Page 159 of Altered

"Hope, sweetie, what's wrong?" were the first words that came out of my mother's mouth when she picked up my call. "It's two in the morning."

"Mom?" I breathed, clutching my phone with an almost death grip as I paced my bedroom floor. "Can you come over?" Grunting when a sharp, tightening sensation spread across my stomach, I managed to wheeze, "I think it's starting."

Excitement and terror were coexisting in my heart as I tried to remain as calm as I could.

It wasn’t easy.

I was in labor and alone.

Alone.

Block it out, Hope, I mentally screamed at myself.Get a fucking grip!

"Has your water broken yet?"

I shook my head. "No, not yet." After another few seconds, the pain miraculously faded and I breathed out a relieved sigh. "It's too early to go to the hospital, but I don’t want to be on my own."

"You're not on your own," Mom replied quickly, and I heard the familiar rustle of bed covers as she obviously climbed out of bed. "I'm on my way right now, honey."

"Don’t wake Dad," I warned. "Please. He'll panic and flail around, and then I'll panic and everything will go –"

"I won't," she assured me. "I'm putting on my coat now, baby. I'll be right over."

"Thanks, Mom," I managed to whimper as another contraction set fire to my body. "I really need you right now."

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Chapter Sixty-Five

Hope

When my mother arrived at the cottage thirty minutes later, she walked into the bathroom to find me immersed in the biggest bubble bath known to mankind.

Her warm gray eyes landed on mine, so completely full of maternal love, and just like that, all of my previous anger and resentment towards her evaporated.

She was my mom.

And I needed my mom right now.

"I don’t know how you did this," I whispered, biting down on my lip as another contraction rolled through me. "Seriously," I grunted, casting a quick glance in her direction. "Six damn times…I feel like my body is ripping apart."

"Oh, baby," Mom soothed as she removed her coat and hat and laid them neatly on the little stool in the corner. "How far apart are the contractions?"

"They were fifteen," I moaned. "Now I think they're about eight…ugh, fuck!Mommy," I whimpered, reaching out a hand for her. "It hurts so bad."

"I know it does." She came straight to my side. "But this pain you're feeling? It's the best kind." Kneeling on the damp floor tiles, she took my hand in hers and whispered words of comfort and support. "Every pain you're feeling right now is bringing you another bit closer to meeting your baby."

"I have so much respect for you right now," I told her, relaxing once more as the pain eased. "I've seen the size of Colton's head…. I don’t know how you did it."

Mom laughed softly. "What goes in, must come out."

We stayed like that for the longest time, with me whimpering through every pain, and my mother right beside me, offering me support and comfort.

When the water grew cold, and I couldn’t stand the temperature any longer, Mom helped me to get out of the tub and dressed.

"When I was in labor with you, my water broke in your father's car," Mom explained as she helped me into the kitchen.

Lowering myself onto one of the chairs at the table, I groaned in pain; my vagina feeling like it was two seconds away from detonating like a fucking bomb.

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