Page 22 of A Trident Christmas Baby

After a while, the exhaustion pulled at her, and she was ready to crash. She climbed out of the tub and dried off before slipping into her pajamas. But as she turned to leave the room, another pain shot through her back. This one was strong enough to almost send her to her knees.

Breathing heavily, she steadied herself and managed to get up, making her way to the bed.

What in the hell was going on?She asked herself as she sat down.

She waited as a few minutes passed, and when nothing else happened, she waved it off and got under the covers.

Zuma hopped up and took his usual spot next to her. She reached over and gave him a good scratch.

“Enjoy it now, buddy, because your dad will be home tomorrow.”

With both of them content, she closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Alex lay in bed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling and her hand resting on her belly.

Once again, sleep had eluded her. She managed to get a few hours of shut-eye, but because of her ever-growing baby bump and the discomfort, she couldn’t get comfortable.

She glanced at the clock next to her—three in the morning. That was way too early for her to get up.

The house was quiet, except for Zuma’s snores.

Her thoughts drifted to Ace. She couldn’t wait to see him.

It was weird thinking that soon, he wouldn’t be just her husband. He was about to be someone’s father. Would their child grow up to understand the sacrifices Ace made for his family?

A sharp kick jolted her from her thoughts. She let out a soft groan, shifting slightly in bed. “Alright, little one,” she whispered, her voice tinged with amusement. “Soccer practice doesn’t start for another few hours,” she joked.”

She smiled faintly, wondering if their baby would take after her. She could already imagine tiny cleats kicking a ball across the lawn, just like she had as a child.

The longer she lay there, her eyelids began to droop. She was almost asleep when a sudden, searing pain shot through her lower back. Alex gasped, her hand flying to her side as the sharp ache radiated forward. This pain was entirely different from the previous pains she had been experiencing.

“Okay, that was new,” she muttered to herself, carefully swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

She debated calling Tenley, but it was the middle of the night, and she had three kids.

Moving slowly, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand and took a deep breath before dialing Derek’s number. Her hands were shaking as she waited for him to answer.

“Alex?” Derek’s voice was sharp and concerned.

“Sorry to call in the middle of the night, but something’s happening,” she managed to say just as another pain rippled through her again.

“It’s okay, honey.”

She could hear him fumbling around.

“How bad is the pain? How far apart are the contractions? They are contractions, right? Did your water break yet?” He fired off questions one right after the other.

“These last two were a little stronger than what I’ve been experiencing. And no, my water hasn’t broken, but I think it’s best to go get checked out.”

“Alright, I’m on my way. I’ll be there in five,” he told her before he disconnected the call.

Alex set the phone down and leaned back against the headboard. Her mind was swirling with thoughts, a mix of worry and anticipation. She rubbed her belly, whispering to the baby that everything would be okay. But in her heart, all she could think about was Ace. She needed him here more than ever. And as she waited for Derek to arrive, her mind filled with thoughts of Ace. She held onto the hope that he’d make it home in time.

She finally managed to get out of bed and move to the closet. She pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. She didn’t feel like wearing tennis shoes, so she slipped her feet into a pair of flip-flops. She didn’t care that it was cold outside.

By the time she was done changing and brushing her teeth, she heard the front door open. She knew right away it was Derek when she heard the alarm being disengaged.

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