I get her lowered to the floor and stand, striding over to the bed. I grab every pillow off the bed and rush back to her, propping her up so that she’s not lying flat on the hard bathroom floor, then rush to the sink to wash my hands. “Laurel, ETA?” I ask toward the phone’s speaker.
“Looks like they’re about five minutes out,” Laurel’s voice comes through. I swear and glance over at Teddy, keeping my gaze on her face.
“They’re not going to make it in time,” I mutter, and then sink to my knees in front of Teddy. “Hey, you’re doing so great.” She shakes her head on a sob. “Look at me, Teddy. Sweetheart—” she raises her eyes that look like silver pools to mine as I position myself between her raised knees. I place a folded towel beneath her bottom and another one next to us, then smile at her. I can see the baby’s head already. “We’re going to deliver this baby, okay? I haven’t done this in a really long time, but I do have training, alright? Trust me?”
“I can’t do this—” she cries on a whisper, rolling her head on the pillows. Her eyes are squeezed tightly shut, though tears continue to track down her cheeks where they disappear into her dark blonde hair. “He was supposed to be here.”
I take her hand in mine and squeeze gently. “Teddy. Listen to me; youcando this. You’ve done so good. We’re going to get this baby here and then we’re going to get you into the hospital, okay? On the next contraction, I want you to push. Can you do that?”
She shakes her head no, but seconds later the next contraction is on her, and while I’m kneeling before her, she bears down on instinct. “There you go. Teddy, one more and this baby is here. One more. Here we go?—”
A hoarse cry rips from her lips, and then I’m catching the squirming, tiny baby in the towel I prepared. I swipe my finger into the baby’s mouth to clear the airways, then flip the baby over and thump her on the back. The longest heartbeat of my lifepasses and then a gusty wail erupts from the baby’s mouth. Teddy sobs out a laugh as I pass the baby over to her, setting the baby girl on her mother’s chest.
“You did it,” I praise quietly, leaning over to brush the hair away from Teddy’s face. She’s flushed and sweaty, and tears continue to track down her cheeks, though her eyes are luminous as she stares up at me. I’m lost in those eyes. Lost… and completely helpless to pull my way out of them. “You’re a badass.”
I watch as she swallows hard, her throat working with the motion, and she opens her mouth to speak?—
A knock on the front door pulls my eyes from hers to the bathroom door, where I can hear the front door opening before I hear a man’s voice call out, “Superintendent Macomb?”
“We’re in the back bathroom,” I call back, cautious not to shout too loudly in deference to the tiny babe in her mother’s arms. I listen to the telltale rattle of the stretcher as it’s guided through the living room and down the narrow hallway. “EMS is here, Teddy. We’re going to get you loaded up and take you two girls to the hospital.”
“What about my kids?” she whispers, her gray eyes wide and bouncing between mine. “I can’t leave them?—”
“We’ll be right behind you,” I assure her gently, clasping my hand over hers, where it’s curved around the baby’s towel covered back. I raise my eyes to the two uniformed EMTs that have just popped in through the bedroom door. I can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. I’m glad Prescott—Cal’s girlfriend, Scottie—is one of the first responders Laurel sent. I shift out of the way, just to Teddy’s side to allow Scottie room. Teddy’s fingers squeeze around mine, like she doesn’t want to let go of my hand, either.
“Hey there, sis,” Scottie murmurs as she kneels next to Teddy, who lets out a soft sob at seeing the familiar, friendlyface. Tears sting my own nose. Beaming a smile down at Teddy, Scottie whispers reverently, “Look at what you did!”
“Can you call Cal? And Lo-Logan’s parents, so one of them can help with Dalton and Penny—" Teddy stammers, her words breaking through the tears, and I clasp her hand tight in my own. She swings her eyes from Scottie’s to mine.
“Hey, sweetheart, we’ve got this, okay? We will be right behind you,” I repeat quietly, my gaze firm on hers, stalling the rapid fire of words that are tumbling out of her mouth. I squeeze her hand again. “Teddy, I know this is all scary and you’ve had to do this all by yourself; but you’re not alone now, okay?” Tears shimmer in her eyes as she nods, just slightly. Her lips are pulled tight, and I can see the pain etched there, now that some of the adrenaline has started to wear off. I nod once to Scottie and her partner Matthew, then return my attention to Teddy. “You’re not alone, sweetheart. We’re right here.”
I want to comfort her in some way. Hold her. Make her realize she’snotalone. Because I’m right here. Fuck am I glad I came home instead of heading down to Shifty’s. I squeeze Teddy’s hand once more, and then lose the inner battle with myself and lean down to press a kiss to the top of her blonde hair. I squeeze my eyes shut tight for a second before opening them as I lean back.
“I’m so damn proud of you, Teddy,” I murmur gently. Smiling down at her, my fucking heart is thumping wildly in my chest for this incredible, brave woman. “You did so good, sweetheart. So damn good.”
The events from a week ago are both a blur and painfully clear in my brain. Xander drove Dalton and Penny to the hospital in my minivan, following myself and the baby in the ambulance, and hung out in the waiting room with my kids until Cal showed up to take over.
Logan’s parents arrived at the hospital shortly after Cal, and Colleen, my mother-in-law, is staying with us for two weeks to help out. She left to run a few errands earlier when Violette got here to let us have some girl time and to let the kids play.
Vi was my savior today; she brought Dalton and Penny Happy Meals earlier and let me eat my own carton of deliciously salty fries while they were still hot. She took the opportunity to snuggle on Bea, who is already somehow a week old. She and her daughter Hollie left just a few minutes ago. Ugh, I owe them all so much. I couldn’t do this without Colleen or Vi.
Cal had called the morning after my emergency home birth to say that they had gotten a roll out back to Wyoming to a sister fire that had broken out, so they’ve been gone for the last week. It hasn’t stopped my brother from texting every day and requesting new baby pictures to share, of course. Vi mentionedthat the crew is getting back tonight according to Rowan, who is apparently jonesing to get back to work after his accident.
I haven’t seen Xander since the night Bea was born, which is totally fine with me. I might never be able to look the man in the eyes again after that night. As much as I would love a little amnesia to take over and save me from the waves of mortification that keep swallowing me whole every time I remember the events of that night, it hasn’t happened yet.
“Oh god,” I groan, dropping my face into my hand. The man is fine with a capital F, and he not only witnessed, but assisted, in birthing my newborn.Was all up in there. Fantastic. Poor man is probably scarred for life.
I may or may not be watching out the window for a black pick-up truck to show up in the driveway so I can avoid my stupidly hot neighbor for the rest of my life.
“I see the way you look at him. I think it was fate for him to be the one to come to your rescue.”
Now Violette’s words from our conversation earlier are on replay in my head. Dammit Vi. I don’t look at him any certain way.
I don’t.
Notreally, anyway.
He’s just nice to look at. And really kind and gentle and obnoxiously good with my kids.Andit’s probably just my stupid postpartum emotions doing its thing making me all sensitive and super emotional.
