“Alexa, repeat the call.”
Voicemail.
I stared at the ceiling, breathing through a sharper pain than before.
“And so it begins,” I whispered, grounding myself.
Keeping my breathing slow and steady, I summoned my girl.
“Alexa, call Amber.”
The ring barely finished before her voice burst through the speaker.
“Merry Christmas, bitch!”
“Merry Christmas, crazy girl. You busy?” I asked, my voice was much calmer than the situation deserved.
“Not really. Creed and I are watchingThis Christmas.Lawd, Idris can get it — this Christmas, that Christmas, next Christmas—”
“Aight, relax,” Creed cut in, clearly tired of her shit.
“Anyway, what’s up?” she asked.
“My water broke,” I responded like I had just dropped a Pellegrino on the floor.
“What?! Mahasin, why you say that shit like you broke the strap on your purse? Where are you?” she yelled.
Another contraction built, stealing my breath for a moment.
“Mahasin!” she hollered.
“I’m here, I’m here,” I exhaled. “My contractions are coming faster and stronger. I need to change and—”
“Did you call Gage?” she cut in. I could hear her grabbing keys in the background.
“I tried twice. No answer.”
“Of course.” She sighed. “Okay, listen — call the ambulance. I’m on my way.”
A loud thud echoed through the line.
“What was that?” I asked, more concerned about the noise then what was currently happening with my body.
“Girl, I done fell up the stairs fucking with you,” she complained.
Even at mid-contraction, I laughed. I couldhearher rubbing her knee through the phone.
“Amber. Calm down. I’m fine. I’m going to change. My hospital bags are in the trunk. Just catch a ride here — you’ll beat the ambulance.”
“Don’t doctor me, Mahasin! I’m coming!”
Alexa made a beep, indicating the call had ended. I laughed softly, then bent forward as another contraction swept through.This one wrapped around my lower back; the kind of pain you felt when you had to take a shit but had to hold it because you were stuck in traffic.
I breathed in slow through my nose, out through my mouth—just like I’d coached hundreds of patients to do. Only now do I understand why they could never concentrate on breathing.
This shit hurt like Hell.
“Okay, baby girl,” I whispered. “Guess you really want to make your debut tonight.”
