Page 128 of River Wild

I’m at the point where I don’t even care anymore. I just want the pain to stop, and I’ll do anything to make that happen.

“Right, Carrie, I need to move you back a bit, so we can get you lying down on the seat.”

“Okay.”

“Dad, I need you to go around to the other side of the car and go behind Carrie. With your arms under her armpits, help guide her back as seamlessly as possible.”

Dad. She thinks River is Olive’s dad.

I meet River’s eyes in this moment. I can’t tell what he’s thinking. I wait for him to correct her. But he doesn’t.

And neither do I.

River comes to the other side of the car and opens the door behind me. He helps me move into a flat position. But he doesn’t move away. He stays there, kneeling on the floor beside the car. His head by mine. His hand stroking the hair off my face.

“Carrie, you’re wearing a skirt, which makes my job easier. But I’m going to need to remove your panties, so I can see what’s going on down there. Is that okay?”

“Yes,” I tell her.

I’m lying on the backseat of my car on the side of the road. My skirt is up and over my bent knees. My panties are gone. And a stranger-to-me woman is currently examining my vagina.

Dignity, meet trash can.

“Okay.” Hope lifts her head from down below and looks at me. “Looks like we’re delivering your baby here.”

“What?” River and I say at the same time.

I shouldn’t be surprised. I had a strong feeling this was going to be the case.

The need to push my baby out is getting stronger.

“You’re fully dilated, and the baby is ready to come.”

Sweet Lord in heaven.

I’m giving birth in the back of my car.

So not how I envisaged this moment happening.

“I just need to grab some things from the back of the ambulance. I’ll be back in two ticks.”

I blow out a breath. Tears trickle from the corners of my eyes. “I can’t believe this is happening,” I say to River.

“It’s not ideal,” he says, still brushing my hair back from my face. “But it does mean that we’re going to get to meet Olive sooner rather than later. And that’s good, right?”

I lift my eyes to him. Looking at his face upside down. He’s even handsome from this angle.

“Yeah, it’s good.”

“Right, I’m back.” Hope reappears at my feet. “Let’s get to delivering this baby.” She claps her latex-covered hands together.

She’s feeling a lot more enthusiastic about this than I am. But then she’s not the one pushing out a baby right now.

“Dad, can you sit in behind Mom and offer her some support? It’ll help when it’s time to push.”

“Sure.”

Hope helps me sit forward while River climbs in the car behind me. He shuts the door and leans his back against it. I lean my back against his solid chest.