My mother in law, Beulah, cast a cold glance at my thirty eight week belly and turned toward my husband with a look of pure indifference. “Make sure you lock both doors, Justin, and let her handle the birth on her own,” she said before heading off on a luxury trip to Aspen that I had fully funded.
Seven days later, they returned with sun kissed skin and wide smiles while dragging suitcases stuffed with expensive shopping. One look at the front door of the estate told them they had crossed a line that could never be undone.
The first sharp contraction hit me with the force of a tidal wave while I was resting on the living room sofa. This happened at the exact moment Beulah was zipping up her final suitcase and checking her reflection in the hall mirror.
“Don’t you dare ruin our family vacation with one of your dramatic episodes,” she snapped without even looking in my direction. My name is Audrey, and at thirty eight weeks pregnant, I was about to face the most terrifying moment of my life alone.
The irony of the situation was that the luxury week in Aspen my husband, his mother, and his sister Skylar were about to enjoy was paid for with my money. I had paid for the first class flights and the five star hotel suites where they planned to relax while I struggled through the end of my pregnancy.
I even handed them the platinum credit card they intended to use for high end dining and every supposed emergency that would inevitably become my problem. When the pain intensified and I begged for someone to help me get to the car, not a single person in that room moved a muscle to assist me.
Justin stood there in a crisp linen shirt with an expensive watch on his wrist while looking like he was headed to a brunch instead of staying with his wife. Skylar clutched her brand new designer handbag as if its safety were far more important than the well being of her unborn nephew.
“The car service is going to be here any minute, and I will not be late because you want attention,” Beulah said while checking her gold watch. To all of them, my physical agony was not a medical emergency but was simply a minor inconvenience that threatened to delay their departure.