Page 60 of Feeling Blue

“Fine now, it stopped,” she exhaled while batting her lashes rapidly. “That thing hurt, Auto. I don’t know how I’m about to do this.”

The fear in her eyes was heavy, and it had a vise grip on his heart. “I got you, Moo. Don’t worry about it. I’m gon’ help you.”

“How?”

“Shit, I’on know, but whatever it is, I’ma do it,” he leaned over so that his face was near hers.

His eyes were on hers, staring intently. Unmoving, Nova peered back at him. No words were exchanged as he leaned his forehead into hers, allowing her hand room to snake into his wild locs and scrape his scalp.

“Shits crazy, Moo,”

“I know, baby,” she pecked his lips. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be, because I’m here and you already know your nigga ain’t scared of nothing.” He pecked her lips a few more times before standing back upright, realizing he still hadn’t called Azayna.

In a hurry, he dialed her number, “Aye sis!” he yelled as soon as she picked up. “Moo finna have the baby. The ambulance on the way here… damn girl, calm down. You ain’t the daddy.” He chuckled. “Yeah, just meet us there… I don’t know the closest one I guess, you know her regular doctor ain’t here. Yeah.Aight… Aye, bring my brother with you. I can’t do this shit by myself.”

When Auto hung up, Nova was slumped over, holding her belly once again.

“You having another one, Moo?”

Her head nodded, prompting Auto to stand closer to her and rub her back. As soon as he was inches from her, she leaned her head into his stomach with one of her hands, squeezing the life out of his. Even with him not being afraid of nothing in the world, seeing his baby in that kind of pain had him scared to death. He didn’t like being in situations that he couldn’t control, and the way that crazy ass baby had Nova feeling right then was well beyond his reach.

“It looks like they’re about three minutes apart, that’s really fast,” the waitress stood to her feet when the wailing of an ambulance sounded out behind them. “I’ll go grab them. You stay with her.”

“Where else I’ma go, lady?” Auto snapped on her unnecessarily, and even through her discomfort, Nova’s nice ass touched the girl’s hand softly once again.

“Sorry,” she whispered breathlessly.

“You need to be saving your breath for this baby, not this grown ass girl,” Auto squatted down so that he could see her face. “You already know this labor finna be a fight. Crazy ass fucking baby.” He chuckled, making her smile.

“Stop talking about my baby, Auto.”

“You think they got one of them straight jackets in newborn sizes?” His chest eased some when her contraction stopped, and she sat back up with a small smile and still holding tight to his hand.

“I’m so glad you’re here with me.”

His lips littered kisses all over her face and shoulders. “Wouldn’t be nowhere else.”

Once the EMTs finally made their way into the restaurant, things began moving faster than he could comprehend, and by the time they’d slowed down, he and Nova were at the hospital in a room Egypt, Azayna, Blue, and his girl, Forever. The moment Azayna dropped Zon back off with Pat, and Blue and Forever heard that Nova was in labor, they’d made it their business to get there for support, and Auto was glad they had. Having to sit so close to Nova while she was in so much pain was stressing him out.

“How long this shit normally last?” Auto asked Egypt while standing in front of Nova.

She was perched on the side of the bed with him positioned between her legs. Her arms were around his stomach, with her head resting in the center of his chest. He’d been massaging her back for the past hour to alleviate whatever pain he could.

“It could be awhile,” Azayna gave him a flat smile.

She and Egypt were leaning against the windowsill, while Blue sat directly in front of Nova’s bed with Forever tiny ass in his lap.

“Well, they need to give her some medicine or something then, shit.”

“She doesn’t want any.”

“I don’t know why the fuck not,” he fussed as Nova squeezed him tighter.

Another contraction coursed through her body and brought tears to his eyes. They’d been at it for a little more than five hours, and she’d declined an epidural every time itwas offered to her. Letting him know she didn’t want anything interfering with her natural birthing plan.

“Man, No,” Auto sniffed back his tears as he listened to her groan in agony while her body trembled beneath his touch. “You got to let them give you something… please,” he tried to pull away so that he could see her face, but she tightened her hold on his body, pulling him back between her legs. “Please, Moo. It don’t have to hurt this bad. You got me feeling like a bitch right now. I don’t like not being able to make you feel better.”

---