Agatha All Along in general but especially Agatha and Rio are so fucking special to me and I cannot be normal about this...
We are finally not being queer-baited. Whether they seal it with a kiss or a flashback scene or a happy ending it doesn't matter. We have confirmation that those two women were and still are deeply in love.
It's two mature women. No weird age gap, no mentor-pupil dynamic, no disproportionate power play. I find coming out and setting into your queerness stories incredibly important but it is so refreshing to see a story where the discovery and accepting that you're queer isn't the focal point. They just are who they are and neither them nor the people around them had a big dramatic reaction to it like it's something strange or unexpected. They just ARE and my god is that beautiful to witness ❤️
Their softness, connection and care for eachother is so heartbreaking. Agatha smiling and leaning into Rio when talking about her scar cause Rio already knows, Agatha melting just by having her hair played with, Rio refusing the kiss cause that would be taking advantage of Agatha's weak moment, making sure she knows that Teen isn't her son, Rio regretting what she had to do for centuries. I am losing my mind over here
The whole cast is mature women (well, + Joe haha) which again, refreshing as hell to see. And I love how the focus isn't just completely on Agatha. We get constant glimpses into everyone. Jen saved the day twice already. Alice had her beautiful moment in e4, Teen is basically their spirit guide with his spell book. Adore that lil funky boy Agatha technically kidnapped but whom she very obviously cares for more than she would like to. Lilia is my favourite of this new found coven family. Her and Agatha are the oldest and have seen the most and suffered through so much. I think that's why she softened up to Agatha and vice versa. Beside Teen, Agatha seems to be the softest towards Lilia like when she had her hallucinations and she didn't mock her but reassured her it's ok and Lilia's constant blurting out of prophecies like "Protect Agatha" 😭😭. I could go on for ages about all of their dynamics.
And everything about the production and the actors themselves being SOOO invested into the story and clearly loving what they do.
I don't give a shit about Marvel in general but damn, they got me with this one. Canonically gay witches, Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza, musical numbers and then they throw in miss icon legend mother Patti Lupone on top of it all. I am in every possible way the target audience
The talk about how witches, monsters and in general creatures feared by the wider population are so very deeply queer coded is for another day but AAAAAAAAAAA I love everything about this show so much I might just explode
I just can’t wait for Marvel to release “Assembled: the making of Agatha All Along” so we can have full minutes of Kathryn Hahn bts with Aubrey, Patti, Ali, Sasheer and Debra
(and Joe, which we’ve been seen a lot of their dynamic so I’m not actually hyped about it)
But yeah. Can’t wait to see it all
And honestly that’s gonna be the only thing keeping me alive after AAA is over
Agatha has no control over her powers. Or at least didn’t. When her mother said “you were born evil” I’m wondering if when she was a baby if her mother tried to use magic on her and as a baby Agatha started draining her magic… could be where the ideas behind her mothers hatred but also the “I can be good” came from. “I can be good” is such a child of an abusive home thing to say…
Unsure if I still like this one but- Billy is in Nicholas Scratch’s body. In the comics the twins are reincarnated beings… interesting if Billy is in Nicholas’s body
Rio is Mistress Death and when Agatha went down the road before she was in search of a way to stop her own magic from draining others in order to protect her son… only for the road to take Nicholas in exchange for the dark hold and Rio, as Mistress Death, HAD to help him cross over, even when Agatha begged her not to
Rio hates ghosts because they’re the spirits of people who wouldn’t or couldn’t pass on, even with her help. She must be actively bothered by that as it’s her Job to help souls pass on, and ghosts probably refuse to
Agatha hasn’t actually killed as many people as the rumours say. It’s just easy to blame her for, and to act like when other witches have sought her out and attacked her that it was her fault. Her comment about “and people wonder why I don’t have female friends” has LAYERS to it.
Similarly- Agatha told Lilia that she can’t take power unless someone attacks her first… what an odd thing to tell someone if you actually want to do that. Like why give yourself away like that SO easily… unless she really doesn’t want to TAKE people’s magic who aren’t hurting her. Despite how she later tried to trick the coven into blasting her… she hasn’t actually done it since. And she was horrified at first when Alice starting blasting her. Why warn them if not as a caution not to attack her, if she actually wanted to take from them?
Episode 5 the were all possessed- I saw someone else talk about this in much more depth than I can do justice and found it interesting. Also interesting that the exit from that trial was the first exit “up” instead of “down,” as in down down the witches road…
Lilia was either royal or elevated (very wealthy/lady/lord style) in medieval or before times. Based on the snippets we’ve gotten from her I picture her as a bit of a Cassandra character. She was likely betrayed either by family or coven, or perhaps by her own visions, at some point. She started to distrust or be scared of her magic and that’s why it has faded.
Also love the theory that she predicts death.. with the “Alice don’t” and then later saying it when Alice blasts Agatha. Theories that she predicted the black plague, and that all the slips she has are moments where she gets closer to predicting deaths… so interesting to think about
My favourite- Alice isn’t really dead. Because I don’t want her to be. :)
I just realized Sharon Davis (Mrs. Heart) knew Teen was Billy Maximoff from the beginning!!!
Well, not the beginning, but since episode three.
(I know the picture is bad but bare with me.)
Sharon is not shown when Billy says his name, but she was there only a second before, and disappeared to have a panic attack only seconds after. She isn’t a real witch, and his identity is only hidden from witches.
Plus, even without the last name, she about Billy was since she was around for the Westview anomaly. Meaning she also knew about his powers (though she probably didn’t know he was responsible for the whole Road).
She also chugs the wine at the house saying “I have had a very hard day.” Which is true, but nothing truly bad has actually happened yet. And right after this all happens, she has that weird nightmare-thing about Wanda.
It makes complete sense to me that she would hear him and have to go and reconcile the implications of this seemingly sweet child given the trauma his mother (albeit inadvertently) inflicted on her. And being a sweet and forgiving person, she decided not to blame him and to (mostly) go along without complaint.
The next week flew by in a whirl of highs and lows. While the demands and expectations of preparing for the festival increased day by day, and the aches and pains of late pregnancy only seemed to worsen, in the spare moments Agatha hovered in a surreal cloud of joy and bliss in the aftermath of her engagement to Rio. They celebrated with an utterly shocked and surprised Nat, Hela, and Yelena at brunch the next day. Hosted a congratulatory and welcome back dinner with Jen, Alice, and Ralph that Wednesday. And though she had tried to keep it under wraps as much as she could at work with everything else going on, by Thursday someone had let the news slip to Sharon who was practically beside herself with excitement.
“You’re engaged?!” She shouted as she burst into her office that morning, breakfast in hand.
Agatha groaned and rolled her eyes. “Who told you that?”
“Your dear friend with the blonde hair. I think his name is Randy? I was down at the cafe picking up your smoothie and we were talking about the party on Saturday and he asked if I was there for the engagement. And I said what engagement and he told me sweet Rio proposed!” Sharon squealed in delight.
“Ugh! I knew I shouldn’t have asked him to come and help!” Agatha grumbled as she continued sorting through emails.
“So? Where’s the ring?” Sharon asked, too delighted by the news to be intimidated by Agatha’s sullen demeanor
“Shouldn’t you be meeting with the management team to go over the staff list instead of here prying into my personal life?” Agatha droned as she reviewed her nearly endless list of tasks for the day.
“Oh, right, of course! I didn’t mean to overstep. I’m just so excited for you both! Rio is such a delight and I see how happy you two are and with the baby on the way you’re just going to make the sweetest little family!”
“Focus, Heart! Management team, staff list! I’ll need that before lunch today!” Agatha scolded
“Yes! Yes, I’m on it!” Sharon muttered as she headed to the door.
“Sharon!” Agatha called after her just before she disappeared. “Not a word of this to anyone! I need these people focused on the task at hand, not flittering about gossiping about this nonsense.”
“Oh absolutely!” Sharon twittered.
“And if you see Ralph tell him I need to see him asap!” Agatha barked
“Will do, dear!”
“And…thank you.” Agatha muttered
“For what?” Sharon turned, a bit confused.
“For the gifts. The quilt, and blanket, and stuff. That was…kind of you.” She said without lifting her gaze from her work.
“Oh of course dear! It was a wonderful excuse to craft again. I haven’t made anything like that since my grandson was born and it…”
“I don’t need the details!” Agatha snipped, cutting her off. “Just go get the staff list.”
“Yes! Right away.” Sharon said as she shuffled out and with a click of the door behind her Agatha was alone in her office.
She leaned back in her chair with a sigh as her hand glided around the swollen orb of her belly. Over the last few days, as she trapsed nearly every corner inside and out of Music hall, and in doing so the weight of her son had sunk low pressing into her hips and as he shifted within her it sparked an urgent pain in her lower back. She closed her eyes and breathed through the worst of it with a hum.
“Alright little bug, enough of that now!” She warned as the pain subsided. “I know this week hasn’t been easy but there’s no need to rush these things! There’s still too much to do!” She groaned as she looked back over her list. She added a few more items before her gaze caught the time. Shit! She was going to be late for her meeting with Herb on the opening ceremony. She gathered her things as quickly as she could and heaved herself from the chair. The first few steps were strained as her hips and feet protested the movement but she eased into a tolerable pace just as she reached the door which miraculously swung open before her.
“Hey mama!” Ralph gleamed practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. His light and buoyant energy striking a jealous nerve within her. “Sharon said you wanted to see me?”
