I took another step, toward the bathroom this time, to wash up and change, but I felt the same thing as before – a subtle gush of liquid.
Shit.
I squeezed my thighs together as I pulled away from Ramsey, awkwardly attempting to “rush” to the bathroom that way. But every time I moved, there was more and more, and I realized I was really about to find out if this man loved me today.
If he could take literally watching me piss myself, he could take anything.
“Wil!” he called out.
“I know, it’s disgusting. I can’t help it!” I cried.
But when I looked back at him, it wasn’t disgust on his face – it was confusion, and concern. I followed his line of sight to the floor, where I realized why. It wasn’t really visible on the hardwood in the bedroom, but against the marble of the bathroom, you could tell.
I wasn’t having an incontinence issue. Whatever was currently dripping down my legs was… pink. But that meant…
“Shit.”
“Shit?” Ramsey asked. “Why shit? Talk to me, what’s happening?!”
“Shit, because that is amniotic fluid. My water, Ramsey. It’s broken.”
He lifted his hands to head, eyes wide. “Oh. Shit. This… is not how it happens in movies.”
“No shit, Ramsey. We gotta—”
“Yes! Yeah, right! I’ll grab your bag, and we’ll go, and call Dr. Cho on the way. You can text everybody else on the way.”
“Okay.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’ll grab the bag and stuff.”
He darted out of the room, and was gone for one, then two, then five minutes, as I grabbed a few towels, tucking one between my legs before I gingerly moved to throw the others on the floor, to soak up my “accident”.
Finally, he came rushing back in the room, out of breath.
“What took you so long?” I asked, and he shook his head before letting out a dry laugh.
“Well,” he said, wrapping an arm around my waist, “… I was on the way to the hospital, and then I realized… you probably need the pregnant woman, fool.”
I burst out laughing, cupping a hand over my mouth to try to make myself stop when the action sent a fresh gush of water rushing out. My laughter was easily killed ten seconds later, when a pain that made every other pain I’d ever felt seem… mild.
“Holy shit, when did you get this strong?!” Ramsey asked as I dug my fingers into his arm, trying to offset the pain. It lasted for what seemed like almost a minute before it let up, and I was finally able to breathe.
“Ramsey… this is it,” I wheezed. “For real this time.”
He grinned. “We’re about to have a baby?”
“Yeah. We’re about to have a baby.”
“Thank you.”
I looked up from the baby attached to my breast – asleep, but I didn’t have the heart to pull away – to meet Ramsey’s gaze. He was as shirtless as I was, having passed the baby to me after their “skin to skin” moment.
The NICU nurses had encouraged that.
Ramsey had actually been the one to do the feeding – my milk hadn’t come in yet, and neither had baby’s mouth control, to breastfeed properly. But the nurses had still encouraged us to try, just to get both of us used to it, so that’s what I’d been doing after every feeding, since yesterday.
We had time, though. Even though it was a late preterm birth, it was still preterm. They said maybe a two week stay, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be quite that long.
“For what?” I asked Ramsey, biting my lip to keep from grinning at the obvious adoration in his eyes.
He chuckled a little, like the answer was obvious, then reached forward, peeling back the blanket a little bit to peek inside. Then, he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “For my son, Champ. That’s what.”
I gave up on trying to hold it – I openly smiled, scooting a little so that he could sit beside me on the tiny loveseat. “You’re welcome, but… no. Thank you.”
“For what?”
RJ finally pulled back on his own, perfect little lips moving feverishly for a second before he slipped back into sleep. “For being a man I could proudly name him after.”
We had other names picked out. Names that were so obviously wrong now that I couldn’t even bring them to mind. As soon as I laid eyes on his little face, it was obvious that he was supposed to be named after his father.
Once we arrived at the hospital, things went fast. Crazy fast. Less than two hours after I got to the hospital, I was pushing, no time to administer an epidural, with my water already broken, and cervix dilating so fast.
Afterwards, I sobbed over the fact that RJ had to be rushed off to the NICU to get a full exam, to make sure he was okay. I’d gotten to hold his little wet, screaming self for maybe a minute before they whisked him away. With tears in his eyes, Ramsey had stood over the bed and met my gaze as he grabbed my hands.
“I didn’t think I could love you more, and then you did this. Like a Champ.”
After that, I was mostly okay.
And now, I was all the way okay. Better than that, in fact. I shifted my position so that I was leaning into Ramsey, and he wrapped his arms around both of us.
Nothing could top this.
When I’d been given my April due date, a part of me felt like it was my chance to create a new memory for that month, so I wouldn’t find myself wallowing in the shadow of what was supposed to be my wedding date. Now, I realized how little that mattered when I had everything I wanted. Maybe the day would pass without me noticing it at all, and… maybe I would feel a little down. But ultimately, everything about my life was better than it would have been if those plans had gone forth.
I’d never been happier for an interception.
I closed my eyes, relaxing into the comfort of Ramsey’s arms. I had to relish it while I could, because the nurses would be coming in soon to check on RJ, and make sure he was maintaining his temperature and vitals, which would keep him out of the NICU. But for now, this was perfect. Even with everything thrown my way over the last year… I felt like I’d won.
I tilted my head back at Ramsey and grinned, laughing when he smiled back.
“What?” he asked, and my smile grew a little wider.
“Touchdown.”
Christina C. Jones is a modern romance novelist who has penned more than 25 books. She has earned a reputation as a storyteller who seamlessly weaves the complexities of modern life into captivating tales of black romance.
Prior to her work as a full-time writer, Christina successfully ran Visual Luxe, a digital creative design studio. Coupling a burning passion for writing and the drive to hone her craft, Christina made the transition to writing full-time in 2014.
Christina has attracted a community of enthusiastic readers across the globe who continue to read and share her sweet, sexy, and sometimes scandalous stories.
Most recently, two of Christina’s book series have been optioned for film and television projects and are currently in development.
Other titles by Christina Jones
Love and Other Things
Haunted (paranormal)
Mine Tonight (erotica)
Hints of Spice (Highlight Reel spinoff)
The Truth – His Side, Her Side, And the Truth About Falling In Love
Friends & Lovers:
Finding Forever
Chasing Commitment
Strictly Professional:
Strictly Professional
Unfinished Business
Serendipitous Love:
A Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Didn’t Mean To Love You
Fall In Love Again
The Way Love Goes
Love You Forever
Trouble:
The Trouble With Love
The Trouble With Us
The Right Kind Of Trouble
If You Can (Romantic Suspense):
Catch Me If You Can
Release Me If You Can
>
Save Me If You Can
Inevitable Love:
Inevitable Conclusions
Inevitable Seductions
The Wright Brothers:
Getting Schooled – Jason & Reese
Pulling Doubles – Joseph & Devyn
Bending The Rules – Justin & Toni
Connecticut Kings:
CK #1 Love in the Red Zone – Love Belvin
CK #2 Love on the Highlight Reel
Determining Possession (Connecticut Kings Book 3) Page 34
