Page 105 of Together

She shakes her head but smiles so wide I don’t think I’ve ever seen her smile so big. “That’s a heck yes.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Nikolas

“Honey. Wake up.”

“What? What? Is it time?” I jump out of bed and spring into action.

“It’s either time or I just peed the bed.”

“God, I’ve never wanted to not have someone pee the bed so badly in my life. For more than one reason, obviously.”

“Obviously,” Ashley mocks me. “We need to go, I think.”

“Yeah. Let me…” I point to our bathroom and slam the door shut behind me. “Don’t go anywhere!” I holler.

“Not planning on it,” she says as if I’m ridiculous. I know I am, but that’s beside the point. She’s about to give birth to my baby boy and I’ve never been more ready for something to shake up my entire life than I am in this moment.

When I get done in the bathroom, I wash my hands and open the door to see her squatting like a frog.

“What the fuck?”

“I’m trying to keep it moving along. If I sit down, isn’t it just going to push everything back inside? He’s been in there a week longer than he was supposed to be anyway. I’d say it’s time to keep this moving along.”

“Is that really what you’re supposed to be doing?” I ask, seeing her bounce up and down with her legs bent and spread wide. Her balance, given the extra weight in her stomach, is actually really impressive.

“How the heck am I supposed to know? But doesn’t it seem logical?”

“I’m afraid all logic flies out the window when you’re trying to push a baby out of your vagina for the first time, babe.”

She keeps bouncing but a strained look crosses her face. “Babe? I might need help. I can’t stop bouncing,” she says, out of breath, “or I might fall down, but if I fall down, I’ll never get up. And I don’t want to sit on the floor because my ass is still wet from my water breaking.”

“You…”I’m not even going to go there because I have a feeling I’m dangerously close to meeting volatile Ashley, someone I haven’t had the displeasure of being introduced to yet. I extend both hands down to her and help pull her up.

“Thanks. I’m not sure but I think it probably helped.”

I bark out a laugh. “You think bouncing like a frog helped?”

“Had to. I feel like he’s lower now. I’m ready.”

“Don’t you want to change out of your wet clothes first?”

She shakes her head and marches toward the door. “No time.”

I chase her down and turn her around by the shoulders, guiding her to our bathroom. “We’ve got time. Trust me. Go change your clothes and whatever else will make you feel good about leaving for the hospital and I’ll make sure the bag is in the car. Want me to call your parents?”

“Yeah, that’d be good. And Josie. But tell them not to tell my sisters yet. I’m not ready for everyone.”

She stands beside me looking at her stomach. “You okay?” I ask her.

“This has gone by so fast,” she whimpers. “And everything happened in the last year. I’m exhausted.”

“It’s been a hell of a year for sure, but we have a few more steps to go before we can take a nice long nap, okay? Like maybe eighteen years before the nice long nap happens.”

She begins to cry. Oh shit. “I’m so tired!”

I kind of laugh and pull her to me. “I know, Ash. I know. We’ve been through a lot in nine months but I promise that it will all be worth it soon.”

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