All the King's Men ( An Urban Love Story )

♟Ready or Not♟️

"I'm sorry about that."

Jaden apologized. Feeling guilty.

"Don't apologize, bae, you did nothing wrong," Desmond assured her. "I shouldn't have lost my cool like that."

She breathed out, "That was...crazy. How do you know him?"

"He was a customer," Desmond stated, plainly.

"I think they both... use," Jaden admitted, sitting in her seat racking her brain.

"You don't need to worry about that, anymore. Let's get home, so you can rest." He could tell she was on the verge of a panic attack.

"I don't feel good" Jaden said quietly.

"What's wrong?" Desmond asked.

"I think I'm having hot flashes and I'm a little dizzy."

"Okay, call the nurses line and ask them about it. We might need to go in." Desmond advised her, nervously.

After being left on hold the entire ride home, they decided to just call again later if she was still feeling bad.

"I'll run you a bath, and while you relax I'll go get some food," Desmond told her, as they walked into the apartment.

"Thank you." She said, standing on her tippy toes to kiss him.

As the day went on, Jaden was still feeling uneasy but tried to sleep through her suffering.

"Bae, you hurtin?" Desmond softly woke Jaden up because she was whining in her sleep.

"My back hurts a little." She admitted, rubbing her tired eyes.

"You gotta tell me that, though." He said getting out of bed. "We're goin to the hospital."

Jaden didn't have time to protest before Desmond was inside the closet getting ready.

As Jaden climbed out of bed, she instantly felt nauseous. She hurried into the bathroom and barely made it to the toilet before she started throwing up the food they'd eaten a few hours ago.

She laid with her head on the toilet bowl, miserable.

At 32 weeks, Jaden was having a pretty easy pregnancy, with barely any mourning sickness.  She already had the tiredness, from her depression, but because of the baby's appetite, she'd finally gained some weight back after losing so much in the early months.

Desmond helped her up off the floor and carried her over to the bed to help her into some warmer clothes before they went out into the cold November air.

"Jaceon, we're re on the way to the hospital. Jae not feelin good." Desmond said into his phone as they drove.

Jaden sat in the passenger seat of the truck, holding her stomach, in pain,
"I think I'm having contractions."

•••

"Jaden, try not to push yet, honey," the nurse said, "Doctor should be here soon."

"I can't help it. I feel like I have to," she cried in Desmond's arms as he sat next to her on the bed. She was frustrated because the nurses were telling her one thing, but she wanted to listen to her body.

They'd been at the hospital for an hour. When the nurse checked Jaden's cervix when she was first admitted, she was already dilated 4cm. Twenty minutes later, Jaden's water broke when she was changing into her hospital gown, and from there, things went into hyperdrive.

Now she was in too much pain to even panic. She tried all the breathing exercises she could, nothing could ease the pressure she was feeling. The contractions were so close together, they didn't have time to start an epidural.

The baby was coming whether they were ready or not.

"I'm going to check you one more time, then we'll go from there," the nurse said before sticking her hand underneath the blanket, "Alright, Dad, I need you to push that red button on the wall for me. It's time for us to have a baby." The woman instructed.

•••

"One more push, mom," The doctor directed. Jaden was so tired, she'd been pushing and she wanted to give up, but she knew she was so close to the finish.

"You're doing so good Jaden. You got this baby. You're so strong." Desmond talked to his wife as she got ready to push again.

Jaden took a deep breath and pushed as hard as she could and released a breath, feeling dizzy.

The baby's cry erupted in the room and it was like time stopped as Desmond locked eyes on his newborn.

"Congratulations, it's a girl." The doctor announced, placing the baby directly in the blanket on Jaden's chest so she could get her first look.

Desmond let out a breath and tears poured down his face. He was a father. He had a daughter.

"Cut the umbilical cord, dad?" The nurse invited him closer.

Desmond cut his daughter's cord and watched as they carried the little bundle over to the table to clean her up and assess her. He took his phone out a snapped a few photos and a video then looked back at his wife, laying in the bed exhausted as the nurses cleaned everything up.

Once the baby was all cleaned up they brought her back over to Jaden for skin to skin.

Desmond was on cloud nine.

He walked over and kissed Jaden on her sweaty forehead, "Baby, you so amazing. I love you so much Jaden. We have a daughter, bae." He said, wiping his tears.

"We're parents."

♟•••••♟