Page 139 of Loving Wild
Lauren looks up, and when her eyes meet mine, she lets out a loud sob.
“I’m so sorry,” she says as her lips tremble.
“Are you having contractions?” I ask as I drop to my knees in front of her. She nods.
“But I’ve been having them all week, weeks, I always have them. It’s my fault, I should’ve . . .”
Reaching out, I take hold of her jaw and hold her face in place so she’s looking at me but can’t talk.
“You need to calm down and listen to me. This is not your fault, they warned us this could happen any time after thirty-two weeks, and we needed to prepare ourselves for that.” I nod as I speak, “You listening?” I let go of Lauren’s face as she nods, then lean in and kiss her on the mouth.
“You’ve got this,” I tell her. “We need to get you to the hospital. I’m gonna call them now and see if they want me to bring you in or if they think it’ll be better to send an ambulance.”
“They are not carrying me up this beach on a stretcher, I’ll look like a fucking beached whale,” she slaps my hand away from where I was wiping her tears and says through gritted teeth.
“Calm. The Fuck. Down,” I order, noting in my head that I need to do the same and not vomit, which is exactly what I feel like doing right now.
Lauren reached thirty-four weeks yesterday, and I’ve been dreading this happening. It’s a beautifully mild and sunny late autumn day, and I thought the sun and fresh air would do her good.
“Whadya need from me, mate? Want me to back the car up so you’re closer?” Jack asks from beside me.
“Let me call her doctor first, see what she says.”
After a five-minute conversation with Trish, we establish that Lauren’s contractions are coming far enough apart that we’ll get to the hospital faster if I drive her.
While Jack takes one side, and I take the other, the pair of us help Lauren stand. Jack then runs ahead with my keys and backs my truck as far onto the beach as he can, without it getting bogged in the wet sand.
“We’ll sort the boards, Ava can come with us . . .”
“No, I want to go with Dad and Ren,” Ava interrupts what Jack is saying.
With Lauren now in my truck, I turn to my daughter. “Go with Jack please, bub. I’ll call Dani from the car to come get you. As soon as we know what’s happening, if they’re gonna keep her in, I’ll call you.”
Ava opens her mouth to talk, but I cut her off.
“Please don’t argue with me on this right now. If the babies are definitely on the way, I’ll tell Dani . . .”
“I’ve got my phone, I can call Dani myself,” Ava says on a sigh, knowing by my tone I won’t be backing down on this. She steps around me, leans into the truck, and hugs Lauren.
“Love you, Ren. Please make sure he calls me.”
“Love you too, bub, I’ll make sure,” Lauren tells her as she kisses the top of my daughter’s head.
“Thanks, mate,” I tell Jack as I lean in and shake his hand. “Ava will call my sister, and she’ll come and pick her up.”
“No worries. Good luck, Lauren,” he looks around me and says.
With a final hug for my daughter, I climb into my truck and head for the hospital.
* * *
Reef Joseph Wildis born by emergency C-section at four-twenty on the afternoon of Sunday the twentieth of May. He weighs in at a small but healthy, two kilos. Despite being early, he has a full head of blond hair.
His sister, Ruby Ren Wild arrives just ninety seconds later, screaming so loudly, the entire peninsula hears her announce her arrival. She’s a little smaller, at one point seven kilos, and has a full head of golden hair.
Lauren was awake, amazing, and in tears throughout.
“If I could marry you right now, I fucking would,” I lean in and say into her ear as the babies are being assessed. “You are fucking amazing, I hope you know that.”