“Yes.” She groaned, shoving past him. “Walk with me.” She commanded as she waddled down the hallway toward the elevator.
“Girl! You look like you’re having a rough time today!” Ralph snickered
“Oh, what gave it away?” She glowered
“You’re breathing heavily and walking like a penguin. Can I carry something for you?” He offered
“If you insist, I’m not going to argue.” She grunted as she turned and handed him her things. “Did you tell Sharon about the engagement?”
“She was at the party! I thought she already knew!”
“Well she didn’t, and no one else here needs to know especially right now. I didn’t bring you here to gossip about me to my coworkers, I need you and them focused on getting everything in its place before tomorrow.” She scolded as she pressed the button for the elevator.
“Which is exactly what I was doing before you called me up here!” He scoffed. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep my mouth shut. Even though it’s not as big of a deal as you’re making it out to be. So what if they know you and Rio are getting married?!”
“Shhh! Keep your voice down!” She spat. “I am nothing more than an employee and acquaintance to these people and I like to keep it that way. I don’t need them to know any more about my personal life than they already do.”
“What, you don’t want people to be happy for you?” He huffed
“Honestly no, I’d prefer them to be wary and a little intimidated, makes it easier to get things done and there’s too much left to do. This pregnancy has already broken more of that illusion than I would like.” She scoffed as she glided a hand against the surface.
“I don’t know about that! I think at this point everyone’s just scared if they set you off you might go into spontaneous labor.” He chuckled earning a vicious glare from Agatha
“Not funny!” She growled as she stepped into the elevator.
“Oh come on! It was just a joke! Though I have to say it doesn’t seem too far-fetched, you are looking pretty rotund these days.”
“Ralph!”
“Could you imagine! You’ve done all this work and the kid decides now’s the perfect time to pop out?” He cackled.
“RALPH!”
“Sounds like something I would do! HAHA! Hate to miss a good party you know!”
“Ralph! I swear if you don’t shut the fuck up right now…” She started just as the elevator opened to Herb standing before her on the ground floor. “Heyyyy Herb! I was just coming to meet you!” She lilted, plastering a grin across her face.
“Agatha! Good morning! I was just about to check and see if we needed to move this to your office. I know you’ve been on your feet a lot this week so I don’t want to force you into anything unnecessarily.”
“No need! I’m here now, just moving a little slowly today.” She grimaced
“Understandibly so!” He grinned as he eyed Ralph beside her.
“I, uh, I’m just gonna go back to setting up the vendor booths, I’ll catch you at lunch.” Ralph said as he handed her things back and scurried off.
“Friend of yours?” Herb asked with a frown
“Unfortunately so. Shall we?” She huffed as she headed into the lobby with Herb in tow.
—------------------------------------
The rest of the morning did nothing to ease her aches and pains. After running through the set up, timing, and Herb’s speech a few dozen times for the initial kickoff she had to rush to help manage a sound system issue with the rear stage. Just as she had quelled that fire she was called to the front of the building where she had to walk the lighting and special effects crew through their set up plans for the umpteenth time. By the time lunch rolled around she was barely able to make it back to her office before collapsing onto the couch in the corner. She quickly kicked her shoes off of her aching feet and slumped onto her side. Just as she got relatively comfortable there was a knock at her door.
“Ugh! Whoever it is, go away and come back in 10!” She wined
“Even me?” Rio’s voice lilted from the other side of the door as it began to creek open.
“You, my love, are the only exception!” She sighed as a hint of a smile flashed across her lips.
“Oh Cariño! You look positively exhausted!” Rio cried as she hobbled over with her cane to sit near Agatha’s feet. “You’ve been doing too much again haven’t you!”
“It’s been a bit of a hectic morning running from one end of the building to the other, but nothing I can’t handle.” Agatha chuckled though her eyes betrayed the true strain of the day. “I’ll have enough of a break now that I’ll be able to finish out the day.”
“I thought when you hired Ralph to help he’d be doing more of the running around for you! Wasn’t that the whole point?”
“Oh he is, and it's taken a lot off my plate but things keep popping up and it’s easier if I just handle it myself.”
“Easier for who, exactly?” Rio asked, eyebrows hitched in skepticism.
“Me mostly, that way I know things are being done correctly!”
“Mhmmm.” Rio rolled her eyes and hummed doubtfully. “Tell me you’re not staying late again at least!” Rio urged as she gathered one of Agatha’s feet and began to rub.
“No, no! I should be home by six. There’s just a few more things we have to set for today and then I’m done.”
“And you have to be here for all of it?”
“Ugh! I shudder to think what would happen if I wasn’t! Do you know, they tried to set up the flame launchers along the main stairway out front!”
“Oh how could they!” Rio gasped as if she had any idea what Agatha was talking about.
“Luckily I intervened in time to move them to the proper location along the pedestals, away from passing patrons! The last thing we need is to set someone on fire with some stupid pyrotechnics trick.”
“Good thing you were there to save the day!” Rio chuckled
“And our asses!” Agatha snorted “Ahhh, I’m so glad you’re here, and you’re rubbing my feet, and you brought food, maybe?”
“You know I did! A sandwich from your favorite place!” Rio beamed as she pulled the food out of her bag
“Ugh! I knew I said yes for a reason! You are the absolute best!” Agatha sighed as she struggled to sit, wincing in pain at every movement.
“You sure you’re going to make it the rest of the day?” Rio chuckled skeptically
“As long as this kid stops kicking me in the kidneys I’ll be fine.” She groaned as she pressed a hand to her back, trying to ease another growing ache.
“Sweetheart, you look so uncomfortable!” Rio sighed
“What gave you that idea?” Agatha scoffed
“You really should go home and rest. Especially if you’re going to try and make it through opening night tomorrow.”
“I’ll be fine!” Agatha grumbled as the pain crested and began to release. “As long as nothing else goes awry, this afternoon will mostly be registration prep and printing out credentials for the people working tomorrow. Nothing strenuous.”
“If you say so…” Rio frowned. “I do worry about you.”
“I’m well aware, dear.”
“You missed your medication again this morning!” She scolded as she pulled the pill bottle out of her bag. “You really need to stay on top of this!”
“I know! I know, it just slipped my mind as I was rushing out the door. Thank you for bringing it.” She said with a half smile as she pressed a kiss to Rio’s cheek before heaving herself up from the couch.
“How’s your blood pressure been?” Rio questioned.
“Fine! Perfectly fine.” Agatha replied dismissively as she dug into the sandwich.
“When was the last time you checked?”
“This morning, I think.”
“You think?”
“Or maybe it was last night. I can’t quite remember.”
“Agatha!”
“Sorry, the days just all blend together at this point.”
“Which is exactly why you need to slow down and rest before you end up in the hospital before this baby’s even born! Please! I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you! Either of you!”
Agatha stood frozen and silent in the wake of Rio’s pleading, her gaze avoidant and fixed on the mess of paperwork on her desk. She felt a pang of guilt for the worry and stress she was causing her but what could she do? The success of this event that she had already poured so much of herself into was riding squarely on her shoulders, not to mention her reputation and obligation to the donors. Failure in this moment was unconscionable.
As she struggled to find words of reassurance she felt Rio’s warm and comforting presence ease into the space behind her. Her cautious, delicate fingers entwining themselves in the tresses of her long hair, pulling a heavy sigh from Agatha’s lips as she leaned into the touch. Carefully Rio inched closer, her hands wrapping around the underside of Agatha’s swollen belly, lifting and easing some of the weight she was carrying, eliciting a soft moan of relief as she rested her chin on her shoulder.
“It’s ok to rest. To take a step back.” She whispered, her lips grazing along the shell of Agatha’s ear. “Come home with me.”
Her mind ached in protest, as her body softened at the relief of Rio’s hands fully supporting the weight of their child. It felt like she could finally breathe as the pressure, the strain that had been plaguing her was lifted if only for a moment. She could almost feel tears of relief begin to well in her eyes as her will slowly started to crack.
“Rio, I…” she began, but just as the words left her mouth the door to her office swung open.
“Sorry it took longer than I thought but here is the finalized version of the staff list and then Jerry from the management team wanted…OH! Oh I’m so sorry I didn’t realize you were…that you two were…oh dear I should have knocked.” Sharon blabbered in a flustered panic.
“Hey Sharon!” Rio smirked as she slowly removed her support from Agatha’s bump and took a step back. “No worries, we weren’t doing anything too indecent.” She chuckled with a wink.
“Oh I… um…well, aha-ha, how…uh…how’s your leg doing, dear?” Sharon stumbled trying to recover her composure.
“Doing much better! Still taking it easy. Wish I could say the same for this one.” She pointed a thumb in Agatha’s direction who was standing at the edge of her desk, one arm bracing her weight as the other curled under her bump trying to ease the pressure and aching that had returned all too quickly.
“What…um…what were you saying about Jerry?” Agatha managed to croak out through her unsteady breaths.
“He wanted me to let you know they’re having an issue wiring some of the vendor booths and he needs to go over some options with you.”
“Ok, tell him I’ll be down in a bit. You can put the staff list on my desk for now.”
Sharon dropped the papers on her desk and started to bolt for the door.
“Wait! Can’t Herb handle it?” Rio called out to Sharon.
Sharon’s eyes darted to Agatha nervously as she replied. “Unfortunately he’s rehearsing with the orchestra at the moment.”
“Then what about Ralph?” She asked turning to Agatha.
“He’s a temporary worker; he can't sign off on any changes.” Agatha explained.
“Well then you do it.” Rio half yelled towards Sharon. “I don’t see why it always has to be her!”
