Page 12 of Love Like This

“You’re nesting! I read about this.” Hadley covered her mouth withboth hands. This was huge!

“Really? Huh. Hadn’t considered that.”

“It’s real and it means that you’re about to go into labor. Like,any second.” She pointed once and then again at Autumn’s stomach for emphasis.“They’re coming.”

Autumn shifted her lips to the side in thought. “I’ve yet to feelany signs of that, other than the twins and their usual afternoon dance party,which, let’s be honest, is growing tiresome.”

“Any second now,” Hadley said, and stared at Autumn. And staredsome more. She looked at her stomach, then back at her face. The silence felt alittle awkward, and nothing seemed to be happening.

“You’re being a weirdo again.” Autumn shook her head and went backto her intense organization.

Still nothing had happened three hours later, as Hadley sat smackin the middle of the courtyard, waiting, holding watch like the lookout in ascary movie. This was it. She could feel it, and she was not about to miss onesecond of such a monumental occasion in her best friend’s life. She checked herwatch and glanced at her book. Reading it felt a bit like cheating, but shestole a few chapters anyway. This was book five in the Janika series. Onlythree more to go before she’d have to say goodbye to Captain Janika and hercrew forever. She lost herself in the action and drama of the space opera untilSeven Shores seemed all tucked in for the night. Quiet and peaceful. She smiledat the night all around her.

Good things were headed their way she told herself, and if itweren’t for that tiny, nagging feeling in her gut, she could allow herself tofully believe it.

Chapter Three

Hadley had been asleep for close to an hour when her phone rang.

“On the way to the hospital,” she heard Kate’s clipped voice sayupon answering. “You’re first on the phone tree Autumn handed me.”

Hadley bolted upright, a huge goofy grin taking shape on her face.She hadn’t been wrong. The tiny kids were on their way! “I’ll take it fromhere, Lieutenant!” And she did just that, blowing up the phones of her bestfriends and Autumn’s mother, Vicki, who would be a lot to wrangle at thehospital, but Hadley was up for the job. She’d mentally prepped for this forweeks: ways to keep Autumn calm, ways to occupy Vicki so Autumn could remaincalm, ways to keep Isabel from swearing too much in front of the nurses. Shewas born for this day!

The hospital, which Hadley had gotten an early taste of whenAutumn had been admitted weeks before for low blood pressure, was overrun thatnight. It was nearly a full moon, which might have played a role. Didn’tmatter. This was the night that her honorary niece and nephew would make theirdebut into the world, and nothing could dampen her spirits. With an excitedgrin on her face, she made the drive with Isabel and Gia, who were overflowingwith just as much energy as Hadley was. They were allowed to visit with Autumnprior to delivery and help her work through some of the harder parts of theprocess. She’d long ago okayed their presence right up until time to push.

“Where’s the epidural guy?” they heard her say as they entered herhospital room, which appeared to be a rather spacious birthing suite. Labor andDelivery knew how to do it right! Across from Autumn’s hospital bed was a long,comfortable-looking gray couch for friends and family. Oh, this was going to belovely!

“Hi,” Hadley said, as they approached Autumn’s bed.

“You hanging in there?” Isabel asked.

Autumn grabbed Isabel’s arm forcefully and squeezed. “I need the drugs.Do you know where the guy is who has them? You’re the kind of girl who couldfind him, Iz. Do it! Find the guy.”

“I don’t know where the guy is.” Isabel shook her head violentlyand looked to Gia. “Vise grip. Help!”

“On it,” Gia said, and stepped forward. “Isabel doesn’t know wherethe drugs are,” she told Autumn, “but I might.”

Autumn released Isabel and grabbed Gia, who winced at the force ofher hold. “Find that person,” she bit out. “Quickly.”

Gia exchanged a quick glance with Kate, who smiled apologeticallyfrom the other side of Autumn’s bed. “It’s been a whirlwind of contractionssince we’ve arrived. I think we’re moving pretty fast.”

“Not too fast for drugs, right?” Autumn said, breathless.

“Not yet,” a friendly nurse said as she breezed past. “But if youdon’t slow down, we’re gonna have babies in no time.”

Hadley stared down at Autumn. “See? You’re an overachiever!”

“No perkiness right now,” Autumn said, through gritted teeth.“None at all allowed.”

“Got it. I’ll just be over here glaring,” Hadley said, and fixedher face as she moved to the gray couch. She sat there and watched as Autumn’snurse brought her ice chips, her doctor popped in to say hello, and Katecounted through each contraction. Hadley counted along silently, too, holdingIsabel’s hand on one side and Gia’s on the other, willing Autumn her extrastrength but in not too perky a manner. She glanced out the window at theluminous moon, hanging bright and full over all of them. Keeping watch, sheimagined, as a sense of calm washed over her.

An hour later, the epidural was administered and the Autumn muchresembling Satan had been replaced with the Autumn they knew and loved. Herfeatures relaxed and she laughed and joked with them all, fully enjoying theanticipation of what was to come and playing grateful hostess at the same time.

“Anyone need a drink or a snack?” she asked the room, sporting aserene smile.

“We’re all good,” Gia told her. “Vending machines are just downthe hall there. They even have free coffee.”

“I don’t know that you want to drink that,” Autumn-the-coffee-snobsaid.

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