Page 38 of Babies at Coconuts

Chapter 29

In a dream-like state, Suzy reached for Ken’s hand and whispered, “I can’t believe it’s finally here. We did it.”

“You did it.” Ken kissed his wife’s cheek. “I hope you’re finally able to relax and enjoy every moment.”

Suzy nodded as she listened to the priest. Her heart swelled as Jon and Fernando locked eyes. She could tell Jon was nervous by the twitching vein in his forehead but he masked it with a wide smile.

The priest read a short passage, then asked Jon and Fernando to exchange their carefully written vows.

Jon cleared his throat. Voice wobbling, he said, “Never in my life did I think I would find someone who would com—”

Blinking back tears and dabbing her eyes with a tissue, Suzy strained to hear over a rustling commotion behind her.

An animalistic moan filled the air followed by a second groan and a long wail. “Oh, my God! My water just broke.”

Suzy’s eyes bulged. “No way.” She glanced back at Vanessa and knew what was about to unfold. Her heart thrashed when she saw a pool of water underneath Vanessa’s folding chair creeping toward her own feet. Yelling in the direction of the priest, she bellowed, “Hurry up. We’re having a baby.” Scrambling out of her chair, she rushed toward Vanessa. “Someone call 9-1-1.”

As if choreographed, Jon and Fernando snapped their heads around at exactly the same time. They stared at Vanessa, mouths agape, then winced as she writhed and attempted to pull her wet dress off her crotch.

“Holy shit.” Jon clapped his hand over his mouth and glanced back at the priest. “Sorry. But holy shit.”

The crowd gave a collective gasp.

Vanessa endeavored to stand but Suzy eased her back down and waved frantically toward Fernando’s three brothers. “Help, please. Two of you get on either side of her. Pronto.”

Murmuring, guests shifted in their seats, some horrified, others excited. Hope ran inside Coconuts and returned with a clean, white tablecloth. She laid it on the ground. “Steer Vanessa over here.”

Alex and Bill ran over and held one end of the tablecloth.

Face glistening with sweat, Vanessa’s auburn hair stuck to her forehead. She moaned like a wild animal. “The baby’s coming. I don’t think we can wait for the ambulance.”

“Oh, my God.” Suzy stood and cupped both hands around her mouth. “Is there a doctor or nurse here?” She and Ken helped ease the young woman atop the tablecloth as a woman jumped up saying she was an orthopedic surgeon.

Suzy waved her over. “Hurry.” Managing a smile, “I’m sure you can help, even though this isn’t your usual territory.”

The surgeon reached for Vanessa’s wrist, checked her pulse, and told her to take even, calming breaths.

Wide-eyed, Suzy glanced at Ken. “We may have to deliver a baby at Coconuts.”

He stared at a writhing Vanessa. “Let’s hope not.”

A siren filled the air. Red and blue lights swirled and brakes screeched. “Thank God they were fast.” Suzy raked her fingers through her hair and glanced toward Jon, whose face was ashen and twisted, obviously torn between standing beside his groom and tending to his former girlfriend.

Suzy bellowed again. “Hurry up, Father. Marry them. Jon and Fernando need to witness this birth.”

Fernando addressed the Father. “Get to the bottom line, please.” He glanced toward Vanessa. “Hurry.”

Even more sweat formed on the priest’s face. “Do you, Jon, take Fernando to be your wedded husband and do you, Fernando, take Jon to be your wedded husband?”

Both men said “Yes” and plucked matching, engraved silver bands from their pockets. Without being told, they shoved them onto each other’s ring fingers.

“I now pronounce you married. You may kiss each other.”

Suzy’s eyes glistened as she heard murmurs of the familiar, extremely rushed vows, followed by “I do” from both men. Standing, so she could watch her son get married, Suzy witnessed the two men thrust rings on each other’s fingers. Jon and Fernando embraced, kissed, and the crowd roared as Vanessa punctuated the ceremony with moans following each contraction.

In the background, the minister said, “Congratulations to Mr. and Mr. Jon Jacobs and Fernando Russo.”

The second after their quick kiss, the grooms bounded toward Vanessa. Wide-eyed guests exchanged banter and nervous laughter as they remained seated and gawked in the direction of the howling pregnant woman. The ambulance sirens didn’t quite mask her wails.

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