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“Yes, babies are born on Christmas. Not just Jesus. Allegedly.”

“Fuck!” He bounds out of bed, naked as the day he was born, and rushes to the closet where he starts to hop into clothes.

“You don’t have to wear a suit to the hospital.”

He blinks and then drops the slacks to the floor and grabs his jeans. When he’s pulled on a black Henley, he grabs socks and shoes and rushes back to me.

His eyes land on the bag by the door, and they skim over me.

I’m fully dressed, and I don’t feel too bad, really. It helps that I went to see Stacy today at the spa at King of Spades, where she’s the newest esthetician. The scholarship program that Carson and I started for the girls put her through her training, and she’s thriving in her new career.

And my face has never been softer.

“How fucking long have you been up, Sunshine?”

“About an hour. It happened when I went to the bathroom, and I had time to get my stuff together.”

“No, you had time to wake me up,” he says, and I can tell that he’s irritated that I didn’t wake him so he could help me. “Jesus, Rina.”

“I’m sorry, I just knew you’d need your sleep. My contractions are like six minutes apart. We have plenty of time.”

With his shoes on, he pulls me to him and kisses me long and slow.

“It’s too early,” he whispers against my lips, and I can see the worry in those gorgeous blue eyes.

“Only a week. It’s fine. Charlie was early too. My body just kicks them out sooner than other women’s do.”

He drags his fingertips down my cheek, and a new contraction starts, so I lean on him and breathe through it.

“Fuck, we have to get you out of here.”

“It’s not too bad yet.”

“I don’t like it.” His face is grim as he lifts my bag.

“I have to tell Charlie and Mildred.”

“I’ll get Mildred, you tell Charlie,” he says and takes my bag downstairs.

I walk into our son’s room and sit on the side of his bed, pushing my fingers through his hair.

“Hey, buddy.”

“Did Santa come yet?”

Damn it.

“Yes, but that’s not why I’m waking you up. Sweetheart, your sister is coming a little early, and I have to go to the hospital to have her.”

That has him wide awake and sitting up in bed.

“Right now?”

“Yep. Your dad is getting Mildred to come over and hang with you. Buddy, I’m so sorry because I know it’s Christmas morning, but I can’t wait. My water broke.”

He wrinkles his nose. “Ew.”

I told him all about babies being born, so he knows what I’m talking about, but it makes me laugh.