Page 54 of Glass Jawed

Lucian

TWO YEARS INTO MARRIAGE

“No, no, no— fuck no, ” I mutter, staring at the puddle forming at her feet.

She doubles over, clutching her belly with a grunt of pure rage and pain.

Her water broke.

Fuck! Why did it have to happen now?

“Yes, yes, yes, you motherf—aaaaahhh!” she screams.

That can’t be good. What if the baby plops out on my kitchen floor?

I stride over to her quickly, grabbing her by the arms. “It’s fine. You’ll be fine.”

She bats me away.

“Don’t say the word fine! I’m going to murder you,” she snarls. “This is your fault, you assholic Lucifer!”

Okay. Harsh.

“I… I’m sorry?”

But I don’t think this is my fault exactly. Actually—no. This isn’t my fault at all.

“If it wasn’t for you—aaaahhh!—I wouldn’t have met the fucking fucker!”

Oh. Fair.

“Kash, come on, let’s sit you down—”

“I c-can’t!” she sobs, then immediately bursts into full-on tears. And not the cute dramatic kind—real ones. Ugly ones. I’ve never seen her cry like this. It’s breaking my whole damn nervous system. This is uncharted territory, dammit.

I gently try to steer her to the couch. She crumples mid-step, groaning.

I don’t hesitate. I scoop her up like she weighs nothing—even though she tries to knee me on instinct—and carry her to the couch.

“You were having contractions before this, right?” I ask, trying to mask my rising panic.

Because that’s how Rohi’s labor went. She had contractions way before the water broke. Or my hand—for that matter. The squeeze strength Rohi had possessed the morning Kai was born was... well, unmatched.

But I think Kash can beat her. Just not with my hand.

Fuck, where is Liam? He should be back by now.

“Yes. But they were irregular,” she mutters between heaving breaths, sweat glistening on her forehead.

I brush her hair back gently. “Okay. It’s okay. I’m gonna get Kai’s car seat, text Liam, text Rohi, and we’ll get to the hospital.”

I say it all calm-like. But I am screaming inside.

Because the one fucking time Rohi had to be at a work thing and Liam—Liam had to go out for ice cream for this hormonal goddess— this happens.

Perfect fucking timing.

I run and install the car seat, grab our go-bag, shoot out some panicked messages, and head back inside to find Kash snarling like a rabid wolf mid-contraction.

“I’m gonna carry you to the car, come back for Kai—”

“Stop narrating, you fucking bastard! Just move!”

Right. Noted.

This is completely different from how Rohi was during labor. She need everything spelled out—unlike our Kash here.

I pick her up again—while she’s mid-rant, mid-scream, mid-limb-flailing—and get her into the passenger seat.

Kai, my sweet, blissfully unaware baby boy, is still asleep as I strap him in.

We pull out of the driveway and call Liam.

Before I can say anything, Kash yells. “Where the fuck are you?”

“Babe?” Liam’s voice goes high through the car speakers. “What’s—”

“Her water broke,” I cut in. “We’re on our way to the hospital. Meet us there.”

“Fuck! Baby, I’m coming— shit —the ice cream—”

“Fuck the ice cream, you imbecile!” she howls.

Liam’s voice softens immediately. “Vee, baby, don’t worry. I’m coming. Just hold on, okay?”

Kash grits through another contraction—but this time, it’s different. Her head lolls forward. Her eyes go hazy.

Shit.

“Kash? Kash!” I reach over to touch her shoulder. “Hey—are you okay? Stay with me.”

“Vee? Baby, answer me!” Liam’s voice is frantic.

She’s still mumbling incoherently.

“Lucian, get my wife to the hospital. Now!”

“She’s barely conscious,” I say. “But we’re three minutes out. I’m getting us there.”

“I’m coming, baby. Just... just please be okay.”

Liam’s voice is breaking. Hell, I’ll start breaking if something happens to this woman.

Fuck.

We stay on the call, Kash barely awake.

Kai starts screaming bloody murder just as we pull up to the hospital.

An hour later, I’m pacing in the cafeteria with Kai strapped to my chest, his cries now subdued into sleepy sniffles. Rohi bursts through the doors, breathless, tears already falling.

“She’s okay,” I say quickly, grabbing her.

She barely hears me, planting a shaky kiss on Kai’s head.

“What happened? You said—”

“She had a slight placental abruption. They are doing an emergency C-section. But so far she’s stable.”

She nods numbly and I pull her into my arms.

