London

58 - "It has always been you."

Alex

It's four hours later and there is still no baby. I have moved myself from the delivery room to the waiting area where I'm joined in anxiety by Uncle Theo and Marie. The both of them of course full of nerves. 

The last news we got is that she's still at eight centimetres and she has been for the past three hours. It's not the best news and judging from Nick who sometimes leaves his wife to give us an update, Sage is having big trouble. I'm scared for the outcome and pray to my father that he's looking over her. If anything goes wrong with either Sage or her baby, then I'm not sure if either one of us will get through it. She needs to be alright, but I'm too scared to go back inside. Superstitious that I will give bad luck.

Harry keeps on calling me, but I don't want to speak to him. I'm fine talking about little stuff, but telling him how worried I actually am is not on my mind. I don't want to worry him as well. 

"What could possibly be wrong?" Uncle Theo asks me quietly. Ever since I became a lifeguard he comes to me for medical questions, but babies are out of my league. Marie has dozed off in her chair and he must finally see the chance to interrogate me.

"I don't know. I think it went too fast at first, and too slow now. What I understood is that the baby's heartbeat is going down and if it doesn't proceed quickly they'll do a C-section."

"And my girl, is she in pain?"

"I guess you should ask Marie that. She told me there's a reason you only have one child," I tell him and it makes him laugh for a second. "I don't know of course, but from what I saw today, Sage is strong. She will manage."

"Good," he says as he pats my leg. "Thanks for going to her. I should get a new phone, I just didn't hear it."

"It's okay. Good thing my phone works."

"It seems to be working pretty fine," he says as he looks to my phone that lights up again showing Harry's name. "Why don't you answer the man?"

"Because I want to focus on Sage. Harry can wait," I tell him.

"I'm glad to hear it isn't because you lot are fighting again."

"No, we're okay. I told you that last week at the pub."

"Yes, but I have known you since you were a little girl, and a lot can change with you in a weeks time. Am I right?"

"You are right, but we're okay."

"So, will I see the man again?"

Ever since uncle Theo met Harry he has referred to him as the man. All my previous boyfriends and Thomas never had that honour. He warmed up to James, but that was after we already broke up and he was the one to find my father. Saving him was enough to get some credit from him, but no one ever got the love from him as Harry did. I guess the same meant for my dad who loved Harry like he was his own son. Unfortunately he never got to meet Thomas, and I do believe he would have liked him but I don't think he'd ever like him as much as he did Harry.

"Maybe, I don't know."

"Well, I'm calling it now. You lot are getting married. Just promise me that when you do, I can walk you down the aisle. I promised ya dad."

"Did you two talk about that?" I wonder, turning myself to him. This news is enough to take my mind of everything. It seems to help him as well. 

"We did. All we ever talked about was you two," he says, meaning me and Sage. "You guys are our life. Well, were," he adds a bit sad. "Now it is just me, myself and I who gets to make bets on who will get married first."