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“Eternity, look at me,” Daddy said.

She shook her head.

“Baby, look at me.”

Her eyes finally opened.

“That’s it. Breathe,” he coached.

“I can’t.”

“You can. Come on. Breathe with me.”

Daddy took a slow breath, and Mama tried to follow him, but hers came out broken.

Watching them made my chest hurt. I looked down when my phone vibrated in my hand.

Aunt Tori: Almost there

I had called her before we pulled out of the driveway. She and Uncle Sha hadn’t been gone long, and as soon as I told her Mama’s water broke and we were headed to the hospital, she told me she was turning around. I was thankful that Maylee slept with her television so damn loud. All the commotion in the house didn’t even wake her. She was still asleep upstairs.

For a second, I had wanted to wake her before we left, but Daddy said not to. There was no reason to scare her when we didn’t even know what was happening yet, and Aunt Tori promised she would be at the house before Maylee woke up. I typed back.

Me: Please let me know when you get inside.

Her response came almost immediately.

Aunt Tori: I will. Stop worrying about her. I got Maylee. Keep your focus on your mama.

I stared at the message for a few seconds before locking my phone. I wanted to stop worrying, but I couldn’t. Not with the sounds Mama was making in front of me. I had never heard her sound like that.

Even when she was uncomfortable throughout the last few weeks, she’d joke about it. She would complain about Daddy’s son sitting on her bladder or tell us she was ready to meet him so she could finally see her feet again. This wasn’t that. She was crying, and I mean actually crying. And Mama wasn’t somebody who cried easily.

“AHHH!”

Her scream filled the truck. I jumped because the sound had startled me. Daddy caught her when she leaned toward him.

“I got you. I got you,” he said as he held her.

“We almost there,” Tahari said.

“How long?” Daddy asked.

MJ looked at the screen again.

“Four minutes.”

“Make it two.”

Tahari picked up speed when the road opened, and I pulled my seat belt tighter across me. Mama leaned her head against Daddy’s shoulder, and he kissed the side of her forehead.

“We almost there, baby,” he said lowly.

“I’m scared, Malik.”

He turned toward her and took her face in his hand.

“Look at me.”