Chapter 680: Chapter 651: Another Autumn Arrives

Another autumn has come.

Autumn is the most beautiful time for Fenmore Hill, with fiery red maple leaves almost setting the entire hill ablaze.

Victor is fourteen months old now and can walk unaided.

There’s a walkway made of nanmu wood at the entrance of the villa. Every weekend, Sienna Thornton gets up early to polish it twice, and when the sun comes out, she takes little Victor out, letting him walk barefoot on the floor.

She and Simon Forrester sit at opposite ends of the walkway. Little Victor waddles his round body from his mother to his father and back, often keeping busy for half a day.

The villa faces east, warming up the yard as the sun rises each day. Even in late autumn, it doesn’t feel cold at all.

They often spend the morning playing with Victor in the yard, and after lunch, Simon cleans the kitchen while Sienna takes the child for a nap.

In the afternoon, they take the child down the mountain, the three of them browse the mall, buying some daily necessities, food, and fruit, and have dinner outside before heading home.

Once home, they bathe the child together, and after putting him to sleep, Sienna and Simon go to the third floor for an hour-long workout, twenty minutes of anaerobic and forty minutes of aerobic exercise.

After a period of time, she noticed her skin had become much firmer and her figure more attractive.

Simon often said that her previous figure was like Lin Daiyu’s fragile beauty, while now she’s a healthy and energetic beauty.

She would ask him if it felt like having a new wife, and he would chuckle silently and not answer.

Life continued peacefully and beautifully like this.

One day in late October, Sienna was working overtime at the office when she suddenly received a call from Quentin Thorne saying that Mina Thorne’s water had broken and she was being taken to the hospital.

Sienna quickly stopped her work and rushed to the hospital.

Upon reaching the maternity ward, she was told that only two family members could accompany a mother, so she couldn’t go in.

She assumed Seth Sutton and Quentin were in there accompanying the birth, thinking it would be inconvenient for two men, so she called Joyce Sutton to let her through.

Joyce was on duty at the maternity ward and came out to take her to change clothes and shoes, explaining on the way, "Your sister’s water broke, but her cervix hasn’t dilated much. If this continues, the baby will be at risk. We’re planning to give her medication to soften the cervix, but she strongly insisted on waiting for you to decide."

"I’ll go and talk to her."

Under Joyce’s guidance, Sienna entered Mina’s private delivery room.

To her surprise, Seth wasn’t there, but Melinda Linton and Quentin were.

"It hurts so much..." Mina moaned softly on the bed.

A fetal heart monitor sticker was attached to her high, round belly, and her face and head were drenched in sweat, which Melinda was helping to wipe away.

Sienna walked to the bedside and softly said, "Dr. Sutton suggests giving you medication to soften the cervix, so it dilates faster, otherwise the baby will be at risk."

Mina cried as soon as she saw her, grabbing her hand and wailing, "That stuff hurts so much, I don’t want it... Ah..."

Sienna turned to Joyce, "Dr. Sutton, is there another way?"

Joyce put on disposable medical gloves and poured iodine on her hand, "Let me first check the changes in her cervix."

Saying this, she was about to spread Mina’s legs.

Quentin quickly left the delivery room to stand guard outside.

Joyce reached her hand into Mina’s birth canal, prompting Mina to cry out, "Ah!"

Having had a C-section herself, Sienna had never experienced a dilation check, so seeing Joyce’s examination made her wince.

After examining Mina, Joyce removed her gloves and, with a grave expression, informed them, "The cervix barely counts as one centimeter dilated, and there’s been no change in an hour. It’s best to administer the medicine, or the baby could be in serious danger with more delay."

Sienna remained calm, "But the patient fears pain, and her nerves might be overly sensitive. What if once the medication is administered, she can’t handle it and breaks down?"

Joyce responded, "Clinically, after the medication, dilation can occur as quickly as within two hours. Once the patient is dilated to two centimeters, we can administer the epidural."

Sienna understood, leaned in, and advised Mina, "Bear with it a little. After two hours, you can get the anaesthetic. Otherwise, you don’t know how long this pain will last."

Mina nodded through her tears.

Joyce went out to get the medication and returned to administer it to Mina.

Indeed, two hours after the medication was given, Mina began feeling strong tearing pains.

Sienna quickly called Joyce to check, confirming that she was dilated to two centimeters. Joyce then arranged for an anesthesiologist to give Mina the epidural.

Within half an hour of the anaesthetic, Mina stopped crying out in pain and quietly fell asleep.

Sienna checked her watch; it was past ten in the evening, and she quickly went outside to call Simon Forrester.

As soon as the call connected, Simon’s worried voice came through, "Where are you? Why haven’t you been answering your phone?"

"Mina is in the hospital for delivery. I came over last minute around seven from the office. I had my phone on silent for a meeting this afternoon and forgot to turn it back."

On the other end, Simon sighed with relief, "Then I’ll call Harrison back."

Sienna didn’t need to ask, she knew Simon, seeing she hadn’t returned by nine, couldn’t get away because of their child, had called Harrison to go check on her at the office.

"What time will you be back? Should I come get you?"

Sienna snapped back, "I’m staying at the hospital tonight. My parents are here, and I’ll have Chandler bring Auntie King to the house in the morning. You should just go to work as usual."

"Seth isn’t here?"

"He’s reportedly on some closed training."

Simon was speechless.

The baby is almost due, and he still chooses to go to training.

"What about her in-laws?"

"They came around evening but were sent back by Mina," Sienna replied with a helpless smile, "She might be afraid of having to choose between the baby and the mother, so she insists on keeping her family here and sending the in-laws back."

Simon chuckled over the phone, "She’s truly Ian Grant’s daughter."

They chatted a bit more before Sienna hung up and returned to the delivery room.

Mina was still asleep, and Melinda was sitting on the bedside companion bed. Sienna gently approached her and sat down, whispering, "When did you and dad get here?"

"Around five o’clock."

"I’m here now, so you can go home and get some rest."

Melinda glanced at Mina’s pale face on the hospital bed, lowering her voice, "Your father won’t go home, and it’s not good if I’m the only one returning."

"It’s okay, I’m here," Sienna said, pulling out her phone. "I’ll call Chandler to drive you home."

Melinda had heart issues and needed to rest by ten at night. If she stayed up all night, her heart wouldn’t feel good the next day.

It was already past ten, and Sienna couldn’t let her stay at the hospital without sleep all night.

Melinda hesitated, "Staying up once in a while is fine; at least there’s an extra pair of hands here."

Sienna lifted her phone to her ear, a sharp gaze at Melinda, instructing Chandler over the phone.

Melinda seemed a bit displeased.

Sienna noticed her expression, hung up the call, and softly said, "A single heart surgery costs at least a hundred thousand. That was the price five years ago; it’s even more expensive now. So, let’s not waste money, okay?"