Page 101 of Wish You Would

“The most.” Her tears are instant.

“We were never going to be just roommates, pretty girl.” I shift to the side and motion her to sit between my legs. She rests her back against my chest. “I would have found a way to make you stay.” I say into her hair, running my hand over the soft skin of her belly.

Briar takes my hand in hers, bringing my knuckles to her mouth nipping them with her teeth.

“I love you, Holden.”

“I love you too. Come on, my pretty girl. Let me help you up.”

I give her my hand, slowly pulling her up off the floor. She suddenly flinches, pressing her hand to her side.

“You okay, baby?”

She inhales then exhales a sharp breath. “Yeah… I’m fine. I was probably just sitting too long.”

“Promise?” I ask, my stomach still free falling.

“I promise.”

The pain in her side is forgotten when she sits on the back porch, and I bring her lunch and a glass of lemonade.

THIRTY

I WAS BORN READY

Holden

A missed call and a text from Briar while I’m at work the next day has me rattled.Call me as soon as you can.

What the fuck? I excuse myself from a meeting and go back to my desk and call her.

“Baby, are you okay?” I push through the door of my office, exhaling a grateful breath when she answers my call.

“The pain is back. It hurts, Holden.” There’s agony in her voice.

“Where are you? I’m coming to get you. I’m taking you to the hospital.” I stuff my laptop into my work bag, grab my jacket and jog down the hall to let my boss know I need to leave.

“I’m at home,” Briar says. “I left work thinking a warm bath and some rest would help but it didn’t.”

Has she been in pain all morning without telling me? My heart drops to my stomach.

“You’re going to be fine, baby. Stay there. I’ll be there in 10 minutes. Understand?”

“Yes.” I hear her suck in a breath. “I’ll wait for you.”

I burst through the doors to the parking lot in a full-out run now. Could this really be it? Could Briar be in labor? She still has 2 more weeks left in her pregnancy. Is it too early?

The doctor told us she could go into labor early the last time Briar had her routine check, but I think I just assumed early meant a few days. Not April instead of May.

Fuck. I should have made her go on maternity leave last month. I knew she was getting tired, long days at work were getting to be too much for her. Plus, we’ve been doing so much in the evenings to get the nursery ready. Briar was adding tiny star decals to the wall behind the crib last night until 10 p.m. before she finally collapsed into our bed. I told her I would do them for her, but she had this vision in her head of exactly how she wanted them.

Briar’s sitting on the edge of the couch in the living room when I rush inside our house. In an instant, I’m crouching to the floor in front of her pressing my hands to either side of her belly.

“Hey, pretty girl. How are you doing?” I look at up her, tears glistening in her pretty green eyes. “What’s happening, Bee? Do you think you’re having contractions?”

“I don’t know, but I think I should see a doctor.”

“Let’s go out to the truck, okay? Tell me anything you want me to bring to the hospital.”

---