seventeen

The winter snows began to melt. Sana's belly had grown huge with their unborn child. Sana was in the early stages of labor. Romero ran his hand over her belly and felt their baby move.

"Are you scared," Romero asked Sana.

Sana shook her head, "Just excited. I'm ready to hold our baby... And I think I have enough stretch marks for ten babies."

"I think they're beautiful," Romero told her sincerely, "You got them making our baby. That makes them wonderful."

"For our baby, I can live with them," Sana told Romero with a smile.

"I hope no one shows up needing anything today," he told her. "This is our special day."

"So do you think our baby's birthday will be today or tomorrow," she asked him.

"Everything's progressing well," Romero informed her. "So I think today will be our baby's birthday."

Sana stepped into their bedroom and set her hand on the rail of the crib they had set up just a few days before. But somehow, she was sure their baby would sleep more with them than in the crib. Her contractions were less than thirty minutes apart, but her water hadn't broken yet.

Romero monitored her carefully. And right around lunch time her water broke. Her contractions were strong and steady. She was nearly completely effaced. Then Romero suddenly cocked his head to the side listening.

"What is it," asked Sana concerned. "Horses coming? Is somebody hurt?"

"Vehicles," answered Romero listening closely, "at least two, I think."

"Can you tell what kind of vehicles," asked Sana worried and scared. They couldn't run right now. She was in labor, her water had broken, and her contractions were strong and steady. "Maybe it's just snowmobiles up in the mountains where the snow is still good, or all-terrain vehicles. Maybe it's just a couple of people out here having a good time," she suggested.

Romero was worried and a bit scared too, but he didn't want Sana to be worried or scared. Yet he was honest with her. He shook his head, "I've never heard either of those vehicles before. I don't know what they sound like... These sound like those jeeps from the desert to me."

"Are they very close," asked Sana.

Romero nodded confirmation. "It sounds like they're headed straight for us."

Then we should get the guns," suggested Sana, "just in case."

"Just relax and stay on the exam table," Romero instructed her. "I'll get the guns."

Sana focused on her breathing. Romero slipped back to their room and pulled the two semiautomatic rifles and two hand guns out from under their mattress. He quickly checked and loaded each weapon. Then he came back out and placed the weapons on the counter.

He checked Sana's progress. "It won't be long now," he informed her, "You're completely effaced."

Sana smiled, "Our baby's coming." Romero held her hands and kissed her.

Then Sana heard the approaching vehicles. They sounded like the jeeps from the desert to her too. She didn't say anything, but Romero saw the fear on her face. She hoped they were both mistaken and they weren't military vehicles. She hoped they were just forest rangers or hunters. But a few minutes later, the vehicles were parking in front of their home.

Romero rushed over to one of the two front windows and peeked out.

"Well," asked Sana afraid of the answer.

"They're military," answered Romero very unhappy. He grabbed the two semiautomatic rifles, slinging one over his shoulder and stepping out onto the porch with the other one in his hands ready to shoot.

"Get back in your vehicles, go away and leave us alone," ordered Romero.

Sana slid off the exam table even though she knew she shouldn't. Her legs nearly gave out from under her. They didn't want to work properly for her, but she made it over to the counter where the hand guns sat.

"Who is that," a short mature blond woman asked Kevin from the back seat of a jeep.

"That, Mrs. Coles, is Romero," answered Kevin, "And he will do whatever is necessary to keep Sana safe."

The major put his hands in the air, "Dr. Redmen," he called. "It's Major Hannahan. We met briefly in the mall."

"I remember you," responded Romero unwavering. "After you left, soldiers came. They shot at us. They killed no-faces. A bullet grazed Sana's arm."

Chief Cloud and a bunch of men emerge from the forest with arrows ready to fly in support of Romero and Sana. There were several women with them. Chief Cloud, Raven, Windsong and another woman rushed up by Romero.

Sana took the hand guns from the counter. She willed herself toward the front door. She heard Romero shout about the soldiers that had shot at them in the basement of the mall.

"I'm sorry about that," apologized Major Hannahan. "I know you only did what you had to protect Sana and keep her safe. I would have done the same. You're not in any trouble. You were acting in self-defense."

Sana made it to the sofa in the front room that faces the front door. She needed to sit down. Her legs wouldn't carry her any further. She tried to sit on the couch, but she wasn't quite close enough and ended up on the floor. She had a gun on the floor on either side of her as she put her hands on her belly during a long strong contraction. "Romero," she whimpered in pain.

"Sana," Romero said glancing back at the door. He had heard her. Now, he was very anxious.

Windsong and the other woman looked at the door. They knew Sana was inside.

"We'll check on Sana," Windsong volunteered. Then she and the other woman rushed inside. As they did, Romero saw that Sana was not where he left her.

"I don't have time for you right now, Major Hannahan," Romero told him. "Leave now, and I'll let you live." Then Romero rushed into the dwelling.

Romero found that Sana was crowning. "What are you doing," he asked Sana gently touching her cheek.

