A Bump in the Road -- Watty Awards 2011 --

Final Chapter & Epilogue

I am so sorry for the long wait you guys, so as a special thank you for all the amazing and sweet comments/messages I'm uploading the ENTIRE rest of the story, which technically is enough for 3 chapters. You guys are AMAZING, & if you liked this story, go check out BlueMiles Baby in my other works. XOXO It's been great. TLH

She lay in his lap fairly motionless except for when her grip on his hand tightened as she had another contraction, more blood seeping through her already ruined clothes. Joseph wanted to cry along with her, he never imagined it would be this hard to watch her go through this. he wanted to save her from any pain and he just couldn’t and it killed him. He couldn’t save her from this pain, couldn’t take it from her. But Nicole had always known her own mind and even now she at the very least knew what she didn’t want. Her hand would guide josephs to where she wanted his hands.

She had managed to doze off a little in between contractions. During one of these short interludes Joe radioed in to the front. “How’s she doin?” John’s voice came over. “She’s holding up john but not for much longer” “10-4” came the reply. “We have a little over 2 hours and im gunning it Joe”.

Nicole came to with the next contraction but with this one she sat up again. She had her eyes squeezed shut and her hands round her high belly. “Joe…Joe I think I, should I try pushing” she panted out “to get the baby down?” He held her tightly, “darling you can’t not yet just hold on a little bit longer. We’ll be there in less than two hours”.

Her nostrils flared although her eyes stayed clamped shut: “Don’t tell me what I can and cannot do Joseph Redford”. All the anger suddenly seemed to slump out of her. “Joe I don’t know how much longer I can do this” she mumbled. “All I want”, she placed a hand on her grossly swollen stomach, “is to get this baby out safely, that’s all I want just for her to be safe. Just get our baby out Joe” she pleaded with him. His jaw betrayed his volatile emotions “Nic we are going to get through this” he said thickly. “We are going to have this baby, and take her home and we are going to love her and I am going to grow old and gray with you Nicole and love you everyday of my life do you hear me? Don’t give up on me Nicole” he finished gruffly. “I’m going to take care of you Nic”.

            “Joseph I was so scared that I was going to have this baby alone. Oh I can’t do this anymore”, she fell back into his arms. “Trust in god Nic, he doesn’t give us more than we can handle”. She gave no answer, just lay there shaking.

Joseph reached into the pocket of his suit jacket he had discarded in the plane earlier and pulled something out. “Nicole Emantine Warren Redford; I married you in the eyes of the law some time ago when I thought I knew what love was. Whatever I felt then cannot compare to one one thousandth of what I feel for you now. And I meant it when I said I am going to spend every day of my life loving you. Nic, god putting you here in my life was the best thing that has happened to me – not just because it is giving me a child but its giving me the most beautiful, smart, god-fearing, sexy, courageous woman for a wife. I never told you this, but on the night we were married when I proposed I could have sworn I heard my nona’s voice in the wind, that lady was always right and she was still right when she said I’d be a fool to leave you.

Be my wife Nicole, you may already bear my name and my child but marry me in the eyes of the church as well’. He unfurled his hand to reveal a glittering white diamond in an antique gold setting. It looked strangely familiar, “my…my grandmothers rosary” Nicole stammered. Joseph nodded, “yes the diamond, and the gold band was melted down from a rosary of my nona’s. Nicole, will you be my wife, my partner, my confidante, my best friend and my reason for living for the rest of my life?”

 Despite the beginning of another contraction Nicole smiled up at him, “yes Joseph oh god thank you yes”. She felt her hand be picked up, despite its bloodstains joseph slipped the diamond ring onto her finger and kissed her. Deeply, passionately, religiously. The contraction reached its peak and Nicole grimaced and drew her hand to her mouth with the diamond pressed to her lips like she had done with the rosary so many times before. “I love you Joseph” she said and he held her tightly until it passed.