“It reminds me of you,” she said. “And that week. And what we had. I…I didn’t ever want to forget.”
“Fuck,” he breathed, grinding himself against her. “I love you.”
Around a moan, she beamed, and that smile lit his entire world. “I love you, too.”
“We’ll figure this all out, okay? We’ll do long distance, or—”
She cut him off with a hand over his mouth.
“Just kiss me,” she said, her voice hoarse with desire. “Please.”
He did what she asked. He could never deny her. Never.
By the time they finally drifted off to sleep, they were awoken what felt like seconds later by Jessica’s phone blaring from the nightstand.
“Oh, fuck off,” she grumbled, but rolled over to answer it anyway. “What?”
“Jess.”
In the dark quiet of the room, Jack heard that single syllable loud and clear.
“Mom? What’s wrong? Is it Berk?”
“Yeah, honey,” Michelle said, her voice thick. “She’s okay, but the baby isn’t. His umbilical cord is wrapped around his neck, and if they don’t get him out soon, he…” Michelle trailed off as a choked sob echoed through the phone. “He might not make it if they don’t deliver right away. They’re prepping her for surgery right now.”
“And what about Berk?” Jessica cried, sitting up and flipping on the bedside lamp. Her eyes shone brightly with unshed tears, and Jack moved over, wrapping his arms tightly around her shoulders and tugging her back against his chest. “What about her placenta previa? Isn’t her risk of hemorrhaging like…really high?”
“It is,” Michelle confirmed. “But she made the call. This is your sister’s decision.”
“Well didn’t someone try to talk her out of it? Didn’t Brent knock some sense into her?”
“She’s a mom, Jess,” Michelle said quietly. “There’s no talking her out of it when her baby’s life is on the line.”
“Fuck,” Jessica said on an exhale, and turned her face into Jack’s chest, her back rising and falling with her heaving, deep breaths.
“I know,” Michelle said. “I think you should come back to the hospital.”
“Yeah, Mom, of course. We’ll be right there.”
“See you soon, honey. Drive safe.”
Jessica was out of bed and across the room within seconds of ending the call, and while her footsteps faded down the hall, Jack rose and dressed, then dug through her bag and laid out clothes for her as well.
A few minutes later, Jessica returned, gave Jack a small smile, and wordlessly dressed. Teeth were brushed, bags were repacked, and then they headed downstairs, meeting Kenzie and Aiden at the car.
The drive back to the hospital passed in tense silence. Jack couldn’t offer Jessica much in this moment. He only had a brother, and he was a guy, so he’d never understand that bond only sisters shared. But he loved Jessica with his whole entire being, and he felt like he was experiencing her dismay and anxiety and pure terror right alongside her. So he held her hand, doing his best to quell the shaking in her fingers with his presence.
When they arrived, the four of them made their way to the doors, but before they could step into the lobby, Jessica stopped dead outside.
“I can’t do this,” she said.
Before Jack could move, Kenzie was at Jessica’s side, pulling her into a fierce hug. The two girls stood the same height, one light-haired, one dark. Sisters not by blood, but by choice. And Jack was more thankful than ever for Mackenzie Jean in this moment, that she could fill in the gaps when Jack’s knowledge of how to comfort Jessica lacked or failed.
“It’s going to be okay,” Kenzie whispered. “She’s going to be okay. The baby is going to be okay.”
“You can’t know that.”
Kenzie pulled away and cupped Jessica’s face between her palms. “Listen to me, Jess. Your sister is the strongest person I know. She’ll be okay because she won’t accept anything else. For her, or for that baby.”
