Page 7

“That’s a funny name.”

“Work on finding your headphones, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I got out of the truck and got to the Jeep fast, but not so fast that I’d land on my ass. When I opened the door, Zoe glared at me. “Did you stop for dinner?”

“Found some Goldfish crackers and apple juice.”

“No can do, Hero-Dad. I’d just barf it all up according to all of the baby literature. Ice chips only. Which shouldn’t be a problem. You just have to scoop up some snow occasionally.”

“Hero-Dad, huh?”

“I’ve got high hopes for you. So, are we ready to roll?”

I could see how much she was hurting. “Zoe, are you okay? I mean is everything normal, or is something abnormal going on?”

She took a moment to consider my question. “I think this is just the normal joys of ‘giving birth.’ I really think we’re going to be fine, Adam. But have you checked your phone? Can you get a signal?”

I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I hadn’t looked at it since I’d found her on the side of the road. I looked down again. “Nope, still no service.”

“Fuck.”

“Yep,” I agreed. “Okay, let’s get a move on.”

I hovered as Zoe pushed herself out of the car seat, then when it was clear she had done all she could do, I held out my hands, and she grabbed them.

“I hope you’ve been eating your Wheaties.”

“I think I can handle a little thing like you.” I pulled her gently the rest of the way out of the Jeep. As soon as she was on her feet, she peeked around me, and looked at the side of the ditch as if seeing it for the first time.

“Damn, Adam, I was never going to make it up to the road on my own steam.”

“I don’t know, you seem to have grit.” I put my arm around her back and she did the same. That way I could do most of the climbing and pull her along. What had taken me less than a minute, took us fifteen. We had to stop for three contractions. Each time, I worried that she was going to fall, but she kept standing.

The snow was still coming down like it had only one winter’s night to get it all done, and even with my truck’s headlights on, I had a hard time seeing it when we got to the road.

“I can’t see a thing.” Zoe’s teeth were chattering.

“Just a couple of yards, and we’ll get to it. I’ve created quite the warm nest for you,” I promised.

She gripped my waist tighter, and I guided her to the rear door of the truck. I hit the key fob and unlocked the truck. When I opened the door, blessed heat shot out and engulfed us. “Let me lift you in.”

Zoe just nodded.

I got her situated into the backseat, and I came in behind her and shut the door.

She was panting.

“Hi! I’m James. Your name is funny.” My mini-extrovert was standing on the passenger seat with his head hanging over the top, looking at Zoe. Zoe didn’t respond, and I could see she was having another contraction. He frowned. “Are you okay?”

Zoe nodded, and tried to smile, but her grimace looked like a perverted clown’s smile.

“Whoa. You look scary.”

Zoe huffed out a grunt. I thought it was a laugh.

Finally she started breathing normally and looked up at my son. “Hi James. Yeah, everybody always teased me on the playground because of my name.”

James considered that. “That wasn’t nice. Did you beat them up?”