Page 15 of Love is a Drum Beat
Dax’s album was still playing from her Spotify list, his soft voice calming her nerves. She walked into her bedroom and climbed onto the bed, settling against the back pillow that wrapped around her. If any of her fans could see the hard core drummer now, they’d laugh at her fuzzy pajama pants and oversized sweatshirt that wasn’t so oversized anymore.
Nothing would ever be the same in her life, but instead of scaring her, that thought was comforting.
“I’m not doing this alone, baby.” She had her kid.
* * *
Jo’s eyes shot open as pain wound through her stomach, threatening to crack her right open. She grit her teeth and tried to sit up, but she didn’t have the strength.
“No, no, no, no.” Another pain speared her. “I can’t…” The words were lost in a howl of pain. “This cannot be happening.” The pain abated as she breathed deeply. The pain wasn’t any worse than cramps, but she was pregnant. It wasnotcramps, which left one thing.
“Breathe in. Breathe out.” She recited the mantra from the birthing book. “Why didn’t I do birthing classes?” She could have kicked herself for that. Patting under her butt, she found no wetness. “Okay, water hasn’t broken. I have time.” At least, she hoped she did. She was supposed to have two more months of waddling around her apartment, looking for snacks. What happened if she had the baby this early?
That question scared her more than any pain she could feel.
She had to get up. Reaching for her phone on the nightstand, she powered it on to light up the dark room and called the front desk.
“Hello?”
“Hi, hello. I need you to send Arya to apartment three-fifteen. Now, please.” She hung up. The security guard would probably regret telling Jo to send for her, but right now she was all Jo had. Jo’s stomach cramped as she managed to sit.
A knock sounded on the door before she could get out of bed.
“Come in,” Jo yelled.
A moment later, Arya with her blond hair and kind eyes, walked into the bedroom and stopped. “Ms. Jackson.”
“Arya, I need to get to the hospital, but I can’t be seen going. If you can help me downstairs, I can call a cab.”
And the cab driver might recognize her. She glanced around her room, her eyes falling to the closet where she knew her old Halloween costumes sat in a box.
“What can I do?” Arya asked.
Jo pointed to the closet. “Look there for a box of costumes.” Noah had made her dress up for every Halloween she could remember whether she wanted to or not. And he’d made their costumes match.
Arya pulled the box out.
“Good, you found it. There’s a Batwoman mask. Hand it over.” She stretched out a hand.
Arya found it and gave it to Jo with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m not about to change from my pajamas. Can you please hand me a hair tie from the dresser?” Once she did, Jo swept her hair back, pulling it into a bun that hid her pink tips. Last, she settled the Batwoman mask on her face. “How do I look?”
Arya stifled a laugh. “Very good, Ms. Jackson.”
“You now know what a nerd I am, so call me Jo.” Pain throbbed in her stomach. “Okay, time to go.”
Arya pursed her lips. “You aren’t seriously thinking about taking a cab to give birth.”
Jo shrugged as she lifted her legs over the side of the bed. “I need a little help.” The panic that came with the first waves of pain ebbed away as she went into control mode, action mode.
Arya took her arm and helped Jo to her feet. “Let’s go.”
Jo directed Arya to grab her go bag by the front door, and they stepped out into the hall. Jo locked the door, trying to remain calm.
Down in the lobby, the other night guards stared as she walked by in her mask.
“I’ll take you.”
