Eliana blushed deeply and Sampson reached over to squeeze her hand.
Somewhere around the third round, Scarlett got up and put on music. Soon half of us were dancing in Elara’s living room, wine glasses in hand, laughing and spinning.
I found myself dancing with Sampson, who had moves I could only dream of.
“You fit here,” he said as he spun me. “With this group, with this community. Don’t ever doubt that.”
“Thank you,” I said, meaning it. “Without you, none of this would be possible.”
“Plus, those two men of yours? They’re good ones. Trust me, Aiden knows them. He says they’re the real deal.”
“They are,” I agreed.
The evening continued with more food, more wine, more laughter. I felt more seen than I ever had. These people, this found family, they were accepting me without reservation.
Around ten o’clock, Renee suddenly gasped and grabbed her belly.
“Oh no,” she said.
“What?” Emmy was immediately at her side. “What’s wrong?”
“I think... oh god, I think my water just broke.”
The room erupted into controlled chaos.
“Okay, okay,” Emmy said, immediately switching into doctor mode. “Everyone stay calm. Renee, how far apart are the contractions?” She pulled out her phone, dialed something, and put the phone to her ear.
“I don’t know. I’ve been having them all evening but I thought they were Braxton Hicks.”
“Elara, call Ezra,” Emmy instructed. “Tell him to meet us at the hospital. Honey, grab towels. Clean ones. Josephina, I need you to time her contractions.” Then she began speaking to the person on her phone. It didn’t take long to figure out that she was talking to Jack. She was off the phone quickly and back in action “He’s delivered way more babies than I have,” she joked.
I watched Emmy take charge, her training evident in every movement. She got Renee positioned on the couch, checked her vitals, kept her talking.
“Another one,” Renee gasped. “Oh god, it hurts.”
“Breathe through it,” Emmy coached. “In through your nose, out through your mouth.”
“How far to the hospital?” Sampson asked.
“Depends. The clinic is just over on the Ridge, then there’s the hospital in Porter’s Corner about twenty minutes way or the one in Missoula but it’s at least an hour away,” Elara said. “Ezra is on his way, too.”
“Call the clinic,” Emmy said. “But I need everyone to be prepared. This baby might not wait.”
The next contraction hit hard, and Renee screamed.
“I need to push,” she said. “I need to push now.”
“Not yet,” Emmy said firmly. “Not until I check. Cami, I need you to hold her hand. Keep her focused on you.”
I moved to Renee’s side and took her hand. She squeezed so hard I thought my bones would break.
“You’re doing so good,” I told her. “Just breathe. Emmy’s got you.”
Emmy checked Renee and swore softly. “She’s crowning. This baby is coming now.”
“What?” Elara looked panicked. “Here?”
“Here,” Emmy confirmed. “I need everyone except Cami and Elara to step into the other room. Give us space. And someone call all the Dominants. We’re going to need help after.”
