The Journey Home

Cale let out a moan that vibrated through my entire core. I began to feel the familiar build up. “More! Give me more!”

When I felt his hand move up and behind onto my ass I knew what he was about to do. My body began to shake with anticipation. He slipped a finger inside my ass and I lost it. I began calling out his name as an orgasm ripped through my body. I gasped as the pain shot through my stomach again. Oh no.

Cale stood up and looked at me with hungry eyes. “Lay down on the bed on your side Maddie. I’m going to take you now.”

I swallowed hard. I slowly made my way onto the bed and lay down. Cale positioned himself as he lifted my right leg and slipped his dick inside of me. The relief I felt when he entered me was heavenly. As he moved in and out, I let myself go.

“Maddie, I’m going to come, baby.”

I called out his name softly as he called out my name again. Cale didn’t move for the longest time. I was about to say something when I felt another pain. At that point, I knew it couldn’t be anything else – it was a contraction.

Cale pulled out. “Hold on baby, let me get a washcloth to clean you up.

I inhaled deeply through my nose and slowly blew the air out my mouth. I looked over at the clock and made a mental note of the time. I didn’t want to tell Cale just yet. I wasn’t sure why. I was pretty sure it was because once I told him; it would all become real. I was scared to death.

After Cale and I got dressed, we headed out to the kitchen to start dinner. Lily had gone down for her nap later than normal, and I knew she would be starving. I started to pull out chicken for Cale to put on the grill.

“Cale, will you start the grill?” I asked. He laughed and I turned and looked at him. “What’s so funny?”

He looked at me with a confused look. “Baby, it’s snowing hard outside. I’m not going out there to grill.”

I placed my hands on hips and glared at him. He knew how much Lily and I loved grilled chicken.

“I’ll use the indoor grill if you want,” he said as he smiled and winked at me.

I smiled and nodded. As I made the salad, I heard Lily singing over the monitor. I smiled and placed a hand on my stomach. I picked up the glass bowl and turned to set it on the island and a contraction hit me hard and fast. I dropped the bowl and watched as glass shattered everywhere. “Fuck,” I said as I glanced at the clock.

Cale came running and stopped when he saw the glass. “Maddie, are you okay?”

I nodded. “I um…I dropped the bowl.”

Cale ran to the laundry room and began cleaning up the broken glass. Lily was crying like crazy. She must have heard Cale call my name. “I’ll go get Lily,” I said.

Cale bent over and swept glass onto the dustpan. “Okay, I’ll get this mess cleaned up and will make another salad in no time. Don’t worry, baby.”

I went up to Lily’s room. When I opened the door, she smiled and said, “Mama.”

I got her out of her crib and brought her over to the changing table. I changed her diaper, then helped her walk down the stairs into the living room. I retrieved one of her favorite toys and set it in front of her. I knew the toy would occupy her for at least fifteen minutes while I helped Cale finish dinner.

I pulled the rosemary potatoes out of the oven and placed them on top of the stove. I was about to take out our plates when another contraction hit me.

“Oh shit!” I said, starting to breathe like they taught us in Lamaze class. The contraction lasted longer. I looked at the clock. “Oh gosh,” I whispered.

I turned to see Cale on the floor playing with Lily. They were both laughing at the sounds the game made. “Um, Cale?”

“Yeah?”

“I think…well no, I know for sure…I’m having contractions.”

He was making a silly face at Lily. “Is that right?”

I rolled my eyes. He clearly wasn’t paying attention to me. It must of hit him, though, because he jumped up, turned and looked at me. “What? What did you say?”

I STARED AT Maddie. She was rubbing her hand across her stomach, smiling. “I said I’m having contractions.”

Shaking my head I said, “No, you can’t.”

She shrugged. “Oh, yes I can…and I am.”

I placed my hands on Maddie’s upper arms. “Maddie, there is a blizzard outside. You’re not due for another few days. You can’t have this baby.”