“Because I’m in charge, my love.” Agatha sighed as she slid on her shoes and walked past Rio, giving her a peck on her cheek along the way. “It should only take a few minutes, wait here, I’ll be right back!”
Rio let out a huff in disappointment as soon as Agatha was out the door. “Sorry for getting loud with you Sharon. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Oh honey it’s alright. I wish I could have been of more help. Is there anything I can get you while you’re waiting?”
“No, I’m alright. Thank you though. I’ll…uh…I’ll just make myself at home until she gets back.”
“Alright. If you need anything I’ll be over at my desk.”
“Thanks Sharon.” Rio mumbled as she shuffled over to plop on the couch and wait.
20 minutes passed, then another, then just as she reached almost an hour she heard the door handle click.
“Finally! I thought I was going to have to come look…Ralph?”
“Hey Mami!” He gleamed as he snuck into the room.
“You’re not Agatha!”
“Thankfully no! I would not want to be her right now!” Ralph laughed
“Where is she?” Rio glowered
“She’s still dealing with the electrical stuff, it’s a bit of a shit show down there. She sent me up here to let you know, she didn’t want you waiting forever.”
“How thoughtful.” Rio grumbled dryly.
“She wanted me to tell you she’s sorry, if she could leave right now she absolutely would but, and I quote, These fucking idiots wouldn’t know their ass from a hole in the ground let alone how to properly set up these fucking booths.”
“Ah! That bad huh?” Rio huffed “Well… I guess I’ll head out then. Can you keep an eye on her? She really shouldn’t be up and about this place like she is, it’s practically killing her.”
“Oh don’t worry, once she started storming about downstairs I grabbed her a chair and made her take a seat.”
“Thanks, and make sure she eats the rest of this, she can’t be running on fumes either.” Rio said as she handed Ralph Agatha’s lunch.
“That was the other thing she sent me for that and…”
“Her pills?” Rio finished, shaking the bottle as she handed it to him.
“Exactly! Thanks. Are you good?” Ralph asked, seeing her dismay.
“I will be once this fucking weekend is over! I’m hoping that once things get started she’ll actually chill out a bit.”
“You’ve met her right?” Ralph chuckled, “I don’t think that woman has chilled out a day in her life!”
“I know, it’s like pulling teeth to get her to relax, but I’m worried what all this is doing to her and the baby. All this stress, it can’t end well.”
“I get it, I even told her this morning she’s looking a little worse for the wear, and I think she is starting to feel it. Oh that was the other thing, she did say even though she can’t leave just yet she will try and sneak out early.”
“Heh! I’ll believe it when I see it!” Rio scoffed.
“I told her I’d hold her to it. If anything pops up I’ll try and keep her out of the loop and make sure she’s out of here at a reasonable time.” Ralph assured
“Thanks man! It's really good to have you back!”
“And I am so glad to be back! The drama on this last ship was getting to be too much even for me! It’s been nice taking a step back.”
“Ha! Can you tell that to Agatha?”
“I’ll try. And thanks for letting me crash at your place! First time I’ve had that much space to myself in a long time.”
“Of course! I’m just glad it’s getting some use while I still have the lease! Alright, well I’ll catch you later!”
—————————————————-
Early in the evening, as Rio was working through her physical therapy exercises on the floor with cartoons blaring as background noise, she heard the soft click of the door handle before Agatha stumbled across the threshold and she jumped up to greet her.
“My love! You’re home!” she cried excitedly as she took Agatha’s bag from her.
“I told you I’d try to get out early!” She replied with a slight, tired smile.
“It’s just after 5:00.” Rio chuckled, unimpressed.
“Exactly! I made it home before six.” Agatha sighed as she sunk into the couch. “Help, please!” She pouted as she stuck her feet out for Rio to help her with her shoes. Rio perched herself on the edge of the coffee table, willingly obliging the request.
“How’d the rest of the day go? You all set for tomorrow?” Rio asked as she slid off the shoes
“As set as we can be.” Agatha sighed in relief as Rio began to rub the sore appendages. “It took me another hour with that guy after you left to find a reasonable solution to our power problem but thankfully that’s sorted. Sharon was able to get all the badges made for me while I oversaw the set up of the entryway. Now all that’s left is to hope people actually show up tomorrow.”
“I’m sure it’ll be a hit. I’ve seen it all over social media and even heard them talking about it on the news this week when I was at the hospital. People seem excited.”
“Ugh! I hope so! I can’t afford for this to be a flop after all the work and money we’ve put into it.”
“And all that effort shows! The place looked incredible when I left! I can’t wait to see it all come together tomorrow night!”
“I’m so glad you’re going to be there! I don’t think I’d be able to survive the night without you.”
“Of course! I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Rio smiled back though her joy quickly turned to concern as she watched Agatha hiss sharply as her brow furrowed in discomfort. “You ok? What’s going on?”
“Nothing…it’s fine. Just sore, my back’s been aching off and on all day.” She said with a wince
“Contractions?” Rio questioned, a bit concerned.
“No, no, I’m sure it’s just inflammation, a pinched nerve or something from being on my feet too long.” Agatha brushed off with a wave.
“Why don’t I draw you a bath and while you’re soaking I can make us some dinner?” Rio offered
“Ugh! That sounds amazing! Why are you so good to me?” Agatha sighed as she reached out a hand, brushing her fingers lovingly along the curve of Rio’s cheek.
“Because you deserve it! You’ve been working too hard and you need to relax.” Rio leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Agatha’s lips, and then to the bump before she stood and shuffled towards the hallway. “Don’t move! I’ll be back in a bit when it’s ready.” she called before disappearing down the hallway.
As she waited, Agatha settled further into the couch, allowing her eyes to flutter closed as she eased into the stillness. Her body was heavy and sore with all she had been putting it through, her feet swollen and pulsing with the rhythm of her heartbeat. Her hips throbbed with the weight and pressure of her son bearing down into the joints. Every movement either of them made now resulted in pain and discomfort. She was tired, tired of the heartburn, tired of being swollen, tired of peeing every hour, tired of being pregnant.
Yet in her heart the fears still loomed. Though her body was at its limits she wasn’t mentally prepared for what was coming; the labor, the birth, motherhood. It all still seemed too daunting, even with Rio’s attentiveness and support. It was a reality she knew she had to come to terms with but the more she thought about it the further she tried to push it away. She still had time, still had weeks left to go. She could get through these last few hurdles at work and then focus on reconciling the imminent future. Yet even as these thoughts crossed her mind a part of her hummed with anxiety at the shadow of pain that had been visiting her throughout the day and still clung to her now after appearing again moments before. It was nothing…right?
As she washed these concerns from her mind once again she heard Rio’s voice ring out as her footsteps drew close once more.
“Alright, my love! I have everything set, you ready?”
“My heart says yes but I don’t know how I’m going to move at this point!” She cried
“Don’t worry, I got you!” Rio smirked as she hobbled towards Agatha and reached out a hand. She helped her to sit at the edge of the couch then with some effort pulled her to her feet. “You ok?” She asked, seeing the pain in her face as she stood grasping Rio at the shoulders.
Agatha bit her lip as she breathed through her nose, the pain and pressure in just moving to stand was nearly unbearable. “I’m fine…” she grunted as she forced her feet to move. “I shouldn’t have sat down, my whole body is stiff now.”
“It’s ok! Take your time. I’ve got you!” Rio encouraged as she guided Agatha away from the couch.
“Oh yeah?” Agatha huffed as she cracked a smile. “You and that bum knee of yours?”
“My knee’s fine! I’ve got the brace on and the therapist says I’m good to walk around the house at least.”
“If you say so.” Agatha sighed as she waddled down the hallway, holding onto Rio as she winced with each step.
As they made it to the bedroom Agatha began peeling off her clothes. She quickly slid off her shirt and braced herself against the wall as she struggled to rid herself of her pants.
“Here sweetheart, let me help you.” Rio cooed as she guided Agatha to the bed to help her tug them the rest of the way down.
“Fuck! I’m so tired of struggling to do every little thing. I can’t even get undressed by myself!” Agatha groaned as she flopped back, allowing Rio to help undress her the rest of the way.
“I know, Cariño, but it’s to be expected at this point.” She reassured as she pulled Agatha to her feet. “You’ve been so strong, only a few more weeks, my love.”
“Ugh! I don’t know how I’m going to make it a few more weeks. I am so not ready to give birth but I am beyond over being pregnant at this point.” Agatha groaned as Rio eased her towards the bathroom.
“Hopefully this will take your mind off of it, and ease some of those aches and pains, if just for a bit.” Rio smiled softly as she opened the door.
The room glowed in a warm halo of vanilla and amber, as candles flickered across every surface of the bathroom. Steam curled from the tub along the window as rose petals floated delicately on the surface and soft soothing music lilted from a small speaker across the room.
“You really don’t do anything half way do you?” Agatha chuckled as she stepped into the oasis.
“Not when it comes to you, my love.” Rio cooed as she pressed a kiss to Agatha’s cheek. She led her over to the tub and held her steady as she helped her into the warm water.
As soon as her foot broke the surface Agatha let out a sigh of relief. Slowly, with Rio’s careful assistance, she eased herself into the water, letting out a soft moan as soon as she was submerged.
“Too hot? Too cold?” Rio asked as she laid back.
“It’s perfect, sweetheart, thank you!” She sighed, puckering her lips to invite Rio in for a kiss.
