Life Of A Single Mom

Chapter 13

By the time February finally rolled around, I was officially over being pregnant.
My due date was only twenty-seven days away, and baby, the countdown had become REAL. Every ache, every sleepless night, every contraction felt ten times worse knowing the finish line was right there.
But for some reason, the closer I got to giving birth, the more nervous I became.
And I couldn’t even explain why.
It was like my spirit knew something my mind hadn’t caught up to yet.
Around that time, Will slowly started reaching out more again. But this time it was different. He made it clear he was talking to somebody else now, though he still planned on being there for the baby no matter what.
And that’s when the drama really started.
His girlfriend couldn’t stand me, and the crazy part was she had never even met me before a day in her life. Every time Will called or texted me, some type of argument followed behind it.
And honestly?
I was too pregnant and miserable to care.
Since I was getting closer to delivery, Will started staying over occasionally just in case I went into labor in the middle of the night. Especially because I was mostly alone once the kids went to sleep. Of course, that put even more strain on whatever relationship he had going on, but clearly he didn’t care enough to stop.
Meanwhile, my body was going THROUGH it.
Weekly appointments drained me. My feet stayed swollen. My back felt like it was breaking in half. And those contractions?
Lord Jesus.
Every little cramp had me thinking labor was finally starting. At that point, I was willing to try anything to get my baby out safely and quickly.
Walking tracks. Squats. Spicy food. Sex. Everything Google said could naturally induce labor, I tried it.
That little boy was stubborn already.
Then February 27 finally arrived…
and STILL no baby.
When I say I was pissed, baby I mean beyond irritated. Here he was already acting just like his daddy — hardheaded and moving strictly on his own time.
Eventually the doctors scheduled my induction for March 2nd, so all I could do was suck it up and wait a few more days.
And those last days?
Pure misery.
Will tried his best to help, but by then I was uncomfortable 24/7 and irritated with the world. The night before my induction, he ended up having to stay home with his girlfriend, and honestly that annoyed me more than I wanted to admit.
By then, I had already been contracting most of the day. My body felt heavy. Walking hurt. Even laying down was uncomfortable.
I could feel labor getting closer.
That night I couldn’t get comfortable in my bed at all, so I eventually gave up and slept on the couch instead.
Then right at four o’clock that morning, Will showed up ready to head to the hospital.
But something about his energy felt off immediately.
He was quieter than usual. Distracted. Almost irritated.
And honestly, I didn’t even have the patience to ask what was wrong.
At that point, my only focus was bringing a healthy baby into this world. Whatever drama he had going on outside that hospital room, he could deal with it himself because I refused to let anybody’s negativity affect my energy during labor.
The ride to the hospital was almost completely silent.
Thankfully, his sister eventually showed up and completely changed the atmosphere in the room. Even though me and her bumped heads plenty over the years, in that moment her presence comforted me more than she probably realized.
She brought laughter back into the room. Broke the tension. Made me feel supported.
And apparently, baby boy had been waiting on his auntie the whole time because not long after she arrived…
it was time to push.
Everything happened so fast after that.
Pain. Pressure. Tears. Fear.
Then suddenly…
there he was.
My baby boy.
The moment they laid him on my chest, nothing else mattered anymore. Every stressful moment from that pregnancy faded for a second because I was completely in love all over again.
I couldn’t believe it.
Here I was…
a mother of four.
After delivery, everybody slowly started leaving over the next hour or two, and honestly I was glad because exhaustion finally hit me hard. I needed to rest desperately. Between the nurses constantly checking on me and my body trying to recover, I barely had energy left to think.
Will eventually came back around three that afternoon.
But his energy?
Still off.
And by that point, I had officially reached my limit.
I was tired. Hormonal. In pain. Emotionally drained.
And honestly?
It was time for him to stop acting funny and say whatever the hell was really on his mind because I was fed all the way up.