After an uneventful close to full-term pregnancy, my water breaks at the office at seven on a Friday night.

I’m alone, except for Jackson’s secretary, Gemma, who I can hear down the hall on the phone. The place empties out at five on Friday as a rule, because that’s the nature of the business. What’s worse is I can’t move. I’m. In. Unbearable. Fucking. Pain. Liquid’s dripping down my leg. A lot of it. I can’t help feeling like something’s not right. Contractions aren’t supposed to hit me like a freight train, are they?

I can’t believe this is happening right now. All the careful planning doesn’t allow for this scenario.

“Gemma?” I shout in her direction as loudly as the pain will allow. “Um, I think I’m having a baby.”

“Give me a second, love,” she shouts back in the sweetest voice while she wraps up whatever she’s doing.

Reaching for my phone, I send a group text to my father, Jace and Vanessa, just in case they’re close by. Dad’s been out of the long-term care hospital for three months. He walks with a cane due to partial paralysis on his left side, but overall, his health is much better. And although we’re still working on our relationship, we’re a million miles closer to each other now than before.

The message I send reads, ‘Hi, y’all. I’m having this baby now, I think. Not sure. Gemma’s going to check me out. Then 9-1-1 is my next call.’

The first reply I get back is from Jace.

‘I’m across town. On my way!’

Dad also replies that he’s half an hour away and his driver will swing by immediately. Then Vanessa’s number comes up with a message, that says, ‘Hey. Cool! It’s Dylan. Vanessa forgot her phone in my car. She’s not here, but Emily and I aren’t too far away. On our way.’

“Oh my God!” Gemma practically screams when she gets to my desk. “I thought you were kidding.” She stares down at the small round pool of clearish liquid on the granite floor. “Looks like this baby’s coming. I’ll drive you to the hospital. Let me just grab my—”

“I think I’m past that point,” I confess to her, cutting her off through clenched teeth.

“What do you mean? When did the pain start?”

“Same time that my water broke. Ten—minutes—ago,” I force out through the excruciating pain.

“You shouldn’t be that dilated, though. Do you mind if I check? I have three sisters. I’ve helped deliver a couple of babies in my time.”

Like I have much choice. Nodding, I part my legs. Thank God I’m wearing a skirt today or she’d probably have to cut pants off of me.

“I don’t know how this is possible, dear,” she says after moving my panties aside. “You’re almost fully dilated. I’m calling 9-1-1. Hang on.” After her semi-panicked yet mostly controlled phone call using my desk line, she comes to my side and helps me over to the sofa in Mr. Knight’s office.

Good lord, please don’t let me have this baby here.

“Are you sure you didn’t feel any pain earlier?”

I shake my head and grab hold of her arm as what has to be a contraction hits me like a ton of bricks. “I’m—sure! Oh God, but I feel it now. Help me, Gemma!”

“Your baby’s coming fast, dear. Try to breathe. Can you wait here on your own? I need to get a few things like towels and boil some water if your little one arrives while it’s just the two of us.”

“Sure,” I croak. “Go, but come back fast…please!”

The pressure and pain is a killer, extending from deep inside my ribcage, all the way down to my fucking knees. Jesus. It’s worse than anything I’ve ever felt. I try to push back the darkness that starts to form behind my eyes. Every time I blink, my eyesight gets more blurry. And my arms and legs feel so cold.

I can’t pass out.

Not now. I can’t stand to think it, but I never got to meet my mother. Is this what happened to her too?

God, where’s Jace?

“Gemma?” I call out again, forcing to form each word as another wave of pain wrenches rips more of my vaginal walls, tugging me closer to unconsciousness. “Gemma…use my phone. Get Jace here… now…the baby. Please save him…I can’t…tell Jace to take care of our boy…and that I love them so much—”

The room goes from neutral masculine tones to blackness, and my last thought is about getting Jace here. I should have said ‘yes’ when he asked me to marry him, after we found out I was pregnant. I wanted to wait until the baby got here. There was so much going on, so much to handle, getting ready for the baby’s arrival.

I thought we had time.

Why isn’t Jace here yet?

Oh God, my baby.

Our baby.

If I don’t make it, they’re going to need each other.