It was that easy, and that terrifying.
I rubbed the spot on my chest and thought of Thay.
“Two minutes old and she has already changed the world,” I said, kneeling close and helping to coax that first breath of air: lungs and soul colliding at once.
Alyssa’s body broke again, but this time for a different reason.
“She is perfect,” she cried, forgetting the last six hours or any life before the one she held in her arms.
“She really is,” I glinted, leading Alyssa back onto the pillow to pass the placenta. “Absolute perfection.”
“I will take it from here,” my mentor came up beside me. “Well done.”
“Daphne,” Alyssa peered up at me, her skin buttery soft and full of natural light. “I fucking did it!”
“Hell yeah, you did, babe!” I winked. “You did it all.”
“Thank you,” she said, kissing her daughter’s head, and I faded out of existence where I belonged.
I smiled up at my preceptor, Celeste, then made my way to the washbasin, discarding my gloves and splashing cool water on my face. Seattle was bright today, and it took me a moment to adjust.
“You look like hell,” Celeste commented, moving to her bag to retrieve a few items for the afterbirth.
“Thanks,” I laughed, catching my reflection in the window and the dark circles underneath my eyelids. I yawned, grabbed my phone, and buried it in the hoodie Wolfe had given me.
“So, something came up I thought you might be interested in,” Celeste explained, setting the placenta on the scale andinspecting it to ensure nothing was out of place. Even with modern medicine, the maternal mortality rate in the United States mirrored that of third-world countries, and bleedouts were more common than modern medicine would have you believe.
“Everything okay?” I asked, leaning over to inspect it for myself.
“Perfect, actually,” she said, discarding her gloves and turning to me. “Every year in Maine, my friend Claudia and Dr. Brenback host an internship for midwives interested in expanding their practice to Canada once training is complete.”
I blinked, attempting to steady my pulse as it beat in my neck.
“We have more practice rights in Canada, and let’s face it, Daphne, boutique births aren’t your thing. You’re a mission-type healer,” she smiled. “And I love that about you. If you do well, they might offer you a job. Proper work and full benefits.”
Something like hives threatened to break out across my skin as my breath moved in tight, shallow circles.
“Is it a lot of money?” I swallowed.
“Not for you. It is all expenses paid. Cabin by the sea. Food stipend. The works.”
“And how long is it?” I yanked at my neck, remembering the leather as it tightened and bent.
“Two months.”
Two months. Sixty-one days. One thousand four hundred sixty-four hours. And 3,200 miles away from… Thay.
“It’s not that long,” she said, glancing at Alyssa, who was still beaming at the yawning, curly-haired slice of herself tucked against her chest. “And I think you’d love it.”
“When does it start?” I shifted my weight onto my back leg, trying like hell not to run for the door.
“That’s the thing,” she yawned, rolling her neck. “Plane leaves tomorrow.”
My heart sank, hitting my ribs before dropping into my stomach.
“Tomorrow?” I laughed. “Celeste.”
“What? You are young and unattached. And goddammit, Daphne, this is your moment,” she said the way I imagine a mother would, tucking a strand of hair behind her daughter’s ear before sending her off into the big bad world.