“Alright, I’m gonna go get dinner ready. I have the baby monitor set over there on the counter so holler if you need anything.” Rio said as she swiped a piece of hair from Agatha’s face and placed a kiss on her forehead before heading out.
As she soothed her sore muscles and joints in the warm water Agatha closed her eyes and sank down, submerging herself just above her shoulders. As the pain started to ease she could feel her son begin to shift and move within her. She cracked her eyes open and watched as the crest of her stomach bobbed about in the water. She drew a hand to the surface and danced her fingertips across her belly, circling his movements.
“Long day huh bug?” She hummed as he continued to stretch. “You’ve been just as busy as I have! Mama felt you movin about all day. I’m sure you’re tired, I certainly am.” She said with a yawn. “You’re getting heavy in there, not sure how much more room I can give you. You just gotta hold tight. Only a few more weeks and then you can join us out here. Mami’s got your room all ready. We’re all very excited to meet you, just don’t listen to uncle Ralph! No surprise appearances ok?” She felt a long rolling shift as her belly button bounced up and down. “I’m gonna take that as a yes.” She chuckled to herself. She closed her eyes as she set her hand to rest on her stomach, letting his little motions soothe her further. It was the most relaxed and calm she had felt in weeks and she nearly drifted to sleep, but as the heat of the water got to her she reluctantly decided to get out.
She slowly sat up out of the water and just as she managed to shift to her knees she felt another tight curling pain begin in her back. It was the same pressure she had experienced throughout that day but it grew stronger and wrapped around the whole of her belly. She gripped tightly at the edge of the tub as the pain intensified and let out a sharp gasp just as it reached its peak. She held on, breathing as calmly as she could until the wave passed and she felt like she could move again. Just as she began to shift, Rio burst through the door.
“Agatha? Is everything ok? I thought I heard you on the monitor.”
Agatha breathed calmly as she smiled up at Rio. “It’s fine! I’m fine. Just having a little difficulty getting out. My back was bothering me again.” She said, not wanting to raise any alarm bells. Surely she had just overdone it for the day and her body was reacting in protest. It was nothing.
“I told you to call for me if you needed anything!” Rio scolded. “Here, let me help you out.” She let Rio hoist her out of the tub and wrap her in a soft warm towel. “I’ve set out some clothes for you on the bed, do you want some help getting dressed?”
“No, no I should be fine. The bath helped a lot, I think I can manage now.” Agatha assured, hoping to dissuade any concerns.
“Alright, I’m gonna go finish up dinner. If you do need help just let me know.” Rio replied on her way back out.
As soon as she was out of sight Agatha turned off the monitor and stared at herself in the mirror. She was fine! Everything was fine! Her gaze darted down to her bump as she smoothed a hand over the surface, staring at her profile in the mirror. It was just a fluke, surely! Just a spasm, nothing to worry about. She laughed it off as she ghosted a hand over the surface.
“Not funny, little bug!” She muttered in a hushed whisper.
She hurriedly dried herself off and quick as she could, changed into the large t-shirt and shorts Rio had set out. Once dressed she headed for the door but stopped short, catching her reflection again in the full length mirror. Ralph was right, she was quite round. She analyzed her reflection for a moment longer before brushing the whole thing off and heading for the kitchen.
“Ah! Perfect! Just in time! I made some chicken enchiladas with rice and beans. Go have a seat, I'll bring you a plate.” Too tired to argue Agatha waddled over to the recliner and settled in. Rio buzzed about in the kitchen for a few minutes more then brought her a plate before settling into the couch beside her. “So what’s the plan for tomorrow?”
“Huh? Oh, tomorrow, right, the festival.” Agatha laughed, the question having pulled her back to the present moment. “Well, good news is I don’t have to be in until 11.”
“Oh that’s fantastic! Hopefully you’ll be able to sleep in.”
“Hopefully, we’ll see if he lets me.” She said with a nervous laugh. “Bad news is I don’t think I’ll have time to come home and get ready or pick you up.”
“Oh no! I was hoping we could all ride together!” Rio pouted
“I know, hon! Are Jen and Alice still planning to carpool?”
“As far as I know. But if you want me to come early and help you get ready I’m sure they’ll understand.”
“Oh no! Don’t worry about it, Ralph will be there to help me. You ride with them.”
“Alright, sounds like a plan. Are you nervous?”
“About what?” Agatha replied, with a waiver to her voice as her mind still prickled over the earlier incident.
“About the festival?” Rio laughed, “What else?”
“Oh right! Yes, yeah…a bit…a bit nervous.” Agatha stuttered
“Are you sure you’re ok? You’re being weird.”
“What? Yes! Perfectly fine! Just tired, yes, very tired.”
“Heh, if you say so, weirdo.” Rio scoffed.
Their evening quickly settled into casual conversation, a few episodes of a show they’d both seen a dozen times but found comfort in repeating, and Rio snuggling up to Agatha’s bump on the couch, her head resting on the side as her hand spread across the surface, feeling every shift and turn. Before long they were both struggling to keep their eyes open and Rio finally admitted it was time to head to bed. She helped peel Agatha from the couch and they headed down the hallway. They each slowly and sleepily moved about in their nightly rhythm, dancing around each other as they readied for sleep. Unencumbered by the struggles of pregnancy Rio quickly settled into bed with a novel while Agatha continued to shift about the bathroom.
She was stood at the sink, half asleep brushing her teeth when she felt another ache creep into the small of her back. It started softly but quickly bloomed, crawling up her spine as it began to wrap around her core, an incessant squeezing pressure that grew and grew as it bore down through to her hips. She dropped her toothbrush into the sink with a clatter as her body curled around the pain, her hips swaying back and forth searching for any release in the tension as she tried to silently breathe her way through the worst of it. Then, just as she thought her legs might give out under the weight of it all, the wave began to recede, drawing its claws back once more.
She hovered at the sink, pulse racing as she righted herself, one hand cradling the underside of her belly. She spit what was left of the toothpaste in her mouth into the sink and patted herself dry with a towel before she chanced a glance at her reflection. She could see the ghost of fear and a spark of uncertainty in her eyes as she tried to reason the experience. She was tired. She had pushed herself way too hard and was on her feet way too long. She just needed to lie down and rest, give herself a break and relax. Yes, just too much stress!
She took a deep calming breath before she flipped off the lights and headed to join Rio in bed. She peeled back the sheets and slipped in beside her before turning off her bedside lamp and settling onto her side with Rio at her back.
“Not going to read your book tonight?” Rio cooed as she turned a page.
“No, too tired. Big day tomorrow.” Agatha mumbled as she shut her eyes tightly, hoping to erase the event from her mind.
“Well then, I won’t keep you up.” Rio sighed as she placed her book on the nightstand and turned off her own light. Agatha felt her shuffle further under the covers before her warm body pressed against her back. Rio slung her arm around Agatha’s waist, intertwining their fingers together to rest along the surface of her stomach as her face nuzzled into the crook of her neck amongst her hair, her soft breath pulsating down along her collarbone. Here, cradled in Rio’s arms, her fears began to subside. “Goodnight, cariño.” Rio hummed as she pressed a kiss to Agatha’s shoulder, the gesture easing the last of her worries.
“Goodnight, my love.” She whispered back as she let out a sigh and drifted off to sleep.
————————————————
By now she was used to nightly disturbances, being awoken with an urgency to pee throughout the night was routine at this point, yet earlier than she expected she was awoken first by another sensation. The aching pressure had returned once again and pulled her from a deep slumber in its presence. Her skin prickled as her heart began to race. She squeezed her eyes shut as she lay still waiting for it to pass, taking shallow breaths through her nose until the pain began to ebb.
Finally released from its clutches she dared to crack an eye open. She turned slightly, checking that Rio was sound asleep, before she reached over to her nightstand and checked the time. Just after midnight. She had been asleep for an hour and a half, maybe two at most. She set the phone back down on the nightstand and slowly pried herself from under Rio’s limbs, figuring now was as good a time as any to relieve herself. She made quick work of the task and shuffled back into bed, snuggling in so her head now rested on Rio’s chest. She listened closely to the sound of her heart beat, slow and steady as she slept, the rise and fall of her chest soothing her quickly back to slumber.
She had just started to dream when the pain returned, slow and steady, breaking through the visions that her mind was conjuring. She could hear a whimpering moan escape her lips as she was pulled back to consciousness. Her body began to rock as she tried to soothe the ache but the motion was not enough. In an exhausted stupor she rolled herself to the edge of the bed where her fingers clutched at the mattress and sheets just as the wave reached its peak and she let out a soft gasp just as it all began to fall away. She lingered there for a moment, still dazed in a half sleep as her body released the last remnants of tension before she reached out again to check the time. Just after 1:30. As she set the phone back down she felt a hand press against her back.
“Everything ok?” Rio’s voice croaked behind her.
“Yeah, just a bad dream. Go back to sleep.” She murmured. She heard Rio mumble something in agreement as her hand slipped from her back. It was just a bad dream. She repeated to herself as her eyes slammed shut and she rolled back into bed.
At just past 2:30 the need to pee drew her once again from slumber. She let out a deep tired sigh as she heaved herself from under the covers and into the bathroom. As she sat in the darkness, her eyes still closed, arm propped against the wall holding her head aloft in her hand, the ache snuck upon her once more. She braced herself as she drew breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth, her face contorted in discomfort as yet another wave crashed through her. Her heartbeat pulsed throughout her body, quick and angry as her body curved around the pain, the intensity bringing her fully out of her tired stupor. She held fast, not making a sound until every drop of discomfort had dissipated. Now fully alert she could feel a cool panic begin to creep into the edges of her mind. She rose from her seat and, quiet as she could, made her way through the bedroom and out down the hallway to the kitchen.
