Page 182 of Sugar & Shadows

Gabe pulled me into his arms, his blue eyes wild. “Shit. Okay. No one panic.”

“You’re the one panicking,” Nina replied.

“No.” He ran one hand through his hair while he continued to hold me up. “You are.”

“Yes.” My mom jumped up from the table and pumped her fist. “It’s grandbaby time.”

“Everyone stay calm,” Gabe ordered.

“We’ve got a plan, people,” Harper shouted. “There’s a reason we train for these things. Let’s proceed to phase one—contractions more than three minutes apart.”

“There are phases?” I asked.

“Seven.”

My heart stuttered. “Seven?”

“Technically eight if we activate emergency contingencies,” she chirped.

“A plan?” I turned to Gabe.

“She made a PowerPoint.” he whispered. “Everyone’s… invested.”

“Invested? How?”

Nina cleared her throat. “We’ve got a Google drive. With color-coded folders and assignments.”

“And a text chain,” Meg added.

“This baby is a community project at this point,” my mom said, patting my shoulder. “It’s better to just to go with it.”

All around, the team was packing up. My mom collected my purse while Harper barked out orders and Nina held my water bottle to my mouth.

Gabe, on the other hand, hadn’t moved, and he looked like he was on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

“Time to go to the hospital.” Meg ducked under the table and reappeared with an armload of energy drinks. We were still well stocked, even months after Harper’s online shopping spree.

“Who’s driving?” my mom asked.

“Let’s take my minivan,” Meg suggested. “Tons of space.”

Like bobbleheads, they all agreed, continuing on with their tasks.

“Shotgun,” Harper called.

“No,” the rest of the group replied simultaneously.

“I’m timing the contractions,” she argued.

Without acknowledging her, the crowd migrated toward the door. Nina held it open, and my mom and Harper and Meg filed out. I waddled that way with Gabe supporting me.

“I’m the one having a baby,” I said.

“And I’ve got the bag in the car,” Gabe said, his voice shaking. “Or I think I do?” I could see the pure panic in his eyes.

“The car seat?” I gripped his arm as I rode out another contraction. I’d planned to go to the fire station to have them install it for us, but I had been too busy. I’d been driving around with the damn thing in my trunk.

“I’ll text Jasper. He’ll install it at the hospital,” he said. “We’re ready.”