“Is it?” he said.
Kyra thought about it, did the math, and then doubled over in pain again. When she was able to straighten up again, she found herself saying, “Maybe it isn’t exactly impossible, but I should have another week or two at least.”
CHAPTER 19
ADAM
Adam Sage was no fool. He’d seen quite a few animals go into labor, and humans were not so different from livestock when it came to the warning signs, aside from it being somewhat more painful, as far as he could tell. Humans also seemed to be the only species that went into complete denial about it.
He stared down at Kyra, wishing he could deny what was happening, too. “You’re having the baby,” he said in a way that invited no argument. “And based on how frequent your contractions are, you’re having it soon. We should get you to the hospital.”
“But that’s hours away,” she protested.
Adam heaved a deep sigh. “Well, you should have thought about that before you insisted on driving all the way here. Weren’t you keeping track of your timeline?”
“Yes!” She glared hard at him. “I told you I thought I had more time.” Then she gripped the couch again and cried out even louder than she had before. “OK, that was a bad one. Oh, please,I don’t want to have the baby in a car. That’s always been my worst nightmare.”
“That’s your worst nightmare? Are you sure?” He was intentionally provoking her. Focusing on being angry with him would give her somewhere to vent her frustrations as her pain mounted.
As soon as she came out of her most recent contraction, she looked at him like she could easily bite his head off if he got a little closer. “I don’t want to have a baby in a car.” She enunciated each word as though he was hard of hearing.
He gave her a half smile. “You’ll just have to have it here then.”
“No!” she cried.
“Those appear to be your only two options. I would have advised you not to drive up here while you were having abdominal cramps, but I wasn’t made aware.”
She clearly wanted to spit a perfect comeback at him, and she probably would have, but instead she curled into herself in pain again. “Fine,” she said when the contraction had passed. “Fine, I’ll stay here.”
Adam grinned. “You’re in good hands.” He displayed confidence to keep her from panicking, but deep down he was far more worried than she was. A lot could go wrong during birth, but there wasn’t any choice. Having the baby in a car would be a bad idea, she wasn’t wrong about that. At least having it here left him free to act if he needed to. He quickly texted her mother to let her know what was happening. Maybe she could get someone to them in time, though he doubted it.
From the living room, he heard Kyra scream. She was definitely quite a way along in her labor. She must have been in denial for hours before she left. He gathered blankets, pillows, and towels, anything he felt might make things more comfortable for her. Then he brought them out to her and made a little nest on the floor. “You’re probably not going to want to stay on the couch like that. I’ve read that it’s a bit easier in other positions. Some people like to get on their hands and knees for this part.”
Kyra slid from the couch and made herself comfortable in the nest he’d created for her. “How do you know so much about this anyway?”
“I’ve helped horses and cows before, and it’s basically the same,” he said, which wasn’t the entire truth. He knew as much as he did about human birth because he had taken the time to start researching it shortly after he found out she was pregnant.
She laughed, still holding on to her sense of humor. “So, you’re saying I’m no different from livestock?”
He nudged her and took a moment to rub the small of her back. “Obviously, I read a few books, too.”
“I knew it!” She pointed an accusing finger at him. “I knew you were reading up on babies. And you acted like you didn’t care.” She scoffed and then lost herself in another contraction.
He bent over her and supported her in the only way he could. “Of course I care. You’re important to me, and so is this baby.”
“Then why don’t you want to be its father?” she asked in another moment of clarity.
“It’s because I care so much that I didn’t want to be a father,” he admitted. Somehow, admitting everything to her right nowseemed like the best thing he could do. Instinctively, he just knew it. She needed to hear the truth, and he was going to give it to her. He was going to give her anything she needed. “I didn’t have a good father, so I never believed I would be able to be one. I don’t know how. Keep breathing,” he reminded her when she started to hold her breath.
When she could listen again, he continued. “I thought someone else would be a better father than I would. That’s why I was so devastated when I learned you were pregnant. Because if you were going to be a mother, then someone who would inevitably fail at being a father was not the right partner for you. I wanted you to stay by my side, but I knew it was selfish in the end.”
She turned her head to give him the most withering look she’d ever given him, which was quite an achievement. “That’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever said. Of course you’re the right partner for me. You’re the only partner I want, and you’re the best person to be a father to this baby. I’m the mother, so I should know!”
When she cried out again, he knew the time for conversation was over. She was having the baby now. His instincts, research, and years of practice finally kicked in as he did what needed to be done to assist her. In the end, she would have to do all the hard work herself, but he knew how to be a support, how to keep an eye on things, and how to reassure her that things were going smoothly.
In the end, her labor was shockingly short. They’d been right when they assumed there was no time to drive anywhere. He was glad he hadn’t forced her to give birth in a car, and he was more glad that he’d seen his animals give birth before. While it was definitely different, it was the best training he could have gottenoutside of actual medical training. He didn’t pass out. He didn’t panic. He knew what to expect and what to prepare for.
Again and again, he told Kyra how well she was doing, that things were looking perfect. Her body already knew what to do, and Adam knew better than to get in the way. For the last part of the delivery, Kyra was unreachable. Her focus was instinctively exactly where it needed to be, and Adam let her stay there, only occasionally reassuring her when he felt there was a chance she needed to hear it.
