like Carrie… it’s enough to kill me,” he whispered.
“I know. She’s such a good kid though,” she murmured. Jason looked at his daughter lovingly.
“She sure is. She’s going to be as good up there as Carrie was,” he said.
“She’s going to be better if she keeps having that much fun up there.”
“It’s amazing how even when you lose something, you can gain so much more,” Jason said. Cotey nodded, looking back at Beth.
“She is one heck of an addition.”
