Starting Tonight

Chapter 21

I've been sitting in this waiting room for hours while everyone has taken turns to go sit with Andy and Cory. They've been deciding who they want in the delivery room with them when the babies are born since we all got here. I had no desire to be in there when they are born. I don't have the strongest stomach and I really didn't want to see my best friend give birth.

"Chris," Cory said from down the hall, "Andy wants you."

I didn't say anything. I squeezed Kelly's hand as I got up and started walking towards the room Andy was in. I was nervous. I didn't like seeing Andy in the pain she was in. It was clear that as the day progressed the worse the pain got. The worse the pain got for her the less time I would spend with her. I really don't know how Cory was doing it. He didn't leave her side for anything.

"Come sit with me," Andy said calmly as I walked into the room and everyone else left leaving us alone.

"What did you need?" I asked her as I sat on the edge of the hospital bed.

"What's up with you?" Andy questioned me, "I haven't hardly seen you all day."

"It's nothing," I lied not wanting her to worry about me.

"Don't lie to me. I know you better than that," Andy confronted me, "I know something is bothering you. Just tell me what it is."

"Well... I... I just don't like seeing you in all of this pain," I admitted, "It just kills me. I don't see how Cory is doing it. No one should be in the kind of pain you're in."

"Chris," Andy said softly, "This is all natural. You'll understand one day. One day you'll be in Cory's shoes. You'll be having a child of your own and you'll see how beautiful of an experience it is. Even when you see Kelly going through all this pain. It'll all be worth it."

"I don't even know if me and Kel will ever get to that point," I said somberly.

"What do you mean? Of course you will," Andy smiled, "She's your forever."

"We've talked about it. Well, I've talked about it," I began, "You know, moving forward. Commitment. I can't even convince her to move to Nashville. She's here all the time. She acts like she don't want to. She avoids the topic any time I bring it up. I'm really starting to question if she even loves me."

"Christopher, how do you even question that?" Andy asked as she sat up and grabbed my hand, "She loves you more than anything, but maybe she's scared. She's got more at stake if she leaves home than I do. Home is all she has. She don't have brothers like we do. It's just her and her parents and her grandma. She's got a lot to risk."

"I guess you're right," I told her.

"Promise me something?" she said as she grabbed my shoulders to gain my full attention.

"Anything," I said as I looked directly into her eyes.

"Promise me you won't give up on her," Andy said with every ounce of her soul.

"I promise," I smiled as she wrapped her arms around me.

Before I knew it we were chatting like we did every day. I sat up next to her in the hospital bed and we watched trash on TV, laughing hysterically. In those moments she wasn't anything more than my best friend. She was just the one that I could talk to about anything and everything.

"How are you feeling, Mrs. Lane?" the nurse, Jenny, asked as she came in.

"I'm pretty good now," Andy answered with a smile, "Another contraction is due at in minute now though."