Broken

Chapter twenty-five

Jessie

It's the final days left of this stressful pregnancy. Elliott has asked Kelly and Jennifer to stay in the guest room the last few days after I had my first false labor. Our parents took the kids so it was less for Elliott to worry about. She's been on edge as the days get nearer the end. She's scared that something will go wrong in the delivery room and when I had that false labor, she had flashbacks of the day she shielded me at the coffee shop.

Mollie is coming along nicely with her pregnancy and just started her sixteenth week. Her baby is healthy and has just started kicking. She's been staying with her mother the last few days. I feel bad. Between my two false labors and her baby's late night kicking, she hasn't been sleeping.

I was laying between Elliott's legs in bed. It's been the only way I've been able to get comfortable to sleep. Kelly and Jennifer were asleep on either sides of us and the sheets suddenly were soaked. I was feeling pressure between my legs and my breaths hitch. "Baby, did you have an accident," Elliott asks in a sleepy whisper, kissing the back of my head.

Jessie's head pops up next to me and we make eye contact. She smiles lightly and says in a soothing whisper, "Breathe Jessie, it's okay."

"I'm scared," I choke in a breathy whisper as tears roll down my cheeks. "You know what happened last time."

Elliott caresses my contracting stomach and I let out a calming breath, relaxing against her. She kisses my temple and it was all I needed to know she was there. Kelly smiles lightly and I close my eyes. I feel Kelly lightly push at my stomach as she times my contractions. "We have plenty of time. They seem to be fifteen minutes apart," she says in a soothing whisper.

"Will you be there with me," I ask looking between Kelly and Jennifer.

"If that's what you want," they say softly and I nod lightly.

"We'll wait for the next contraction and then we'll get you to the car, okay," Kelly says in a soothing whisper and I nod.

"Can I change first," Elliott asks quietly, keeping surprisingly calm.

"Change now," I say quietly and she carefully slips from behind me. "Sorry about your shorts."

"They're just shorts," she says with a smile and kisses my forehead. "I'll be right back."

I nod lightly and she enters our closet. She exits a few minutes later in an old tank and shorts. She has a duffel bag full of clothes for our stay in the hospital. She insists that I wear her sweats after they're born, simply just saying they'd be more comfortable and I'd know what she meant when the time came.

She had a small diaper bag full of a selection of baby clothes saying options were important because we never know what weather there will be when we bring them home and wanted to be prepared. That's what I love about her, always making sure she's prepared for the unexpected. I never would have thought about half the things she does and I'm thankful that she does think of these things. The car seats were in my office at the hospital and we could install them once we're ready to go home.

She brings our bags to the car while Jennifer and Kelly keep me calm and relaxed. "We never thought about bringing baby clothes for the kids," Kelly says to Jennifer and I laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Neither did I. That was all Elliott," I say in a breathy tone as a contraction hits and I clutch Jennifer's hand. The pressure instantly becomes a need to push and my eyes widen. My breathing quickens and I shake my head vigorously as I break into uncontrolled sobs, "Kelly, they're coming too fast. The need to push is strong."

She looks up my nightgown as Elliott walks back in. "Why is she crowning," Elliott asks quietly as tears fill her eyes. "I thought we had time to get to a hospital?"