“Are you having contractions?” Reina questions.
“I don’t think so,” I reply, pulling my lower lip between my teeth. I should know the answer to that. I mean in all the movies the women are always screaming and timing shit. If it wasn’t the waterfall between my legs, I wouldn’t even be sure I’m in labor. Fear engulfs me and my eyes dart nervously between the two of them. “I’m three weeks early,” I whisper.
What if something is wrong? What if all the stress I’ve put her under the last few months is the reason she’s decided to come early?
I had one job.
Keep her safe.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” my father says, forcing me out of my head. “You hear me? Everything is going to be just fine,” he assures, placing a quick kiss to my temple.
“We’re having a baby,” Reina says excitedly.
“We’re having a baby,” my dad murmurs as he stares at me with a small smile playing on his lips and tears in his eyes.
“Actually, I’m the one having the baby,” I reply, trying to hide my nerves. A million thoughts run through my head, most of them insecurities, but one thought outshines all the rest. Soon I’ll meet the little girl I prayed for. The little girl I fought for.
“My little girl,” my dad rasps, shaking his head in disbelief. “Ain’t that some shit.”
Tears well in my eyes as I stare at him. This may not how I envisioned welcoming my first child but there is still something beautiful about it.
“Are you ready for this, grandpa?”
“I was born ready,” he whispers, thumbing away one of my tears. “You’re going to be such an amazing mom and I’m so damn grateful I get to witness it.”
It’s crazy to think at the beginning of my pregnancy my father was facing a prison sentence and now he’s the one carrying me out of the house. I have to be thankful for that and focus on the blessings I’ve been given because if I let myself dwell on the fact my husband isn’t here, I’ll fall apart. In my heart, I know he’s with me.
Always with me.
With her.
With us.
It doesn’t take my father long to drive to the hospital. He blows every light and cuts off every driver doing the speed limit. In between calling my doctor and my mother, Reina yells at him and urges him to slow down while Danny sits in the back with me, holding my hand.
“I can’t believe I’m going to be an uncle,” he marvels.
“You’re going to be the best uncle ever,” I tell him.
My first contraction slices into me. Without thinking, I squeeze Danny’s hand and he yelps.
“Holy smokes,” my little brother squeals. “Lacey, you’re breaking my fingers.” Reina turns around and reaches over the console to give me her hand.
“Contraction,” I hiss, squeezing her hand.
“Breathe, Lace, in and out.”
“Hang on, Lace, we’re around the corner from the hospital,” he shouts, slamming his fist against the horn. “Get the fuck out of my way!”
“Your mom is meeting us at the hospital and Dr. Heltzer knows you’re in labor. Once they examine you and tell how much you’ve dilated, they’ll call him and catch him up to speed,” Reina informs me.
Clenching my teeth, I blow out a ragged breath.
“What about Blackie? Did you call the rehabilitation center?”
“Yes, I left a message for Sunny to tell Blackie.”
Tears slide down my cheeks as I nod as I exhale.
“I think it’s over,” I hiss, touching a hand to my stomach.
“Okay, we have to time them,” Reina says as my father pulls the SUV in front of the hospital. He’s out in a flash, pulling open my door and lifting me out of the car. With Danny and Reina running behind us, he carries me into the emergency room and starts barking at the nurse behind the reception desk, informing her that I’m labor.
An orderly comes out with a wheelchair and my father gently deposits me into it. A security guard yells for him to move my car and he loses his shit as he morphs into his alter ego. In typical Bulldog fashion, he tells the guard to fuck off and follows the orderly as he wheels me up to labor and delivery.
“Dad, they’re going to tow the car.”
“I’ll kill the bastard if he tows my car.”
“Dad--”
“Lace, I’m not leaving you. Now, once your mother gets here, I’ll go move the car. Until then, squeeze my damn hand.”
Knowing better than to argue with him, I slide my hand in his and don’t let go until the orderly wheels me into one of the exam rooms. A nurse helps me out of the wheelchair and draws the curtain around us, blocking out my dad. She helps me into a paper gown and gets me situated on the bed, hooking me up to a fetal monitor.
Ten minutes later the OBGYN on call comes into the room to examine me and reveals my cervix is four centimeters dilated. Another contraction slams into me and my father pulls back the curtain. Luckily, the doctor is no longer between my legs because…awkward.
He takes my hand, brushes my hair away from my face and when it passes, I lift my eyes to his. He winks at me.
“We’ve got this, kid,” he rasps as he raises my hand and brushes a kiss to my knuckles. Hurricane Connie comes storms into the room a second later and bursts into tears as soon as she spots me and my dad.
“It’s really happening?”
“No, we thought we’d do a practice run, Con,” he deadpans. She rolls her eyes and rushes to my other side. Taking my free hand, she presses a kiss to my forehead.
“Oh my God! She’s coming, Lacey. Our beautiful girl is on her way.”
“I have to move my car. Don’t leave her side, Connie.”
“A pack of wild horses couldn’t tear me away,” she assures him. “Go, I got her.”
“Dad?”
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“Please call the rehab center again,” I say hoarsely. “If Sunny isn’t there ask someone to get in touch with Blackie. I need to hear his voice.”
With a nod, he reaches for his phone and is out the door. I turn to my mom as she takes a seat, tucking our joined hands under her chin as she stares back at me.
“Everything is going to be okay,” she whispers, sensing my anxiety. “He’ll call just like he did when we found out she was a girl. I’m sure of it.”
“I hate that he’s not here.”
“I know, sweetheart, but think about when he comes home and sees her for the first time. He’s never going to let her go.”
I nod as the tears stream down my cheeks.
He’s totally going to hog her.
And I’m going to love every minute of it.
“And there is nothing preventing him from being the best father. You just have to remind yourself of that.”
She’s right.
No longer plagued by a disease he can’t control he’s going to be a terrific father. One who puts his daughter before everything and everyone. There will be no question of sacrificing himself for anyone other than her.
“I think another one is coming,” I grind out as pain tears through me. “They’re happening really quick.”
“Just squeeze my hand and breathe,” my mom says. “This little girl wants to meet her grandma.”