Pieces of Forever

70 - JASON

Jason

As we rush to the car, my heart beats faster by the second. I don't know what makes me more nervous. The fact that Mel is going into labor, or the fact that we're about to find out if it's my baby that she's been carrying. I open the door for Mel, watching as she tries to walk fast. Mel gives me a little smile as she climbs into the passenger's seat.

"In a couple days we'll be bringing home Jessica." She says, looking down at her belly.

In a couple days we will be bringing home a baby girl. A baby girl that might be mine, or the daughter of her past mistake. I close her door and run to the driver's side. I watch as Mel leans over her seat and opens the door for me, before I can get to my side. I ease into my seat, wishing that I wouldn't be so nervous. Hell, she is the one having a baby, and I'm over here about to have a heart attack. I don't remember feeling so nervous, when Leslie was giving birth to her son.

I take a couple breathes to calm myself down a little, while closing the door.

"Jas." Mel's quiet voice makes me look up. She gives me a big smile. "It's okay, right? We're okay?"

I gaze into her eyes, before nodding my head yes in response to her question. "We are."

"Because I'm nervous and scared about the results and . . ." Tears run down her cheeks.

I grab her hand in mine and kiss the back of it. "Baby, I'm not going anywhere. We're perfect. I told you once before that Jessica will just have two fathers. Okay?"

She nods her head and sniffles a little. I take another breath, before I start the car. I keep one hand on the steering wheel and hold Mel's hand with the other one. I'm never letting this girl go. I listen to her, trying to breath through the pain.

"Call my momma." Her voice comes out as a whisper.

Oh, shit. In the excitement of having a baby, I totally forgot to give her momma a call. I let her hand go and quickly search her mom's name in my phone, trying to keep an eye on the road. It's three in the morning, so it's completely dark outside. When I push her mother's name in the phone, I put her on speakerphone.

"Is everything okay?" Her voice fills the car up, sounding frantic.

"Momma, Mel is in labor."

"What? My baby!" Her momma begins screaming from happiness. "Jenny, I have to go. Mel is in labor!"

Mel and I laugh together at her mother's reaction.

"She is a couple weeks early. I had just bought a ticket to come out there next week. Jas . . ." Her voice cracks a little. "I'm going to try to get a ticket, and I will see you kids soon. You take care of her and make sure that she is calm. If I don't get to you guys in time, call me and put me on speakerphone."

Her mom is speaking so fast, so I just nod my head at everything. "Yes, Ms. Richards. I will . . . "

"I gotta go, Jason! Mel is in labor, Trina!" I shake my head at her excitement. She's probably going to tell the whole hospital, before actually getting to an airport.

Suddenly the line goes dead, and I decide to give my parents a call. My parents fully support my decision in raising Jessica as my own, regardless of what those results may say. They didn't argue or fight me on this, which shocked me. My father just said that I will be a great father, and he can't wait to meet his granddaughter.

I glance at her to find her closing her eyes, still breathing through the pain. She is holding her stomach, trying to stay calm. I hate that she is in so much pain and there's nothing that I can do to help her.