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And only after the other customers had left.
I thought it was adorable, but unnecessary. There was no shame in coming in just for those items, but it seemed like a good percentage of our clientele was embarrassed to shop for such things. At least, the first time or two. By the third or fourth time they returned to Womanland, they had no qualms about going straight to the restricted area—or even asking one of us what products we would recommend.
In the three years since Womanland had opened, we’d gotten great support for the store not just from the locals in Creswell Springs, but from our online customers as well. Lyric’s female family members always came in to shop whenever they were in town to visit. When his cousin Arella and her husband Jordan had come in just a few months before, the actress had tweeted that she’d found the cutest outfit for her toddler daughter, and we’d gotten swarmed with people looking for the same outfit for their little ones. We’d sold out of everything in the store within two weeks, and our suppliers hadn’t been able to keep up with the demand for a while.
“I’ve also included a twenty-five-percent-off coupon for your next purchase with us,” I told her as she took the bag. “It’s good in any and all of our departments.”
If it was possible, she turned an even brighter shade of crimson as she mumbled a “thank you” and practically sprinted out of the store.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Avery burst into giggles, and I couldn’t hide my own laughter as Mila came in through the back door. She’d gone over to have lunch with Lyric an hour before, but I knew she was really going to the preschool down the block where her boys spent half the day. That was a recent development, and she was still not completely okay with them being with something other than Lyric or her mom when she couldn’t bring them to work with her.
“Okay, one—what’s so funny?” Her gray eyes fell on me, and she put her hands on her hips. “And two—and I stress the most important question—why are you on your feet? I told my brother you would be in the office doing the bookwork, and now I find that you’ve made a liar of me.”
I rolled my eyes at her. “Oh, please. I’ve been up here a total of ten minutes, and most of that was for entertainment purposes. I was watching that poor woman on the security monitor flit from one section to another, and then she went into the restricted area and I knew it was going to be amusing.” An angry kick hit me right behind my belly button, and I rubbed my hand over where my son was making himself known, trying to soothe his attitude. That boy was going to be just as much of a hell-raiser as either of his grandfathers.
“See!” Mila scolded, pointing her finger at me. “You’re in pain.”
“Of course I’m in pain!” I yelled back, frustrated with her. No one gave me any peace these days. I was three weeks out from my due date, and everyone was constantly growling at me to stay off my feet and take it easy. I needed to be productive, damn it. Sitting around doing nothing was more exhausting than anything for me. “This kid is as big as his fucking father. I have to have a C-section because he’s so damn big.”
My best friend’s face turned contrite. “I just want you to be careful. Your doctor is on vacation and won’t be back until two days before your scheduled C-section.”
I nearly stamped my foot, but I stopped myself just in time, remembering the last time I’d done just that. It had only been the week before, and when I’d stomped it down, I’d peed a little. Thankfully, I kept a change of clothes in the office, because this little dude liked to play soccer with my bladder—and not in the cute way some mommies-to-be had to constantly go to the bathroom. It was more of a tidal wave effect, and not even using panty liners helped some days.
Breathing deeply through my nose, I tried to count to ten to calm my irritation. I’d been irrationally grumpy at times during the entire third trimester, but I tried my best not to take it out on those I loved the most. Mila was lucky she was one of those people, or I would have already picked up whatever was closest to me and hurled it at her head.
Unfortunately for my husband, whom I loved the most in the entire world, that didn’t save him from me throwing things at his ginormous head. “I’m fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “But if it makes you feel better, I will return to the prison that you call our office and finish up the stupid…” I’d taken one step in the direction of the office and felt a puddle suddenly pour out of me. “Shit. He did it again. I can’t go anywhere without pissing all over the place.”
“Um, I don’t think that’s pee,” Avery mumbled in a horrified voice as she stared down at the floor.
Mila ran over, her eyes looked frightened as she bent to examine the puddle I’d just embarrassingly made. Tears filled her gray eyes as she looked up at me. “I think your water broke.”
“Why are you crying?” I demanded. “All you do is cry anymore. I’m sorry I yelled, okay? God.”
“I’m crying because I’m scared for you!” she shouted. “And because I’m pregnant, you jerk.”
“Oh,” I whispered, tears filling my own eyes. “Are you okay? How far along are you? Does Lyric know yet?”
“I’m good,” she said as she straightened. “And yes, Lyric knows. He knew before I did. I’m only like six weeks, and yes, it’s fucking twins. Again. I swear, this is the last time, so one of them better be a girl, because it’s all the kids that man is getting to pop out of my vagina. He’s getting snipped! I already made the appointment. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
“Um, should I call someone?” Avery asked hesitantly as she stood, anxious, beside me. “I mean, you’re still leaking. It’s not stopping.”
“It’s fine.” I waved her off. “I haven’t even started having contractions yet. I can finish the books. Just let me change and put on one of those adult diapers Kingston gave me as a gag a few weeks ago.” He was trying to be funny at the time, but I’d actually appreciated the thought. Now I could finish the books before I had to go to the hospital.
As I turned to go back to the office to get my fresh clothes and the diaper, I called over my shoulder, “And do not call my husband yet. He’s doing a back piece that has a lot of detail to it. I don’t want him worrying about me when he needs to concentrate on that.”
In the bathroom, I cleaned up and then returned to the office to finish up the bookwork. Every now and then, I would feel pressure, but it was fine. The contractions hadn’t really started, so I wasn’t worried.
When I was done, I shut everything down and walked out to the front of the store. Only to stop in my tracks as the first pain hit me so hard, it nearly brought me to my knees. “Fuck!” I screamed, bending in half and causing the customer in the store to stop and stare at me.
“It’s only been half an hour,” Mila was saying into the phone when I could breathe again. “Right, okay. We’re leaving for the hospital now.”
Hanging up, she pocketed the phone. “Lyric is calling everyone. Maverick will just have to reschedule the back piece.” Putting her arm around me, she guided me toward the exit. “Avery, lock up. I’ll let you know when baby Rocco makes an appearance.”
“Good luck, River,” she called.
I could barely breathe, let alone answer her. That pain
had been no joke. Not even when I’d had the miscarriage had the pain been so intense, and I’d thought that had been the worst pain of my life. I’d been wrong. So, so wrong. This was worse on an entirely different scale of agony.
