Page 75 of Our Unexpected Beginning
Just wrapped class with Mia and Mel
Julia:
The coconut has been swimming laps and rearranging my ribs all day
Graham sat on the bench of the camper, his lap covered in sanding dust as he worked on removing the old finish off the mahogany wood baby mobile that his grandfather had made for him forty years ago. He had always treasured the delicate piece, with its hand-carved sun, moon, and stars, and now he was preparing it to be passed down to the next generation.
Graham:
Checking in. How’s the bean?
Graham:
I hope you’re getting some rest.
Graham:
I miss you. Call when you get up
As he carefully sanded away the old varnish, his mind wandered to his new condo and the mural they finished in the lemon-painted nursery they had been preparing. He couldn’t wait to see him or her sleeping peacefully under the stars and moon, just like he had all those years ago.
Graham smiled as he thought about the tradition he and Julia were starting with their child–using her grandmother’s old crib and now his grandfather’s handiwork. It was a way to honor their family and create a sense of connection across generations.
He admired the mobile, Graham couldn’t help but feel grateful for this moment and the new chapter they were beginning as a family.
While they hadn’t talked about moving in together once the baby was born and they’d been working on making both of their current living spaces baby friendly.
Two cribs might seem silly to someone outside of their relationship, but Graham understood that it was a delicate subject and while he was ready for the next steps, he allowed Julia to take the lead on moving forward.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice when his phone notification went off. Graham looked down at his phone, surprised to see Melody’s name on the call log.
He quickly answered. “Hello?”
“H-hey, Graham. It’s Melody.” He didn’t immediately pick up the trembling tone in her voice.
“What’s up? Did Jules let her phone die again?”
“No. Um.” Her voice cracked. “There’s been an accident.”
“What?!” Graham’s heartbeat thundered in his ears. He must have heard her wrong.
“We’re at the hospital, Wes and I are in the waiti–”
“Which hospital?” Julia was in the hospital.
“Bedford First.” His baby.
“I’m on the way.” Graham shoved his phone in his back pocket and looked around the tool shed for Alex. Spotting some of the guys talking, Graham hurried over and tossed his keys. “There’s an emergency I have to get out of here. Tell Jeremy we’ll figure it out later.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know, my girl is at the hospital.”
“Fuck! Go! Be careful, you don’t need to get hurt either.”
Graham’s heart raced as he sped towards Bedford First Hospital, his thoughts consumed with what-ifs and worst-case bombshells for Julia and their unborn child. He couldn’t imagine what kind of accident could have happened to put them in the hospital.
He wondered if it was karma for not being active and fully present throughout her pregnancy. He shouldn’t have been away camping out with his buddies, even though it was a job opportunity to better his future.
