Ewan is already there when we make it to the front door, and the car is running. He springs forward to help me with Amanda and the bag. Between the two of us, we get her comfortably in the car.
“Thank you for being so quick,” I say.
“I’ve been waiting for the call, so I was always nearby,” Ewan replies. “Now, let’s go. Traffic isn’t great at this time of the day, so we need to start moving as quickly as possible.”
I slip into the back seat with Amanda, and then we’re off. Amanda’s hand finds mine and she clutches it.
“This is really happening” she whispers.
‘Yeah,” I say.
It’s hard to believe. Soon, our baby will be in the world. Despite Amanda’s stomach growing for months, despite feeling the baby kick, despite everything we’ve bought in preparation…everything feels most real right at this moment.
“Hospital?” Amanda reminds me.
“On it,” I promise.
I dial the number of the doctor we’ve been seeing. He was a friend of my father’s and he specializes in deliveries. He gave me his number a month ago, telling me to call him directly when the time comes.
“Hello?” Doctor Gregory says as he picks up.
“Doctor, it’s Lyle Thompson,” I say. “We’re on our way.”
“Thank you for letting me know; I’ll meet you at the doors.”
“Thank you.”
I hang up and then open up my messages. I type out a message quickly and send it to Alicia, Maria and Alan.
‘Water broke, on way to hospital. Keep you informed.’
“Who are you messaging?” Amanda asks.
“Your parents and Alicia,” I explain. “I told them I’d let them know when we go to the hospital.”
Amanda chuckles. “You’ve got my parents and your best friend ready, you have the hospital on standby, even Ewan was waiting… You have everything planned down to a tee, don’t you?”
“I just want to make this as smooth as possible,” I say, smiling at her. “It’s going to be a tough few hours, but I didn’t want to get caught unawares to make it all worse.”
Amanda laughs and kisses me.
“I understand,” she says. “I love how organized you are. Thank you.”
I grin at her.
“Soon, we’re going to be parents,” I say.
“Yeah.”.
Her grip on my hand tightens slightly, and I squeeze it back. It’s scary, because we don’t know what’s going to happen next. The last nine months have been completely dedicated to this small life that is finally ready to come out into the world. But what happens after?
I shake my head. No, I won’t think about that right now. Let’s just get over the birth.
Everything else can come later.
A baby’s cry breaks the silence, so sharp and loud that I jump. Amanda jerks at my start, looking up at me with wild eyes. Her hair is a mess, her cheeks are red and she’s panting, absolutely exhausted.
“What?” she breathes.