She bustled about for a bit, fixing herself a cup of tea as her mind warred over the night so far. False labor. It had to be, it was too early for it to be anything else. Her body training itself for the real thing. Jen had said they would get more frequent didn’t she? More intense as well? That was the only thing that could explain it. That and the fact that she had indeed seemed to have overextended herself and her body was making her pay.
As she held the warm cup up to her lips she breathed in the herbal tincture letting the earthy, floral brew relax her fears. She sipped carefully as her hand pressed against the underside of her belly, feeling the soft movements of her son stirring. He was there, he was safe, and that’s where he would stay. She quickly finished the honied liquid and set the mug back on the counter before returning to bed once again.
The rest of the night continued in suit, nearly every hour she would be yanked from sleep as her body succumbed to pressure and pain. Each time she fought the wary thoughts that arose as she clung as best she could to slumber. Yet as daylight began to break the pattern ceased, the waves subsided and she at last had some reprieve from the agony. With her body at ease she finally enjoyed a few hours of peaceful slumber.
At 9:30 her alarm rang and with a groan she shut it off and rolled back over in bed.
“Good morning, Cariño!” Rio yawned as she stretched herself awake. “Today’s the day! Aren’t you excited?” She asked cheerfully as she tucked her arms around Agatha, pulling her in close to her side.
“Eh! Hardly!” Agatha groaned, burying her face in Rio’s chest.
“Oh no! Did you have a rough night?” Rio cooed as she stroked her hair comfortingly.
“I was up and down half the night. I finally got some good sleep around seven until my alarm went off just now.”
“Oh sweetheart! I’m so sorry! Do I need to have a talk with our son about his late night partying?” Rio chuckled
“No, he behaved himself for the most part. I just couldn’t get comfortable.”
“Did you say you had a bad dream at some point or did I make that up?”
“Oh…yeah. Bit of a nightmare actually.” Agatha groaned.
“How awful! What happened?”
“I…uh…don’t quite remember the details now.” Agatha frowned, recalling the pains that had plagued her.
“Well, you take your time getting up and about, I’m gonna go get breakfast started. You want me to take you in today?” Rio asked as she crawled out from under the sheets.
“No that’s alright. If you’re carpooling later we’ll be able to leave when we need to if I have my car.”
“Good thinking!” Rio applauded as she leaned in to kiss Agatha’s forehead. “Any special requests from either of you for breakfast?”
“Do we have any of that cinnamon toast left?” She smiled coyly.
“I believe so.” Rio smirked
“Can you do that thing with the peanut butter and sugar and melt it like a crème brûlée?” She grinned deliciously.
“As you wish, beloved!” She said with a bow and started to head out.
“Oh and some scrambled eggs!” Agatha called after her.
“You got it!” Rio shouted back.
Agatha pressed her hands to her face as she yawned herself awake. As she lay there her mind filtered through memories of that night, restless and painful and a bit terrifying. She checked her phone again. 9:45. She had about 45 minutes to get ready, gather her things for that day and later that evening, eat breakfast and head out the door to begin what was due to be another demanding and nerve wracking day.
She threw the covers off her body, exposing the bare bulge of her stomach poking out from below the hem of her shirt which had ridden up in the night. She yawned and stretched out her whole self, earning a nudge of greeting from her son.
“Good morning little bug!” She yawned, “What a night huh? Let’s make sure that’s the last of that for a while, ok? Today’s a big day and we want everything to go smoothly.” She insisted before pushing herself to sit at the edge of the bed. Immediately she felt a shift, her breath felt easier, lighter, yet there was an urgent pressure low in her hips making it more uncomfortable than usual to sit. She slid off the bed to stand and felt the pressure worsen so she moved as quickly as she could with a heavy waddle to the bathroom to relieve herself.
As she went about her morning routine she kept sneaking quick glances at her profile in the mirror. There was a distinct change in positioning, a heavy sagging that was more present than ever before. Just a coincidence, she told herself. She hadn’t had any of the pains in hours. Surely this was just part of the joys of late pregnancy. She brushed it off and continued getting dressed and gathering her things before she headed out to Rio’s breakfast in the kitchen.
“Looking good, mama!” Rio cheered as she rounded the corner.
“Thank you, baby!” Agatha sighed tiredly as she gave Rio a peck on the cheek before she settled onto the stool with a wince.
“I have your peanut butter toast, and eggs, and most importantly, your meds!”
“Can’t forget those!” Agatha scoffed as she quickly swallowed the pill.
“So I guess Jen’s off at four today then they’ll come over and get ready. The kick off is at 6:00 right?”
“Exactly. Herb will give his little speech, there’ll be this performance thing in the center of the entryway and then it officially starts.”
“Ah! I’m so excited! It’s going to be amazing! I can’t wait!” Rio cheered as she settled onto the stool next to Agatha.
“If turnout ends up being what we expected that place is going to be a madhouse!”
“Oh I’m sure it will be! Where should we plan to meet you?” Rio asked.
“I’ll be with Herb when he gives his speech on the balcony and there should be space up there for you all but if Jen doesn’t get off until four you’ll be cutting it pretty close and it may already be full.”
“Eh, you’re probably right. Ground floor then, might be a better view anyway.” Rio smirked with a wink.
“Ralph will be stationed by the bar down there which may be easier to get to if we want to meet up there afterwards.”
“Where is that?”
“It’ll be over on the left side, should give you a good view of everything.”
“Then we’ll plan to find Ralph.”
“Oh don’t worry, you won’t be able to miss him. He’ll be about six and a half feet tall with his headdress on, bright red and orange and he mentioned something about it all glowing.”
“Perfect! Then we’ll keep an eye out for the giant flaming queen.”
“Alright, my love! This was delicious but I have to head out. I’ll see you later at the festival.” She gave Rio another peck on the cheek then slid off the stool to gather her things.
“Do you want some help out to the car?” Rio offered
“No, no. I’ve got it.” Agatha insisted with a grunt.
“Ok then. Have a good day, try and take it easy. I love you!”
“Love you too, hon!” Agatha smiled softly as she shuffled out the door.
—————————————————-
She had barely made it to the stop sign at the end of the street when she felt the stirring of another ache begin to wrap around her center. “FUCK!” she gasped as her hand gripped the steering wheel. She breathed deeply through her nose as her eyes clenched shut waiting for the pain to pass. Though it wasn’t as intense as they had been last night the wave took its time to release her. As she felt the tension start to give she heard a honk from the car waiting behind her. Her gaze quickly flashed to her rearview mirror as she slowly pulled away from the sign.
She considered for a moment turning around, heading back home to alert Rio, but then again, it had been hours since the last one. Surely this was just an echo of what she had experienced in the night and maybe she would experience another one or two throughout the day. It wasn’t an emergency and today was too important to falter so she continued on to work.
Nearly 20 minutes later she was ascending the stairs of Music Hall where everything seemed to finally be falling into place. All the booths were aligned in neat little rows with strings of Edison lights bridging above the walkways between them. Flashes of fire and sparks popped along the pedestals as they ran their final inspections with the fire marshals. The set and art pieces had finally been assembled and were being wired for special effects. It was all going according to plan.
She pushed her way into the lobby where she was greeted by an overenthusiastic Herb. who jumped up from behind the registration booth.
“Agatha! So glad you finally made it! It’s shaping up to be a wonderful evening, the performers are all set and going through their final rehearsals. We should start seeing some vendors come through any minute, you’re still planning to help get them situated, correct?”
“I am indeed, I just need to go drop my stuff off and I’ll be back down.”
“Fantastic! Well I won’t hold you then. Hurry back!” He said with a wave.
She rushed off towards the elevator and quick as she could headed down the administrative hallway towards her office. With everyone busy getting the final touches in place, the administrative side of the building was eerily quiet. She shuffled down the hallway, footsteps echoing on the hardwood as her garment bag with her dress for later swished loudly beside her. As she rounded the corner she was surprised to find that even Sharon was absent from her usual post, likely rushing about for some last minute badges for Herb. With her hands full she wrestled with the door handle and eventually shoved her way into her office where she threw everything she had onto the couch. She fished her phone out of her bag and sent a quick text to Ralph to have him meet her down in the lobby whenever he arrived and then started to turn and leave, but then it hit her, strong and sudden.
The gnawing ache had returned with force this time. She could feel the pressure building, low and steady as it threatened to knock her off her feet. She stumbled a few paces over to brace herself against the side of the desk to help ground her until it passed. She swung her hips side to side and tried to stay silent and breathe through the agony but as it crested a gasping moan left her lips and from there she couldn’t help but cry out again as it dissipated. This time the pain didn’t fully escape her, it left behind a strumming coiled tension that hovered at the base of her spine. As she stood there clutching at the desk, still swaying, the door to her office creaked open.
“Good morning, dear! Herb had said you were stopping by your office first so I thought I’d try to…catch you…” Sharon stopped suddenly in the doorway as her eyes adjusted to the scene. “OH! Agatha, are you alright?” she cried as she rushed to her side.
“I’m fine!” Agatha snapped as she pushed Sharon back and forced herself to stand. “It’s nothing.”
“Are…are you sure?” Sharon stuttered, gaze skeptical and full of concern.
“I said I’m fine! Now what is it?” Agatha groused.
