Page 115 of Worth the Fall

Those quiet evening moments seem like a distant memory now as I sprint through the law firm's hallway, Tarryn's words still ringing in my ears.

"Your wife is in labor and has been trying to reach you for the past half hour."

My heart pounds against my ribs as I jam my finger repeatedly against the elevator call button. Every second feels like an eternity. When the doors finally open, I nearly collide with Austin stepping out.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" He catches my arm to steady me.

"Mia. Baby. Now." The words tumble out between ragged breaths.

Understanding dawns on his face. "Go. I'll tell Taylor to reschedule the Morrison meeting."

I'm already in the elevator, barely registering his words as the doors close. My phone shows six missed calls from Mia and two from Celine. Shit.

The drive to the hospital is a blur of honking horns and red lights that seem to last forever. I weave through traffic, muttering under my breath, "Come on, come on. Move."

"I will not miss my daughter's birth because some idiot decided today was a good time to practice parallel parking," I growl, swerving around a painfully slow SUV.

By the time I screech into the hospital parking lot, my shirt is halfway untucked and my tie is askew. I probably look like a madman as I sprint through the entrance, nearly taking out an orderly in my haste.

The maternity ward is a maze of identical corridors, but I follow the sound of familiar voices until I find her room. Mia is perched on the edge of the bed in a hospital gown, her hair pulled back in a messy bun. The moment our eyes meet, relief floods her face, quickly followed by exasperation.

"Took you long enough," she grits out, gripping the bed rail as another contraction hits. "Did you stop for coffee on the way?"

"I'm so sorry, mi amor." I rush to her side, taking her hand in mine. She immediately squeezes hard enough to make me wince. "Traffic was insane, and my phone was on silent during the deposition and?—"

"I tried calling you twelve times!" The words come out sharp, but I can see the fear behind her anger. "I thought… I was afraid you wouldn't make it. That I'd have to do this alone."

My heart cracks at the vulnerability in her voice. "Never," I vow, bringing our joined hands to my lips. "I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere. We're in this together, Mia. Always."

She nods, jaw clenched as another contraction builds. I support her through it, murmuring encouragement until it passes.

"Where's Felicity?" I ask once Mia's breathing evens out.

"With her mom," she manages between breaths. "Celine took her to get ice cream, try to keep her distracted. She was getting worried when we couldn't reach you."

Right on cue, Celine appears in the doorway with Felicity clutching her hand. Our daughter's eyes go wide when she sees me.

"Daddy! You made it!" She starts to run toward me but stops short, remembering the hospital rules we discussed. "Is the baby coming?"

"Soon, princess," I tell her, my free hand reaching out to squeeze hers. "Your little sister's almost here."

Felicity beams, then turns to Mia with all the authority a six-year-old can muster. "Remember to breathe, Mommy Mia. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Like this!" She demonstrates with exaggerated puffs that have us all laughing despite the tension.

"Thanks, baby." Mia manages a smile. "You're a great coach."

"Oh!" Felicity brightens suddenly. "Wait right here!" She darts to the small duffel bag Celine brought, rummaging through it with determined focus before pulling out her beloved stuffed penguin. "Princess Waddles wants to help too."

She presents the well-loved toy to Mia with complete solemnity. "Squeeze her when it hurts. She doesn't mind."

My eyes meet Celine's over our daughter's head, sharing a moment of pure parental pride at Felicity's heart. Despite everything we've been through, we've managed to raise an incredibly empathetic child.

"That's very thoughtful, sweetheart," Celine says, placing a gentle hand on Felicity's shoulder. "But maybe we should let Mommy Mia rest for a bit? We could go get those mani-pedis we talked about."

Felicity's face lights up, but she hesitates, looking between Mia and the door. "But what if the baby comes while we're gone?"

"Then Daddy will call you right away," Mia promises, managing a smile despite her discomfort. "First thing."

"You swear?" Felicity fixes me with a stern look that's pure Celine.

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