I was breathing slowly.
My eyes darted over to her as I mouthed, contraction. I knew she would most likely be the only one in the room to stay calm and go get Thano.
“What?” she screamed out. “It’s time! It’s time!”
Closing my eyes, I shook my head. “So, I was wrong on that one.”
Lifting my head, I tried to smile as Katerina yelled out, “Dimitris! Athanasios!”
“No! It’s okay, we don’t have to—”
It was too late. Thano ran into the kitchen like something was on fire.
“What! What’s wrong?”
“She’s in labor!” someone shouted out.
Thano’s expression turned to one of pure fear.
“Ohmygawd! What?”
I tried to laugh and make light of it. Of all the places to go into labor, why was it at the Drivas’ house with seven other family members there?
I swear, Thano leapt over the table to get to me. When he swept me off my feet, Phoebe yelled out, “Opa!”
Glaring at her, I shook my head. “No!”
“Yes! You’re having a baby! We need to celebrate!”
“I’ll finish making the food! You go to the hospital,” Aunt Maria said to Katerina.
I started hitting Thano on the shoulder. “Thano!”
He quickly made his way through the kitchen and living room. “Dad! Kilyn’s in labor. Her bag is at our place, can you go get it?”
“No! No! Claire can get it!” I cried out.
“I don’t mind getting it. I’ll pick up Thaddeus and Nicholaus on the way.”
Oh. Lord.
Hitting Thano again, I said louder, “Thano. Remember what we talked about . . . for when the baby was born?”
He gave me the goofiest smile. “Yes, the bag. I’m on the bag, baby.”
Closing my eyes, I calmly said, “No. Not the bag.”
“Dimitris, you drive separate and get the boys; Maria, Sophia, Phoebe, and I will take my car.”
My head fell forward as I moaned.
“Are you okay, Kilyn?” Thano asked as he quickly walked to the front door. I had to admit, I was somewhat turned on he was carrying me like I weighed nothing. Of course, lately all he had to do was breathe on me and I was turned on.
Good Lord, look at the man. Handsome as sin. I’d love to feel his scruff on my thighs right now making me—
“Mama, can you call Gus for me?” Thano called out as he stopped at our new Honda Pilot. Gently setting me down, he opened the passenger door. “Shit, I hope your water doesn’t break in the new car.”
I was halfway in when I turned and shot him a dirty look.
Seeing I was not happy with him, Thano smiled. “Right, who cares if it does!”
He shut the door and ran around to the driver’s side and jumped in. Reaching for his phone, he hit a number and handed the phone to me while he pulled out to the street.
“Who are you calling?” I asked.
“The doctor! We have to let him know you’re in labor.”
When the doctor’s office answered I let them know my name and that I was having contractions. By the time I ended the call, Thano had about ten voice messages.
“How does news travel so fast in your family?”
He chuckled but kept his eyes focused on the road.
Clearing my throat, I squeezed my eyes shut and worked through what felt like another contraction. It wasn’t as bad as the one before so it was easy to hide it from Mario Andretti.
“Thano, you need to slow down or you’ll get a ticket, baby.”
“Nah, I’m not speeding.”
Rolling my eyes, I rubbed my hand over my stomach. “Hey, just curious if you happen to remember the conversation we had a few weeks back about when the baby was due? You know . . . the one where we both agreed it would just be us at the hospital?”
He took his foot off the gas and mumbled, “Oh, fuck.”
“So, when I asked you to talk to your mom and dad about it, I’m going to safely assume by everyone’s reactions, you never had that talk.”
Thano put on his signal and pulled over into a gas station parking lot.
With a huge smile on his face, he looked at me and proclaimed, “I’ve got this!”
Shaking my head, I looked straight out the window. He didn’t have it.
It was time to put plan B in motion.
MY HEART DROPPED when Kilyn looked away from me. The only thing she asked me to do was tell my parents we didn’t want the family there for the birth. And I failed.
“I swear, baby, I’ll fix this.”
She shook her head and wiped a tear away. “Thano, I love your family, you know that. But I want this to be our time. Just you and me. There is no way you can stop them from coming to the hospital now.”
Letting out a frustrated moan, I dropped my head. “I fucked up. I’ll call them now and tell them not to come.”