Seven months later
Pain like I’ve never felt before lashes my body, each wave slamming into me with a force that the human body shouldn’t be able to sustain. Why does anyone willingly go through this? I bend forward, clutching my stomach just as Ryker enters our bedroom.
“Ava?” His voice breaks when he sees I’m in pain, and he rushes over to wrap his arms around me. “Is it time?” There’s no panic to his voice, and the fact that he seems to be as cool as a cucumber annoys me.
I turn my head slowly, almost exorcist style, to glare at him. “What do you think, genius?” I’m barely able to get the words out, my teeth are grinding together so hard. The contractions are getting worse and closer together.
“But…” he starts to say something, but thinks better of it and clamps his mouth shut.
Another pain shoots through my stomach, and before I can cry out in pain, I feel a gush of water between my legs. Again, why do women have babies? This is the most painful, humiliating thing I’ve ever experienced, and all I want to do is curl up in the fetal position—no pun intended—and cry.
Seeing the puddle between my feet mobilizes Ryker, and he pulls out his phone to call Reed. As soon as I hear him say, “Hello,” Ryker practically yells into the phone. “It’s time. Ava’s in labor.” I listen as Reed tells him they’ll meet us at the hospital, and watch as Ryker slides the phone back into his pocket.
“Really?” I growl.
He looks at me, his expression wary. “What?”
“I know you didn’t just call your brother.” My voice gets louder with every word, and by the end of the sentence, I’m screeching. Ryker winces, but wisely doesn’t admit it. We both know what he did, and I’m tempted to kill him where he stands. Or, at least, I would if I didn’t need him to get me to the hospital, like, ten minutes ago.
My wet dress and panties shouldn’t be something I’m worried about, but there’s no way in hell I’m sitting in the car all the way to the hospital like this. Ryker continues to watch me from a safe distance while I change, and when I’m ready, I turn to him.
“We need to go.” I try to keep my voice at a semi-normal volume, but between the pain and the water that won’t stop trickling, I’m at the end of my rope.
As soon as I say it, Ryker jumps into action. With one hand at my back, he uses the other to sweep my legs out from under me and hurries out of the bedroom. Thankfully, my hospital bag and the diaper bag have been packed and are waiting at the door since we took Lamaze classes two months ago, so all he has to do is reach down and let me grab it.
I hold it in my lap while he continues to carry me down the hall and into the elevator. I’m not sure he even stopped to lock the door, but right now, I can’t bring myself to care either.
The trip to the hospital passes in a pain-filled blur, and by the time we get there it feels like each contraction is beginning the second another stops. Thankfully, it’s the middle of the day and traffic isn’t completely terrible. If we got stuck in traffic, I’d be seriously worried this baby would be born in the front seat of the car.
Ryker pulls up to the emergency entrance and slams the SUV into park. I watch him as he walks around the front, his hands ripping through his hair in agitation, and I know he’s giving himself a pep talk before he opens the door. He’s doing his best to stay calm, which is a good thing because calm isn’t even in my vocabulary at the moment. I want to curse the heavens. There is no way in hell I’m doing this again.
I’m expecting him to open my door and help me out, but he walks inside instead.
Where the hell is he going?
I feel like an idiot when he comes back out, followed by an orderly pushing a wheelchair. The two of them help me out of the seat and into the chair, and as soon as I’m settled, the man in scrubs pushes me inside.
Ryker takes charge immediately, going straight to the check-in and telling the woman behind the glass that I’m in labor.
“How close are her contractions?” she asks, her tone bored as she types something into the computer.
He glares at her, not that she notices. “I’m not sure, but I think they’re pretty much continuous.”
The nurse looks up, the look on her face saying this isn’t the first, or fiftieth, time she’s heard a soon-to-be parent say this. “Right. First baby?”
“Yes,” he draws the word out. “Why does that matter?”
She sighs. “Because first baby’s generally take a while. I’m sure it feels like they’re not stopping, but trust me, they are.”
Okay. I’m going to punch this woman in the vagina. These contractions are extremely close together, and I’m starting to feel like I need to use the bathroom. She’s not paying a bit of attention to me though, so she has no idea I’m about to spend my first night as a mom in jail for assault. I bite my tongue, breathing through the pain.
