At First Sight - Nicholas Sparks [97]
“I think so. I’ve been having Braxton-Hicks, but these feel different. And they’re more regular.”
He swallowed. “So this is it?”
“I’m not sure. But I think this is it.”
“Okay,” he said, taking a long breath. “Let’s not panic.”
“I’m not panicking.”
“Good, because there’s no reason to panic.”
“I know.”
For a long moment, they simply looked at each other.
“I need to take a shower,” he finally said.
“A shower?”
“Yeah,” he said, getting out of bed. “I’ll be quick, and then we’ll go.”
He wasn’t quick. He took a long shower, long enough to steam the mirrors to the point that he had to wipe them twice in order to shave. He brushed his teeth and flossed, then slapped on aftershave. He gargled twice. He took the time to open a new container of deodorant, turned the hair dryer on low, and added both mousse and gel before brushing his hair. His fingernails were a bit long, and he was cutting and filing them when he heard the door fling open behind him.
“What on earth are you doing?” she gasped. Holding her belly, she was hunched over. “What’s taking so long?”
“I’m almost done,” he protested.
“You’ve been in there almost half an hour!”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really!” Focusing through her pain, she blinked when she saw what he was doing. “Are you clipping your fingernails?”
Before he could answer, she turned and staggered out of view.
In rehearsing this day, Jeremy never imagined himself acting this way. Instead, he’d be the epitome of calm and collected. He would get ready with machinelike efficiency, keep an eye on his wife and alleviate her concerns, and grab the bags that Lexie had already packed before hustling to the hospital with hands that were steady on the wheel.
What he hadn’t expected was how terrified he would be. He wasn’t ready for this. How could he be a father? He had no idea what he was supposed to do. Diapers? Formula? How to hold the baby? He didn’t have a clue. He needed another day or two to read a few of those books Lexie had been studying for months. But it was too late now. His subconscious attempt to delay had failed.
“No, we haven’t left yet!” she said into the phone. “He’s still getting ready!”
Talking to Doris, Jeremy knew. And sounding none too pleased.
Jeremy began to throw on his clothes and was pulling a shirt over his head when she hung up. Arching her back, she suffered through another contraction in silence, and he waited until it passed. Then, helping her to her feet, he began to lead her to the car, finally gaining some measure of control.
“Don’t forget the bag,” she said.
“I’ll come back for it.”
In a flash, they were in the car. By that time, another contraction had begun, and he began backing out in haste.
“The bag,” she cried, wincing.
He slammed on the brakes and rushed back inside. He truly wasn’t ready for this.
The roads were empty and black beneath the darkened sky, and Jeremy pressed the accelerator, speeding toward Greenville. Because of the possible complications, they’d decided to have the baby in Greenville, and Jeremy called the doctor’s answering service to let him know they were on the way.
After another contraction passed, Lexie leaned back in her seat, looking pale. He pressed harder on the accelerator.
They sped along the deserted roads; in the rearview mirror, he could see the graying light of dawn on the horizon. Lexie was strangely quiet, but then again so was he. Neither had said a word since they got in the car.
“Are you doing okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, not sounding okay. “You might want to drive faster, though.”
His heart hammered in his chest. Keep calm, he told himself. Whatever you do, just stay calm. He could feel the pull of the car as they sped around a curve.
“Not that fast,” she said. “I don’t want to die before we get there.”
He slowed the car, then found himself speeding up again every time she had a contraction. They seemed to be coming every eight minutes or so. What he didn’t know was whether that meant he had plenty of time or not enough. He really should have read the book,