He brought Beethoven into my room and handed me the television remote. He put bottles of water at my side and a basket of snacks in bed to keep me company until he could bring home dinner. He helped me up to go to the bathroom so I wouldn't be tempted to go while he was gone, then he tucked the blankets around my body and kissed my forehead.
I smiled when I heard the front door closed.
“Ah, sweet silence,” I said.
Two hours rolled by and I was head-deep in my book. I hadn't gotten a chance to read the new books that had come in for the month, and I was thankful for the quiet. My eyes scanned the pages, immersing myself in a world that was unfolding in my mind's eye. But as I continued to read and as I continued to daydream, my mouth became dry.
So, I reached across the bed to get one of the water bottles.
Suddenly, an extreme pain wafted up my back. My pelvis felt like it was being crushed in a vice, and I whimpered as I sat back into the headboard. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths as the pain slowly dripped down my legs. It was blinding. A searing heat that made even the slightest movement earth-shattering.
But then, I felt something that clinched my throat with panic.
I felt something warm between my legs.
I threw the covers back and saw a twinge of blood on the sheets. The pain shooting through my stomach left me breathless. I shuffled my legs over the edge of the bed and reached for my phone, hitting the red emergency button and holding it to my ear.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
“Yes. Hi. I-...oh, shit,” I said.
“Ma’am? Ma’am, what’s wrong?”
“I think…I don’t know but…I think…I think I’m in labor.”
Twenty-Three
Preston
I was sitting at my desk when a call came through to my cell phone. I didn’t recognize the number and instantly hit ignore, needing to finish this fucking paperwork. The meeting had run long and there was a bunch of shit thrown at me I wanted to get done before I left to get back to Delilah. I fired the woman I had employed to watch over her, letting her know on her voicemail that she didn’t have to worry about coming back into work. I was paying her twice what her top-dollar salary was to have her on retainer, and clearly she didn’t need the money.
Because she wasn’t near her fucking phone when I needed her the most.
My phone rang again with that same number and I started to grow worried. Was this Delilah for some reason? Why was she calling from a number I didn’t recognize. I picked up the call and held it to my ear, bracing for the worst as the voice on the other end answered.
“Is this Mr. Walker?”
“Yes? Who is this?” I asked.
“This is Clarice, from Huntington Hospital. I’m calling on behalf of Delilah Kent. She put you down as her emergency contact.”
“What’s happened to Delilah?” I asked as I stood from my chair.
“She came into our hospital bleeding and complaining of a great deal of pain. She wants you down here with her. I take it you’re the father?”
“Has something happened to my kids?” I asked as grabbed my jacket.
“We’re just now running tests. We’ll let you know as soon as we do. We’ve admitted Miss Kent into our maternity and birthing ward. She’s in room 404.”
“What happened to her?” I asked.
“From what she’ll tell us, she was reaching for a water bottle.”
“A water bottle. And she just…started bleeding?” I asked.
“I won’t know more until I run more tests.”
“Thank you. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”