“They want you to take a look at the rear stage before you get set for the day. They need to know if they should move the dragon again.” Sharon replied timidly.
“Fucking morons! As if we haven’t gone over this a dozen times by now!” She spat
“Well they’re worried the tail is going to block some of the seating and they’re having trouble connecting the flame thingy.”
“Fine! Go get set up with Herb, I’ll handle it and be with you all in a bit.” She hissed dismissively with a wave of her hand.
“Will do. You sure you’re ok?” Sharon asked as she headed for the door.
“Do I have to spell it out for you? Yes! Now go help Herb!” She growled as she practically chased Sharon out of her office, slamming the door behind her.
She stood in the silence, head and hand pressed to the door as her other hand cradled her stomach. Was she ok? No, not in the slightest. Her heart clenched with fear as her mind rushed to squash what she suspected to be true. It wasn’t time! This wasn’t happening! It couldn’t be! It was too soon! Yet the now persistent ache in her back suggested otherwise. She took a breath and walked back over to grab her phone. She thought for a moment about texting Rio, but she knew what she would say. Knew that she would be down to the Hall before she could hang up the phone and force her to come home. She couldn’t afford that. Not now, not when everything was so close, mere hours away! And who knows, it could just be a flair up and stop again like it had that morning. All in all she convinced herself it was too soon to tell and wasn’t worth alerting anyone until she was certain, until it was undeniable, and even then there would still be plenty of time, right? Instead she quickly checked the time before tucking her phone into her pocket and headed down to manage the dragon issue.
Though it was a difficult walk down she was able to keep it together long enough to sort through the challenges of making a life sized metal dragon wrap around the stage and breathe fire with only a twinge or two here and there in the couple of hours it took to resolve. With that settled she began to make her way back to the front of the building to meet Herb, and Sharon, and Ralph and help them finish assigning the vendors to their booths. She snuck in through the back entrance and hurried down the hall but just as she was steps away from entering the foyer another wave of pain claimed her. She stopped suddenly at the threshold, pressing a hand against the wall for support as she tried to breathe and remain calm. She could see them only a few yards away chatting about with the line of people gathering their credentials and she didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention. She grit her teeth, straining to push through to the other side of this suffering and just as the pain peaked she caught Ralph’s eye. He cheerily waved, none the wiser, as he beckoned her over. She quickly straightened herself as she flashed him a strained smile and forced herself to move forward through the last of the aching towards the table. Each step sent a shockwave through her system but as she continued the movement helped to ease the last of the tension.
“Hey mama! How’s it going? Big day huh?” Ralph prattled as he met her halfway and gathered her in a hug.
“Get off me!” she grumbled as she pried herself from his grasp.
“Sorry! Old habits! I forget, you have an aura to uphold here.” He said as he rolled his eyes.
“It’s not that, I’m just incredibly uncomfortable today and don’t need the added attention.” She scoffed as she straightened herself out.
“Heard!” He shrugged.
“How’s it been going so far?” She asked as they neared the table
“Going good, I think we’ve checked in about a third of the people expected. Herb said we’ll take a break in a few hours to grab a bite to eat. Need me to get you anything in the meantime?” He offered
“No, I’m fine.” She grumbled, still strumming with an echo of pain as they joined the other two.
“Ah, Agatha! Did we get everything sorted with the dragon?” Herb asked as she settled into the chair next to him with a huff.
“Yes, everything is set and in working order now. Sharon, can you hand me those folders?” She asked, pointing to a basket just as the next person in line stepped up to be helped. Though she didn’t respond, Sharon carefully slid the box to her as she eyed her concernedly. Agatha did her best to ignore the stare and continued on with her work.
Over the next few of hours Agatha did all she could to plaster a facade of calm, cool, and collected across her face, while her body continued to plague her with intermittent throbbing and aching. For the most part the distraction of work and staying seated managed to help with the worst of it though there were a couple of times when she thought she might shatter. Once when she was going over paperwork with a vendor she bit her lip so hard it drew blood just as she snapped the pen she was trying to hand him in two. Then later when she had to move from her chair to gather a set of lanyards she got caught in another wave and gripped onto Ralph’s shoulder to pull her through it, nearly breaking his collar bone in the process as he crumpled under her grip. Nearly the entire time Sharon’s eyes never left her, watching carefully at every sign of distress. When they did finally break to eat she found herself too exhausted to move so she had Ralph go and collect her some food. In the absence of an audience, Sharon hung back and dared once again to voice her concerns.
“Agatha, honey, can I talk to you for a moment?” She squeeked, in a voice small and timid.
“Does it involve me moving at all?” Agatha groaned as she leaned against the table, one hand rubbing her temple, the other soothing the soft motions of her son.
“No, no, not at all.” Sharon chirped
“Fine. Then out with it Heart.” She groaned, though she refused to look directly at her. Sharon settled in the chair beside her and much to Agatha’s surprise, gathered a hand in hers and looked deeply into her eyes. “What is happening?” Agatha asked as her eyes shifted cautiously.
“Honey, is everything alright? Are you feeling ok?” Sharon asked, her gaze intensifying
Agatha scoffed in disbelief “I am perfectly fine! Just a little sore here at the end of the week is all.”
“Are you sure? You seem to be having a particularly difficult time today, is there anything else going on?” She probed, almost begging Agatha to admit to the pain that had been ravaging her. She considered for a moment, seeing the concern in Sharon’s eyes, spilling all and confessing the fears that were growing with every twinge, but just as she was about to utter the truth she caught sight of Ralph returning with her food.
“I’m fine, Heart. Quit trying to mother me!” She spat as she yanked her hand away at last.
Sharon’s face sank with worry and disappointment as she stood from the table. “If you say so, dear.”
“I do! Now go get yourself something to eat!” She barked just as Ralph arrived.
“What was that about?” He glowered as he watched Sharon walk away.
“She’s just being nosy again.” Agatha scoffed
“You need to be nicer to her! That woman puts up with way more of your bullshit than any of us and she’s a delight. If you keep yelling at her like that she’s going to quit.” Ralph warned.
“She’s not going to quit!” Agatha scoffed.
“Don’t be so sure, everyone has their limits. What’s got you in such a bad mood anyway? I figured you’d be ecstatic that it’s opening night.” He asked as he dropped the plate in front of her.
“I’m reaching my fucking limit with this pregnancy. It’s been unbearable today.” She groaned.
“Is that why you almost cracked my shoulder in half earlier?” He chuckled as he began to eat.
“More or less.” She grunted as she felt another ache building. She braced a hand to the side of her stomach and forced herself to continue eating as she tried to push through. She scooped a bite of food onto her spoon and shoved it into her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to put all of her focus into chewing instead of the agonizing pain ravaging her body. She managed to choke it down just as the wave subsided but the lingering echo it left was stronger than ever. “I…uh…I think I'm going to lie down for a bit before we have to get ready.” she said as she forced herself to stand.
“Yeah, girl, get it in while you can!” Ralph insisted through a mouthful of food. “You wanna take this with you?” He asked, holding her plate aloft.
“No, I’m not hungry. I’ll get something at the festival later.” She insisted.
“Suit yourself!” He shrugged.
As she waddled over to the elevator each step was more painful than the last, her back and hips protesting every movement. She could feel the weight of her son pressing down further adding to the lingering pressure that was now a constant drone behind the steady rhythm of agonizing pain that no longer seemed to sneak but barrel over her. She pressed the button and was immediately greeted by the opening of the elevator doors. She stepped inside and pressed the button for the next floor and just before the doors closed Sharon managed to join her.
Sharon gave her a quick glance with a tight reserved smile then did her best to avoid Agatha’s attention. As she watched the woman Agatha couldn’t help but consider what Ralph had said.
“The food was nice.” Agatha muttered as the elevator slowly moved.
“Yeah, it looks good.” Sharon replied curtly.
“Did you pull that together?” Agatha asked
“Yes, I did.” Sharon said with a quick and somewhat surprised glance to Agatha.
“Well, good choice then.” She complimented
“Thank you.” Sharon replied with a soft smile.
The elevator doors opened once again to a barren administrative hallway. Agatha courteously allowed Sharon to exit first and followed quickly behind her, wincing with every step. They walked in silence down the corridor until they arrived at Sharon's desk and her office. Agatha watched as Sharon moved to sit behind the desk without a word as she headed for her door, a pang of guilt now ringing in her chest and she stopped just before opening it and turned.
“Sharon, I… I hope I didn’t upset you earlier.” She muttered
“What do you mean?” Sharon replied, completely puzzled.
“I know I can be harsh at times but I do appreciate having you around. I don’t think that any of this would have come together without you. I hope you know that.”
“Th…thank you that means a lot.” Sharon stuttered in shock.
Agatha flashed her a tight, uncomfortable smile. “Don’t mention it!” She breathed as she turned back around and stepped towards the door. As her hand gripped the handle she was overcome by a freightrain of searing pain. She collapsed forward with her head against the door as her free hand came up to grip the doorframe beside her. The force with which it overtook her seized any control she had and she cried out with an agonizing moan that bloomed as it wracked her entire body.
Sharon immediately launched up from her desk, rushed to Agatha’s side and began rubbing circles on her back. “It’s ok, let it out. You got this! Just breathe through it, it’ll pass.”
Slowly the claws began to release and Agatha pried herself away from the door to look at Sharon with a mix of appreciation and horror. “Sharon…” she breathed shakily, “this…this isn’t happening. It can’t be!”
