Page 123 of Abel's Omega
“Noah’s in bed at the daycare, Teca’s playing with Rosalie and her family. They said she can have a sleepover tonight.”
So that was the pups taken care of. I let Abel help me to my feet and we headed back to our house.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE
Abel and I had a brief argument about where I would have the baby, quickly settled by the onset of another contraction. This one seemed to be coming like Teca had, and if that was his plan, there was no time to waste arguing. Instead, I had them spread a sheet of plastic between the mattress and the old blankets they laid beneath me, because I wasn’t backing down on that.
Jason helped me out of my clothes and Abel handed me up onto the bed, then went around to sit on the other side where he could hold my hand. His fingers shook as he laced them through mine, and I squeezed and smiled at him to show him I wasn’t scared.
Holland leaned me forward so he could pack pillows behind my back, helping me to sit up against the headboard. I hadn’t noticed Jason leaving, but he came back through the door with Cale, carrying my new birthing kit between them. They laid everything out on the dresser, ready to hand for when we’d need it.
I relaxed into the pillows and smiled happily at everyone.
Abel shifted a few inches closer to me. “So, how long does this take?”
I laughed. “It takes as long as it takes. But I think this will be quick. I must have been having contractions all day and didn’t notice, so we’re pretty close to the—” Another contraction, this one both stronger and longer, stole the last word from me. I curled around my belly and breathed out slowly, my mind diving deep, so I became unaware of the people around me. Instinct took over, and I followed the call of my body as it took command.
When the contraction stopped, I let out a long sigh and let myself flop back onto the pillows. Abel pushed my curls back off my forehead. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s just labor. That’s why it has that name.” I dropped a kiss on his lips and laid my head on his shoulder. “Can I have one of the blankets?” It was just a little too cool in the room for naked at the moment, though I knew I’d be grateful for the temperature once things really got rolling.
Jason handed him one from the end of the bed. Abel shook it out one-handed and draped it over me, tucking the edges down over the two of us. His body heat filled the space under the cloth and I hummed happily as I snuggled closer. “I’ve decided that you’re going to hang around and provide body heat every time I’m in labor from now on,” I told him.
“Happy to be of service,” he said. His fingers closed tightly around my hand and he smiled.
Holland sat on the edge of the bed. “Is there anything you want before we get busy? Something to drink?”
“No, I’m good. But thank you.” I watched him, searching for some hint of how this all made him feel. But his face was calm, and if he was upset by my fertility, none of it showed.
He patted my knee under the blanket. “I might go warm those towels up in the oven. I’ve heard that’s nice.” He kissed my cheek, then slid off the bed and gathered up the towels on the dresser and disappeared out the door. Perhaps he wasn’t keeping it together as well as he seemed.
That train of thought was interrupted by another contraction. My omega line began to burn with this one, and I panted a little to stay on top of the pain.
“Bax?” Abel’s worried voice sounded right by my ear, but I didn’t have any attention to spare for him at the moment. I pushed my feet against the bed, because it felt good to do something, even though it didn’t help. This was always the worst part—once my line opened, everything would go kind of numb down there, and the rest of it would be easy.
The contraction let up and I relaxed back against the pillows.
“Bax?” Abel asked again. His had was tight in mine and when I turned my head, his forehead was furrowed with worry.
“It’s fine. This is normal.” I glanced down at our hands, now on top of the blanket. “Did I hurt you?”
“You can do whatever you need to get through this.”
I laughed, and Jason echoed it.
“Don’t give him your whole hand or he’ll break it.” Jason leaned over me and gently rearranged our fingers so I only gripped two of Abel’s. “Much safer now.”
Abel stared bemusedly down at our hands, then back up at me. “Really?”
I nodded. “It’s different from everyday. Like nothing exists outside my body.”
“I’m going to go wash my hands,” Jason said. “Cale, you stay here.”
“Sure,” Cale said, and curled up in the rocking chair in the corner of the room.
I cuddled in Abel again, and we began our usual bickering over baby names until another contraction stole my breath. They were much closer together now, and when I ran my hand down over my belly at the end of this one, I found a gap in my omega line, about an inch and half long.
Jason came back, drying his hands on one of our towels. “How’s it going?”
