Page 129 of False Start

“I’ll tell you what, if it makes you feel better, you don’t have to look me in the eye for six months.”

“Deal,” she said with a bit of a squeak before biting her lip.

Mayhem hauled the sled clean into the barn piled with three blankets, six towels, and my bag. “Here. Now what can I do?” she said, breathing heavy.

“Coach my sister.” I grabbed the bag first, grabbing everything I needed to sanitize my hands before sliding on gloves.

“On it.”

“I need to push,” she groaned, her hips sliding to the edge of the chair.

I put a hand on her thigh to stop her as Mayhem wrapped an arm around her shoulder and brushed her hair back from her face.

“Not yet,” I said, doing everything I could to keep my voice calm.

“Cain…”

“Lilith, blow through it. Deep breath in and big exhale. Remember what they taught you.”

She breathed in, blew it out, Mayhem speaking quietly to her, repeating my words, while watching me pull out the umbilical cord clamp and bulb syringe.

“This is so not fair. Jordan’s not here. I’m not ready. I didn’t get to experience the first stages of labor, and now my son is going to be born in an old dairy barn.”

“But just think,” I said, smiling at her. “It’s going to make one hell of a story. Grandma and Grandpa would love this.”

I laid out the quilt next, still folded in quarters to give her extra cushion. “Okay, we’re going to ease you down right in the center. You ready?”

She hesitated. “It’s Grandma’s quilt.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“She made it with her own two hands.”

“Even better.”

“It’ll get ruined.”

She was right, but that didn’t matter right now. “Lilith, get on the blanket.”

She glared, but did as I told her, something I’d pay dearly for later, but as long as we got through this, she could yell at me all she wanted. “Mayhem, I’m going to need you to scoot in behind her and help support her back and shoulders.”

“Okay,” she said as she moved in and bracketed Lilith with her knees.

I popped off her shoes, removed her damp leggings, and draped a towel over her to keep her warm. “I’m just going to check you to see where we’re at.”

“I can’t hate this more,” she said on a pain-laced groan.

“It’s okay, just open for me. A little bit more. Okay, that’s good.”

She bowed up a second later, her jaw tight as she sucked in a breath and held it.

“Don’t hold your breath, Lil. When you hold your breath your body naturally pushes and we’re not ready just yet, okay? Just let it out.”

“I’ll breathe with you, okay?” Mayhem said doing just that and giving my sister a reassuring smile. “You’re doing great,” Mayhem said, taking her hand, my sister latching on and squeezing until Mayhem’s turned red with the force.

I lifted the towel and spotted my nephew’s dark hair, telling me we were a whole lot farther along than I thought. “How long were you out here, Lil?”

“Twenty minutes maybe,” she said on a gasp. “Why?”

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