"Having our baby," she squeaked out.

Romero smiled. That hadn't been what he was asking. He had meant, why had she left the exam table? But he simply responded, "I see," because he did see. Their baby was being born.

"We think you should leave now," Chief Cloud told the major.

"I'm Major Hannahan, sir," introducing himself, "May I ask who I'm speaking with?"

"I'm Chief Cloud."

"Chief Cloud, I'm sorry to meet you under such stressful circumstances. But I assure you, we are not here to cause Dr. Redmen or Ms. Coles anymore trouble. I'm here to make some things right."

"I don't think they can speak with you right now," responded Chief Cloud. "I think you should come back tomorrow."

"I would do that if I was sure they would still be here," responded Major Hannahan, "But I know after what they've been through, they won't stay put. They'll rabbit out of here, and that's not necessary. And I know I have some people here they're going to want to see."

"Are they wearing a gun like you," asked Chief Cloud.

"I can't," Sana told Romero in tears. "It's not going to work. There's no way a baby's coming out of there."

"You're doing fine," Romero assured her. "The head is nearly out. I can see it has hair."

"Really," asked Sana. Then a hard contraction hit her and she wailed loudly.

Mrs. Coles followed by her husband and son, hopped out of the second jeep.

"My baby's screaming," Mrs. Coles shouted as she rushed, heedless of any warning, toward the two native men on the porch. "My baby girl needs me!" and she plowed right through Chief Cloud and Raven.

As someone came through the door, Sana grabbed one of the guns, pointed it at the individual and shouted, "I'm not going back to that fucking mall!" Then Sana blinked in disbelief at the individual, "Mom? ..."

"I have the head," announced Romero excited.

Sana's mother rushed to her side in tears, "My baby's having a baby."

"Dad? ... Carson? ..." said Sana still not quite believing her eyes as they joined her mother.

Kevin gave a confident nod of acknowledgment as he calmly stepped up on to the porch and greeted Chief Cloud and Raven, "Gentlemen."

"Damn it," said Major Hannahan taking off his gun and stripping off his uniform until he was down to his boxers, white t-shirt and black trouser socks. He turned around in front of Chief Cloud and Raven, "See? I'm not armed."

"Woo, Sana look at you," Major Hannahan heard Kevin say as he stepped inside.

"I need to witness this," Major Hannahan told Chief Cloud and Raven.

They looked at each other and shrugged. "It's your funeral," Raven told the major.

The major rushed through the door and Sana pointed the gun at him. He put his hands in the air. He had never been so scared before in his life. Sana had the look of a woman who was not about to be messed with. She was also in the middle of giving birth and it wasn't going to stop her from protecting what was hers. She wasn't lightning fast like Romero, but her aim was sure.

"I'm not here to try to take you back or try to take your baby," said Major Hannahan.

Then Romero held up their baby and announced, "Sana, he's a boy. We have a son."

Sana's eyes snapped onto her newborn son. Her face softened and her eyes welled up with joy. "Oh, he's beautiful."

Their newborn son let out a healthy squall. Sana put down the gun to accept her son into her arms.

"Romero," she gushed, "he's perfect."

Romero caressed a finger along their newborn son's cheek. "You do good work," he told Sana with a smile.

"Sana," Carson said amazed, "You made a baby."

"So what do you think of him, Carson," Sana asked. "He's your nephew. You're an uncle now."

Carson had the same skin tone as his older sister, but he was more than a head taller. He had the same brown eyes. But his hair was the biggest difference. Carson had curly black hair. Romero couldn't help trying to figure out the genetics. Sana was short like her mother, who was a green eyed blond, and like Sana kept a healthy layer of fat. Her father at first glance appeared to be of African descent. Except his black hair was more curly than kinky, his cheek bones high and prominent, his brown eyes had a native slant. He wasn't sure where Sana's mousy-brown hair came from; perhaps, a grandparent, or perhaps something she inherited from her father kept her from being a blond like her mother.

Carson gently touched the soft hair on his newborn nephew's head. "I like him, Sana. Can we keep him?"

Sana laughed, "Oh, we're definitely going to keep him."

Sana's father touched his newborn grandson's fingers, "He's definitely a keeper. He's going to be sharp like his mother."

"I can't believe my baby's a mother," said Sana's mother through her tears.

"Kevin, could you pull that tray table over here for me," asked Romero.

"No problem," answered Kevin stepping over to the tray table and wheeling it over.

Romero grabbed some sterilized string from the tray, tied off the cord and cut it.

"Congratulations, Sana, he's beautiful," Windsong congratulated her with a smile.

"Chief Cloud and Raven are on the porch," Romero told Sana as he took their son. "I'm going to show him to them."

Romero stepped out onto the porch, held his son up for all to see and announced happily, "He's a boy!"

There was a collective cheer from his native neighbors. Romero smiled brightly as Chief Cloud and Raven patted him on the back and his eyes welled up with tears. They were happy tears, but they were Romero's first tears. He had never cried before.