Full Bloom

9-1-1

Never underestimate the wrath of a pregnant woman who is two days past her due date. Annie was getting on my last nerve today. With Mary at work, Annie was my responsibility for as long as I didn't have Chrys. Once she was born, she was off to daycare.

It was four-thirty in the afternoon. I'd been having contractions all day. Like the past week, they were all sporadic. I was so uncomfortable, and so, so grouchy. Mary promised she'd be home at four instead of six so I could go home early. Where the heck was she?

"But Jen, I wanna play in the sprinklers!" Annie whined, tugging on my arm.

"Annie, how many times do I have to tell you? You're not getting all soaking wet when your mom is about to come home and take you to Hebrew school."

"Nu-uh! I'll dry off fast."

"Annie, I—"

The phone rang. I got up from the kitchen table and waddled over to it and answered.

"Hello, Rosenberg residence. This is Jennifer."

"Hey, Jen, sweetie! How are you?" Mary said.

Oh hell no. This woman is not drunk right now.

"Mary, where are you? Annie has to leave for Hebrew school in an hour."

"Oh shoot...I forgot that it's Thursday. Listen, can you do me a favor and take her for me? I know you just got your license."

I sucked in a gulp of air as a contraction hit. I couldn't talk through it.

"Mary, I need to go home," I said.

"Jen, I'll double your pay if you take her for me."

"You're lucky I really need the money. Fine. I'll go."

"Aww, thanks honey! Just drop her off and I'll be able to pick her up from there. Bye now!"

She hung up. Annie looked up at me, a puzzled look on her face.

"Mom isn't coming back right now. We need to have dinner and I'm dropping you off. Do you have any chicken nuggets left?" I asked.

"And french fries!" Annie said. "No leftover spaghetti?"

"No. If your mommy gets to go out and eat what she wants, then so are we."

"How did you know she was at dinner and not just at work?"

"Because she was dru—I mean, I heard a lot of background noise. It sounded like she was in a restaurant."

I preheat the oven and put the chicken nuggets on one cookie sheet, the french fries on the other. Those chicken nuggets sounded really, really good right now. Right when I put the trays in the oven. Something felt off.

There was a popping sensation, and suddenly I was peeing myself. Fluid trickled from my shorts and down my legs. Only, it was clear. This wasn't pee. My freaking water was breaking right now.

"Annie, I need you to grab me some paper towels!" I said, my voice shaking.

She ran over and gasped. "Eww! Why are you peeing on the floor?"

"No, it's not pee. That's my water. The baby's coming."

"Oh my gosh! What? We gotta get to the hospital!" she said.

"No, I've got time. Don't panic. It's okay. Just get me some paper towels. I'm going to clean this up and call Mommy, okay?"

She nodded and did as I asked. I cleaned myself up the best I could, but I was still leaking. I stole one of Mary's pad's from the bathroom, then waddled over to the phone in my wet shorts. I dialed Mary's cell number. She picked up on the fourth ring, right before it was about to go to voicemail.

"Hello?" she said.

"Mary, it's Jen. You need to get home."

"Honey, I already told you I can't. I'm out with Edward."

"Mary, my...wait, Edward? I thought your boyfriend was Harvey?"

"Oh, him? That was just a fling."

"Mary, you gotta get home. My water broke. I need to leave. I'm having bad contractions."

"Oh dear. Okay, give me an hour and I'll be right over."

"An hour? Mary, where are you? I can't wait an hour!"

"Then take her with you and I'll meet you at the hospital. I don't know what you want from me."

She hung up the phone. I was so pissed that I literally didn't even think to leave and get my grandpa. I just did what I did every time I was angry: called Karen.

"Hey pregnant lady! What's up?" she said.

"This bitch!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, calm down crazy girl. What happened?"

"My water literally broke. This is like a nine-one-one situation and Mary isn't gonna come pick Annie up. I have to bring her to the hospital with me."

"Wait, your water broke?"

"Ugh. Yeah. I'll call you once I get to the hospital."

"Girl I'm grabbing my keys, picking up Nassi, and meeting you there."

She hung up. I turned around and looked at Annie, who was white as a ghost.

"I'm sorry about the bad word," I said. "It's okay. If I was having a baby I'd be scared too."

I turned off the oven, took the food out, and got Annie ready to go. We walked across the street to my house and grabbed my go-bag, along with the carseat.. I was sure Karen would call Ollie and let him know.

We got in the car and started the route towards the hospital. This was happening. I was really in labor. I was really about to have a baby at seventeen.