Page 90 of Never Really Mine
Beau sits down on the couch in front of me, holding his hands out to take mine. Setting my hands in his, I rock back and forth, bouncing slightly.
“What exactly will this do?” Beau asks.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. Irritate them?”
He chuckles. “Sounds about right. How long does it take for things to start working?”
“I have no idea,” I reply. “I wish it was instant.”
“Well, maybe they just aren’t ready.”
“Maybe. But I am.”
“Same.”
53
MARLEY
“Beau?” I call from where I’m currently rotting on the living room couch. It’s been a full week since Dr. Ness told us to start attempting to induce labor, and while I’ve had a few contractions now and then, it’s been nothing consistent, and nothing strong. I was still four centimeters dilated at my appointment this morning, and Dr. Ness said to keep doing what we were doing, that they would come eventually.
Beau strides into the living room from where he was organizing the kitchen pantry.
“What’s up?” he asks. He runs his hand in his strewn hair hanging loose on his shoulders. “Contraction?” He has his phone out of his pocket, ready to time at the drop of a hat.
“No,” I laugh. “I was going to see if you could get me another glass of water.”
“Oh. Well, sure.”
He heads back into the kitchen. As if his words triggered it, I have a shockingly strong contraction. “Beau,” I gasp, only it comes out as a sort of squeak, because it’s like all the air has been sucked from my lungs. The pain is so much worse than anyBraxton-Hicks contraction from weeks ago. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to breathe through the pain like Dr. Ness told me.
“Oh shit,” Beau’s voice reaches me through the mind-numbing pain, and I hold out my hand, a small sense of relief hitting me when his warmth clasps mine. “Did I speak that into existence?”
I nod through clenched teeth.
Distantly, I hear the cup being set down on the coffee table, and wait for the pain to cease.
Finally, it eases off, giving me a moment to catch my breath.
“I’m good.” My eyes open, and I see Beau, his own eyes soft and worried as they look over me.
“Think this is it?” Beau asks.
“I’m not sure.” My heart starts to stammer in my chest with anxiety. “I guess we need to time them, and see what happens.”
“I’m trying so hard to be chill right now, and not immediately drag you to the hospital,” Beau says with a slight laugh.
I laugh. “Give it time.”
He checks the time, and types it into his notes app. “How long do you think that lasted?” he asks.
“Five minutes,” I say. “Well, it felt that long at least.”
“So… a minute?”
“Yeah, probably.”
He nods, typing that into his phone.
