Page 76 of Turbulent Fires

Even with all of these blessings, I’m focused on Jayden and the mystery woman, who are now speaking at the edge of the party, out of earshot. I can’t tell what’s being discussed, but I feel there’s a story to be told... and I want to tell it. Jayden looks curious, engaged, like a man on the edge of something big.

“Joseph, I think we have a new project,” I hear Sherman say. I immediately laugh when I turn to see Joseph and Sherman gazing at the woman with Jayden.

“Oh, yes, we do indeed,” Joseph replies with delight.

“It won’t even be hard. Jayden looks halfway there already,” Sherman says.

Joseph laughs. “Trust me, my friend, he’ll screw it up and we’ll save the day.”

Sherman sighs. “That’s very true. Whatever would they do without us?”

“I don’t know,” Joseph says with a shake of his head. I laugh.

I sit back with my hand resting on my stomach. Some stories end in fireworks and vows. Some in sailboat races and seafood skewers. The best stories, though, keep on going. What about Catalina Island? Well, I think it has a few more chapters left to be written.

Epilogue One

Audrey

I had a plan. Classical music playing? Downloaded. Go-bag? Packed with snacks, a silk robe, and three different lip balms. I was going to be serene, powerful, radiant. I was going to prove to all women everywhere that birth is a beautiful, organized thing.

Instead, my water breaks in aisle four at Safeway while arguing with Wolf over whether strawberry mango is better than peach. He freezes mid-sentence, his eyes going wide as he looks from me to the ground and back up to my eyes, his skin going white.

“Did you just?” He can’t get any further.

“Yes,” I hiss. “Water just broke.” Shooting pain runs through my stomach, doubling me over. Holy hell!

He loses a few brain cells with his next question. “Are you sure?”

I point to the tidal wave at my feet. “This isn’t a spilled soda, Captain Obvious,” I snarl. My peaceful mood goes up in smoke at the first real labor pain.

Luckily, my husband recovers his brain cells and starts moving, knocking over a display of granola bars while shouting. “She’s crowning!”

“I’m not crowning,” I yell, but the sound ends on a groan as another contraction hits. Why didn’t anyone warn me how intense this pain is? I can’t be that far dilated yet, so it’s going to get worse.

Wolf has disappeared, and I can’t move, so I lean against the shelf and try to breathe like my birthing class taught me. I’m starting to get my breath back when Wolf skids to a stop in front of me, sweat on his brow.

“I’m so sorry. I made it all of the way outside before I realized you weren’t with me,” he says. His sheer panic makes me laugh. He’s trying, really trying. I didn’t think a day would come that he’d lose control. It seems the birth of our child is the test of a lifetime for him.

It takes a while, but we finally make it to our vehicle. He lifts me inside as if I weigh nothing, which is so untrue. He climbs in and hits the gas like he’s entering the Indy 500. My worst nightmare comes to life as we get stuck in traffic, my screams growing fiercer with each contraction.

Wolf makes calls, his voice more and more panicked as the hospital seems too far away. I’m not sure we’re going to make it. I feel pressure and the need to push. Wolf begs me not to do that.

“Do you want me to keep my legs shut tight? Maybe that’s what I should’ve been doing when we made this baby!” I snap. I might feel bad about this later, but right now, he’s not my favorite person in the world.

He wisely doesn’t comment on this. Somehow, miracle of miracles, we come to a skidding stop in front of the Emergency entrance. The hospital staff barely has time to admit me before the unwelcome parade arrives.

Chloe is the first to barge in, a grin so big, her face looks about to split. She’s carrying a camera, and waving a go-pro. “We’re going to capture it all.”

I glare at the devices as sweat rolls off my face like it’s raining. “No!” I tell her. “Do not lift those cameras.”

She turns away and I have a feeling she’s laughing at me. I want to punch my best friend for the first time in my life.

Drake comes running into the room next, holding three different swaddling blankets and an unopened bottle of champagne. “I brought options,” he tells us. “Where should I sit?” I look at him in horror. There’s not a chance in hell he’s staring at my southern region. That’s far too personal for in-laws.

“Get out!” I yell.

Jayden slips in behind him before he can run. “I’m here with snacks,” he quickly says, looking as if he’d rather be anywhere but this room. He grabs Drake’s arm. “Let’s go.” He drops the bags on a chair and runs before I get the chance to yell at him.

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