My heart started racing like it was about to come out of my chest. My hands started shaking. It felt like my vision was cloudy.
I heard feet coming toward me, but I couldn’t turn around.
“Islah,” Amir said, placing his hand on my back. “Are you okay?”
I couldn’t get a word out.
He leaned over and looked at my face, then the way my chest was rising up and down.
“DAD!!!” he screamed. “Something is wrong with Islah!”
Amir ran up the hall to make sure that Love heard him.
I tried to yell out that I was okay, even though I wasn’t, because I didn’t want him in a panic, but words still wouldn’t come out.
Everything felt too loud and too far away at the same time.
My fingers dug into the edge of the island while I fought to pull in a breath, but it felt like somebody was sitting on my chest.
“Baby?”
Love’s voice hit my ears before I felt his hands on me.
“Islah.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to breathe.
“Look at me, mamas.”
I couldn’t.
My heart was beating so hard I thought something seriously was wrong with me.
Love turned me around to face him and wrapped his arms around mine.
“Look at me, mamas.”
I forced my eyes open.
Amir tried to smile at me through his panic.
I could still see the panic on Love’s face, even though he was trying to hide it.
“Talk to me, baby,” he said softly.
“I…” my voice cracked. “I... can’t... breathe.”
He rubbed my thigh softly.
“Yes, you can, baby. Take slow, deep breaths.”
He was showing me how to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth like we were in a birthing class.
He looked up at Amir, who was standing close by.
“Go on back to your room.”
Amir sucked his teeth. “But Dad, I want to make sure she’s okay.”
