Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
April 1st
The hallway felt longer than it should have. Jasmine sat stiffly in the wheelchair, her hands clenched over her belly, her fingers digging into the sides of the armrests. She'd barely spoken since the doctor's words:
"We need to deliver today."
Aubrey walked beside her, silent, his hand on her shoulder as if trying to anchor her to the moment. But she wasn't there, not fully. Her mind had already begun to spiral.
She was back in that other hospital room. Back in the memory of bright lights and icy fear and deafening silence. Back in the moment when one baby made it and one didn't.
Aiden.
Her throat burned with the weight of his name.
She couldn't do this again.
As they reached the prep area outside the operating room, she started to tremble.
Her breath came fast, uneven. "I don't-I can't-"
"Hey. Baby."
Aubrey crouched in front of her, gently placing his hands on either side of her face.
"Breathe with me," he said softly. "Come on, just like this." He inhaled deeply, exaggerating it so she could follow. "In through your nose. Out through your mouth. Just like that, baby."
She tried, lips parting shakily, her breath catching in her throat.
"I don't want to do this again," she whispered. "I don't want to go through that. Not again. I can't lose her too."
"You're not losing her," he said firmly, voice low and shaking just enough to betray the truth: he was scared too. "You hear me? She's okay. You're okay. And I'm not going anywhere."
Her eyes filled. "I'm trying to be strong. But I'm so scared, Aubrey. My body-it's failing again. What if-"
"Your body got her this far," he interrupted gently. "Thirty-four weeks. That's because of you. You fought every single day. You showed up. You took every pill, every appointment, every blood draw, every hospital trip. You did that. You're not failing her, Jas. You're saving her."
She blinked, and the tears finally fell. He caught them with his thumbs.
"I'm proud of you. I swear to God, I've never been more proud in my life. You don't have to be fearless right now. You just have to keep breathing. I've got the rest."
Her lip quivered. "Don't leave."
"Never," he promised. "I'll be right there. You're not doing this alone."
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Long. Slow.