Sharon smiled back with love and pity as she brushed the hair away from Agatha’s face. “Let’s get you off your feet, honey, and we’ll figure it, ok?”
Agatha nodded weakly as she slowly stepped away from the door and let Sharon lead her in.
Sharon quickly cleared the things from her couch just in time for her to sink into it. She helped get her feet up from the ground and lay back onto the cushioned surface. “Alright dear, you rest here I’m going to go grab my phone.” She said as she started to head out.
“No, wait! What for?” Agatha barked from the couch.
“Honey, I’m pretty sure you’re in labor. We should get you to the hospital.” Sharon insisted as sweetly as she could.
“NO!” Agatha shouted, the very thought of abandoning everything now was crushing and terrifying. Besides, it probably wasn’t labor, right? How could it be? It was too soon!
“Dear, I’m quite sure you just had a pretty serious contraction, I think it might be time…”
“NO! It’s NOT! …Not yet! ” Agatha gasped in panic as Sharon’s words shattered the facade she had built for herself. Sharon stared back at her worryingly as she pondered what to say. Agatha’s eyes darted around, searching, calculating, “I…I still have time. I can make it.”
“I’m sorry, dear?” Sharon asked, confused.
“What time is it?” Agatha huffed
“Just after four I believe.” Sharon replied cautiously.
“I can make it! I can definitely make it. ” Agatha repeated more to herself than to Sharon as she adjusted to sit up as much as she could.
“Make what dear?” Sharon asked, her confusion growing quickly to concern
“It’s only a couple hours? Right?” She laughed in a hysterical panic.
“A couple hours?” Sharon repeated, eyes wide with trepidation.
“Ralph will be up here soon, he can help me get ready. I’ll go out for the kick off and then…” she trailed off as her mind finally came to terms with the truth, the reality of what this day was becoming.
“And then?” Sharon repeated.
“Not a word of this to anyone!” Agatha snapped. “I don’t need anything to go awry before this festival starts.”
Sharon shook her head in horror. “Oh…honey, I wouldn’t…you don’t have to…”
“NOT. A. WORD. HART!” Agatha cut in forcefully.
“O…ok, dear... If that’s really what you want.”
Agatha stared at her, still in disbelief “It is.”
“Alright…I guess…I guess I’ll just be out here if you need me in the meantime. I’m going to leave the door open.” Sharon slunk out, hardly taking her eyes from Agatha as she did so until the wall itself blocked her view.
As soon as she was out of sight Agatha slumped back down onto the couch, her head dangling back as she stared at the ceiling contemplating the reality of her situation. How was this happening? It couldn’t be happening! Surely it would stop again soon and she wouldn’t have to leave! But even as those thoughts crossed her mind she knew it was wishful thinking. The pains had only grown stronger and more frequent as the day wore on and that could only mean one thing, she was having this baby soon! Sooner than she ever could have been prepared for. She wasn’t ready, he wasn’t ready! How could either of them be?
She thought about calling Rio who was currently with Jen and Alice getting ready to head over but, by her logic, by the time she told her and they made their way to the Hall the kick off would be underway as it is so why not hold out just a little longer? She just needed to make it to the kick off then they could figure this whole thing out. She knew where to find her and they could leave as soon as it was over. Jen said it took hours anyway, didn’t she? She had time. She had to have time! Just enough to see the tiniest fruits of success for all she had worked for.
As these last thoughts trickled through her mind a contraction began to take her. It dug its claws into her back and squeezed the very air from her lungs as her muscles constricted and bore down. She managed to roll onto her side and bury her face in the pillow before letting out another uncontrollable moan of agony. With every wave the pressure worsened, sinking further and further down. After a minute the tension eased just enough for her to catch her breath. Perhaps…perhaps it was time? She felt her heart cry, in fear, in disappointment, in pain. After all, how much more of this could she take?
She lay there for a moment, panting, contemplating, and urging herself to move. She summoned as much strength as she could and pushed herself to sit. She could feel the space between her hips full and heavy with where her son had already been pushed to. With a count of three and a grunt she hauled herself up from the couch and started for the door, one hand on her aching back, the other cradling the swell of her stomach. She eased out into the hallway where she found Herb and Ralph chatting with Sharon.
“She’s really not feeling well, and I don’t know if it’s a good idea that she go out with you this evening. I think she really needs to rest. In fact I should probably try and give Rio a call.” Sharon was explaining.
“Nonsense!” Agatha lilted as casually as she could, startling everyone with her presence. “Rio will be here later, there’s no need to rush her. I’m perfectly fine to see this through.” Agatha tried to convince not only them but herself, for in the face of doubt she couldn’t help but try to prove everyone wrong.
“See! I knew she wouldn’t let me take all the credit!” Herb chuckled. “Everything’s set downstairs, I’d expect people should start arriving within the next half an hour or so. I’ve already seen quite a few people mingling about the booths outside so I gave them the go ahead to start on their end. Take your time getting ready, I’ll be back to collect you at 5:45!” Herb flashed her an exuberant smile before heading out and down the hallway.
“You sure you’re good girl?” Ralph asked as he exchanged a concerned glance with Sharon.
“Yeah! Yeah, perfectly fine, just needed to rest a bit.” She sighed, trying to smile reassuringly. “Come on, we should start getting ready. It takes twice as long as it used to.”
“If you say so.” Ralph scoffed as he followed her into the office.
She shuffled over and grabbed her garment bag off the back of the couch and threw it towards Ralph as she started to peel off the button down she had put on that morning.
“Fuck that looks so uncomfortable!” Ralph gasped as she exposed her swollen belly to the room.
“You have no idea!” She scoffed as she unbuttoned her pants and let them fall to the ground. “You gonna just stand there staring or are you going to help me into the dress?”
Ralph shook his head, pulling him back into focus. “Right, yeah the dress.” He mumbled as he unzipped the bag revealing the bright red, flowing, floor length, chiffon dress she had managed to find. “This is cute!” He commented as he pulled it off the hanger.
“And it fits, just barely.” She snorted.
“Alright, over or under?”
“Over, I think.” She sighed as she waddled closer to him. He gathered up the fabric and helped slip it over her head as she slid her arms into the short flowy sleeves. He gathered her long hair out from the back of the dress and threw it over her shoulder as he started for the zipper. “Wait!” She breathed sharply as a pain started to swell again in her lower back. “Give me a second.” She begged as she began to pace breathing deeply in through her nose and out through her mouth.
“Yeah no worries! I’m just gonna start getting my stuff ready.” Ralph said as he turned to dig in his bag.
The pain was growing more intense every second and she couldn’t afford to lose her composure now, not in front of Ralph. She had to distract herself somehow, find some way to divert her focus from the pain. She bit down on the inside of her cheek as hard as she could tolerate, drawing a rush of salty iron into her mouth. It wasn’t a solution but worked for the time being to stifle the moan that was threatening to break loose.
“You nervous?” He called out to her as he began throwing things onto the couch.
“Ah…a bit” she managed to choke out just as the wave began to settle.
“Ah! Don’t be nervous! Everything looks amazing, everyone showed up and they know where they’re supposed to be, which is half the battle. People are itching to get in and see it all. You really outdid yourself!”
“Thanks” she mumbled as a tear began to well in her eye. It was too much. It was all too much and unless she found something better than chewing on her cheek she wasn’t going to make it without falling apart at some point soon. “Alright, I…I think I’m ready, zip me up?” She asked as she quickly wiped the tear from her eye.
“You got it mama!” Ralph said as he hopped up to help her. “You sure you’re ok?” He asked as he pulled her dress closed.
“Yeah, yeah, just tired. It’s…it’s been a long week.” She lied as her hands circled her stomach. She couldn’t tell him what was really happening for the same reason she had stopped Sharon from calling Rio. She knew as soon as any of them figured out what was going on it would all be over and she couldn’t take that chance. Not when she was so far from being ready to face this.
“It certainly has! Shit!” He exclaimed
“What? What’s wrong?”
“The button just came off.” He groaned, “Well, you can take the dress off and I can sew it back on or I can safety pin it.”
“There’s no way I’m getting out of this now, just pin it.” She sighed.
Ralph scrambled over to his bag and withdrew a pin. He shuffled back over and started to pin her dress in place. He nearly had it before the needle popped out and jabbed her in the back of the neck.
“Ah! Fuck that hurt!” She winced
“Sorry! Sorry! It slipped out at the last minute.” He said then chuckled to himself.
“What’s so funny?”
“That’s what she said.” He snickered
“I swear you’re a fucking child!” She huffed though a smirk snuck onto her lips.
“There! All set! Turn around, let’s see! GORGEOUS!!!”
“It’ll do.” She grunted.
“Now, go sit your tired ass down while I pull my shit together.”
Too exhausted to argue she waddled over and plopped back down on the couch. She let her head fall back as her eyes fluttered closed, trying to rest, relax, and prepare as much as possible before the next pain overtook her. She guided her hands along the surface of her stomach feeling the slight, soft strum of her son just beneath the surface. The barrier between them had never felt so thin. She thought of his tiny hands, how they soon would wrap around her fingers, of his little feet that had kicked and prodded her for months soon to be free flailing about in the open, of his button nose and lips that Rio swore were hers nestled comfortably into her chest. For all the fear and suffering that lay ahead she longed dearly for the other side when she could hold him in her arms. But not yet, little bug! Please not yet! She thought to herself.
