“Right. Car,” Mason calls back.
Harlow comes rushing in, and with Teagan and Kayla’s aid, they help me into the pair of joggers Harlow brought down.
“I got you a top too,” she tells me, and begins to unzip my dress.
Maverick steps into the room, sees me half undressed, and then turns, giving us his back. “He’s just getting some spare stuff.”
I breathe heavily, the pain unbearable as I grip the counter. God, why do I always forget the pain. Why?
Although I know it will be bittersweet once I get my baby boy into my arms, it doesn’t push aside the fact I’m in agony. It doesn’t help me remember that this pain does go away. Even the fact that this will be my last time ever going through this doesn’t help me. All I want to do is curl up in a ball and plead for someone else to do this for me.
Turning my head, I see Mason barrel down the stairs, dropping my case at the bottom. I take one look at his face and his T-shirt, and cringe. “Mason, you can’t go to the hospital like that. It looks like you’ve been in a scrap,” I screech, panting heavily. “Stop fucking around and get me to the hospital where they have gas and air.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he bellows, racing back out of the room.
Kayla steps forward. “I’ve called ahead and let them know you are on your way in. They are expecting you.”
I breathe out a sigh of relief. I forgot about calling the hospital. “Thank you, Kayla.”
“Can we do anything?”
“Unless you want to deliver this baby for me, no,” I tell her, keeping my voice soft, low. “My God, this hurts so much.”
“You are doing amazing,” Harlow tells me, but the look on her face says otherwise.
“What’s going on?”
“Um, your nan is helping with the kids and said she’s going to get up to the hospital as soon as they’re asleep.”
“That could be hours.” I tilt my head, meeting her gaze. I reach out, squeezing her hand in mine. “You have to come. I need you. I need someone calm.”
She pushes my hair out of my face. “I won’t leave you. I promise. Best friends, remember?”
I sag into her embrace as Mason steps through the door again. “I’ve changed. Now let’s go.”
“You cannot be serious,” I tell him.
“Bro, you cannot wear that while she’s giving birth,” Maverick scolds.
He glances down at his T-shirt, and grimaces. It’s the one Max bought him that says, ‘I’d rather be watching the Discovery channel.’
“Fuck. I’ll change.”
“Don’t bother, we need to go,” I tell him, having that sense I’ll need to push soon.
Another contraction hits, and if it weren’t for Harlow and Teagan, I would have collapsed to the floor. This one is more powerful, more intense. “I think I need to push.”
“God, don’t push,” Mason yells.
“Stop yelling at me and get me to the damn hospital.”
“Right. Right.”
Taking pity on him, Harlow speaks up. “We’ll help her get to the car.”
“Right. Car. Car.”
“Bro, get it together,” Maverick orders.
Nodding, Mason wordlessly picks up the bag and leaves. We follow, me at such a slower pace. Kayla holds up the umbrella, protecting me from getting soaked in the rain.
Reaching the garden, the others stick their head out of the door, or out of the window. “Good luck!”
“I’m never doing this again,” I wail. “It hurts so much.”
“That’s what you said the last time,” Max yells out of the top bedroom window. “Lies!”
“F-you, Max,” I yell.
“Sheesh, only saying. You should mean it this time.”
I grit my teeth as we move down the side of the house, stopping when another contraction hits.
“You’ve got this,” Harlow tells me.
“I don’t. I really don’t,” I declare, shaking my head in denial.
“Just a few more steps, then we are at the car,” she assures me.
The engine starts up and I look up to see Mason pull out, nearly hitting the backend of the car in front. “What the actual fuck?” I whisper.
“Fucking men,” Harlow bites out.
Maverick rubs the back of his head. “I’ll go get my keys. He’s stressed. He doesn’t like seeing you in pain.”
He leaves and Teagan glares after him. “Stressed,” she snorts. “He should know. When I was in labour with Mark, he had the nerve to ask me, whilst I was pushing, if it really hurt as bad as I made it sound. I swear, my husband nearly never made it to see our son born.”
“He left me,” I wheeze.
“He’s just excited.”
“Harlow, he left me,” I bite out, gripping the gate as another contraction hits. My scream echoes down the street, bouncing off the houses.
“Got the keys,” Maverick calls just as a car comes to a screeching stop outside.
“You left me,” I scream.
He races around the car, coming to a stop in front of me. “I’m sorry. So fucking sorry.”
I grip his biceps and lean into him. “Get me to the hospital.”
“How about I drive?” Maverick offers.
Mason nods and helps me get into the car, pushing in after me while Harlow gets in the front. “I really am sorry. I’m just… I know this is our last child. I want to make sure it’s as memorable as it can be. And I’m scared. Ciara’s birth was traumatic. You broke three of my fingers.”
I lean into him, placing my hand over his racing heart. “I love you, Mason.”
“I love you too.”
With sweat running down my temples, my stomach contracting, and a husband who nearly left me to give birth outside our house, this is still one of the happiest moments of my life.
“Our family is about to be complete,” I exclaim, unable to hide the happiness pouring from me.
He slides his hands over my jaw, cupping the side of my neck, below my ear. “Yeah, babe, it is.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jaxon
The car runs idly as I wait for it to heat up. The snow is heavier, the air chillier, and instead of being inside with the love of my life, I’m freezing my balls off to get my brother.
Reid has a lot to answer for. I know he doesn’t do this shit intentionally, but he needs to start making better life choices and stop fucking around. We’ve outgrown the days when we go out on benders constantly. Most of us just want a quiet drink at the pub, then to go home for food and sleep. And honestly, for myself, all I want to do when I finish work is get back to Lily. I feel like more and more lately, I don’t get to spend any quality time with her. It needs to change, and for that to happen, the others need to get their act together and stop relying on me to clean up their messes.
Mum is furious. She prides herself on spending time with family and Christmas means a lot to her. It meant a lot to my dad that we were all together, and she’s made sure every year that we are. It’s also good for the twins, since they were so young when our dad died. It’s why she’s livid right now. It’s the first year we’ve all been separated.