"Focus Object"

Author: Michelle
Email: michellabella52478@yahoo.com

Buffy walked into the mansion, finding her husband sitting spread-eagle on the floor with tools strewn around him. She laughed at the sight. "What are you doing?" she asked.

He looked up at her. "Hi. How was the appointment?"

With the baby's due date quickly approaching, Buffy had to see the obstitritian every two weeks. "Colleen and I are doing fine. But you didn't answer my question."

"Trying to put together this damned contraption." Buffy looked at the box. "It's a crib, honey. How hard can it be to put together?"

"It's hard."

"Did you read the instructions?"

"Yes, I did. You'd think they were written in Greek. I can't understand a word of it."

"Gee, and here I thought you were a cultured man of the world. And you can't even put together a simple baby crib." Buffy started giggling. "The Scourge of Europe can't assemble a crib. This is too funny!"

Angel threw the pieces to the floor and stood up. "Laugh now, but I will get it put together. Whoever came up with this idea anyway?"

Buffy shrugged. "Probably a horny husband who wanted to make love to his wife but couldn't because the baby slept between them. Hence, the crib."

"Yeah, well, that won't be happening to us." He leaned down to give his pregnant wife a kiss.

"Mmm...I have good news."

"What's that?" Angel questioned as he made his way to her neck.

She gently pushed him away. "This." She handed him a blue piece of paper.

He read it over. "Lamaze classes. What's that?"

"It prepares expecting parents for birth. Breathing techniques and stuff like that," she explained.

"I don't breathe. Why would I need techniques? And since when is there a technique to it? You inhale, you exhale, you keep up the pattern."

Buffy playfully swatted him. "Not for you, for me. I have to breathe a certain way when I give birth."

"And they have classes for this? I'll never understand the modern world."

"I signed us up for Tuesday night classes," she informed him.

"Us? Why do I have to go?"

She sighed. "Because I need a partner and you are going to be in the delivery room with me. Come on, Angel, it won't be bad I promise you. And Doctor Rich is dying to meet you. She's teaching the classes."

"Buffy..."

Wrapping her arms around his waist, Buffy gave him her best 'puppy dog' look. "Please?"

Angel relented. He could never say no to her. "All right, I'll go. Anything for you and the baby."

"So you must be Angel," Doctor Rich said when Buffy introduced them. "Buffy tells me how disappointed you are that you can't go to the appointments with her. But it's nice to see a father-to-be preparing for his family financially. You must be a very hard worker."

Buffy hugged herself closer to Angel. "He is. Angel can't wait to be a father. He's going to be a great dad."

"I'll do my best."

Doctor Rich smiled. She could easily see how much in love they were. Buffy had told her that this baby was a miracle, and that they wanted nothing more than to be the best parents they could be. And Doctor Rich knew they'd make great parents. "Did you remember to bring your focus object?"

Angel nodded. "We never leave the house without it."

"Really? What is it, if you don't mind my asking."

He held up a stake. "Mr. Pointy."

Doctor Rich raised her eyebrow. "Interesting choice. Most of the parents bring a stuffed animal or a picture. But a...a..."

"Stake," finished Angel. "Sort of hold sentimental value."

"Definitely unique. Why don't you have seat on one of the mats. Class will begin in a few minutes."

The couple walked to a green mat and Angel helped Buffy sit down. "Are you comfortable? Do you need a pillow?"

Buffy sighed. Angel was in full protective mode and sometimes it drove her completely crazy. "I'm fine."

"You can lean against me if you want to."

Seeing that she couldn't win, she gave in and leaned back against his chest. It felt like home to her, the one place where she felt totally safe. "Thanks."

"Any time." He leaned down to kiss her forehead.

Doctor Rich stood at the front of the circle of couples. "Hi, everyone, and welcome to Lamaze. I know most of you think this is just a class where we teach you how to breathe and focus in the delivery room." Buffy elbowed Angel in the ribs. He suppressed a groan. "But Lamaze is more than just breathing and focusing. We're going to teach you how to hold your baby, feed it and change it if you don't already know how. And you'll get to know other parents-to-be and share experiences with them.

"Before we begin, I'd like you all to introduce yourselves and tell everyone a little bit about yourselves. Why don't we start to my right."

A striking couple in their late twenties began. "I'm Kristen Thomas and this is my husband Michael. We've been married for three years. This is our first child."

The next couple looked to be in their thirties. "We're Beth and William Potempa. We just got married a few months ago, but we've known each other our whole lives. First child."

Buffy and Angel were next. Buffy decided to speak for them. "I'm Buffy Reilly and this is Angel. We've been married for four months and this is our first child. A girl."

