She knew he was right, and as a fresh rumble of pain ripped through her, she also knew she had to contact Rosie before her labour progressed any further.
“I’ll phone Rosie,” she said, and pulled her phone from the little shoulder bag she’d stuffed it into before leaving the house.
After dialling her cousin’s number, Courtney spoke with Rosie and updated her on the day’s events. When Rosie squealed down the phone with excitement, she couldn’t help laughing. After bombarding her with questions, Rosie said she’d contact the rest of her family to share the news to save Courtney having to repeat it all again to her aunt and uncle.
“Adrian and I are hurrying back to the car as we speak,” Rosie said, breathless on the other end of the line. “We’re miles away on a beach walk, and we’ll have to go back to the hotel to grab our luggage and check out, but as soon as we’re back on the road, I’ll let you know.”
“I hate ruining your weekend, Rosie,” Courtney said.
“Ruining my weekend? Have you lost your mind? You’re about to have a baby! I don’t want to miss that! And I don’t want you to be alone, either.” This thought triggered another onslaught. “Oh God, are you alone right now? Are the nurses and midwives able to keep you company at least?”
“I’m not alone. Travis happened to drop by the house just as I realised I needed to go the hospital, and he came here with me in a taxi. He says he can stay until you get here.”
“Thank God. Tell him he’s one in a million.”
Laughing, Courtney angled the phone away and looked across the room at Travis. “Rosie says you’re one in a million.”
“Uh, thanks?” he said, giving her a baffled smile and a shrug.
“Okay, I’m running and I can’t talk while I’m running,” Rosie said, panting now. “Text me if you can with updates, or tell Travis to update me if you’re, you know, a bit too busy.”
Grateful for her cousin’s easy humour, Courtney laughed and said goodbye. Moments later, hospital staff arrived to transfer her from the consultation room to the labour suite. As she was once more wheeled along the corridor, the reality of what was coming next thundered inside her head like a massive earthquake.
“I’m going to have a baby,” she murmured once she was settled on the bed in the new room and waiting for the staff to return to talk about her pain management preferences. “I’m actually going to have a baby.”
“You are,” Travis said, hovering beside her bed. “You’re doing great.”
“I’m terrified.”
“I’d be worried if you weren’t.”
A fresh surge of pain gripped her, stealing her breath away. Once it passed and she opened her eyes, Travis moved closer and took her hand.
“Just squeeze as hard as you need to,” he said.
“You might regret saying that.”
“No. I won’t.”
His gaze was steady, his expression calm, which helped her to stay calm. She squeezed his hand, grateful she wasn’t alone, grateful for his company, grateful forhim.
And then all rational thought left her mind as her labour deepened, squeezing out everything except the pain and the work and her thoughts about the tiny baby who was ready to arrive in the world.
Even in her worst nightmares, Courtney could never have imagined the pain that would rage through her body as shelaboured to bring her baby into the world. It was brutal and mind-crushing, searing through every nerve, exploding every sensation and shredding every ounce of sanity she possessed.
The gas and air helped, the pain relief injection helped a little more, but she wondered how much more of it all she could take as the pain increased and she risked losing control.
And then the midwife announced that it was time for her to push.
“It might not be much longer until you meet your little one,” the midwife said, giving her an encouraging smile. “For a first baby, things are progressing quickly.”
It didn’t feel like they were progressing quickly to Courtney. Every second, every minute, lasted a lifetime. But before she could think much about that, she felt the overwhelming urge to push.
She heard animal sounds all around her, and realised they were coming from her. Quite how she didn’t break Travis’s hand as she gripped his fingers was a mystery, but all she saw when she looked at him was calm encouragement, his steady eyes holding hers and keeping her going.
A little over five hours after arriving at the hospital, and in a storm of white hot pain and exhausted relief, Courtney gave birth to her baby girl. When the infant’s cries pierced the air and she saw the face of her tiny child for the first time, a rush of love and joy crashed through her like a tidal wave.
“I can’t believe she’s here!” Courtney murmured as the midwife placed the baby on her chest. “She’s finally here!”
