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Her hand tightens around mine as she breathes heavily through a contraction. “I’m not ready, Kit.”
“Yeah, you are.”
“No, I’m not. I’mreallynot.” She shakes her head rapidly, then winces, pressing her free hand against her swollen stomach. “I was supposed to havethreemore weeks. Twenty-one days. I needed that time. I’m supposed toworkon Monday.”
“You don’t think you’ll be able to?” I ask innocently.
She huffs, “Kit.”
“You weren’t going to magically feel ready in three weeks, Monty.This part was always going to be extra scary. But you get through this, and we’ll get to meet our kid. Focus on that part. This is the home stretch. You’re so close to the finish line. Mile three, with only one-tenth to go.”
“How did you know I ran cross-country?”
This time, I tell her the real answer. “You had some photos from your high school meets in your dorm room. I snooped around a little. I liked the short shorts.”
She laughs, then flinches. “Fuck, this hurts. It hurts a lot. And I’m scared.”
“I know. I am too.” My thumb finds her pulse point beneath her wrist, the steady rhythm reassuring. “But you can do this.”
She shakes her head wildly. “I can’t. I can’t. What if I really can’t?”
“Youcan, Collins. You’re the strongest person I know.” I comb the sweaty strands away from her face. “This is it, okay? You just have to get through this last part, and then we get to meet our baby.”
Another contraction hits. Collins’s grip crushes my fingers.
“I should have listened to you. Dr. Bailey was supposed to be here, and I shouldn’t have?—”
“Hey, hey.” I lean closer so our foreheads are almost touching. “None of that. Watermelon decided to come a little early, is all.”
She starts crying again. “Watermelons arehuge. I can’t push awatermelonout. You’ve seen my vagina. It’s not big enough!”
I focus on the bones breaking in my hand so I don’t laugh. “It’s a miracle, Monty. The miracle of life.”
She snorts. “The inspiration crap is not helping.”
I recall my dad’s advice. “Tell me what will help.”
“Nothing,” she groans. “But try to distract me.”
“Okay. Do you want my parents to come? They asked, but I wasn’tsure.”
“Your idea of distracting me is asking if your parents should come see me likethis?”
“Right.” I pull my phone out of my pocket. “I’ll tell them not?—”
“Do you want them here?”
“You’re carrying the team here. I want to do whatever makes your load lightest.”
She deliberates, then nods. “Tell them they’re welcome to come. But you and my mom are the only ones allowed in the room.”
My dad replies to my text approximately two seconds after I send it.
Dad:On our way!
The door to the hospital room opens a minute later, and a doctor walks in.
“Hi, Collins. I’m Dr. Peach. Let’s see how things are progressing, okay?”