The hospital room was quite a bit nicer than I had expected. Though it was small, it was private. One large window looked out over the courtyard and, since my bed was pushed right by it, I could see the tops of the eucalyptus trees if I sat up straight. Aside from the bed, there was a small side table, two chairs on one end of the room and a bunch of medical equipment, a desk and a computer on the other. Still, it was the little details that made it quaint, like a child’s painting of the sun setting over an ocean hanging from the wall and a bouquet of daisies on the side table.

I reached my hand over to touch the white petals of the largest flower. Plastic. I figured as much, but it was lovely nonetheless.

It was in between the intense contractions that I really appreciated things like the room and the flowers – such a juxtaposition from the sharp stabbing sensations that were taking up more and more of my attention as they continued to get closer together.

My excitement took hold when the door began to open, but quickly faded when I saw who it was.

Seeing the look on my face Amy answered before I even had a chance to ask. “He’ll be here soon – traffic.”

“Of course.” I retorted.

A few moments later, that familiar feeling began to take hold again. Starting in the depths of my lower abdomen, the sensation pulsed its way throughout the rest of my body. This feeling became more intense as the seconds passed until it felt like my entire lower region was being stabbed and violently constricted at the same time. Pockets of sweat formed at my temples and poured down the side of my face. I had quickly learned that the best way through it was not to run away from the pain, but instead to be fully present with it so I closed my eyes and settled in.

As I steadily took deep expressions of inhales and exhales, a gentle hand blanketed my fisted one. I immediately knew exactly who it belonged to.

“That’s good. Breathe, baby.” Jordan’s voice whispered into my ear.

I opened my eyes to see his look of complete love and adoration staring down at me just as the contraction was easing up. A cool sensation on my forehead provided extra relief as Jordan gently wiped the perspiration from my brow with a wet washcloth.

“You made it.”

He let out a big belly laugh. “If a bomb exploded on the way here and blew both off all of my limbs, I would have still found a way to get to you. There was no way I wasn’t going to make it.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

Just then, Dr. Kanter walked in with his head buried in his clipboard. When I had first met him back at the beginning of my first trimester, I was uncomfortable because he was so much younger than I had anticipated. Thankfully, I hadn’t let my bias get the best of me because he was truly a wonderful doctor.

“Mason, Jordan, I don’t want to alarm you, but your baby is in a bit of distress.”

Jordan and both simultaneously tightened the grips of our hands.

“Her heartbeat isn’t what we’d like it to be so we’re going to need to get her out sooner rather than later. The nurses are going to prep you for a caesarian section. I know this is not how you wanted to do this, but I feel that this is the best course of action, considering the circumstances.”

It was true; I had planned to deliver naturally and thought I would have been devastated if it had to happen in any other way, but the only thing I cared about now was that our baby was healthy. To hell with my birth plan.

“That’s fine. Please just do whatever you have to do to make sure she’s safe.” I said, quickly.

Jordan nodded in agreement. Dr. Kanter left the room as two other men dressed in blue scrubs rushed in and got my bed ready to move into surgery.

Though we didn’t speak another word, Jordan never let go of my hand and soon, we were on the move.