This is love

TWENTY-FOUR

"She's what!" 

"She's in labour, Frank!" Paul panics and I can hear the painful groan from beside him. "Like full-on, water everywhere, sweaty forehead and screaming like a dying cat every forty seconds."

"I'll give you a dying cat!" 

I feel my heartbeat pluck up a rapid rhythm as I spring from bed. I redial Jason on the video call from my laptop, watching as he appears on screen in a different location of the house. Jogging up the stairs undoubtedly going to our room.

"Don't tell me she wants me to go and get her more pop tarts again?" 

"She's in labour!" I shriek. I balance my phone between my ear and shoulder, the laptop sitting dangerously close to the bedside tables edge. "Okay Paul, put her on the phone."

There was russling then, her agonising and tiny voice croaks on the other end of the line. "Frankie?" 

"God, Flo. What did I tell you about holding that baby in until I got home!" I tried to joke although I was tasting blood in my mouth as I bit down on my tongue to sway away the tears that battered my eyes. "Listen, you're going to do so well, okay? We're going to do this together until the EMTs come."

"Tell them I'm on my way." Jason interrupts. He had pulled on the old red hoodie that hung inside his closet. "Love you babe."

"Love you more." Our screen had sunk away again and I was able to gain focus as Flo let's out another howl of pain. “Right - I have no clue what the hell I’m supposed to do or say, I’m not one of those doodle things.” 

“Doula.” She whimpered. “They’re called a Doula. Sally had one, she said she was useless.” 

“Well, me and Sally’s doula might go hand-in-hand.” I mumble. “Are you timing your contractions? You’re suppose to do that, aren’t you? It’s like under four minutes or something when things are about to mov-” I was cut off with another yelp of pain. I widen my eyes. “Okay, that definitely wasn’t four minutes.” 

“Just talk to me.” She huffs a long, large breath. “How’s London? Did you remember my souvenir? And not one of those really crappy, plastic red busses that’ll break or another fridge magnet.”  

“I mean, isn’t that the whole point of a souvenir? A fridge magnet is like a top tier gift. Well just below a stuffed animal with a t-shirt a size too small with the city name on it.” I tease and she cries again. “Alright! So no tacky things. Oh, I saw a lovely little shop down beside where we are working. Saying little, it’s probably the size of Walmart, but the window has some lovely things. Snowglobes and trinket boxes. You want one of those?” 

“A trinket box. To put my jewelry in.” She whimpered but was quickly followed by another terrifying cry. “Fuck these are getting worse.” 

“Jason told me Viv got on the honor roll!” I pipe up in the hope of a distraction but it was lost within communication as Flo’s moans and groans disappear. There was a rustle and some incoherent words that were too distant to hear before Paul gulps from the other end. 

“I don’t think they’re going to get here on time, Frankie.” He flusters. I can imagine him standing, helpless, at the foot of the bed and running his hand over his shortly shaven head whilst looking upon his pregnant soulmate who rolled around in pain. “I got the towels, hot water, blankets.. That’s what they tell you to get in those movies, isn’t it?” 

“You’ve got this.” I tell him in a faint whisper, my eyes welling. “Jason is on his way, he’ll be there soon. I swear to every God that there is, if he gets to squeeze this baby and they prefer him over me because he was the first there, I’m going to make you two have another just so I’m the favourite!”