As she sat there, dreaming about the seemingly imminent future, she felt the coil of another contraction begin to stir. She braced herself, biting her lip as the pain began to swell and bloom around her once more. As the pressure continued to build she could feel her control slipping. Her eyes popped open looking, searching for anything that might help distract her mind before it all became too much and she crumpled beneath it. Then out of the corner of her eye she spotted something shiny lingering on the surface of the sofa. Another pin. In this moment she would rather be stabbed by a thousand pins than suffer through what was proving to be the worst pain yet. Her hand launched out and grabbed it just as a small whimper slipped past her lips and she jabbed the pointed end hard into the palm of her hand. Though sharp and searing, it was a brief respite from the agony that was strumming through her and carried her through to the other side without a further sound.
“Girl, what the fuck are you doing over there?” Ralph asked, whipping around to face her with half his makeup done.
“I was trying to adjust myself and got stuck with another one of your fucking pins!” She groaned as she threw it at him.
“Well, keep your eyes peeled then, I’m sure they're all over the place at this point!” He scoffed as he turned back to finish getting ready.
By some miracle, as the time quickly drew nearer to the kick off, she was granted a small reprieve from the contractions. A brief window of light where her body sought fit to rest just as Ralph was set to leave her.
“You’re planning to meet us down there right? After Herb’s speech or whatever?” he asked as he headed for the door.
“Yes! I’ll be there, now go! I can already hear people in the hall.” She urged as her heart began to race with anxiety.
It was drawing closer now. Less than an hour and she would be downstairs pushing her way through the crowd towards Rio. Telling her that they had to leave and figure out what was going on, see why the contractions were so strong so early. It seemed like a daunting task and she worried about the kind of reaction it might receive. Yet a small spark inside her finally lit with excitement. It was almost over.
As she watched Ralph disappear down the hallway she caught sight of Herb sauntering towards her, proud and alight with joy.
“Ms. Harkness! I think we’ve done it! The hall is practically booming with excitement. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people here before.” He gleamed.
“Thank goodness for that!” Was all she could muster in reply.
“You sure you’re up for this?” He checked seeing the fraying edges of exhaustion in her eyes.
“Of course! I just need to grab a couple things before we head out.”
“Sure, take your time!” Herb said as he settled into Sharon’s chair to wait.
She darted back into her office and scrambled to find her bag where she quickly fished out her keys and phone and snuck them into her dress pocket. There was no use in stalling their escape once she met up with Rio, everything else would be fine to wait in her office until she eventually returned. Armed with the items she returned to Herb.
“Ok, all set.” she huffed
“Fantastic! Then shall we?” he asked, offering her his arm in escort.
—-----------------------------------------------
As they pushed through the administrative doors onto the balcony she was overwhelmed by the sounds of all the people milling about. The second floor was packed tight to where they practically had to shove their way over to the curved lip at the center that would serve as their stage. Once settled there she looked out onto the sea of red below. Every inch of the checkered marble floor was covered by the crowd of people that had gathered, save for the small roped off area in the center where the opening performance would take place. Her eyes searched the rabble for the woman who had stolen her heart and just as Herb had secured his microphone she spotted her off in the corner. An emerald in satin green shining through the throngs of fiery carmine and vermilion, her glimmering white smile beaming up at her. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of rushing into her arms in mere minutes, letting her ease the discomfort that had plagued her throughout the day.
Then the noise of the room dulled to a whisper as the sounds of strings and horns washed over the crowd. The brief fanfare gathered their attention before Herb sidled up to the microphone to at last welcome everyone in.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, friends and neighbors! It is my distinguished honor to welcome you all to what I am sure will become a notable tradition in our community…”
As Herb’s words echoed into the room the brief respite she had been granted suddenly came to a screeching halt. In a breath her body surged with a desperate ache that threatened to pull her from her feet. Here, now, at the very center of the city’s attention she called on every ounce of strength within her to remain standing, silent, and smiling next to him. As discretely as she could she pressed her hand to the bannister before her, gripping it with all her might to keep from collapsing.
“Through months of trial and careful preparation we have endeavored to deliver a most unique sensory experience, encouraging you to explore the depth of culture our great city has to offer…”
As Herb droned on in his soliloquy her body was becoming a host of torture as the strain and pressure continued to build far beyond what she had experienced yet that day. She could feel her legs begin to shake and a bead of sweat drip down the side of her face as she struggled to maintain her composure. A distraction, she needed a distraction. Her free hand quickly dove into her dress pocket and clung to the mess of keys inside. She pressed the teeth as hard as she could into her palm as she breathed as calmly and controlled as she could manage until at last the pain evaporated and she let out a breath of relief.
“...and so, dear friends, it is without further ado that I invite you to join in the visual delights of the Ignis Nocturne accompanied by members of our very own symphony!”
The crowd cheered with resounding applause as the fire performers made their way to the stage. As soon as they were set the lights dimmed and the dancers ignited their props to a resounding wave of ooos and aaahs.
With the lights low and the audiences attention pulled elsewhere, Agatha leaned close to Herb and whispered, “I’m so sorry, I have to go. I have to find Rio.”
“Oh but my dear, the festivities are just getting started!” He protested
“I know, I’m sorry, but I must.” She pleaded with him through pain wearied eyes.
“Ok then, enjoy your evening.” He replied with a sad smile.
She quickly turned, still holding on for life to the banner as she made her way back through the crowd toward the elevator. She was mere steps away when her journey was halted by the rising tide of not only another debilitating contraction but also the presence of wholly unwelcomed guests.
She stood frozen on the spot, resisting with every urge to lose her composure as three of her mothers friends strode up, blocking her means of escape. Sarah, Mary, and Winifred, devout sisters whose judgement was only matched by their cruelty. Through the blinding pain Agatha managed to gasp. “You’re…you’re not supposed to be here!”
“Oh I think you’ll find we have every right to be here.” Scoffed Mary
“This is a public event after all.” Taunted Sarah
“And unlike your poor mother, we’ve not been banished from your presence.” Sneered Winifred.
Agatha let out a gasping laugh of astonishment as her body continued to constrict, bearing down on her son. “What exactly are you doing here?”
“Enjoying the show!” Sarah cheered
“Reveling in the culture as your friend said.” Mary cackled
“And seeing what you’re up to, of course dear!” Winifred admitted with a devilish smile.
“Mighty fine display of debauchery you’ve managed to conjure up.” Mary taunted.
“It’s practically Hell, what with all the fire and brimstone about.” Winifred scoffed.
“And to think how ashamed your dear mother will be when we tell her all you’ve been up to.” Sarah pouted mockingly.
“Tell…tell her what you want. It…it doesn’t change anything.” Agatha gasped
“For now dear girl.” Winifred glowered.
“Don’t for one second think she’s abandoned her cause!” Mary barked.
“Not when there’s a poor, innocent child at stake!” Sarah warned.
If the agonizing pain wasn’t enough in that moment, the very thought of her mother’s relentless pursuit of her son was enough to shatter the last of her equanimity.
“You tell her to stay the fuck away from my son!” Agatha cried as she gasped at last in pain, a shaky hand splayed across her stomach.
“Oh my!” Sarah gasped
“A son she says?” Winifred lilted in glee
“Won’t Evanora be delighted by the news.” Mary chittered
“And just in time as well.” Sarah sighed
“It appears his arrival is quite imminent.” Mary snickered
“Here, dear, let me help you!” Winifred said as she reached out her hand to rest on Agatha’s shoulder.
“Get the fuck off of me!” She shouted. “You vultures need to leave before I call security!” She gasped as the contraction at last receded.
“No need, dear!” Winifred said as she withdrew.
“We’ll go!” Mary insisted.
“Just know we’re always nearby.” Sarah warned.
“Should you need us.” Winifred smirked with a wink.
Agatha scowled as she watched them recoil into the elevator. The fury that now burned inside her at their presence was just enough to send her over the edge. She couldn’t wait for the elevator. She couldn’t risk running into them again before finding Rio. She had to escape. She turned quickly, just as the lights flickered back on and the horde around her erupted in thunderous applause, and headed through the doors towards her office.
—————————————————
She stumbled down the vacant hallway, tears streaming from her eyes as pain and anger radiated with every step. Of course her mother was keeping tabs on her despite the court order. She was foolish to think that would stop her?
She pushed her way back into her office and flung her phone out onto her desk as she doubled over grasping the edges in support. Another contraction was quickly approaching and she had to reach Rio, she needed her now more than ever. Fast as she could she pulled up her contact page and pressed call.
The phone rang, and rang, and rang as her heart pleaded for her to answer. Then she heard the voicemail click over.
“Hey, it’s Rio. You know how this works.”
BEEP
“Rio…my love…I…I need you to…ahhh…AAAHHHAAGHHH…” the pain washed over her with a force so unyielding she couldn’t help but cry out in utter agony. She felt her legs begin to shake as they threatened to give out beneath her and she clung to the side of the desk with every muscle she could muster. As the torment began to falter she felt a small pop and then a rush of liquid poured down her legs. “No…no not yet…please no…I…I need more time.” She began to cry as a shaky hand lifted her skirt to see the evidence of what she expected to be true. Over the roundness of her bump she found it too difficult to see but when she pulled back her hand she was shocked to find it tinged with scarlet. She could feel her body begin to shake in shock, her breath coming in ragged bursts as her knees at last gave out beneath her. Her head began to spin as her vision blurred and she struggled to inch her way to her phone which had been launched across the room in the mayhem of her collapse. She crawled just a few feet as her arm clutched her swollen, throbbing belly before her sight narrowed until it was complete darkness and she collapsed on the floor unconscious.
