Until the contraction had returned a moment ago, I’d been “enjoying” the private labor and delivery room. Josh’s hockey game had been on TV (yes, I had a TV), but now the game was over and the TV was off. There was nothing I wanted towatch.
So I had been walking around the room. It was part of my birthing plan. And high on the agenda was natural childbirth. So no epidural forme.
But could you blameme?
I shuddered at the mental image of the scary epidural needle as the contractionfaded.
Phew!
“How are you doing?” the perky cheerleader of an OB resident asked, entering theroom.
Abso-fucking-lutelyfantastic.
That’s right—I was allowed to swear all I wanted, in my head, without the repercussions of the swear-wordjar.
What Josh didn’tknow…
“I’m fine.” Yes, it was a lie. Iwasn’tfine. I was in labor and it hurt like hell and I wasalone.
Well, not completely alone. Kelsey was with me…and Trent when he was brave enough to be in theroom.
I wasn’t sure if it was the concept of labor and childbirth in general that freaked him out—or if it was because I was the one going through it. I wasn’t his girlfriend. I was hiscolleague.
Speaking of Trent, he picked that moment to pop into theroom.
“Have you heard from him yet?” I asked, straightening and ignoring the super-caffeinated resident for amoment.
“Yes, he just called. The team’s flight is delayed due to the storm that hit out east. So far there’s no ETA for him gettinghere.”
Good thing he hadn’t announced that while I was having a contraction. I might have kneed him in the nuts—not that the news was Trent’sfault.
I completely blamed MotherNature.
Note to self: no Mother’s Day card for her thisyear.
Did Josh ever say “I love you” again after I thought I’d imagined himpossiblysaying it on Christmas Eve? The answer was no—so I just wrote it off as a wonderfuldream.
Had I said those three little words yet? No—I didn’t want to put him on the spot if he wasn’t there. Why did falling in love have to be so complicated? There really should be a book on how to let a guy know you’re in love with him without freaking him out. Or at least a chapter inWhat ToExpect.
“Alrighty,” the resident said, suddenly sounding a little impatient. Guess it was time for her coffee break, so she could fill up on her annoying perkiness. “I need to check your cervixagain.”
Truth? Trent should have been a sprinter instead of a mutual fund portfolio manager. I’d never seen a man vacate a room that fastbefore.
Chuckling at his hasty retreat, I removed my maternity yoga pants and underwear and climbed onto the bed. Kelsey studied the wall behind my head while the resident stuck her fingers up my woo haha.
“You’re fourcentimeters.”
Seriously? I’d always been quick at everything—especially academics. So why did this have to be the first time a snail progressed faster thanme?
Maybe this is for the best, so Josh can be here for the birth of his son, the annoying voice in my head said at the same time another contraction hit.Hard.
I bitch slapped the voice. Was it not experiencing the same contractions I was? Did it really believe I wanted to wait until after Josh arrived before I gave birth toNoah?
Hell, that could be in twelvehours!
* * *
Five hours later,I was ready to rip my belly open and remove Noah myself. It was official. I was never having sexagain.
