Her Dad's Best Friend

Into the Storm

The night had been quiet—too quiet for how far along I was. I tossed and turned in bed, trying to find a comfortable position as the weight of my belly pressed down on me. Jordan had fallen asleep hours ago, his hand resting on my bump protectively, like he always did. But something felt off tonight.

A sudden sharp pain tore through my abdomen, pulling me from my thoughts. I let out a gasp, sitting up in bed. My hand instinctively went to my belly as another wave of pain hit me, stronger this time.

"Fuck...," I muttered under my breath, gripping the bedsheets.

Jordan stirred next to me, his eyes snapping open when he felt me move. "Hailey?" His voice was groggy but laced with concern. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

I tried to catch my breath, but the next contraction hit hard and fast, and I knew. "Jordan... I think this is it."

He sat up immediately, fully awake now. "What do you mean? Like, now? The baby's coming?" His eyes widened as he processed my words.

I nodded, my face contorted in pain. "Yeah. Now."

Without wasting a second, Jordan jumped out of bed, his usual calm demeanor replaced with nervous energy. "Okay, okay, we're going to the hospital. Where's your bag? I'll call your family—wait, no, let's get you in the car first—"

"Jordan!" I snapped, my voice sharp with pain. "Slow down. We don't have time for you to freak out."

He stopped in his tracks, looking at me sheepishly. "Right. Sorry, Mama. You're right. I'm calm. Totally calm."

I shot him a look, trying to breathe through another contraction. "You're not calm."

He took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, I'm calm now. Let's get you to the hospital."

Jordan helped me out of bed, moving slowly and gently, his hands never leaving my side. He was so patient, so careful as he led me to the car, murmuring words of encouragement the whole time. Every time I felt another contraction building, he was right there, rubbing my belly, soothing me with soft whispers.

"You got this, Mama. Just breathe, okay? We're almost there."

The drive to the hospital felt like it took forever. Each bump in the road made me curse under my breath, the pain becoming more unbearable with every passing minute.

"Fuck... this hurts so bad," I groaned, gripping the door handle as another contraction hit.

"I know, I know," Jordan said, his voice full of concern. "You're doing amazing, though. Just hang in there, baby. We're almost at the hospital."

By the time we arrived, I was barely holding it together. The nurses quickly wheeled me into a delivery room, and everything became a blur of doctors, machines, and pain. Jordan never left my side, though. His hand stayed firmly in mine, his presence keeping me grounded even as the contractions grew more intense.

I screamed, feeling like my body was being torn apart. "Fuck! This hurts so damn much!" Tears streamed down my face as I fought through the pain, my body working to bring our baby into the world.

Jordan stayed calm, his forehead pressed against mine, his voice steady and soothing. "You're doing so good, Mama. You're almost there. You got this."

"Jordan... I can't... I can't do this," I whimpered, feeling completely overwhelmed. The pain was too much. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Yes, you can," he whispered firmly, his hand rubbing gentle circles on my belly. "You're the strongest woman I know, Hailey. You're so close. Just a little more, okay? Our baby's almost here."

The doctor's voice cut through the haze of pain. "Alright, Hailey, one more big push."

With Jordan's words echoing in my ears, I dug deep and pushed with everything I had. The room filled with the sound of our baby's first cry, and I collapsed back against the bed, utterly exhausted but so relieved.

"They're here," Jordan whispered, his voice full of awe as they placed our baby on my chest.

I looked down at the tiny, perfect human in my arms, tears streaming down my face. "We did it," I whispered, my heart swelling with love.

Jordan leaned down, his hand brushing over our baby's head. "You did it, Mama," he said, kissing my forehead softly. "I'm so proud of you."

Through the exhaustion and the tears, I smiled up at him. "We did it together."

He took out his phone, his hand trembling as he dialed Hailey's family, excitement clear in his voice. "I'm calling everyone. They're going to want to meet our little one."

And as Jordan made the calls, his hand never leaving mine, I realized how lucky I was to have him. He had been my rock throughout this whole journey, and now, as we became a family, I knew we were ready for whatever came next.