“Okay,” Jane said efficiently. “I need to get the IV started first.” She poked a large needle into my hand and I winced as soon as the fluids hit my bloodstream.
Looking up at her, I asked, “Is it normal for that to hurt?”
Jack tensed and looked hard at Jane, who said quickly, “Some patients report a burning sensation at first. But it should fade in no time.”
I nodded with surprise. “You’re right. It’s already gone.”
“Great. Now I need to wrap this band around your stomach. It’s a bit uncomfortable because it’s tight. It measures your baby’s heart rate so we can monitor it during labor, as well as your contractions’ length and strength.”
“Okay.” It pinched as she tightened it around the top of my belly.
“Is that all right?” she asked, cocking her head to one side.
“It’s fine.”
“Good. See the monitor here?” She pointed at the green machine with several small LCD screens to my right. “You can see when your contractions hit right here. And your baby’s heart rate right here.”
“Cool.”
“Do you know what you’re having?” she asked, looking between Jack and me.
“We do.” I smiled at her before turning my head toward Jack, my eyes beginning to tear up. I didn’t subscribe to the whole “we don’t want to know the gender of our baby” way of thinking. My mind was far too organized for that sort of nonsense and I needed to be prepared for this little person entering our lives. Especially with the chaos that was Jack’s baseball schedule, the idea of any more surprises did not sound appealing.
Jane continued to hook me up to various things, another monitor on my arm for my heart rate, as well as the prepping for an epidural if I wanted. Just a few days ago, I’d felt like a beached whale. Now I felt like a science experiment with wires coming out of me from all sides. I couldn’t even walk to the bathroom without having to wheel the IV support with me.
I looked at Jack, who had moved the leather chair right next to my bed, and smacked my forehead with my hand. “Shit. I forgot to text everybody with the room number. Can you send them a text and tell them please?”
“Of course.” He reached for my phone and stood up. Leaning down to give me a kiss, he whispered, “I love you,” before kissing my belly and telling our baby the same. Then he walked around the curtain and out of my view, and I heard the door open and then pull to a close.
Two seconds later he was back in the room, a huge dimpled smile lighting up his face. “They’re already out there.”
“Who is?” I asked, completely confused.
“All the knuckleheads. They want to come in. Can they?” Jack directed his question toward our nurse, Jane.
She nodded. “They can come in until it’s time to deliver. Or,” she pointed at me, “until you want them out.”
“Warn them that I look like ass!” I shouted toward Jack’s back.
“You look beautiful, Kitten.”
Our families wasted no time filling up the room, all nervously beaming at me in expectation. My heart filled with love as I looked at them all and said, “I can’t believe you’re all here. What if it takes me a hundred hours to have this kid?”
My mom walked over to me first, looking incredibly happy as she leaned down and squeezed me. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m so excited,” she admitted, and I wanted to cry.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked, only half-surprised that he wasn’t here.
“He’s traveling for work,” Mom said without meeting my eyes. “He said he’ll try to get here as soon as he can.”
I wondered briefly if she believed the lies my dad told. I knew he most likely wouldn’t show up at the hospital, so I assumed she had to know this as well. Maybe she chose to live in denial? I couldn’t care anymore. I had my own family to worry about and take care of.
My eyes locked on to Melissa’s blue ones, then my gaze traveled down the length of her tiny frame to where her hand intertwined with Dean’s. She made a face at me and I laughed. “Get over here,” I insisted and she dropped Dean’s hand and ran over.
“I can’t believe you’re having a baby,” she said into my hair as she hugged me awkwardly.
“I know! I can’t believe it took you ten years to hook up with Dean. You guys look really happy.”
She pulled back and made a face at me. “How could you let me be such an idiot for so long?”
“Uh, you’re sorta stubborn. And you don’t listen.” I puckered my lips at her.
“I know. But to think I could’ve been this happy that whole time? I just want to kick myself.”
“So, you are happy?” I asked, reaching for her hand.
“The happiest. I never knew,” she said, then paused to gain her composure. “I just never knew it could be like this.” Her eyes began to glisten, then a few tears spilled over.
“I’m so happy for you. Don’t screw it up,” I whispered, my voice playful.
“My turn.” Dean’s voice cut through our whispers. He bumped Melissa out of the way with his hip and leaned down to hug me.
Everyone wanted to hug me but I could barely move, so it turned out to be this awkward grab thing that happened instead of a real hug. “Hurry up and make me an uncle, would ya?”
“Talk to the kid in the belly,” I told him sarcastically. “Clearly, I’m ready.” I opened my arms to point to all the machines and monitors attached to my body.