Page 119 of Pipe Dreams
“It’s a podium finish,” Trevi said, pointing the camera in his face. “And... the phone is ringing. Whoa. Your very pregnant wife is calling.” The kid tapped the screen to stop the video and handed it to Mike.
The screen readLauren. He answered quickly. “Hey! Everything okay? How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling like my water broke.”
“No! Really? Are you sure?” She wasn’t due for another ten days.
“Oh, I’m sure. Luckily I didn’t flood my office. It happened when I...” She laughed.
“What?”
“I’d just sat down on the toilet. Then whoosh! Weirdest thing ever.”
“Wow.” He smiled into the phone even as the reality of the situation set in. “Okay, you need to get to the hospital.”
“I know. I called you first. Now I’m calling a car.”
He heard a voice in the background.
“Actually, Nate is calling me a car. He’s panicking. Hang on.” Mike heard her speak sharply to Nate. “No! Do not call 911. That’s ridiculous. This isn’t an emergency!”
“Want me to handle it?” He had two car companies on speed dial for this very purpose. And the dog-eared pregnancy book on their bedside table at home had warned that contractions would kick in pretty hard after her water broke.
“I’ve got it. Seriously. Just figure out when you can get on a plane for home.”
“I’ll do my best, baby! Hang in there. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” There was a click and she was gone.
He stood there a moment longer, phone in hand, just trying to catch up with the sudden U-turn his day had just made. Then he spun into action. “Becca!”
She came running. “What is it?”
“Lauren went into labor. I need to get home.”
Becca gave an excited little shriek, and pulled a tablet out of her bag. “I’m on it. Give me five minutes to find you a flight.”
“What’s this I hear?” Silas asked, walking up and giving Mike’s shoulder a squeeze. “Is this the call I think it is?”
“You’re playing tomorrow night in Toronto. You ready?”
“Of course. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll go tell Coach.” Silas jogged off, a smile on his face. The team would call up a third goalie from Hartford to fly to Ontario as Silas’s backup. The team would survive without him for a game. He had more important business to attend to.
Mike turned around to find his carry-on. He’d forgotten about the two stuffed toys clutched in his fist. But now he marveled at them. The pig was pink and silly, the bulldog a little more serious, with big eyes.
He knew a good omen when he saw one.
•••
It took him five hours to get to New York, and another hour in traffic to NYU’s hospital. She’d texted him her room number on the labor and delivery ward, but the place was a maze, and he ran through the corridors feeling like an idiot.
Finally he found room 412, popping his head inside to find Lauren in a bed wearing a hospital gown and a freaked-out expression. “Hey!” he said, dropping his duffel and sitting on the edge of the bed. “What did I miss?”
“I’m so happy to see you,” she said, grabbing for hishand. “You didn’t miss much. They keep checking me, but I haven’t made it to ten centimeters.” She pointed at an IV bag which dripped a clear fluid into her wrist. “That’s Pitocin, to move things along.”
“All right.” He kissed her forehead. “How’s your pain?”
“Well...” she sighed. “I don’t know why I didn’t expect it to hurt so much,” she panted.
