Page 114 of Where We Call Home

The truth was, I was terrified. I’d been begging for her to come out for weeks, cursing my aching back, the shortness of breath, and the belly that made even rolling over in bed feel like an Olympic event. But now that the moment was here? I was frozen with fear.

My pulse thundered in my ears, muting everything else around me. My nerves screamed, paralyzing me as I thought about what was coming. The next time I stepped foot in this house, it would be with my baby. Life as I knew it was about to change forever.

I sat up, leaning against the headboard, clutching my belly as a contraction tore through me. I took a deep, shaky breath.

“Rhodes,” I whispered through clenched teeth.

Nothing.

“Rhodes,” I called again, louder this time. Still nothing. Out cold like he’d flipped a switch.

When the pain eased for a brief moment, I reached over and shook him violently, thinking that would’ve done the trick. Rhodes stirred, groaning as he rolled onto his back, his eyes barely cracking open.

“For the love of God!” I shouted as the next contraction hit, sharp and unrelenting.

That woke him up.

Rhodes shot upright, leaping out of bed like he was ready to fend off an intruder. “Theo, what the hell?” he demanded, his voice groggy as he adjusted his pajama pants.

It didn’t take long for him to notice the pain etched across my face. His expression shifted instantly, panic flashing in his wide green eyes. “Oh, shit,” he breathed.

“Mhm,” I groaned, clutching my belly as another contraction rocked me.

These were the real deal, none of those fake Braxton Hicks teasers from weeks ago. This wasit.

Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I let them dangle as Rhodes bolted from the room. I could hear him sprinting down the hall, his footsteps pounding against the hardwood. He’d been preparing for this moment for weeks. The baby-go bag was stationed in the kitchen, packed and ready, just waiting for its moment to shine.

Moments later, Rhodes came skidding back into the room, the bag slung over his shoulder as he tossed in the last-minute essentials.

Meanwhile, my body refused to cooperate. Part of me thought,Maybe I’ll just have the baby right here.

Rhodes must have noticed the panic in my face because he crouched down in front of me, his eyes softening as he cupped my cheek. His touch was grounding, pulling me out of the chaos in my head.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said gently, his voice steady. “You’re a champ.”

I nodded, tears pricking my eyes as the weight of the moment crashed over me.

“Please, don’t leave me,” I murmured, my voice trembling.

Rhodes’s green eyes locked onto mine, steady and unflinching. His thumb traced soothing circles on my cheek. “I’m not going anywhere, ever,” he said firmly. “You have me, all of me, forever.”

I swallowed hard, nodding as he helped me to my feet.

From there, we moved like the well-rehearsed team we were, running through the steps we’d practiced a thousand times: my clothes, the final packing, and to the door in record time. We’d even used a stopwatch during practice runs to shave seconds off our time.

Just as we reached the front door, I froze.

“Wait!” I shouted, my hand on the doorknob.

Rhodes paused mid-step, his arms overloaded with my purse, the go bag, a blanket, and a pillow.

“Did we get my camera?”

He groaned, rolling his eyes with a smirk, but nodded. “Yes, Honey. That was item number one.”

Sure, it sounded ridiculous but it was a necessity.

With that, we were out the door, barreling toward the adventure of a lifetime.

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