Chapter 26

Harper

"You good?" My dad laughed as I did a half little squat, trying to relieve the pressure on my back.

"Yeah, sorry, just a weird back cramp." I shook my head, wincing slightly. "This tumor inside of my is growing by the second."

My dad shook his head in amusement. "That's what babies do."

"Go lay down." Grandma said nervously. "These sound like contractions to me."

"They're not contractions." I rolled my eyes, annoyed at how concerned my dad suddenly got.

"Harper..." My dad said warningly. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." I waved him off. "I promise, I'm fine. Go to your game, I'll meet you there, okay?"

"Are you sure coming is a good idea?"

"You'll forget I went to both of these schools, I want to see old friends." I sighed. "I'll meet you there."

Despite the fact that I was a literal whale, I still wanted to go see my friends. I had three weeks left until this baby was due and I knew that that would mean saying goodbye to my social life.

So grandma, grandpa, and I packed up the car and came to stay with dad for a few days so I could go to the baseball game and we could just chill with him.

But right now as I put on a smile to shoo my dad out of the house, I could tell that something wasn't right.

He left through the front door and my smile instantly faded.

"So what do contractions feel like again?" I asked my grandma, leaning against the counter. "Because these cramps are getting worse."

My grandparents exchanged a look that I didn't know the meaning to.

"I think we should head to a hospital." Grandma said quietly. "Jim, go start the truck."

My grandpa nodded, his jaw set tight as he walked towards the front door.

"Um no." I said quickly. "This isn't... I'm not..." I shook my head frantically. "No this isn't happening."

"Harper, honey." My grandma sighed. "I'll get some things together. Take a seat and just try to relax."

"I don't even feel anything anymore, my water hasn't broken, I'm fine." I said seriously, refusing to take a seat. "I have a baseball game to get to."

"No, you have a baby to give birth to." My grandma laughed.

I angrily sat down in a chair while my grandma disappeared down the hall for a minute.

"Fuck." I whispered, resting my elbows on the table.

This wasn't happening.

This absolutely couldn't be happening.

Grandma returned a minute later with a tote over her shoulder.

"I'm still not feeling anything." I said seriously.

"Then maybe it's just Braxton-Hicks contractions. But I think we should go to the hospital just in case. We'll wait to call your dad until later, maybe it's not that serious yet." My grandma reassured me.

"I'll call my dad later. Don't tell him yet." I said seriously, reluctantly following her out to the truck. "This is nothing. This isn't what you think it is."

We were just pulling into the hospital parking lot twenty minutes later when another weird twinge struck my abdomen. A slight spasm of my muscles to the point that I shifted slightly, trying to relieve the pressure and tightness.

It was gone by the time I had to get out of the car so of course nothing was wrong. Didn't contractions like make people pass out or some shit? Weren't they like ridiculously painful?

This was nothing.

But the nurses at the front desk were taking it seriously. Everyone was acting like I was practically having the baby right there with how much they were trying to make me comfortable.

A nurse was taking my blood pressure when my water broke.

And my heart jumped into my throat.

"Calm down." She laughed, seeing my heart rate spike. "This is completely normal, you'll be just fine."

But I wasn't ready for this.

I wasn't ready for this at all.

My heart was thudding in my chest and I felt nauseous while a nurse helped me change into one of those ugly hospital gowns.

I wanted Noah.

I needed Noah.

Holy shit I needed him.

Nothing else mattered anymore.

Why was I so stupid? Why did I move away?

I'm such an idiot.

"I think it's time to call your dad." My grandma said as we waited in the room they placed us in.

"Let's just wait until we talk to a doctor." I replied, my hands shaking as I smoothed down the gown over my stomach. "Okay?"

"Okay." My grandma whispered, nodding slightly.

I noticed that she was tightly holding my grandpa's hand and I wondered why everyone was so nervous?

"Harper Lawrence?" Someone asked at the door.

"That's me." I smiled.

"Can you confirm your date of birth?"

I rattled off the information they required and was greeted with a pleasant smile from the doctor.

"I'm Dr. Greenberg. I know I'm not your normal OBGYN, but since you're so far away from home, I promise I'll take excellent care of you." She said happily.

She seemed sweet.

But I was still nervous.

"Is it normal to be so nervous?" I asked, my stomach twisting. "Because I high key feel like I'm about to puke."

"Yes, of course. Most first time moms are nervous." Dr. Greenberg reassured me. "Now if your grandparents could just step out for a moment, let's take a quick look and see how far along we are."

I nodded, balling my hands into fists as my grandparents left the room.

"How come everyone seems so nervous?" I asked quietly, sensing the tension amongst the nurses in the room.

"Well you're young, younger than usual, and the Ultrasound we did earlier showed us that the baby isn't in the best position right now." Dr. Greenberg exclaimed, putting on rubber gloves. "Nothing to worry about, you're in good hands, we're just trying to be careful."

I nodded, my heart still pounding in my chest.

I really wanted Noah right now...

"Are you planning on keeping the baby or adoption?" Dr. Greenberg asked as a nurse coaxed me to put my legs up on the stirrup things.

"I'm keeping him." I snapped. "That's not a very nice thing to ask. Of course I am."

"Just wondering." Dr. Greenberg said politely. "I was genuinely curious. I didn't mean to offend you."

I rested my head back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling while Dr. Greenberg did her job.

"It looks like you're about three centimeters dilated so we still have a ways to go." Dr. Greenberg smiled as she took off her gloves. "The nurses are here to make you comfortable and we'll have someone coming around periodically to check on the baby's position. Just page me if you need anything at all."

"Can you uh, can you tell my grandparents to stay out there? I need to make a phone call and I uh... I want to be alone."

"Of course." Dr. Greenberg smiled.

As soon as I was alone in the room, I opened up my phone to dial my dad's number.

"Hello? Harper? I'm in the middle of a game." My dad answered the phone. "Are you here yet?"

"Um... Not quite." I sighed, closing my eyes.

"What do you mean? Where are you guys?" My dad asked.

"At the hospital." I said quietly. "I'm having the baby."

I heard my dad gasp but he didn't say anything else.

"Dad?" I whispered.

"Harper." He replied. "Holy shit."

"Dad I need you to get here as fast as you can, please. I'm kind of freaking out." I said quietly. "And I... I need you."

"I'm on my way." My dad reassured me. "I'll be there in twenty five minutes."

"One more thing..." I whispered. "I need Noah."

"Noah? Noah Keller?"

"I need Noah Keller." I whispered, knowing my dad might get annoyed. "Daddy, please."

"Hold tight kid, we're on our way."

And then the line went dead.