Sitting in a chair beside the bed, Graham slips his hand in mine. “We’re having a baby, Sunny.”
Tears spring to my eyes, and a smile stretches across my face. Teenage Charley never would’ve believed that one day she’d be having Graham’s baby, yet here we are.
“Hold on,”I grit out, flattening my palm against the wall. My breaths are shallow and rapid as the pain washes over me like a hot, sharp, unrelenting wave. It’s subtle at first, like a warning, but soon, it’s an intense, all-consuming pressure radiating through my lower back and hips. Sweat drenches the nape of my neck, slicking the hair to my forehead as I squeeze my eyes shut and force myself to breathe deeply. It’s raw and primal, my thighs trembling and my stomach tight and hard, and then it fades. “Okay, we can keep going,” I say once it passes.
“You’re doing so good,” Graham murmurs, his hand on my lower back as we continue down the hall.
Dr. Mitchell started me on Pitocin a few hours ago, and to help labor progress, she suggested moving around. We’ve been walking for about half an hour, but each time a contraction hits, I’m immobilized. The pain steals my breath away.
“He’s right,” Grace says. “When I was in labor with both kids, I didn’t even try to walk or bounce on a medicine ball or anything.”
“I did the same with Sutton,” Gemma chimes in. “Then with Rosie, I tried moving around and realized how much it helped.”
Georgia’s here too, but she’s downstairs getting coffee for everyone but me. It’s been almost seven hours since I was admitted, and they’ve been here ever since. Having Graham and the three of them here for support has been great.
“Okay, well, I’m ready to take a break,” I mutter as we near my room. I’m exhausted, both my body and mind, but there’s no way I’d be able to rest through these contractions. Dr. Mitchell and I agreed to hold off on the epidural as long as I can to avoid me being bed bound, but fuck, I can’t wait for that sweet relief.
Approaching the bed, I drop my hands onto the mattress, letting my head hang between my shoulders as the start of another contraction hits me. It could be all in my head, but I swear they’re getting more and more intense each time. I grip the sheets with tight fists, my knuckles white, as the pain surges through me, vibrating through my middle. It feels like my pelvis is being pried open.
Graham places a steady hand on my back, rubbing in soothing circles. “Remember to breathe slowly through the pain, Sunny,” he murmurs softly. “You got this.”
Once it passes, I climb back on the bed as Georgia walks in, a sympathetic smile pulling on her lips as she meets my gaze. “How’re you doing, babe?”
“Never been better,” I say teasingly.
The curtain in front of the door slides open again as Tiffany, my nurse, strolls in. “Let’s get those vitals checked and see how you’re progressing.”
“I better be at least at nine,” I grumble.
“Let’s cross our fingers,” she says sweetly, fingers clicking against the keyboard. After a minute, she says, “Everything’s looking great. Looks like you’ve had some pretty strong contractions.”
“Can I please take this off?” I ask, pointing to the blood pressure cuff that’s driving me nuts. It’s been on since I was admitted.
“It has to stay on, unfortunately,” she says. “I know it’s annoying, but given your history of high blood pressure, we need to make sure your levels remain okay through the duration of labor and delivery.”
Irritation flashes through my chest, but instead of voicing that, I just nod, because it’s not her fault.
“I’m gonna check your cervix now, okay?”
I nod again, praying I’m more dilated than I was the last time she checked. The contractions are more intense, so surely, that means my body’s opening up…right?
“You’re now at a six,” Tiffany says, letting the sheet drape over my legs again.
“That’s it?” My body sags against the bed, frustration swelling inside of me. “I’ve only gone up a centimeter? How long has it been since you checked?”
“Two hours,” she offers softly. “I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you are making great progress.”
My jaw is tight and my eyes sting as she leaves the room. Glancing at Graham, I say, “I’m never going through this again, so you better stock up on condoms.”
He snorts, which makes me laugh, even as a tear streams down my face. I’m so fucking exhausted. I want this to be over already.
I want to hold my baby.
33
Graham
Charley’s eyes flutter open, finding mine. “Hi.”
