AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Panic washes over him, but I press my hand on his shoulder. “I need to go. Beth just called. The baby is on the way.”
He scrubs the heel of his palm over his eyes. “Give me five. I’ll drive you.”
“No. Go back to sleep. It’s fine. We don’t want to ruin those nice leather seats of yours.”
He pulls my wrist, yanking me on top of him.
I really don’t have time for this. I have a woman with a contracting uterus to get to.
“We’ll bring towels.” He says with a sleepy smile against my mouth.
“Good idea. I’ll take yours.”
His palm comes down hard on my ass, echoing around the quiet house.
“Ouch.” I push off him, secretly wishing I didn’t have to. “I really need to go.”
Reluctantly, he releases me, and my heart returns to a normal beat.
“Tell Beth I said good luck, or keep pushing, or whatever it is you’re supposed to say to a woman giving birth.”
I bark a laugh. “It’s not keep pushing.” I toss my bag over my shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”
“Claire.” He reaches for my hand.
“I know,” I whisper. “Stay in contact.”
***
“Keep pushing,” I cheer.
I’m no better than Jake.
But I’ve never squeezed a baby through a keyhole.
Grinding her teeth, she glares at me as I dab her sweat-soaked forehead with a wet cloth.
When she squeezes my hand, I try not to flinch. My fingers are turning blue.
But I’m much better on this side of the bed.
Twelve hours.
Twelve hours and thirty-two minutes, to be exact.
“I’m regretting asking you to be my birthing partner,” she yells, and I swear, I hear something rip.
I’m going to gag.
When I try to cross my legs, I realize they’re already crossed. I think they’ve been crossed since I arrived.
I don’t want anything to go in there again, never mind come out.
I don’t reply. I simply wipe her face.
I’m safer staying quiet.
“Can’t she have an epidural?” I ask the midwife, but it comes out in more of an off-tune song as Beth is crippled with another contraction, and my blood supply is cut off to my hand.
