By your side (Rúben Dias)

Chapter Twelve

No matter how much parents planned things for the arrival of their baby, the baby could always change the plans and surprise them. Maddie clearly didn't expect to give birth a week before she was due but it still happened.

"Mum?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Can you come here? I don't feel well".

Those were like magic words for her mother, who ran back to the sofa where her daughter was sitting.

"What do you mean?"

"I think my water broke".

"It did? Oh my God! Tom!! We need you here NOW!"

Maddie started to feel the pain and tried taking breaths the way she had been taught in her classes. But it was easier said than done.

"What is it?"

"Get the car ready. She's in labour and we need to go".

"Yes...yes, I'll do that. Maddie, everything will be ok".

She nodded but her face showed the amount of pain she was in. Was this going to be so bad the whole time? Some women could be in labour for hours.

Tom was ready in record time. But he was surprised to see he was somehow more nervous than when it was his wife who was in this situation many years ago.

"Are you freaking out too?", he whispered to his wife once Maddie was inside the car.

"Like I haven't before".

"Ok. Not just me then".

"Should we call Rúben?"

"No, mum. He's about to play a match".

"And?", she couldn't believe her daughter's reaction.

"This could go on for hours. Why would we call him now?"

"Or you could get there and give birth in half an hour. He would hate missing this moment, Madison".

"I don't want him to miss a match".

"Let him make that decision".

Alicia found Rúben's contact on her phone and called him. Rúben was almost ready for the warm-up and panicked when he saw who was calling. There could only be a reason why Maddie's parents were calling him.

"Is Maddie ok?"

"Yes. But we're on our way to the hospital. The baby is coming now".

"Which hospital? I'll be there as soon as I can".

Once he knew, he told everyone what was happening and they called a taxi for him to go to the hospital. He was so fidgety the whole way there and when he arrived, he ran to the inside to ask where Maddie was.

"Follow me", told him a nurse and he did.

He expected to get there and find all the doctors at work but Maddie was alone. Well, her parents were there but no doctors or nurses were in the room.

"Are you ok? Why are there no doctors here? You're giving birth".

Maddie laughed and Rúben frowned at her. What was so funny?

"They gave me meds for the pain so don't you dare say anything bad about my besties".

"But...".

"We have to wait a bit longer, Rúben", explained Alicia. "She needs to dilate a couple more centimetres but everything looks good so far. So the delivery should be pretty easy".