“Baby, she’ll be okay. Liam is with her. She will be fine,” I tell her as firmly as I can.

But I keep seeing Kash’s face—drained, pale, limp in my arms.

I don’t want anything to happen to her.

“She will be fine,” Rohi repeats as if saying the words will magically help.

I hope they do.

Two hours later, Kai has finally settled—his tiny cheek squished against Rohi’s chest, lips parted in a soft snore, fists curled under his chin just like his mother.

I smile at the sight.

Then I start fiddling with my phone just to keep myself from spiraling. Every two minutes I glance at the hospital hallway, willing Liam to come out with an update.

He hasn’t.

I nudge Rohi gently. “You never told me—how was the office party?”

She blinks slowly, then shakes her head. “I don’t even remember it. Twenty minutes in, I got your call and immediately started panicking.”

I reach out, brushing a knuckle down her jaw. “She’s okay, baby. You got here fast. And so far, everything’s stable. Just breathe, alright?”

She nods, swallowing hard, cradling Kai a little closer.

My phone buzzes. Liam.

I swipe before the second ring. “Liam?”

His voice is breathless but steady. “Mom and baby are okay. We’re in the M wing, fourth floor—room number 242.”

Rohi exhales sharply beside me. I squeeze her knee and nod. “We’ll be right there.”

I quickly strap Kai back on my chest and we head over.

When we step into the room, it’s like the world exhales.

Kash is in bed, pale but glowing in that dazed, post-battle kind of way. Liam is hovering beside her, adjusting her blanket, kissing her forehead every ten seconds like she’s made of glass.

A nurse is checking on baby Mehra-Winters in the bassinet near the window—tiny, pink, squirmy, and perfect.

“She’s beautiful,” Rohi whispers.

Liam grins at us, eyes tired but lit up.

Rohi walks over to Kash and I hear elated whispers of them talking. She brushes the hair off Kash’s forehead with a smile and it pulls mine because this is the sweetest exchange ever.

Then Rohi leans back slightly. “Did you guys pick an A-name yet?”

Kash mumbles something incoherent.

Liam chuckles. “Yeah. Alisha Winters.”

Rohi clutches her chest. “Oh god, that’s so pretty.”

Kai makes a content sigh under my chin like he agrees.

Rohi steps closer to the bassinet, biting her lip. “Can I hold her?”

Liam looks at her like she’s insane. “Of course, Barista girl. You’re her Maasi .” (Mother’s sister.)

That does it. Rohi tears up instantly. I gently wipe them away with my thumb before they even have a chance to fall.

She picks Alisha up with the softest hands. The baby fusses for a second, then settles in Rohi’s arms like she knows she’s safe.

“She’s so tiny,” Rohi murmurs.

And she really is. I look down at her, all bundled up with her little red face and sleepy grunts, and think—was Kai ever this small?

He babbles suddenly, a high-pitched little noise of fascination as he leans forward from my chest, staring at her like she’s his new fixation.

Liam clocks it immediately and narrows his eyes. “Keep your son away from my daughter.”

I laugh. “He’s just saying hi .”

“I know that look,” Liam mutters. “That’s a Vale-flirt-babble. He’s a menace.”

“Maybe Alisha will make the first move,” Rohi adds with a sly smile.

Liam groans. “No. I refuse. No matchmaking. She’s like five seconds old.”

Kai lets out a giggle like he’s mocking him.

And then from the bed, barely audible, Kash mumbles, “I don’t want a Lucifer-in-law...”

We all freeze. Then burst out laughing.

Liam looks half-offended, half-impressed. “You’re still on that?”

Kash grins sleepily without opening her eyes. “He’s Lucifer. Satan. The devilllll.”

I raise my hands. “Hey, I delivered you to the hospital safely. I’m the hero here.”

“She tried to knee you—twice,” Rohi reminds me.

“She also threatened to murder me and I still drove her to safety,” I nod. “So basically I’m an angel .”

Liam kisses the top of Kash’s head as she mumbles again. “Satan was literally an angel. But eeeevilllll.”

We laugh again, this time soft and easy.

Alisha squirms, letting out a high-pitched squeak. Kai gasps like she just spoke to him.

“See?” I whisper, nudging Liam. “Your daughter is into my son.”

“Oh god ,” he mutters. “It’s already starting.”

I wrap my arm around Rohi’s shoulders, watching as our best friends turn into the softest parents in the room.

This? This is our family.

Unfiltered. Unhinged. Unbreakable.

And it’s imperfectly perfect.