The Last Touch #3

Epilogue

"Eli" I call.

No answer.

"Eli!"

He walks casually into the living room "Yeah?"

"I think...I think my water just broke"

He pales, his phone slides out of his hand and land on the floor with a thud.

"What?! We're not ready! You have to stop it"

I roll my eyes praying for patience "My water broke already dummy. There's no way I can stop something that's already happened."

"Can you like delay the labor bit though? We still have a week to go before she's supposed to come"

"Well she's impatient like her dad."

A twinge runs through me, my stomach rippling and I wince.

"I didn't want to worry you but I've been having contractions all day"

"Why the bloody hell didn't you tell me?!"
"It started today!. In the book I read, it says you can start having contractions a week before you give birth. Warning twinges."

"Oh. Okay. Maybe your water didn't break, maybe you just peed"

I open my mouth to yell at him but a pained moan escapes instead when a shrapnel of pain lances through me.

"Oh shit"

"Just get the fucking car, you asshole!"

He rushes outside without the car keys.

I married an idiot.

I waddle to the kitchen to take the car key from its hook above the counters wincing at the occasional e twinge.

"Where are the keys? I can't find the car keys" Eli rushes in eyes wide in panic.

"it's where we always keep them idiot"

"Are you going to be that kind of mother?" Eli asks as he leads me out of the house, hand on my lower back.

"What kind..." I gasp as a contraction rips through me "What kind of mother?"

"The type that shouts abuses to her husband during labor."

"Hell no. I'm not shouting my child into this world. I'm going to give birth quietly and gracefully."

***

"Eli! You fucking asshole!. Why did you do this to me?" I yell after pushing for the umpteenth time.

"Push Mrs McCampbell" The Doctor says.

"I'm pushing! You incompetent dickwad!" I hold Eli's hand in a death grip as I push again.

"What happened to giving birth quietly and gracefully" Eli mutters.

The urge to push overcoming me cut off my scathing reply.

I push for long minutes.

"That's it" the doctor says "I can see the head, we're almost done"

I push again and I feel the baby come out with a squelch.

My stomach feels gapingly empty.

A loud wail rent the air.

"Congratulations Mrs Hunt. You have a healthy baby boy"

Exhausted, my head rolls back on the bed smiling weakly.

Eli grips my hand tightly as the doctor brings the baby to us.

"Thank you so much Zoe" he brings my hand to his lips eyes glistening "I love you"

The end.