Her face turned red. I instantly dropped my hands and took a step back.

“I don’t care that there is a blizzard outside, or that I’m not due for another few days. I do care that I’ve been having contractions all day and now they are about thirty minutes apart. I’m having this baby, Cale Blackwood. Now.”

I swallowed. “Now? Now? Like right this second?” I looked at her stomach and turned around in a circle. “Holy shit!”

Lily jumped up and spun around as she repeated what I’d said. “Shit! Shit, Daddy!”

I looked back at her and nodded. “I know, Lily! Daddy knows.” I took Maddie by the hand and led her to the sofa. “Hold on,” I said. “Let me see how bad the weather is.”

I sprinted to the front door and heard Lily running behind me. I slid to a stop at the door and turned. Lily was running as fast as her little legs could go, laughing. I bent down and held out my arms and scooped her up as I stood and ran back into the living room. “Mommy needs lovin’, Lily. You baby brother…”

“Or sister,” Maddie said with a smirk.

I gave Maddie a look and set Lily down next to her. “Your baby brother or sister wants to come out of mommy’s tummy now to play with you.”

Lily smiled and Maddie clapped her hands as Lily followed.

“I’ll be right back,” I said, taking off again.

“Where are you going, Cale? We have to call the doctor!” Maddie called after me. I threw the door open and ran outside. I wasn’t wearing anything but a T-shirt, sweatpants and my socks. I stopped right at the edge of the front porch. All I could see was snow. It was falling from the sky in a full-blown blizzard. “Why? Why today of all days?”

I pulled my phone out of my sweatpants pocket. I found Jack’s number and called.

“Are you missing me, bro?”

“I need your truck. I mean, I need to borrow your truck right now.”

Jack laughed. “Fuck no! You’re not driving my truck in this weather. Jesus, Cale, it’s a damn blizzard outside.”

I felt my breathing pick up. I was freezing my ass off, but I didn’t want Maddie to h

ear the panic in my voice.

“Dude! Listen to me. I don’t have time for this. Maddie is in labor. I need your truck. It’s a four-by-four, and the only thing that will get us to the hospital.”

“Maddie’s in labor?” Jack asked as I heard Monica yelling in the background. I heard some noise and then Monica’s voice.

“Cale, how far apart are her contractions? I knew something was off with her. I knew it!”

I took a deep breath and looked back at the front door as I jumped around to warm up. “She said thirty minutes.”

“Okay. Jack is on his way over. Call the doctor first and let them know. Then call your neighbor and ask them to come stay with Lily—you can’t bring her to the hospital. Then call your parents and Maddie’s dad and Michelle.”

I nodded. “Got it.” I turned to open the door and ran smack into it. “Shit. I locked myself out.”

I rang the doorbell as I listened to Monica tell me all the things I needed to do. I kept jumping around to warm myself up. I rang the doorbell again. “Damn it. Maddie isn’t answering the door. What the hell? Oh God. Oh, no—what if something happened to her? Fuck! Fuck! Fucker! Suck a dick!”

“Um, yeah I don’t want to ask about that last outburst. Bang on the door.”

I banged on the door and kept ringing the doorbell. “Monica, I’m freaking out. She isn’t answering.” I banged louder and rang the doorbell again and again. I put my ear to the door. When I hit the doorbell, nothing happened. Then I heard music. Loud music.

“She’s playing music. Like really loud.”

“Huh?” Monica asked.

I ran my hand through my hair as I blew out a breath. “She’s dancing with Lily, I bet. Lily loves the music up as loud as we can get it, and they dance. The doorbell is fucking broken and she can’t hear me banging on the door.”

Monica laughed. “Is it cold out?”

“I really hate you right now, Monica.” I hung up my phone and looked out over the front yard.

I stared at the falling snow. It really was beautiful. The white snow blanketed the area, making everything look new. This was it. This was the one thing I’d been waiting for. The moment in time I’d been dreaming about for years.