Luka
Iwiggled my fingers, wincing at the fierceness of Millie’s grip as Cruz made a deep growly grunt that meant trouble.
“What?”I asked, looking up and out the window at the Houston gridlock.Ahead, barely visible, were blue and red flashing lights.
No!No, no, no, no.Not now.Millie needed the hospital.She and Bree were counting on me to make this right.
“Accident,” Cruz said.His teeth flashed for a moment as he grimaced.“New, by the looks of it.”
“Well,dosomething.”
“And just what would you have me do?”he asked.
Millie whimpered as another contraction hit her.She pressed her palms against the sides of her belly and panted.I murmured to her, trying to calm my desperate heartbeat.I wasn’t good at this shit.I needed a plan I could attack—boxes I could tick.
Millie needed care.
“Two choices, man: either go along the shoulder until you can drive up on the feeder or come sit back here, hold Millie’s hand, and let me do it.”
“Man,” Cruz whined.“Those options suck.”
“You wanted to drive,” I reminded him.
He shot me an evil look before easing out of the line and onto the shoulder.“If I get a ticket, you’re paying for it.”
“Deal.Now get us to the hospital.The contractions are closer together.”
Millie’s cheeks flushed.Between contractions, she was great, but these seemed intense.And Bree was early.Five weeksearly.That couldn’t be good.Babies needed time to add fat and finish their lungs.That’s what Dr.Lopez had said last week at our visit.
So, yeah, I was freaking out, replaying every word I’d read about preemies as I held Millie against my chest to reduce the bouncing.
Cruz floored the SUV up a slight embankment…and directly at a police cruiser.The cop stood out front, arms akimbo, sour expression pronounced even behind his sunglasses.
Cruz cursed and rolled to a stop.Millie stiffened, whimpering, seeking my hand to crush.I winced but kept my mouth shut since her body was the one trying to push out a baby.
The officer swaggered over and Cruz rolled down the window as I walked Millie through thee-e-es andoh-oh-ohs from the videos we’d watched.
The officer leaned against the window frame, confident in the law.“You realize you’re in violation—”
“I’m in fucking labor,” Millie screamed.
The officer rolled back on his heels, fingertips gripping the window frame.“Ma’am…”
“Unless you plan to escort us with your lights flashing and sirens,” Millie growled past teeth clenched so tightly I heard them squeak.“I suggest you move your ass.”
“Um…” Cruz gave the officer an apologetic look.
“She’s not normally so feisty,” I added.
“I’ll show you feisty,” Millie screamed.She gripped my fingers even harder.
“Shit!That hurts,” I said.“Stop trying to rip them off.”
“Um…” The officer lost his swagger and turned pale.“Yeah, so…maybe you, you should, um, follow me to the hospital.”
“You got it,” I said, flashing him a smile.“The faster the better,” I added.
Cruz heaved a massive sigh and gave me another dirty look in the rearview mirror.“She is too feisty.”
