He chuckled. “Wherever you want to, Mrs. Wright. I did say you were going to make all the important decisions, and I meant it.”
I laughed and leaned my head against his uninjured shoulder. “Look at us. This is so absurd, so ridiculous, so outlandish that…”
“It might just work. I know plenty of people who have fancy weddings, perfect engagements, and they don’t make it in the long run. We’re doing things unconventionally, but…”
“We’re not conventional people,” I pointed out.
I stared into his brown eyes. Never in my life had I been so excited, so thrilled, so terrified, and so convinced that I was doing just the Wright thing. The future looked bright, and I couldn’t wait to see what was waiting for us.
Epilogue
One year later
Jesse
“Breathe! Focus on your breathing, sweetie. In through your nose and out through your mouth.”
I pursed my lips to demonstrate, trying to ignore the fact that Sue was crushing my hand. I prayed I would be able to use it again after she had this baby.
Dressed in a hospital gown, her huge belly dominated the hospital bed. I was holding her left hand, while Cam held her right.
“Shit! I forgot to count.” I panicked.
I had one job, and I’d lost track of the time between contractions. The moment Sue had called to say that her water had broken, everything I’d learned in the prenatal classes she’d dragged me to had gone from my mind.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it.” Lily, calm as ever, sat on a chair next to the bed, her phone in her hand, timing Sue’s contractions.
Ange and Nikki poked their heads into the room at the same time. The hospital didn’t allow more than three people in the room with the soon-to-be mother, so the girls and I were taking turns supporting Sue. Three hours had passed already, and I was starting to worry. Having her first child at thirty-two wasn’t as easy as if she’d been in her early twenties.
“How is she doing?” A frown creased Ange’s forehead. Her eyes were clouded with worry.
“She’s doing great,” I said cheerfully.
Truth be told, I had no idea what any of us were doing, but I knew labor could take a lot longer. The doctor had said she was doing well, so we had to take her word for it.
“Sometimes a first birth takes longer,” Nikki put in calmly. “Do you guys need anything? Drinks, food, a change of shift?”
I hesitated, looking down at Sue. The contraction she’d been struggling with had eased and she relaxed against the pillow. Cam wiped the sweat on her forehead with a cool, damp cloth.
“Honey, would you be okay if I let Ange take my place for a bit?” I asked. “I need the bathroom.”
Sue opened her eyes. She’d grown silent and introspective, focusing all her energy on the process of bringing her child into the world. I was as awed by her strength as I was terrified by this whole ordeal.
“Go,” she whispered, releasing my hand.
I stifled the need to rub my numb fingers. “I won’t be long. You’re doing great.”
I kissed her forehead, and let Ange take my place next to the bed.
Outside, I grabbed Nikki’s arm and ushered her into a corner. “Is this really normal? She’s in agony.”
Nikki patted my hand reassuringly. “Sue wanted a natural birth. I spoke to the doctor, and she’s doing well. I know it seems scary, but this is how nature works.”
“Shit. If I ever have to go through this, I want to be knocked the hell out. Give me every drug available. I wasn’t born into the twenty-first century to suffer through childbirth like they did in the beginning of time.”
Sebastian laughed softly as he approached, wrapping his arms around me from behind. He’d been sitting quietly, knowing he couldn’t do anything for Sue and Cam directly, just be there for support.
“I agree,” he whispered in my ear. “I don’t want you to go through this either, when there are so many ways of making childbirth more comfortable.”
