Chapter 13

I WOKE UP WITH MY BELLYcramping, and not from hunger. “Ow,” I moaned as I gripped my baby bump and forced myself to take some slow, steady breaths. “No, please no!”

I can’t be in labor. She isn’t ready yet.

I lay perfectly still, hoping and praying for the pain to go away. Despite my best efforts to remain calm and soothe my body, the cramps only increased in their severity. I cried out, rolling over and reaching out for my phone. I punched the screen to find Tommy’s number and pushed call. My breath shuddered out of me as I focused on keeping myself calm.

“Good morning beautiful,” Tommy’s smooth voice flowed through the phone. “How’d you sleep?”

But there was no time for pleasantries. Not now. “I’m cramping,” I blurted, unable to hide my fear. “I’m scared.” Another groan of pain tore from my lips and my brows furrowed deeply as I grimaced through the uncomfortable sensation. “I don’t know what’s happening.”

“Stay there. We’re coming,” Tommy answered and hung up.

I threw the phone across my bed to sob in fear. What would this mean for us if the baby came now? Would she survive at just twenty-six weeks? Could she?

My door flew open, and Nancy ran in, dropping to her knees beside my bed. “Are you okay? What’s happened? Tommy just called me. The boys are on their way here with the ambulance.”

“I’m cramping,” I whispered, hot tears spilling over my cheeks as my baby rolled and kicked, causing another painful wave of spasms. “I think I’m in labor,” I sobbed.

Nancy held my hand until the ambulance arrived, for which I was eternally grateful. I felt so alone and frightened.

Thankfully, Tommy was what seemed like mere moments behind them. He assessed me—found that I wasn’t bleeding—but advised I go straight to the hospital, regardless. He swung me up in his arms like a real-life hero and carried me down the stairs. How he did that with my current weight, I’ll never know. But in the sea of uncertainty and pain, Tommy was there, kissing my head and promising me that everything was going to be okay.

I traveled in the ambulance with the two paramedics, while Tommy followed in his own vehicle behind us.

“Dr. Bailey is a great doctor,” one of the paramedics said.

I gasped and groaned as another wave of contractions hit me without mercy. “I have no doubt, but he’s not my doctor. He’s the father.” I’m sure the female paramedic reacted to my news, but I was too invested in what was going on inside my belly to notice. My entire world had narrowed down to my body and the little life that was kicking up a storm far too early for comfort.

They wheeled me inside on a gurney and David was there waiting for me, pacing the entrance with a look of stoic concern on his face. He came straight over and grabbed my hand as they pushed me into a sterile white room.

“David, I’m scared,” I whispered to him, my voice shaky and my heart in my throat. “I can’t lose her.” Tears silently spilled down my cheeks, dampening my hairline, betraying just how petrified I was.

He gripped my hand tight and stared down at me, his dark eyes intense but steady in the sea of drama. “I’ve got you,” he promised. “And you won’t. Don’t even think that. We won’t let it happen.”

The ER doctors gave me some drugs to slow down or hopefully stop the contractions altogether. Then they followed up with an ultrasound and some bloodwork, before committing me to bed rest until further notice.

David stayed with me for hours, just holding my hand. And although he said very little, his presence comforted me in ways no words could have.

“Hey,” Tommy said, walking into my room unexpectedly, brandishing a clipboard. “How are you feeling, Stacey?”

I wriggled carefully to sit up higher in bed before I cradled my belly with both hands. I ignored his question. It was the least of my concerns. I only cared about our baby, our little girl. “What’s happening?” I asked. “Is the baby okay?”

“She’s doing fine,” Tommy assured me with a smile. “The pre-term labor has stopped for now, but you’ll be on bed rest from now until the birth, I’m afraid.”

Oh, God...

I blanched at the thought, and my mind whirled with panic. “But I don’t even have any insurance,” I protested. “I can’t stay here! I’ll be in debt until I die!”

“You won’t stay here, you’ll come home with us. And don’t even worry about the money. We told you, it’s taken care of,” David said firmly.

I bit my lip, my heart still racing.

Taken care of? How?

“David’s right,” Tommy added. “We can take you home as early as tomorrow, but I think it’s best you stay in here overnight. I’ll arrange for an OBGYN friend to come here later this week to assess you. But either way, our place is only a two-minute drive, so if anything happens at all, we can come straight back in no time flat.”

“Will the baby survive if she comes out now?” I asked, my throat tightening under the stress of asking such a question. There were many fears a pregnant woman carried with her for the nine months her baby relied on her, and having a premature birth was definitely chief among them.

Tommy sat on the bed and touched my leg, offering me his sense of physical calm. “She’s staying in there for now, so try to relax. There’s nothing in your bloodwork or ultrasound that leads me to believe this is anything more than a sign that you need to rest. You’ve been all over the place looking for the father of your baby, with little thought for your own wellbeing. That mentality has to stop. Your health is just as important as the baby’s. We’ll going to take care of you, okay? You have our word.”

