The nine-minute drive to the hospital in the neighboring town seemed endless. Emmeline was sure Nicholas was speeding; the highway signs seemed to blur as they passed, yet it didn't seem fast enough. She wanted to feel safe in the hospital where the doctors and nurses could help her through this. Her mind raced with troubled uncertainty. Was the baby going to be okay? All of her prenatal care appointments had told her that this was a normal pregnancy, yet she had somehow been thrown into early labor. They pulled around to the emergency entrance, and Nicholas left the car running as he helped Emmeline through the automatic opening doors to the crowded waiting room reeking of disinfectant.

A nurse in Hello Kitty scrubs greeted them and then pointed to a clipboard with a pen hanging from a string on the desk beside her. "Just fill out the form, and we will call you soon." Then turned her attention back to the elderly man in front of her. He had a large purplish bruise on the side of his head and was tightly cradling an arm that appeared broken.

"I can't fill out forms! I am having a baby!" said Emmeline incredulously, leaning on Nicholas for support. She was having a hard enough time focusing her thoughts; filling out paperwork was beyond her at that moment.

"I understand you're upset, but I will get to you as soon as I am finished with this patient," the nurse's tone, patient and even.

The nurse's words were wholly lost on Emmeline as her eyes bulged. She audibly gasped. It felt like a water balloon had popped inside her and warm liquid started to course down her leg, puddling around her feet, soaking her wedge-heeled flip-flops. 

She squeezed Nicholas' hand tightly and said, "I think my water just broke."

"Are you okay? Nurse, please, we need you now!" exclaimed Nicholas, hand running anxiously through his hair. "She's early; she is not supposed to be in labor yet!"

"Nicholas, I parked your car," said Callum, coming through the door with Ginny and their Principal. "Never thought I'd ever get a chance to drive it!" Ginny elbowed him. "How ya doing, Em?" he asked.

"My water just broke, and the nurse wants me to fill out forms," said Emmeline, her eyes turned to Ginny pleading for her to do something. Emmeline's floor-length burgundy maternity dress had wet blotches down her leg, making her feel uncomfortable and utterly embarrassed.

The elderly man waiting at the desk motioned with his good arm to the nurse, "Go to her; I can wait. Look at her; she's a baby herself." The nurse smiled gratefully at the gentleman.

"Aaaaahhh!" Emmeline doubled over again, her fingers digging into Nicholas' arm.  He grimaced and then plastered a smile on his face.

The nurse got up from behind the desk and came over with a wheelchair and settled Emmeline into it while Ginny set about filling out the forms.

"Where are they?" shouted Amy, in forced desperation, making a grand entrance into the waiting room. Her ordinarily perfect auburn hair was tousled. Her cheeks were flushed.

"Mom, we're here," answered Emmeline dryly.

"I can't believe you are in labor now, don't you understand? Your father had a terribly big business meeting today. He had to cancel it, and he could lose a major account, you know."

"Don't blame me; blame this ball of fire that's trying to consume me from the inside. It wants out, and not even Dad's schedule is going to stop it!" 

"Don't be so dramatic, I'm simply trying to tell you why he isn't here yet,"  as if it was that simple.

"I'm going to have this baby whether he makes it or not." Emmeline gritted her teeth.

"Nicholas! Oh baby, are you okay?" asked Nicholas's Mom rushing thru the door, her gray eyes wild. "Amy." She nodded coolly to Emmeline's Mother.

"Dorothy." Amy returned her frosty greeting and awkwardly straightened out her brown tweed blazer.

"Nicholas, do you need anything? What do you need? Do you need a wheelchair? Nurse! My son needs a wheelchair. He is going to be a father!"

"Oh Dorothy, he doesn't need a wheelchair. He's not having the baby!"

"It's not all about you, Amy."  

"Guys, this is not the time," warned Emmeline, anger seeping through her staccato words, tired of the division between them. Secretly she hoped for months that they wouldn't make it to the hospital until after the baby was safely in her arms.  She was sure it would make everything so much easier.

Ginny finished filling out what she could of the paperwork and dropped it off on the desk while the principal announced she needed to get back to the school since everything seemed to be under control there.  Emmeline couldn't help but notice as she turned to leave how grateful she appeared to get out of this hornet's nest.  Emmeline wished she could go with her too.

"If you guys would like to follow me, " said the nurse, ushering them towards a set of elevators down a hall. "I can take you upstairs to the maternity ward."

Emmeline groaned. How could any of this be happening? How did I get myself into this situation? She thought for the hundredth time. She tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder, wishing for an elastic to tie it back. It wasn't supposed to happen this way, I was supposed to be older, I was supposed to be prepared, I was supposed to have traveled before I started having a family.  I don't know what I want to do with my life yet. It was all too much.  Labor was nothing like she imagined.  She couldn't remember exactly what she thought it would be like at that moment, but she was sure it wasn't supposed to be this.

The group paused to let a stretcher by, and Ginny leaned over and hugged Emmeline.  "You know I can go in with you if you want.  I don't mind."

"I know; I think Nicholas and I have this covered.  Besides, they don't like too many people in the delivery room." 

"I'll see you after, and tell them to find me if you need anything. Callum and I will be in the waiting room, hiding from your parents," said Ginny. Callum winked at Emmeline as another wave of contractions walloped her.

"Why can't there be a better way for babies to be born?" she whined, as Nicholas started to push the chair again.

"I'm so sorry," said Nicholas, tears laden with guilt threatened to escape down his cheeks. "I'm sorry I did this to you." He squeezed her hand and then looked to his Mother for help.  She was pulling strands of hair out of her head.

"It'll all be over soon enough," reassured the nurse as she pressed the up button on the elevator.

Dorothy abruptly nudged Amy out of the way to stand next to her son, "Don't apologize, Nicholas. She was there too."

"Are you blaming Emmeline for this?" asked Amy, with daggers shooting out of her eyes.  

"Mom...not now," begged Emmeline. She could feel her body tensing up, dreading the next excruciating contraction that was on its way.  "I thought there was supposed to be pauses between the contractions.  These seem like they just keep coming." This baby wanted out!

"Everyone's body is different," answered the nurse. "You never know."

"I can't sit by and listen to this woman call you a slut," interrupted Amy.

"She's not calling Emmeline a slut. We were both there in the beginning and are here together in the end." Exasperated, Nicholas pushed Emmeline onto the elevator with a little more force than he meant.

"Quick, Nicholas, push the door close button!" said Emmeline.  

The elevator doors started to close, leaving the expectant grandparents standing in the hall.

Emmeline smiled, "Sorry, no room! You'll have to take the next one or the stairs! Level 2!" she managed to get in just as the doors fully shut.

"You know the maternity ward is on level three," said the nurse, eyeing her suspiciously.  

"Oops," said Emmeline before a contented smile spread across her lips. She doubled over in pain again, "Hold on, baby, we're almost there."

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Author's Notes

Thanks so much for sticking with me through chapter two. I hope that you're enjoying it. Believe it or not, when I started this book, this was not the story I intended to tell. It was the back story, but I fell so much in love with Emmeline and Nicholas that I had to follow them instead. I hope you love them as much as I do!

This chapter is dedicated to Monrosey.  I cannot repay her help and guidance on this book.  I am just hoping I have been a good student.  Her book Strawberry Wine will be published next year, but in the meantime, you can read it here on Wattpad.  

-Lavinia Leigh xo