I try to say something, but another contraction, the biggest one yet steals my words. When it subsides, Harry lifts me into his arms.
The ride in the elevator to the apartment goes in a blur as I try my hardest to breathe through the intensity of my contractions that now spreads to my lower back.
“Ali, can you get me some towels? Gabby, some pillows?” Ria takes control, and I’m grateful.
“What do you want us to do, sweetheart?” Jack asks as he and Harry help lower me to the couch.
“Leave. She doesn’t need an audience.”
“No, Ri, I’m staying,” Harry demands. I grab a hold of his wrist.
‘I’m okay,” I try to reassure him as I squeeze my eyes shut, the pain now shooting up my spine.
Harry lowers to face me, his eyes pooling with emotion. “I can’t leave you like this. I want to be here for you.”
“I’m okay. I can do this,” I lie. I absolutely can’t, but I don’t want my brother to see me like this.
“We are here, we have towels, sheets, and a bowl of water, apparently,” Ali says with a scrunch of her nose.
“What’s with the water?” Brad asks.
Gabby shrugs, setting the bowl down on the coffee table. “I don’t know. That’s what they do in the movies, a bowl of hot water and towels?”
I welp in pain as another contraction, along with the intense need to bear down takes over.
“Get her on the floor. We need to see how close this baby is to coming, Jack call 911,” Ria commands as she places a pillow against the couch, and Ali lays a towel down on the floor.
“On it,” Jack confirms, hurrying down the hall with Brad right behind him.
Harry helps me to the floor and presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Love you, sis. I’ll be right in the other room if you need me.”
I nod in thanks and manage to say, “I love you too.”
“Okay, Tori, honey, how bad are these contractions? On a scale of 1- 10, 10 being the worst?” Ria asks, kneeling in front of me.
As another one builds and the pressure on the base of my spine reaches an all-time high, I yell, “A fifteen.”
“I think we need to take a look and the doctor shouldn’t be long,” Ria suggests. I nod, bending my knees up, and she lifts my dress, helping me out of my underwear. When I’m in position, she takes a look. Her eyes widen, and the color drains from her usually glowing face. “What, Ria, what’s wrong?” I demand frantically.
“I ummm, I see the head,” she says on a shaky breath.
My vision blurs and my chest feels heavy as I process what she’s just said. I can’t do this here, now, without a doctor, without Noah.
“No, no, how do we keep her in,” I wail.
Ali chokes on her own laughter, “I don’t think it works like that, Tor.”
My chest constricts; my breath now lodged inside my shrinking throat.
I can’t do this. I can’t do this without him.
My panic must be visible because Ali settles down beside me, grasping my hand between both of hers, her voice firm and strong, yet oddly comforting. “Tori, honey, I need you to slow it down and look at me.” I do as she asks as Ria lays down another towel,
“This is going to be tough. This will be the hardest thing you will ever do, and it’s gonna hurt like a bitch.”
Gabby cuts off her words with a gasp. “Ali, stop. Why are you trying to scare her?”
“I’m not, I’m telling her the truth. This will be tough, but you, Tori Walker, are tough and so strong. You can do this. If there is anyone on this earth that can do this, it’s you.”
