Buses & Bunk Beds (Zarry)

Chapter 72

"My water just broke."

Harry was at Jade's side in an instant, his hands fluttering uselessly as he tried to figure out what exactly he was supposed to do. I stood rooted in place, unable to believe that this was actually happening. I mean, yes, theoretically I knew that we were having a baby, but the fact that she was coming right now, right this minute, was blowing my fucking mind.

I felt all of my anger and annoyance with Harry drain out of my body, replaced immediately with a nervous excitement that made me feel like my entire body was buzzing. I shook my head to try to clear it, knowing that now was not the time to freak out.

"Hospital," I blurted out. "We need to get you to the hospital. I'll um...I'll call a taxi, yeah?" I asked, searching for guidance in an unfamiliar situation.

"Oh god, does it feel like the baby's coming now? Do you need an ambulance?" Harry added, panic making his voice several octaves higher than normal.

Jade shook her head as she waddled (there was really no other word for it) back into the bedroom. "A taxi's fine. You boys might want to change though," she said, sitting down on the bed and waving her hand to indicate our costumes.

She was right. I suddenly felt absolutely ridiculous. There was no way I wanted to meet my daughter dressed as Aladdin, and Harry was wearing a fucking sword for Christ's sake. He and I both ran to the closet, shutting the door behind us as we shucked our costumes and pulled on the first clothes we could find. I ended up in one of his shirts and he ended up in one of mine, but it was no matter. Nothing mattered but getting Jade to the hospital and doing whatever it took to bring the baby safely into the world. I called for a taxi while Harry helped Jade down the stairs as her breathing became more labored.

Our friends gathered around us as we waited for the cab, wishing us well and doing whatever they could to distract Jade from the pain and all of us from our nervousness. Liam assured me that he would lock up the house for us as we climbed into the waiting car, and with that we were off. I stared back at the house as we pulled away, realizing that when we returned we'd be doing so with our daughter.

Jade was rushed back into the delivery area as soon as we arrived. She'd texted her labor coach to come meet her, and Harry and I only saw her intermittently over the next few hours. Anxiety was my dominant emotion during that time. There was just so much to worry about. What if something happened to the baby during the delivery? What if Jade decided that she didn't want to share custody with us? What if I turned out to be a terrible father?

"What if we're not ready?" I asked Harry, my voice barely above a whisper as I finally was able to put my worries into words. We were standing in the waiting room, unable to sit still for more than a few minutes at a time despite how tired we were. I felt almost too sober, more aware than ever of how many things could go wrong and how unprepared I felt.

"We are ready," he assured me. He reached out to grasp my hand, pulling me towards him so that he could rest his forehead against mine, and I felt my heart rate calm more and more the longer he held onto me. His breath was mingling with mine, his fingers resting lightly against my hip, just firmly enough to let me know that he was there. That he would always be there. I was so glad that he was in this with me; that we were together and no longer hiding our relationship. I couldn't have stood it if I wasn't allowed to touch him, to lean on him during a time when I felt so much uncertainty. No one else could calm me down the way that he could. It had always been that way, since the moment we'd met. He was the one who was able to settle me down, as well as being the person who excited me more than anyone else, who made me find joy in the little things. I hoped that I did the same for him.

I wondered if we had always been this way; made to complement and complete each other, or if we were growing even more compatible the longer we were together. I could barely remember a time that I hadn't been in love with him, even if I'd been unable to admit it to myself, but I did know that no one else had ever affected me the way he did. I had told him that he'd brought sunshine into my life, and I meant it. It was like he was made to be mine, and I was made to be his. When I was down he cheered me up, and when he was stuck in his head I knew how to bring him out of his shell. We both had a tendency to be introverts and to focus on the negative, but it seemed that we took turns filling that role, so that neither one of us ever got too depressed. We balanced each other out perfectly, and I couldn't think of a better trait to look for in a lover.