Page 29 of Christmas with Hope

Both my hands reached up and took hold of the front of her shirt. Her eyes widened. I yanked her down to where she was inches from my face.

“You either get this child out of me or you go get me a damn bottle of tequila!” I seethed, pushing her back and releasing her.

“Hope,” Stefanie gasped and took several steps back away from me. “You need a damn priest. I swear, if your head starts spinning around and you start levitating off the bed, I’m fucking out. Sister or not.”

The sound of the door opening had Stefanie and me turning our heads in that direction. Standing in the doorway with a worried look on his face and flowers in his hand was Colton with Tim standing directly behind him.

Stefanie and I both pointed at him.

“You did this!” We both shouted at Colton.

“And on that note, I’ll be in the waiting room,” Tim said then quickly scurried away.

“Hi, beautiful.” Colton closed the door behind him and slowly walked across the room to me. Draped over his shoulder was the baby bag we had prepared for this very moment.

Stefanie snatched the flowers out of his hands. She whacked him with them. Flower petals flew everywhere. Colton put up his arms to block the next attack. Stefanie hit him in the back several times.

“Stef!” I yelled at her. She looked at me and waved the nearly bare stems of leaves at me.

“Hedid this to you,” she reminded me. I turned a death look on Colton, who smiled nervously.

“Hand me those,” I said, holding out my hand. She began to hand them to me but Colton took them and tossed them across the room. Stems scattered across the floor.

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry,” he took hold of my hand and kissed the top of it. “I flew the plane as fast as I could.”

“You need to be a jet pilot,” I sobbed.

“Aw. Don’t cry.” Colton stepped closer to me, leaned down, and kissed my forehead. “It’ll be okay. I prom--”

A contraction hit me like a ton of bricks. I screamed bloody murder as I sat up, hoping to alleviate the pain. Colton’s hand I held in a death grip. He’d probably walk away with bruised or broken fingers; however, I didn’t care. The pain was excruciating. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before.

When the pain finally subsided, I released Colton’s hand and collapsed my head down against the pillow.

“I hate you,” I whimpered. Colton rubbed my stomach with his hand I hadn’t tried to break.

“I’ll give you the world. I promise,” he said softly.

“Stef, I don’t remember yours being this bad.”

Colton and I looked around the room. Stefanie was nowhere to be found. Wasn’t sure when she slipped out, but the woman had run for the hills.

“Chicken shit,” I let out a heavy sigh.

“She just doesn’t want broken fingers, sweetheart,” Colton smiled.

“I just want this to be over.”

“I know,” he whispered, continuing to rub my stomach. “I love you, Hope.”

“I love you, Col--” Pain ripped through me. “I hate your fucking guts!”

I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to me.

“Go get the doctor, I want this kid out of me!” I released my hold on him and continued fighting my way through the contractions. The urge to push became strong.

“Babe, it will--”

“Now! I need to push!” I growled and Colton paled.

---