10: NOAH ARKANGHEL

KEISHA

"MAMA, KUYA!" The words echoed through the room as I struggled to catch my breath, releasing a sigh of relief mingled with exhaustion. Sweat dripped down my forehead, and my stomach pulsed with pain.

"M-MAMA, K-KUYA," I managed to gasp out, feeling like each breath was a struggle against the weight of impending motherhood.

"Ohh baby, please don't come out just yet," I pleaded silently, biting my lip to stifle the cries that threatened to escape with each wave of agony. The intensity of the pain was overwhelming, and I knew deep down that the moment of birth was imminent. I marveled at how childbirth, a natural process, could bring such excruciating pain; my lips were raw from the pressure of my teeth, nearly bleeding from the force.

"Oh my God, sweetheart! Kevin, Keifer, your sister is about to give birth!" Relief flooded over me as my mother arrived, just in the nick of time to lend support. With her help, I eased myself onto the floor, my body drenched in sweat, my distress ev