“You need to cancel our reservations for tomorrow night,” she reminded him.
“Guess we’ll be celebrating our first anniversary in the hospital, huh?” he said as he helped her back to her chair.
“But what a lovely anniversary present we’ll have,” Angela said, running a hand over her bump.
“The best,” Jude agreed.
He picked up the bowl of pasta and her large water bottle and took them into the kitchen. After cleaning out the bowl, he put it in the dishwasher and then filled her water bottle with fresh ice and water.
Again, Angela thanked God for Jude. He was a wonderful husband, and she knew he would be an equally wonderful father.
She continued to track her contractions while Jude made a call to the resort to cancel their dinner reservation for the next evening. He followed it up with a call to the helicopter pilot to make sure he would be ready to go when Angela said the word.
“We need to let Duncan know so he doesn’t hear about it from someone else,” Jude said.
“Go ahead and give him a call.”
Both her and Jude’s relationship with Duncan had changed over the past year. For Angela, she’d come to view him as her father, and she called him Dad now.
For Jude, though Duncan remained his boss, they now shared a closer relationship outside of work as father and son-in-law.
“I think maybe it’s almost time to go,” Angela said after the contractions seemed to be stronger and were coming a little closer together and were lasting a little longer.
Jude came to where Angela sat, and once again took a knee in front of her. He put her hands on her belly and covered them with his, then he began to pray.
He prayed for strength for her, and for a safe labor and delivery of their child.
After he ended the prayer, Jude straightened and helped her to her feet. He led the way to the front door and picked up her bag. Angela kept a grip on her water bottle as she waited for him to lock up.
Before he guided her off the porch, he wrapped his arms around her. She looked up at him.
“Ready to meet our child?” he asked.
Angela nodded. “I’m excited to finally meet them.”
They didn’t know yet whether they were having a girl or a boy. They’d decided to keep that a surprise, though it had been super hard not to ask the ultrasound technician to tell them the gender.
“Then let’s go.” He bent to brush a quick kiss on her lips, then took her by the hand and led her away from their home. They were leaving as two, and in a few short days, they’re return as a family of three.
Angela could hardly wait.
~*~
The hours seemed to crawl by, and Jude was struggling. He absolutely hated seeing the woman he loved in pain. It was his job—literally, but also as her husband—to protect her.
He wished he could do more to help her through the contractions, but there was nothing he could do but be at her side and offer his support. She had even refused an epidural so far.
His petite wife was once again showing him that she was a powerhouse of strength. It was what had drawn him to her initially, and it was still one of her most amazing qualities.
“I need some ice chips,” she murmured.
Jude immediately picked up the cup and helped her spoon some into her mouth. She leaned back against the elevated bed, her gaze holding his.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair that had stuck to her sweat-dampened cheek behind her ear.
She gave him a weary smile. “I hope that if we have a son, he looks just like you. I hope heisjust like you.”
Before he could respond, another contraction overtook her. She reached for his hands as her eyes slid shut.