I nodded, but I knew what he was really saying. If the baby came now, she might not make it, or at the very least, she’d be fighting for each and every breath she took, and I didn’t want that for her. “I’ll do anything you say to make sure she stays healthy and safe,” I declared without hesitation.

“I’m glad,” Tommy said as he stood up and came over to kiss me on the forehead. It was a strange but sweet gesture. “You get some rest, and I’m going to make some phone calls.” Then he took his leave, nodding to his brother as he did.

David stayed with me until dinnertime, then he kissed my lips tenderly. “I’m going to set up the dinner shift over at the restaurant, then get the house ready for your arrival. I’ll pop by later to say goodnight, then I’ll pick you up tomorrow, okay?”

I gripped his hand, hard. I wanted him to know just how much I needed him. “We’re okay, aren’t we? I mean, you and me? Us?”

He reached out and spread his hand protectively over my baby bump in the most beautiful gesture of partner and family solidarity I’d ever witnessed, and my heart melted inside me at the sight. The baby kicked hard in response to his touch, and David’s eyes widened, a small smile gracing his lips “Of course, we’re all okay, Stacey. We’ll get through this together, okay?”

I nodded, but I still felt more than a little uneasy. This was my first pregnancy and I never thought I’d turn out like this. “Okay,” I breathed, giving him what I hoped was a brave face.

David went to leave, pausing to watch me from the door for a moment before he shook his head as if at himself, and disappeared down the hall.

The nurses on shift fussed over me for the rest of the night and into the next morning. I’d never really stayed in a hospital before, though I’d heard plenty of stories about them not being that nice. But the food I was given wasn’t too terrible, and my bed was comfortable. Given I was receiving around the clock care—no doubt thanks to Tommy’s influence—what more could I ask for? I was just grateful our little one was all right for the moment.

The boys must have made alternative arrangements, because instead of David, it was Tommy who came by to pick me up at around lunchtime. I had nothing to wear so he took me straight to a dress shop in town and Tommy racked up a huge balance for too many clothes in record time. “You don’t need the stress,” he said. “You just point, and we’ll take it home.”

And even though I’d done next to nothing other than exactly that, by the time he got me home, I was exhausted.

Tommy took me by the arm and walked me into their beautiful townhouse.

Its modern lines and monochromatic color palette made me smile. It was so masculine, it bordered on being clinical. “Your home is beautiful,” I said as I plodded along slowly, relying on my mate’s strength.

Tommy led me through the small living room and toward a bedroom. “I’ve moved all of my stuff into the spare bedroom so that you can have my bed,” he said. “And before you refuse to accept it, my bedroom is the only one in the house with an ensuite, and you’ll need to be close to a bathroom.”

I stared up at him with literal stars in my eyes. “How did I get so lucky as to have you?”

Tommy jolted and stared at me, then laughed. “Oh, sweetheart, I love hearing you say that, but you have no idea how long I’ve waited for you. How long we’ve waited for you.”

I shuffled the rest of the way into the bedroom to find warmer wooden tones and a palette of fawns and browns.

“Thank you,” I said. “This is lovely. I’m just so sorry for being such a pain.”

He chuckled. “You’re not. Far from it, beautiful. You’re perfect. Besides, now we get to spoil you, and you won’t run away from us.”

I laughed as I kicked off my shoes, tossed back the duvet, and rolled onto the huge king-sized bed. There, in absolute bliss, I collapsed onto the fluffy pillows. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Perfect. Now, do you want lunch or a nap first?”

I closed my eyes and let out a tired sigh. “I think I’ll pass out right here. Food is going to have to wait.”

He leaned over and kissed my forehead again, which was nice but was kind of annoying to.

What’s up with that?

“Can I have a real kiss?” I asked, forcing my eyes open to meet his.

His eyes went wide, then the blue diamonds of his gaze sparkled. “Of course.” But instead of the passionate kiss I’d been hoping for, he pressed his lips gently to mine in a tender, but chaste kiss. He pulled back with a smile. “Now get some sleep. I have to pop into the clinic for a while, but David will be home soon. We’ve moved shifts around as much as we can this week, but we’ll be out a bit still. I’m sorry. Short notice and all, but next week will be better.”

I pulled the duvet up closer to my chin, feeling warm and safe for the first time in a long time. “Thank you, Tommy, for keeping me and the baby safe. I’ll never forget this.”

He kissed my cheek this time and lingered to whisper in my ear. “That’s what I’m here for, beautiful girl. Now, rest. There’s food in the fridge, and I’m only a three-minute drive away if you need me. You only have to call.”

I smiled and nodded my thanks as he left. Everything went quiet and our baby girl shifted inside of me. I couldn’t help but smile. I’d been so afraid yesterday—of losing her—of losing everything. But now I was safe, and so was she. Tommy might be leaving for work, but David would be home soon. And regardless of where either of them was at any given moment in time, I knew we had each other, and that they’d take care of me.

I think I’m really starting to believe it.

After so long a journey and a little more pain than my fair share, things were finally working out. And with that thought in mind, peace stole over me, and I allowed my eyes to close and gave in to the alluring promise of sleep.