Page 120 of Every Single Broken Piece
They already gave us a tour of the room, so I know where everything is. I set the bag down on the table by the window that overlooks the gardens situated on the side of the hospital. There’s also a couch and a private restroom. Honestly, it’s like a hotel room.
Kelcie sits down on the side of the bed so Amanda, our nurse, can take her vitals. While they’re busy, I walk closer to the bedside stand and pour ice water into a glass so it’s ready for Kelcie should she get thirsty.
“You can take off your clothes and change into the hospital gown,” Amanda tells her. “I’m going to get you ice chips and make sure they’ve notified Dr. Carnick that you’re here.”
“Okay. Thank you,” Kelcie replies, and as Amanda leaves, my wife says, “Call Jordan.”
“Right!”
While she changes, I quickly dial Jordan’s number, and when he answers, I say, “Hey, it’s me. Kelcie’s in labor.”
“Man, you sound just as nervous as I was when we had Brady,” my brother-in-law chuckles. “Deep breaths, buddy. You can’t pass out on her. I did, and Natalie will never let me live it down.”
A smile curves my lips. “Yeah, there’s no way I’m passing out. Don’t worry about that.” I notice Kelcie is done and say, “I’m putting you on speaker. Talk to your sister.”
Kelcie places her hand on her side as pain tightens her features. “Hold on. Contraction.”
“You’ve got this, Kelcie,” Jordan’s voice comes over the line.
“Tell them to give you something for the pain,” Natalie joins in. “Trust me. It helps a lot.”
Standing beside my wife, I rub her lower back again until the contraction passes.
“I’m good,” Kelcie gasps. “I think.”
“We’re leaving as soon as we hang up,” Jordan says.
“Hang up already and get your butts over here,” Kelcie grumbles. “But drive safely.”
“Okay. See you soon,” Jordan replies. “Levi, keep me updated.”
“I will.”
I end the call and set my phone on the bedside stand, then pick up the glass and hand it to Kelcie. “You need to stay hydrated, my muse.”
She drinks some, then leans forward and presses her face against my shirt, whispering, “It’s really happening.”
I brush my palm over her hair, and the loose strands catch my attention. “Let me get your hair up.” I pull away and dig a hair tie out of her bag, and gathering all the strands, I secure them in a messy bun.
With her face sweaty and flushed, she glances up at me. “Do I look as pretty as when you fell in love with me?”
I lean down and give her a kiss. “You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
She lets out a chuckle. “Liar.”
“Be right back,” I say before I go to the restroom to get a washcloth. I wet it beneath cold water and squeeze the excess out, then head back to Kelcie and gently wipe her face and behind her neck.
When I’m done, I grab one of the chairs by the table and set it beside the bed. I sit down and rest my hands on either side of Kelcie’s hips.
Locking eyes with my wife, I say, “I know I fought you on having a child, and this whole process started rocky, but thank you for wanting to have our baby.”
When she first brought up the subject, I wasn’t keen at all because crying babies give me anxiety. But seeing how much she wanted children had me agreeing. I still can’t refuse her anything.
Over the past nine months, things have changed, and I’ve found myself getting excited to meet our baby. I now know with Kelcie by my side, I can face anything.
She places her palm on my jaw, but before she can reply, another contraction starts, and she grabs hold of my arm, her nails digging into me.
Amanda comes back with Dr. Carnick. Our nurse places the ice chips on the bedside stand, then seeing the washcloth, she says, “I’ll get a bowl of cold water so you can keep rinsing it.”
