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“We’re getting you help,” Owen asserted.
Reika seemed to be in too much pain to argue. She nodded, her expression distorting as the contractions became deeper. She yelled out in pain as she squeezed Owen’s hand, crunching the bones at the same time.
They went on as fast as they could. Owen felt like he was stuck in a nightmare, something that passed by quickly but slowly at the same time. Rain began falling harder, making small puddles in the boat. The sky was the color of a deep bruise with very little light in sight.
But Owen had to go on. He was with his mate, and he needed to be her light for the moment. So he held her tightly, whispering to her that everything was going to be all right. He would never let anything bad happen to her as long as he was by her side.
THIRTY-ONE
REIKA
Reika had, of course, never given birth before, so the concept of squeezing something the size of a watermelon out of something the size of a lemon made her panicky.
The pain was enough, at least, to keep her distracted. When the rain began to plummet down on them on the boat, the coolness did even more to distract her. She tried to breathe through it and to hold onto Owen’s hand without shattering his bones.
“The storm is coming in fast!” Mateo yelled.
Reika watched as a concerned look passed over Owen’s face. It wasn’t looking good already.
“What, hun?” she bellowed at him.
He looked down between her legs, then her stomach. He looked her in the eyes again, like he had just noticed a sea creature.
“I don’t think we’re going to make it,” he whispered.
Reika knew she had heard him right, but she also needed him to be more assertive. She was in intense agony. Someone had to take charge of that moment.
“What does that even mean?” she screamed.
She noticed Connor and Mateo looking at each other as the boat hopped over climbing waves. Connor had a constant smirk painted on his sly face, while Mateo looked perpetually unsure. Neither look was helping.
“I don’t think we will get to Holo in time,” Owen yelled back. “You might have to give birth right here!”
Reika heard the words, but the concept didn’t immediately compute. How the fuck were they going to deal with a baby on a boat? And what if there was something wrong with the labor?
The boat jumped over oily black waves, jolting all four members off their feet and into the air. It was a small hop, but enough for Reika to recognize that Owen wasn’t being dramatic at all.
The contractions were barely a minute apart. She knew right then and there that she should have told Owen earlier, even perhaps on one of the days that the ferry was headed for their island. But she had been stubborn and, ultimately, afraid.
She looked around on the boat to see the eyes of three ill-prepared men. She started laughing, which confused them even more. “Hey,” she began, lying flat on the bench. “None of you would happen to have had experience with labor on a stormy sea, would you?”
None of the men laughed or even smiled. Her attempt to lighten the moment had passed, and her anxiety returned in full force.
She pulled Owen close, straining as she spoke through the agony. “It has to be you,” she said. “You have to do it.”
Owen nodded solemnly as he gazed back at his brothers.
“This is happening, guys,” he began. “You two focus on the boat and heading back to land. I’m going to help Reika get this baby out right now.”
Mateo’s eyes were bright and awkward while Connor continued to face forward. She thought she saw his shoulders shaking from sheer amusement.
But there wasn’t any time to consider it.
Owen found towels stored on the ship, then placed a few beneath her on the bench. The seat was wide enough for Reika to spread her legs.
She looked back up at the brothers and was glad to see that they had intentionally looked away, giving the couple the most privacy you can get on a boat of that size.
Owen helped her remove her pants and underwear. She sat there, spread out like she was ready for a good romp. Instead, she felt like she was going to split in half from this child trying to burst into the world.
