the switch up

49

October 11, 2017, A.K.A The Present Day (38 weeks)

"So you are at Target at 2:00 in the morning why?" Talia asks in a raspy voice. I had woken her up for my own selfish reasons and I knew she wouldn't be too happy when I told her why.

"You know how Harry and my mom have taken me to the hospital like 3 times this week because I thought I was going into labor?" I ask her as I cruise the baby isle and dump some more clothes inside my cart. I had been here for 15 minutes and already my cart was a little less than halfway full.

"Mhmm." Talia hums while I take a little pair of pink pants off the rack to decide if they were cute enough to buy.

"Well I woke up with the pains again and it kinda helps to walk around so I thought why not shop around Target if I am already up you know?" I throw the little pants into the cart and pull out a Cheeto from my open chip bag.

"No... just because you are up with Braxton Hicks doesn't mean you should randomly go shopping at Target. That's like me saying, oh because I woke up to pee I'm already up so I might as well go to the club.." Talia tells me but I shrug my shoulders even though I know she can't see my body language.

"No that's not the same because I'm not at the club I'm in Target and honestly, there are no lines, it's quiet, I should really do my shopping this time of night."

"You know maybe you will be since your baby is going to be up and as you said if you are up you might as well go shopping at Target right?" Talia adapts to my logic and I laugh as she giggles slightly and groans out how tired she is.

"See! Logic!" I giggle with her as I move through the baby aisle to see if they have anything more that I don't already have. Harry will probably kill me when he sees how much shit I was buying that I didn't need but rather just wanted.

"Aren't you tired Mads? I am literally falling asleep, can you just go home and go to bed so I can get some sleep?" Talia whines as I pause and lay a hand over my stomach that is pulsing with pain. I screw my eyes shut as my breath is taken away from me, this didn't feel like the fake labor pains I had been having.

"Madeline?" Talia asks when I don't respond for a few minutes. I am breathing heavily to try and cope with the pulsing pain in my abdomen. "Madeline are you there?"

My eyes widen as I look down at the puddle I am standing in, frozen and unsure if I should even move. My breathing escalates as I stare at the puddle of water that spreads over the carpeted flooring of the Target baby aisle.

"Oh shit!" I swear and hear Talia try to gain my attention. I stand with water running down my leg as I stare at the growing puddle on the floor. "Talia... I either just peed myself or my water just broke!"

"Holy shit stay calm okay? Whatever you do don't freak out!" I can sense the stress in Talia's voice even though she is trying to help. My breath cripples as I see the liquid spreading into the carpet.

"I need to call Harry! I need to call him right now!" I panic hanging up with Talia to dial up Harry. I hurry away from the puddle and head towards the exit of Target. Sweat is pouring down my forehead as I sit on the line waiting for Harry to answer.

"Ahhh!" I yelp gripping my stomach as I feel a contraction pounding against me. "Harry please answer!" I say to myself letting the sweat from my brow drop down my face.

"I don't know if you've notice Mads but it's currently 2:30 in the morn-"

"Harry my water just broke!" I cut him off immediately hearing his raspy tired voice.

"What? Mads are you sure you didn't just pee yourself?" Harry asks me as I reach the outside air that cools me down from my hot state.

"No Harry it's my water! I'm having contractions, can you please come get me? I'm at Target!" I said to him groaning as another contraction comes on causing me to falter in stature.