Henry.
I stayed for a few seconds processing the words before she shouted in my ear, “Now!”
I took her in my arms and ran towards the car. Alison opened the back door so that she could have space. She trembled every second on me; I knew she was having contractions.
Jeremy smiled upon seeing me, but then he saw his mother, and his brow furrowed.
“What’s wrong, Mom?” he asked, approaching.
“Give some space, Jeremy. We’re taking Mom to the hospital. Move against the door.”
He quickly moved enough for Anna to lie down. And I practically teleported to the driver’s seat. When trying to insert the key to start the car, I was shaking. Damn it. This couldn’t be happening now.
“I’ll drive,” Alison says, getting into the passenger seat, and I shake my head a thousand times. We needed to get there as soon as possible.
I managed to insert the key and accelerated, probably leaving skid marks on the sidewalk. “Jeremy, buckle up.”
Immediately, Anna started screaming, and my heart sank. “Calm down, love, we’ll get there as soon as possible,” I tried to say to calm both of us, but she screamed again. I hated that she felt pain.
“What’s happening, Mom?” Jeremy asked, as scared as I was.
“Your little brother or sister is about to be born, Jeremy,” Alison answered for Anna and me; neither of us could respond at this moment. I was going at one twenty, and it wasn’t fast enough.
“Really? And why is Mom screaming?”
“It’s a little painful, but it will pass.”
“If it hurts her, I don’t want a little brother,” without even looking, I know he has his lips pursed and his brow furrowed. My boy copied the worst of me-my gestures and my bad temper.
“Relax, sweetheart, it’ll just be a little while,” Anna assured our son and screamed again. I glanced in the rearview mirror, and she had her legs spread, clenching her teeth, trying not to make any sound. I knew she was attempting not to scare us.
“Don’t hold back, Anna,” I told her, and instantly, she let out a moan.
She’s going to be born a month earlier than we planned, and it’s because I didn’t take care of Anna. These days must have been very stressful for her, and I couldn’t protect her. Ten minutes ago, I was such an idiot to start yelling at her in her condition, and I knew I wasn’t angry with her; I was angry with myself for allowing whatever the jerk did to her.
When we reached the hospital, I didn’t bother to lock the car. I shouted at Alison to take care of Jeremy and carried Anna running to the entrance.
“Pregnant, about to give birth!” was all I had to shout before several doctors approached Anna and me. They brought a stretcher immediately, and I gently placed her on it. She wouldn’t let go of my shirt, as if her life depended on it.
“How many months?” a doctor asked.
She just turned eight,” I assured, and they began to take her, and she took me along.
“Are you her husband?” the man removing my wife’s panties and spreading her legs asked. Yes, I was very uncomfortable with it. I controlled myself not to say a word, but someone other than me was taking off her panties; my anger is understandable, right? Yes, I already knew it wasn’t.
“Yes,” I said through gritted teeth, and Anna squeezed my hand to prevent me from saying something stupid. Sometimes I hated being so possessive when it came to her.
“It hurts a lot,” she moaned, and I put my forehead against hers.
“Calm down, love, easy,” I whispered, stroking her hair.
“She’s dilated; we need to take her to the delivery room. Get the father ready,” the doctor ordered.
“Already?”
“Yes, she must let go of you,” the nurse informed me while Anna shook her head, crying. She didn’t want to let go, and I hated that she had to.
“I’ll be right back,” I assured, kissing her cheek and lips.
“No, no…” she began to whimper.
“I swear it’ll just be a minute. You won’t be alone this time or ever again, okay?”
And it was true; I would never leave her again. We would grow old together if she allowed me.
The nurses quickly dressed me in something like a paper gown and a mask. “First-time dad?” one of them asked, smiling. It seems my nerves were very noticeable. “No, we already have another child.”
“Okay, then calm down before going in with your wife. You need to be the strongest one in there.”
I nodded several times, still scared. The nurses led me to the room where Anna was, and everyone was getting ready for the moment.
Upon seeing me, Anna reached out her hand, and she squeezed it tightly. She was completely red, sweaty, and tears streamed down her cheeks like waterfalls. But still, she was perfect, always perfect in my eyes.
“I’m scared,” she confessed, looking at me.
“Nothing will happen, love. You’re strong; you’ve done this alone once before. You’re Wonder Woman to me; there’s nothing you can’t do.”
When the doctor said to push for the first time, my eyes welled up.
“The head is visible,” the man informed, and Anna squeezed my hand even tighter.
“I missed you all these years. I love you so much,” she managed to say while she had stopped pushing on the doctor’s orders.
“I love you too, sweetheart. Not a day went by that I didn’t think of you. I love you.”
Many screams, contractions, and curses later, the room fell silent to hear the beautiful cry of a baby.
“It’s a boy.”