Page 63 of Derecho

“Because I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

My hand landed between her shoulders and I rubbed up and down as we walked into the bathroom.

“It’s okay if you have to. All part of the process.”

Lainey groaned. “You can call Birdie, can’t you? She’ll know…what…ooph…”

I cringed as Lainey’s body bent in half, her elbows resting on the sink while she swayed back and forth through the contraction.

“How often are these happening?” I asked as I slipped my phone out of my pocket. Perfect. I had no reception.

“I don’t know,” she groaned. “Maybe every ten minutes or so?”

“Okay, I’ll start timing them. If they’re ten minutes apart, I think we’re in okay shape.”

“How do you know that?!”

“Lots of pregnant ladies in the family recently. And I have anxiety, remember?”

Her eyebrows pulled together. “So, what? You started studying obstetrics?”

I laughed, and that got a searing scowl from her as she stood back up, her hands digging into her back.

“Yeah. Something like that. Okay?” Lainey’s nod was the only response I got. “I need to go get some things. Pillows. Blankets. Towels. The first aid kit.”

“I literally don’t care about any of that anymore, but could you please bring a glass of water in here? I was getting ready to come down for a drink when you burst into my room.” She grabbed the hem of my sweatshirt and pulled it up over her belly. My eyes shot to the ceiling. “Don’t worry. I’m wearing a bra. I just…I’m too hot.”

“Right. No.” I cleared my throat. “If cell service doesn’t come back soon, I imagine a bra will be the least of our worries.”

Her eyes went wide. “What do you mean?”

“The storm must have knocked out the nearest tower. I don’t have any bars.”

“That’ll take too long…we can’t call for help. What are we going to do?”

“We’re not going to panic,” I said, knowing full well that was a fucking lie. My hands were already sweating and I felt like I was going to hurl, but I wasn’t about to let Lainey know that. She had to be a thousand times more anxious than I was about the situation we found ourselves in.

“How?”

I smiled. “I’ll show you when I come back.”

“I can help⁠—”

“Stay right here. This room is the safest in the house if a tornado comes, or the storm winds get worse. I won’t risk something happening to you or the little alien just so I can get what we need in two trips instead of three.”

Lainey nodded, turning toward the tub as I left the bathroom.

It ended up taking four trips, but after stacking some pillows against the outside wall of the tub, I helped Lainey sit. Her phone and mine now rested on the edge of the sink, her hospital bag plopped with all the hope in the world right by the front door. She drank down the glass of water in between my second and third trip to gather what we needed, so I just grabbed the entire pitcher of water I normally kept in the fridge.

“So, what was that thing we were going to do…to distract me…from…Shit…” Her cheeks hollowed and then puffed out as her hand rested on her belly. That one was only eight minutes from the last one.

“We’re going to play cards.”

“Cards?”

“I used to do this with Jessie when she was little and had a tummy ache. It was a good way to distract her. You’re both competitive, so I figured it would work for you, too.”

“Damn straight, it will.” The words came out choppy between her clenched teeth.