The last couple were in their twenties. "Emily and Dan Hunter. We're getting married in August and this is our first child, too."

"Great. Now that we all know each other, why don't we start with breathing. When you are in the delivery room, how you breathe is vital. During the contractions and the delivery itself, you'll need a rhythm. The most effective being 'hee-hee-hoo.' I want the women to try this method while the men sit behind them."

The couples did as they were told. Angel held Buffy's hand as she practiced her breathing. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of her carrying his child. COLLEEN. MY LITTLE MIRACLE. "I love you," he whispered to Buffy.

"I love you, too," she replied between breaths.

The doctor walked around, observing the couples. "You guys are doing great. Now I want the men to join in. When it comes time for delivery, you have to be the coach. I'm warning you now, the women will be in pain; I speak from experience. You will have to breathe with them, reminding them to keep the rhythm, especially while pushing."

Angel felt silly doing the breathing exercises, but ignored it. He wanted to share this with Buffy -- the birth of their daughter. He was willing to suffer through the most humiliating actions to be there when Colleen entered the world.

"Let's try it with our focus objects. I want the women to look at their focus objects while still doing the breathing. And think about something that makes you happy. Some past or future event that will keep your mind off the pain during birth."

Angel took Mr. Pointy out again. He held it in front of her. "Thank happy thoughts, Buffy."

She did just that. Still exercising her breathing techniques, Buffy let her mind wander into the future. She and Angel were there, standing in the sunlight under a tree in their backyard, their arms around each other. Two children squealed several feet away. The oldest, Colleen, had blonde hair and brown eyes. The other child, a little boy, was a few years younger and the spitting image of his father. They ran over to Buffy and Angel, tackling them to the ground with giggles.

Buffy saw them all swimming in a pool. Angel was teaching Colleen how to swim while Buffy pushed the little boy in an inflatable boat. She smiled at her husband and daughter as he lifted Colleen up in the air and threw her in the water. When she resurfaced, she swam over to her father and pushed him underwater. Buffy joined in, taking turns with Colleen in dunking Angel. Then he grabbed her and pulled her under with him, catching her lips in a sweet, loving kiss.

The exercise ended all too quickly for Buffy. She wanted to see more, but Doctor Rich finished class. Pouting, she stood up with some assistance from Angel. "Was that so bad?"

"No. I found it very interesting. I don't remember it being quite so routine when my sister Katie was born," he answered.

Buffy smiled at him. "A lot has happened since then, eighteenth century man. I have to talk to Doctor Rich for a minute. Don't run away with other woman while I'm gone."

"Would never happen." Angel stood by the refreshment table while he waited for Buffy.

"Angel, right?" a man asked to his left.

He turned to see a tall blonde-haired man standing next to him. "Yes. And you're Dan?"

Dan nodded. "Thought I'd come over and say hi. Looks like your wife and my fiancé have the doctor cornered."

"The poor woman."

He laughed. "My thoughts exactly. So what do you do, Angel?"

"Do?"

"For a living. Work."

"Oh, I'm kind of an entrepreneur. Investing and such. You?"

"Finishing up my last year of law school. Emily and I just moved here last year. It's an ... interesting place to live," Dan surmised.

Angel smiled at the man. "It certainly is."

"So, how did you and your wife meet?"

"I was her history tutor in high school," he answered, remember Buffy had told her mother that more than six years earlier. "And we fell in love."

"Was it love at first sight? Emily and I hated each other the moment we laid eyes on one another."

"It was for me. Buffy though, I think she couldn't stand me. Found me rather annoying."

Neither of them heard Buffy and Emily approach.

"You got that right. Gorgeous, but annoying." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Angel, I'm kinda tired. Can we go home?"

"Sure. It was nice to meet you," he said to Dan and Emily.

As they were walking away, they heard Emily say, "You never look at me like that."

"I have to ask," Angel said. "What were you thinking?"

Buffy settled down into bed next to him. She pulled the blankets over her protruding stomach. "When?"

"In class, when you had to focus on Mr. Pointy. I told you to think happy thoughts. What were you thinking about?"

"The future. Us. We were teaching Colleen how to swim. And we had a son, too. They were beautiful, Angel. Colleen had blonde hair and our son looked just like you. The most handsome little boy I've ever seen. And it was daytime and you were outside in the sunlight. We were so happy."

He snuggled closer to her, so that her head rested in the crook of his shoulder. "I wish I had been there. It sounds so wonderful."

"It was. And it'll come true someday. I just know it will."

Angel reached over, turning out the light. "I'm holding you to it."

The End

<< back