Page 179 of Tell Me What You Want, Or Leave Me

I can’t answer. I try to breathe...breathe...as I have been taught in prenatal classes. When the pain subsides, I look at the young woman with short dark hair, who looks at me from behind a pair of aviator glasses.

“Yeah, don’t worry. I’m fine.”

But as soon as I say that, I notice a liquid running down my legs.

God, did I just piss all over myself?

I try to contain it, but it’s uncontrollable. My feet are soon soaked.

“Fuck...fuck...I can’t believe this!”

“Are you Spanish?” the girl asks. I nod, but I can’t talk.

My water just broke!

I start pressing all the buttons, but the elevator won’t move. I’m panicking.

The young woman takes me by the hand and pulls me away from the elevator panel.

“It’s OK. Don’t worry,” she says. “I’ll get you out of here right away.”

She presses the button for the elevator alarm.

I begin to shake, and she grabs me by the shoulders to steady me.

“My name is Melanie Parker, but you can call me Mel.”

“Why do you speak Spanish?”

“Because I was born in Asturias.”

“You’re from Asturias with that name?”

The young woman smiles, takes off her aviator glasses, and shows me her blue eyes.

“My father is American, and my mother is from Asturias,” she says. “I think that says it all.”

I nod. But I’m not here for a chat. I take my cell out of my jacket.

“I have to call my husband,” I tell her.

As I dial Eric’s number, I see the girl keeps pressing the Help button, and my feet are wetter and wetter. One ring later, Eric answers.

“Hi, dear.”

Controlling the desire to scream because of how frightened I am, I scratch my neck.

“Eric, don’t be scared, but—”

“Don’t be scared, me?” he asks, alarmed. “Where are you? What happened?”

I close my eyes. I imagine him losing it that instant. Poor, poor Eric. Then I get a contraction, and, leaning against the elevator wall, I slip to the floor. When the young woman sees me, she takes my phone from me.

“Hi, I’m Mel. I’m with your wife in the elevator at the back of the mall. The power has gone out, and it seems her water has broken. Call an ambulance, please!”

Eric must have said something because I hear her responding.

“She’s quiet...Yes, I said quiet. I’m with her, and everything will be fine.”

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