“Kitten? Where are you?” His voice sounded groggy.
“I’m in the bathroom, Jack. It’s time. I’ll be out in a second.” I waited for the water to stop flowing as thoughts of this is really happening flooded my mind. When I walked out of the bathroom, I found Jack dressed and sitting on the bed, waiting for me.
He immediately hopped up and rushed toward me. “Are you okay? Are you sure it’s time?”
“My water just broke. We should go. Can you grab the overnight bag?” At my doctor’s insistence, I had a bag packed for weeks now that included some clothes for me as well as clothes to bring the baby home in.
He lifted an arm and proudly displayed the packed bag, “Already grabbed it.”
“You seriously impress me,” I said as a contraction tore through my insides. Bending over and grabbing at my stomach, I groaned and breathed through the pain.
Jack was instantly behind me, rubbing my back. “Kitten, are you okay?” He dropped to his knees to look up into my eyes. “You’ll be okay. I promise. What can I do?”
He didn’t like to see me in any kind of pain, and the hurt it caused him to be unable to help made me feel even worse. When the contraction passed, I stood up straight and nodded at him. “I’m not going to change. They’ll make me get out of all this anyway.” I waved a hand over my pajamas.
“You look beautiful. Let’s go as soon as you’re ready.” He tugged at his hair like he always does when he’s nervous, pulling at it.
“I’m ready.” I forced a smile to help ease his nerves.
Jack’s hand found my stomach as he whispered, “Please stop hurting your mommy. Daddy can’t take it and it’s making him crazy.” His lips found mine and he pressed the softest kiss against them. “Let’s go have this baby.”
He walked me to the garage and around the side of our Jeep Grand Cherokee before opening the door for me and helping me in. “Why aren’t we taking the Bimmer?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I like the idea of being in an SUV instead of a car right now.”
When he scooted into the driver’s seat, he reached for my seat belt first, fastening it around my stomach before putting on his own. I focused on my breathing, paranoid that another contraction could come at any minute.
I pulled out my phone, which I’d managed to grab on my way out the door, and typed a group text to my mom, Gran, Dean, and Melissa.
On our way to the hospital. Water broke. Text you when I get settled and know our room number.
“I can’t believe this is really happening. I mean, of course I knew it would happen eventually, but it’s weird.” I breathed slowly in and out as Jack drove through our gated neighborhood.
“How so?” he asked, resting a hand on my knee.
“I don’t know. It’s like I got so used to being this enormous beast that I guess at some point I figured I’d always be this way. Like I’d be pregnant forever. But now that my water broke, it’s like holy shit, we’re going to have a baby! I don’t know what to do with a baby,” I squeaked out, starting to freak out. Jack laughed at my irrationality. “Don’t laugh at me, damn it. It’s not like you’ll even be around.”
That stopped Jack’s laughter immediately. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m not trying to be funny.”
“You want me to quit baseball? I’ll f**king quit tomorrow,” he offered, his tone serious.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Of course I don’t want you to quit baseball. But don’t make fun of me when I’m freaking out, Jack. ‘Cause I’m freaking out,” I admitted. “I’m scared. I don’t know what to do with babies.”
“You’ll be great, Kitten. You’ll be amazing. And if you end up needing help, we’ll hire a nanny. Hell, I’ll hire you one for every day of the week if it helps. Whatever makes you happy.”
“I do not want someone else raising our child! Are you crazy?” I started to yell. “It’s not like I’m working anymore, so there’s no reason I should need a freaking nanny to help me be a mom.”
“Fine. No nanny.” He glanced at me and then focused on the road. “It’s funny how things work out, though.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I was so unhappy about the trade at first, you know? But look at how it all worked out. You ended up being pregnant and we got to move home. Most of the guys aren’t that lucky.”
“Most of the guys don’t want to be that lucky. They like having their wives and kids in other cities. That way they can cheat without getting caught,” I snapped.
“Whoa. Pregnancy’s changed you.”
“Isn’t that the truth.” He glanced at me with a raised eyebrow, surprised that I was completely in agreement, and I laughed. “I feel like a crazy person. Get this thing out of me.”
He squeezed my thigh. “You have Gran and your mom,” he said, then paused and added, “And Melissa. And my brother. We have a whole team here ready to help.”
“You’re right,” I said, starting to settle down. “You’re absolutely right. I’m sure I’ll be okay. I’m just freaking out ‘cause I’ve never done this before.”
“I sure hope not.”
Another contraction ripped through me, causing me to gasp.