I roll my head to the side, locking into Lainey’s emerald eyes. “So I’m having my baby in the back of Jenna’s car?”
She squeezes my hand. “Wemaybe having a baby in the back of Jenna’s car. But help is on the way.”
“Oh my god,” I cry out, tears threatening to spill. “I don’t want to have my baby in the back of a car, in the middle of the street where a homeless man outside the sub shop is the first man to meet my baby. Where is my husband?”
“If it makes you feel any better,” Jenna says, climbing back into the car and pulling the sheets from the plastic bag. “I don’t even see any homeless men outside right now, just us girls.”She bites the tag off the sheets with her teeth, spitting it to the side. She fluffs out the fabric and holds it out to us. “Can you believe Allie didn’t like these? What nine-year-old is too good for unicorns? Nine going on nineteen I guess.”
A contraction takes hold and I cry out, gripping Lainey’s delicate hand so hard I’m sure I’ll fracture her tiny fingers, but she holds tight, squeezing back as I ride out the contraction.
Lainey moves around my body, helping Jenna put one sheet under me the best they can as she bunches my dress up and over my huge belly. She twists around, digging for something in her purse before pulling out a travel-size first aid kit.
She pulls out a pair of gloves, sliding them on before moving to stand in front of my legs. “Meg,” she says cooly, her doctor voice coming out to play. “The baby is crowning. The next contraction you have, if you feel the urge to push, we’re going to push. You’ll probably feel a lot of pressure and a burning sensation…”
“Boy does it ever burn,” Jenna pipes up.
“I know this isn’t the way you planned, Meg. But this baby is ready to come one way or the other. I need you to try to relax. An ambulance is on its way. Jim will be here soon. It will all be fine.”
Her hands move to the opening between my legs, feeling around the head that is apparently ready to fly out of my vagina. She grasps the back of my thigh, lifting the leg up to prop it over the back of the seat.
I take a deep breath, feeling the sting of a contraction start at my lower back, wrapping its way around my belly and I close my eyes, grimacing at the pain when I feel the passenger door by my head open up, a gust of fresh air meeting my face. I squint for a second as the bright afternoon light blinds me, and when my pupils settle and I focus, I see my favorite head of blond hair.
“All that prep for the perfect hospital birth, and my child decides to make her appearance on the corner of Lexington and Fifth.”
I immediately reach for Jim, pulling him to me and burying his head in my chest, feeling the warmth seep out from under his scrubs. “You’re here,” I croak, finally relaxing enough to let the tears fall freely.
He pulls back, grasping my face with his broad palm to give me an upside down kiss, pressing his damp forehead to mine. “You’d think I’d miss this? Had to run here, but I made it.” He kisses me twice more before maneuvering through the car to take Lainey’s spot at my legs. “You’re doing so good, baby.”
He adjusts my legs again, grasping me by an ankle, pressing a kiss to my calf before slinging it back over the seat.
“Contractions are less than thirty seconds apart now, she’s been holding back but she needs to push,” Lainey tells Jim.
He nods to her, then his gaze falls to my face. We lock eyes, and he winks, before his smile spreads ear to ear, causing his singular dimple to pop. “We’re having a baby.”
Even though I’m sweating, fucking miserable, laying like a beached whale in the back of Jenna’s SUV, ass out for the world to see, I smile back at him. “We’re having a baby.”
“About ten or so more seconds, you should feel another contraction coming on,” Lainey says.
“When it starts,” Jim adds, “and the urge to push hits you, I want you to push as hard as you can, okay baby?”
I nod at his instructions, already feeling the familiar tightening swell come across my lower back. I take a few deep breaths in through my nose, out my mouth the best I can, reaching a hand up to grip the back of the seat.
The third row of doors opens, and I hear Jenna grunting as her blonde curls bounce around. She then pops up from behind the seat, taking my hand from its grip on the seat and holdingit with both of hers. “I’m so excited!” She grins, leaning over to plop a kiss on my sweaty forehead.
Lainey peaks out from the front passenger seat, climbing over the center console to grab my other hand. “Ryan hears the ambulance, he’s standing on the street to wave them down.”
I want to smile at both of my best friends, but the pressure of the contraction overrides me, and I scream. My stomach clenches, and I curl forward, pushing as much as I can through the burning pain.
“You got it, baby, you got this. On the count of three, we’re gonna push. One…”
Jenna’s face nearly blocks my vision. “Twooooo,” she coos.
“Jenna! Get the fuck out of my face!” I scream, but she laughs.
“Three!” they all say in unison.
“Push, baby. Push!” Jim coaches, and I push with all my might. My shoulders lift from the seat, and I bear down, determined to get this baby out of me right now, ambulance be damned.
“Push!” Jenna screams. “Oh my god I can see the head! She’s so pretty!”
