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“I’m glad you won’t be alone.”
Annie glanced at him, relieved and disgusted.
“Steve, it’s okay. On second thought, I wouldn’t want you to see that, either.”
Calista had told her she shit herself when she delivered, and Annie knew that would be the end of their sex life if Steve saw it. He was a child. She couldn’t expect a child to be a man just because she was having their baby.
She sent Maggie and Katrina a text that they were headed to Saint John’s Parish and that her contractions were five minutes apart.
The ride to the hospital wasn’t horrible; the pain wasn’t that bad yet, and it only lasted for a minute. Steve was solicitous and apologetic.
Once at the hospital, she dismissed him, telling him to call his family, and they could wait with him. She had no idea how long it was going to be.
Shortly after she got into a hospital gown, her girls arrived, hugging her, scared and exhilarated. Maggie was clearly pregnant, and Katrina was getting there, and the nurses teased them about being at the hospital too early.
They helped Annie relax, and after an hour, the nurse examined her and announced she could finally go along with the urge to push. With her friends up at the head of the table, they realized that if Steve was there, he wouldn’t be able to see anything unsightly.
“I’m telling that asshole to get in here,” Katrina said.
She marched to the waiting room and grabbed him. “I’m telling you, you’ll be up at her head. You can’t see her crotch. You will regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t get in there right now.”
He started to cry again, but followed her, afraid to say no to Katrina.
“Look! Here’s Steve!” Katrina announced, and Annie took a break from pushing and waved to him.
Katrina shoved him into place next to Annie. The poor man was crying, seeing how brave Annie was even without him while she was giving birth to his baby. With the final push, the room broke out in cries of joy as little Steven Riley Casson—the Riley for Annie’s father—was born, and Steve didn’t miss it. Beside himself with joyful emotion, he leaned over the side rail to ooh and aah over his kid, while Maggie and Katrina snuck out of the room.
“Well, what did you think?” Maggie asked.
“That was disgusting,” Katrina answered, laughing. “My poor puss.”
Maggie laughed out loud. “It can never be the same after that.”
“You’re next,” Katrina said.
“Don’t remind me. I bet I’m the only woman on earth who doesn’t care if the kid stays inside me forever.”
“Is Justin going in with you?”
“He’s seen human births before, so I guess so. I’ll have to ask him. What about Dave?”
“He actually assisted a couple of births of women who didn’t make it to the hospital in time. He said he’s going in. As long as he stays up at the head, I’ll go along with it. But I can’t believe you haven’t discussed it with Justin yet. What’s going on?”
“You know how I am. I’m freaked out.”
“Talk to the man, Maggie. It’ll help. I promise you.”
***
“I changed my mind about not wanting you to come into the delivery room,” Katrina said, looking up at him. “It’s gross but you should be there.”
Dave rubbed his chin, trying to keep from laughing. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
A uniformed ambulance driver knocked and peeked her head in the room when Dave said to come in.
“Are you ready? We get to go to New Orleans tonight!”
“I guess I’m ready,” Katrina said, who had never been sick a day in her life and was now taking an ambulance ride. “I wish he could come with us.” She pointed at Dave.
