“What the hell, Jenna?”
“Oh God, Jimmy, I’m in freaking labor. Where’s your mom?”
“Right here, darling. Come on let’s go and get you changed. Jimmy, by the door is Jenna’s hospital bag. Take it to the car and bring the car around so we can leave.”
“Um…”
“Now, Jimmy, or Jenna will be delivering Little One on your floor.”
“Okay, mum, but you’ll stay with Jenna?”
“Yes, now go.”
The back and forth with them is dizzying. I lean on Brigette for support as she walks me back to the bathroom. She leans me against the counter while she picks up the soaked floor mat.
“I’ll take care of that later. Now let’s get you changed.”
That awkward moment when your mother-in-law is seeing your lady bits and you don’t care. I don’t even care that she’s running a warm wash cloth up my legs. I want to be clean before having this baby.
“Thank you.”
“For what, darling?”
“For being here and accepting me.”
Brigette stands before me. “You make my son happy. That’s something I haven’t seen in a very long time. I should be the one thanking you.”
I try to smile in return, but another contraction washes over me. This one is harder and longer. “I think we should go.”
“I agree.” Brigette washes up before dressing me quickly. She holds my arm as we walk to the door. Jimmy’s pacing in the yard with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.
“Jimmy!” The both of us yell. He looks at us, shocked.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Waiting for you,” he exclaims.
“Why are you smoking?” I demand.
He pulls it away from his lips and looks at it. “It’s not lit, innit?”
I brow beat him until he sets it down. “You’re going to kill yourself.”
“I wasn’t going to light it. Come on, Sweet Lips, let’s go have a baby.” Instead of walking to the car, Jimmy picks me up and carries me. He shouldn’t be doing this, but I feel so much better being in his arms. He sets me in the car and even puts on my seatbelt. Brigette climbs in the back as Jimmy gets behind the wheel.
“I need to call my mom.”
“Already taken care of, I called her when I was getting your clothes. She’ll be on the next flight out,” Brigette says. She starts rubbing my shoulders, easing away some of the tension building. I close my eyes and try to relax and breathe through my contractions.
“We’re here,” Jimmy says, slamming the car into park.
“Take her in Jimmy and I’ll park the car.”
Before I know what’s happening my door is open and I’m in his arms. “Put me down, you’re going to hurt yourself.”
“Bollocks, I don’t want the baby to fall out.”
Only my husband would think that.