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Lily laughs. “I can help clean up.”
I can tell how tired she is, though. The morning has taken it out of her. It’s time to head home and rest before our lives take another major leap forward.
“Jane’s right.” I touch Lily’s back. “Let’s get you home.”
She still looks uncertain, but at least she doesn’t protest.
“Sure.”
We walk to the car hand in hand, and I open her door for her. Suddenly, she freezes and gasps.
“What is it?” I reach out for her, my heart racing.
A sudden gush of liquid spills onto the ground, right between her legs. “My water just broke.”
“Are you sure?” I feel my eyes widen.
She looks at the puddle and laughs. “That’s a lot of water, Felix.”
“Yes, it is.” I try to stay out of panic mode. “Are you okay?”
Concern immediately floods my chest as I try to remember what we learned in our birth classes. What were we supposed to do if her water breaks? Wait at home? Call the midwife? Call the hospital?
Lily takes a deep breath, a calm smile spreading across her face. “I’m fine. The baby is probably still far off from coming. We should call the midwife and let her know.”
I nod in agreement, relieved that she isn’t panicking. As I help her into the passenger seat, my anxiety blends with excitement. This is it. We might become parents today.
As we pull onto the road, I keep one hand on Lily’s, the other tightly gripping the steering wheel. The drive home is usually peaceful, but today the tension is palpable. Our lives are about to change forever, and the significance of that realization is not lost on us.
We’re not two minutes from the building when Lily inhales sharply, then blows a long breath out.
“What?” I ask. “What is it?”
She closes her eyes but doesn’t answer for a long moment. “I think it was a contraction.”
“Already?” I ask, startled. “Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure,” she says through clenched teeth. “But it’s just one, so we still have time.”
I nod, trying to reassure myself as much as her. That seemed pretty strong. From what I can remember, they aren’t supposed to be that strong at the beginning of labor.
“Another one,” Lily says softly, less than a minute later.
She closes her eyes and focuses on breathing.
“Should I call the midwife?” I ask, worry gnawing at me.
“Wait,” Lily says, breathing heavily. “Let’s see if they keep coming this close together.”
And sure enough, another contraction hits her mere moments later. Panic starts to settle in my chest as information returns from the birth classes we took. These contractions are unusually close together for early labor. They’re also very strong — more like what seems like active labor than early labor. Could the baby be on the way?
“Let’s go to the hospital,” I say. “Just to have you checked.”
“Sure.” She nods. “Let’s do that.”
I floor the gas pedal, and our car surges forward. The hospital looms closer, but not close enough. Lily’s labor is progressing rapidly, and I can see the fear in her eyes.
“Deep breaths, love,” I tell her, trying to keep my own panic in check. “Just breathe.”
