Page 11 of Unexpected Delivery

It’s not the seeing that’s the problem.

I’m not emotionally prepared for this man to be wrist deep in my vagina, especially not while my son or daughter works on making their way into the world.

I’ve watched enough birthing videos to know it’s not a pretty sight.

My head falls back against Morris’s chest as yet another contraction starts. He stretches his arms down and grabs my hands.

“I’m right here with you, sweetheart.” He nuzzles his cheek to mine from behind, and his scratchy beard slides against my skin. It’s strangely comforting. “Breathe if you can. I think that’s supposed to help with the pain.”

I’m so grateful to not be alone right now, but the pain intensifies until I struggle to keep from shrieking.

“If you can’t breathe, then scream,” Morris says soothingly. “Whatever will help you make it through the contraction, do it.”

My stomach gets hard as a rock, and I squeeze my knees together to keep from pushing. Sweat breaks out on my forehead as I writhe, trying to find a way to escape the agony. It takes several eternities, but the pain slowly subsides. Only, I can feel liquid dripping from between my thighs.

In all honesty, I don’t think I should avoid pushing for much longer. Nature and the female body know the deal, and it’s important to follow those natural cues.

My eyes meet Hayes’s. “Check what you need to.”

He nods and grabs a pair of the gloves from the coffee table.

“Why don’t I boil some hot water? I saw in a movie that you need hot water when delivering a baby,” Hael says, swiping a tattooed hand over his face. He gives a tight smile and strides out.

Yeah, I would probably run, too, if I could.

“I’ve got the water under control,” he says from somewhere deeper in the house.

“I should have helped you out of your leggingsbeforeputting the gloves on…” Hayes curses under his breath. “Hael, get your ass back in here! We all know your specialty is undressing women.”

“I am going to punch you in the throat,” Morris says from behind me. “Talk shit to your brother later. Right now, I need you to get yourself together. Don’t deflect. You can do this.”

I slide my arms under Morris’s, grab the top of my leggings and hideous maternity underwear, and shove them down in one go. Gritting my teeth, I push up enough to get them out from under me.

They’re bickering because of me, and that’s a problem. These guys are going to be so traumatized, they’ll never have kids of their own.

“You’re pretty close to fully dilated, if you’re not there already,” Hayes says. “I was able to feel the baby’s head.” He drops the sheet over my lower half and pulls off his gloves. He tosses them in the trash can next to the couch and frowns. “I probably should have kept those on.”

“It’s too soon.” My head shakes as my eyes well with tears. It’s irrational, and I know that, but I still hear myself say, “I can’t do this. I’m not ready. I’m supposed to have two weeks left to prepare.”

Hayes walks around to the side of the sectional and squats down. “You can do it. You already are. I think you’re in the transitioning phase. It’s the final one, and it’s known to heighten emotions and anxiety, but we’ve got this. Babies are born every day outside of the hospital.” It sounds a little like he’s giving himself a pep talk by repeating what Morris said.

Another contraction starts, and my head slams back against Morris’s shoulder as I groan. I don’t even have the opportunity to apologize because this contraction means business.

Does the baby have knives ringed around their head? It burns worse than anything yet. My hands fly to cradle my lower stomach, and I can’t hold back the scream that escapes.

“Right here with you, sweet girl,” Morris says soothingly. He massages my hips from the side, and I start to wonder if I leaned forward if he would mind rubbing my lower back like that. The pain and hardness of my stomach finally let up, and I rest against Morris once more. “I can only imagine what you’re going through, but we’ll be with you every step of the way.” He cuddles his cheek to mine while my body shakes with trembles that I can’t control.

Is this a reaction to the pain?

God, it’s terrifying.

It feels like my nerve endings are too overloaded to know what to do.

Chapter Six

Hael

“We need a bowl—a big one,” Hayes says, glaring as he comes into the kitchen.

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