Now that Kate’s found a new job in Philadelphia, she’s finally moving in with her fiancé. They got engaged on New Year’s Eve and have been making wedding plans ever since. Kinsley’s going to miss having her sister around, but the two and half hour drive isn’t going to keep them apart for long. We’ll be able to make some trips once the baby gets a little older.
As for Wyatt and Becca, they’re still together. Becca’s over at the house a lot, helping Kinsley and my mom prepare the perfect nursery for the baby. I’m pretty sure they bought out most of Pottery Barn and Babies R Us this summer. I never realized little people need so much stuff.
We finally got around to packing the hospital bag last night, and even that turned into two bags instead of one. I didn’t even get any clothes of my own put in either of the bags.
“Rhett, help me sit.”
From the back, you’d never know Kinsley was even pregnant, but once she turns around, it looks like she ate a basketball. And maybe she did because my girl can eat. The same girl who used to push her lettuce around on her plate at lunch would probably eat the plate itself if she was hungry enough.
I reach up, grabbing her around the waist, and setting her on my lap. “I’m too heavy. I’m going to make your legs fall asleep again.”
“Just relax. I’m fine.”
“I’m so hot.”
“I know, Sunny. You’re smokin’.”
She smacks me with the back of her hand. “Behave for five minutes, please.”
“I’ll try, but we still have ten minutes until the fireworks start. And it’s pretty dark back here.”
She shakes her head. “I’m not doing anything here, Rhett. People are everywhere.”
“You can kiss me.”
She turns her body sideways, and I shift her in my lap. Her belly rubs against my chest and I feel the baby kick as I’m kissing her. Total mood killer.
I pull away, and she frowns. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t make out with you when she’s watching.”
“Who? Becca’s not even paying attention to us.”
“The baby.”
“The baby? Rhett, I still have two weeks until my due date. I can’t go that long without kissing you.”
I hold her close, kissing her temple and resting my hand on her stomach. The baby kicks me a few times, and I push back, waiting for her to do it again. “She’s really angry.”
“She’s probably hot, too. It’s like a thousand degrees out here.”
“What are we going to do if it’s not a girl? I’m so used to saying, ‘she.”
Kinsley shrugs her shoulders. “Start saying, ‘he”?
I laugh at her puzzled expression. “Okay, Captain Obvious.”
Before she has a chance to smack me again, the first fireworks light up the sky. Just as the first loud boom rumbles overheard, we both jump at the same time, looking down at the blanket. “Rhett, what did you do?”
“Nothing. Did you just pee on my leg?”
And then it hits us. Her water broke. I help her scramble to her feet, and she looks like she’s about to cry. “I’m all wet. Everyone’s going to think I peed my pants.”
“It’s okay. It’s dark out. Here.” I fold the blanket in half and wrap it around her waist. “Hold onto the ends so it doesn’t fall down.”
She does as I tell her, and I smack Wyatt on the back of the head. “Dude, come up for air. We’re going to the hospital. Can you swing by my house and get the bag?”
“The bag?” And then it registers. “Shit, Kinny are you okay?”
Kinsley’s still walking, not bothering to wait for me or talk to her brother. “Her water broke. Oh, and grab me a change of clothes while you’re at it.”
“Yeah, okay. Holy shit. I’m going to be an uncle.”
Before I get a step closer to Kinsley, Wyatt’s hand reaches out and grabs my arm. “Take care of my sister. She’s pretty important to me.”
“Me too, Wyatt.”
I have to run to catch up to my girl. For someone nine months pregnant, she can still haul ass. “Sunny, slow down.”
“I’m afraid it’s going to start to hurt, so I want to keep moving.”
“Does it hurt yet?”
“Not really. I feel like I have cramps.”
By the time we get to the hospital, she’s in a little more pain. They get us into a room pretty fast, but once she takes a look at all the monitors and the baby warmer, I can tell she’s getting scared. We took the baby classes, we read all the baby books, and we even toured the maternity wing. Still, nothing could have prepared us for this moment.
“Rhett, I don’t have my music.”
“I’ll text your brother. He’s already stopping at the house.” I fire off a text to Wyatt, hoping he can remember everything. I’ll do anything to make her worry less. All she should be focused on is the baby.
“I have to pee.”
I help her into our private bathroom, and while she does her business, I make sure to text everyone and tell them where we are.
“Rhett!”
I turn around, almost knocking into the IV pole they haven’t used yet. “What’s wrong, Sunny?”
She starts to cry, and when I bend down in front of her, I see some blood on her legs. Her chin quivers as she says, “I don’t know.”
I let go of her hand, and run into the hallway. “We need help in here!”
The heads of a couple nurses whip in our direction, and one look at my panicked expression, and they come running. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s bleeding on the toilet.”
I end up catching the attention of one of the doctors, and even though he’s not Kinsley’s doctor, he comes in the room anyway. She has three people all stuffed in her bathroom, checking out what’s going on. All I can do is pace while they talk to her and ask her questions. I don’t even know what half of it means.
After they help her change into a gown, they get her into bed, and I swear, it’s three minutes tops before they’re wheeling her to the operating room. I follow behind her bed, my heart racing so fast I’m about to throw up. If we make it this far and lose our baby, I don’t think we’ll ever be the same.
They push her bed through the doors and the nurse holds me up. “You can go in as soon as she’s prepped,” she tells me.
“I don’t want her to be all alone. She can’t be alone.”
“She won’t be.” The nurse hands me scrubs, like the ones on all the hospital shows Kate watches on TV, and I slide them on. I even put the lunch lady cap on my head. Once everything’s in place, I look like I’m the one about to go deliver this baby.
What seems like an eternity later, I’m finally allowed to go to Kinsley. The operating room is freezing, and her teeth are chattering when I get to her. “It’s okay, Sunny. I’m here.”
“I’m scared, Rhett.”
I sit in my chair next to her head, and brush my finger across her cheek. And then it hits me, I could lose both of them if something goes wrong. For all I know, something already did go wrong. But I have to pretend like none of this is fazing me. If I panic, she’ll panic.
“Don’t be scared. We’re about to meet our baby.”
She smiles and a tear slides down her cheek, soaking the paper under her head. Her eyes close, and she grimaces like she’s in pain. All I can do is kiss her cheek. It’s the only part of her I’m allowed to touch.
“You’re so strong, Kinsley. I’m so proud of you,” I whisper in her ear, over and over until the cries of a baby fill the room.
The doctor passes the baby to a team of nurses who huddle around the warmer. I don’t even know what they’re doing, but I’m too scared to take my eyes off Kinsley to check.
“Go see, Rhett. Go look.”
I’m hesitant, but I stand up and peek inside the warmer. And for the first time, I see my little girl. She’s just as beautiful as Kinsley. Her tiny hands pump back and forth and her feet kick as they poke at her. She’s angry but she’s amazing.
Once she’s cleared, they wrap her up like a little baby burrito. They give her to me like I’m supposed to know what I’m doing with this tiny little person. She’s even smaller than I imagined she’d be. “Hi, princess. I’m your Daddy.”