Another

“We just need to check-in,” Ian stepped in.

The attendant’s concerned gaze scanned me over and passed a clipboard to Ian. He filled out all the paperwork, and we had someone waiting with a wristband and a wheelchair to take me up to the delivery floor.

“Hey, Mom and Dad,” the nurse greeted. “I’m Mary, and I’ll be your nurse for the next few hours. Dr. Abrahms is on call right now. Why don’t you get changed out of your clothes and I’ll be back with him to check you out.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Ian sat my bag on the bed and turned to face me. “I’ll just step out so you can get changed. Let me know when you’re ready.”

“Ian, you don’t have to—” my words were cut off by a small contraction that barely lasted ten seconds. “You don’t have to stay.”

He stood before me, looking more dominating than I could ever recall him being, like an immovable wall. “Do you have someone coming?”

I looked away because, no, I didn’t have anyone coming. I didn’t really have anyone, and I figured, like any job, I could crush this on my own with the nurse’s help. I’d read as many books as I could get my hands on, preparing for this very moment. My aunts had offered, but I’d turned them down, not wanting to be overwhelmed by the four of them. Aunt Virginia had let me know that if I ever changed my mind, she’d be there for me, but I was confident I could do it on my own. I was Carina Russo, I prepared and conquered, not needing anyone’s help.

I didn’t have to say anything for Ian to read my answer from my reaction. “I’m staying.”

“Ian,” I breathed his name, my shoulders dropping. I didn’t want him doing something he really didn’t want to, but I was already too tired to fight him.

“You don’t get to argue with me on this…I mean, you can, but I really want to be here for you. Please.”

I looked him over. This solid man, standing before me like a wet dream in a suit, offering to hold my hand while I rode the struggle bus. Who was I to stop him?

“Okay.”

“Good.” He gave a victorious smile that almost had me taking it back, just to argue, but he was already on his way out the door before I could. “Holler when you’re ready.”

Shaking my head, I smiled at his retreating back and quickly changed. When I called Ian back in, he brought the doctor with him.

“Hello, Carina. I’m Dr. Abrahms,” he greeted me as he looked over my chart. “I’ll be with you for a few more hours, but then Dr. Sawyer will be in later.” He set the clipboard aside and gave me a quick smile. “So, how far apart are your contractions?”

I leaned back with Ian by my head and got in position. “Umm…They’re pretty erratic, but always less than twenty minutes apart. Sometimes as little as seven minutes apart.”

He hummed and checked me out quickly. Looking up to Ian, I almost laughed at the scowl he delivered to the doctor between my legs. “You’re almost to four centimeters. We’ll get you all hooked up and keep an eye on everything. For now, we just wait.” He checked some more boxes on the chart. “Are we getting an epidural.”

“God, yes.” He laughed and checked another box. “I’d like to wait a while before I get one, but don’t want to miss my window to get it either.”

“We can do our best to make that happen.”

With one last smile, he left, and I was alone with Ian.

“So, what does one do when waiting for a baby to appear from their vagina?”

“Oh, my god, Ian.” Despite my nerves, he made me laugh, and I realized maybe he was a better asset to have by my side than I originally thought.

We made it a little over two hours before I broke down and asked for the epidural. In that time, we played card games with the deck Ian ran down to the gift store to buy. He’d rubbed my back through the harder contractions and winced like a baby when I squeezed his hand.

“Damn, woman,” he said as the anesthesiologist left. “That needle was huge.”

“Thanks, Ian,” I deadpanned.

“But I wasn’t worried.” He winked and slid his hand over mine. “You’ve taken much bigger than that.”

I snatched my hand away and smacked his arm, laughing hard. “You are disgusting.”

He grabbed my hand back and sat in the chair he’d moved close to my bed. “Why don’t I turn out the lights and you get some rest. The nurse said you should get some sleep if you can, now that you’ve had the epidural.”

“Okay,” I agreed readily. The pain was minimal now, and the beep of the baby’s heartbeat was soothing me to sleep. It may have also been the drugs but hearing Peanut’s heartbeat helped. “Why don’t you get something to eat.”