After directing Ryker to the elevator and telling him how to find the maternity ward, she assures him she’ll call and let them know I’m on my way.
Frustrated, he takes over control of the wheelchair and pushes me over to wait for the doors to slide open. He mutters under his breath the whole time we’re going up, and as soon as the doors open again, he pushes me out and goes straight to the nurse’s station.
There’s a nurse there waiting, and when he yells at her, she smiles softly. “So, we’re having a baby today?”
She’s entirely too chipper. “Yes,” I grit out, “and if you don’t get me into a room in the next few minutes, I’m going to be having her in this hallway.” The pretty nurse’s eyes go comically wide, and she ushers us into the first empty room.
As soon as I’m settled in the bed, she moves to stand between my legs and snaps on a pair of gloves. “Let’s see where you are, okay?” I don’t even have the energy to nod. All I want is for this to be over. It hurts, and it sucks, and I just don’t want to do it anymore.
Thank God her fingers are small, because it feels like she’s shoving her entire fist up inside me and I know she isn’t. If the male doctor at my doctor’s office was doing it, I’d be screaming.
She stands quickly, her eyes even wider, which I didn’t think was even possible. “You weren’t kidding.”
I glare at her but don’t bother to say what I’m thinking, which is, “No shit, bitch.” Labor has made me an asshole, and it’s all Ryker’s fault.
The nurse rushes out to page the doctor, and as soon as we’re alone, I turn and tell him so. “This wouldn’t be happening to me if you knew how to wear a damn condom.”
Now his eyes are the ones widening, and he holds both hands up in front of his body. “Baby—” he starts, but I cut him off.
“Yeah, not wearing a condom. That’s what caused this baby.”
He flattens his lips, and I know he’s trying not to laugh at me. It only makes me more agitated. I go from being pissed at the world to crying and scared in less than a heartbeat.
“I’m sorry, I know I’m being a jerk. I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I sob.
Ryker wraps his arms around me and squeezes. We stand like that, him murmuring sweet words into my hair while I cry, until the nurse comes rushing back in to get everything ready.
“The doctor will be here in just a few minutes. She was just leaving to get something to eat when I paged her, and is on her way back up.” She runs around the room, getting the warmer ready and helping me move so I’m in the best position. “Okay, hon,” she says, feeling inside me again. “Push for me, but just once, okay?”
I do as she says, and she squeaks for me to stop. “No more pushing. That baby will be here before the doctor if you do.”
All I can do is stare at her. Does she know how hard it is to stop pushing once you start? She’s lost her damn mind.
Before I can tell her that, the doctor, my favorite one, comes in with a big smile on her face. She greets both Ryker and I before washing up and getting ready.
The next few minutes pass in a blur, and I’m glad I don’t really remember all the pain and the pushing. My next moment of clarity is when I hear my daughter’s cry. For such a tiny body, she has an incredible set of lungs.
They clean her up before handing her over to me, and as soon as I look into her beautiful eyes, I’m in love. I look up at Ryker, barely able to see him through the tears that are coursing down my cheeks. “Look at her,” I tell him, turning back to brush a fingertip across her chunky cheek. I can’t take my eyes off her, and now that’s she’s finally here, my heart is full, so full.
“She’s beautiful,” he whispers reverently. “Just like her mom.”
I wipe the tears from my eyes so I can get a better view of her face.
“I can’t believe we made something so perfect.” I see tears in Ryker’s eyes and pass the baby to him, watching the way his face lights up when he holds his daughter in his arms for the first time. My eyes stay glued to them both, as he holds her small hand with one finger, whispering something I can’t hear to her.
I sigh against the mattress and know life will never get any better than this for me. I’ve found the man of my dreams—well, actually, he found me—and together we made the best thing life can offer: another life.
“I love you, Ava.” Ryker’s voice cracks as he gazes over at me, those stormy blue eyes causing butterflies to explode in my belly.
“I love you, too,” I murmur, knowing I’ve been waiting all my life for this moment.
The Winston Brothers series continues with Remy () and if you haven't already, you should definitely check out Reed ().
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