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She put her finger up.Wait.She breathed through the rest of it, nodding her head first and then shaking it in disbelief. When it subsided, she looked at him wide-eyed.
“Thatmust have been a contraction,” she said. “I’ve been having Braxton Hicks, but that was not a Braxton Hicks.”
“Let’s finish this up so we can check the time,” Dave said, worried.
She wasn’t due for another month. Showers aborted, there would be no sex after this one. Fear enveloped him, but she was serene, giving credit to that ethereal visitation by her mother less than an hour before.
She told Dave about it as they dressed in shorts and t-shirts and he was fascinated by the story, believing in the spiritual.
“I’m confident your mother knows what’s going on.”
“Me, too. I’m not worried now. That contraction might have been a fluke, so I don’t want to get all bent out of shape.”
“Let’s get something to eat. It’s five thirty-five,” Dave said, writing the time down. “I’ll estimate the contraction started about ten minutes ago. So, five twenty-five.”
“If you say so. What do you want to eat?”
“I’ll eat what Rose brought.”
“I’m not in the mood for Rose’s pork, if you don’t mind,” Katrina said. “I want gumbo and rice.”
“I’ll order it,” Dave said. “How do you feel?”
“Good. I took a nap this afternoon”
“I wondered why you didn’t answer my text.”
“I don’t even know where my phone is. I woke up with a backache. I wonder if I’m in labor.”
“I hope not,” he said. “Go put your feet up. Did you say you had lemonade?”
“I do, left over from your dad and Rose.”
“I’ll get you some. I’m serious, go sit. I’ll find your phone.”
He called it and could hear the echo of the ring in the back of the house.
“Were you in the nursery?”
“I was. Just looking around,” she said.
He retrieved it and handed it to her, kissing her. “Sit tight. I’ll be right back.”
“I want to come.”
“You’d better stay here.” He gave her the paper and pen. “If you get another one, write down the time and duration.”
“How do you know to do this?” They hadn’t taken childbirth classes.
“This isn’t my first rodeo, as they say.”
“Oh right. Yuck. I guess we should talk about it,” she said. “But please, get my dinner first.”
He kissed her again and left out the back door to make the four-block trip to pick up gumbo and rice.
She wanted Maggie to know, so she sent her a text.I had a real contraction at five twenty-five.
In a minute she got a return text.It’s too early.Then the phone rang.
