Promise Me Forever

CHAPTER 13

Aidan

About half an hour after Cara's water broke, I finally got her in the damn car. She insisted on making the bathroom spotless again, which I took care of while she showered because she also insisted on cleaning herself up before going to the hospital and presenting herself to our baby. Once we're in the car and I've triple-checked that we have everything, I pull out on the road heading in the direction of the hospital. Thankfully we're making good time as there's very little traffic.

Cara throws her head back and I can tell the contraction is peaking by the wail she lets out and the thin layer of sweat that's starting to break across her forehead as she struggles to get control of her breathing. I take her hand and let her squeeze the hell out of it, holding out hope she doesn't break it.

"Cara, honey, breathe. Take a nice deep breath for me." She does.

"You did this to me, Aidan!" Cara says in a low, distressed voice from the passenger seat, her eyes fixed on the road with a look of controlled panic in them.

"I know honey." I answer, taking her hand and kissing it. "Sorry, not sorry."
____________________________________________

Cara

"Oh Godddd!" I scream through a ripping contraction.

"Whoa, honey, remember what they told us about screaming and how it's counterproductive to breathing through the -"

"Fuuuck!" Is what I say to that. Seriously, I'd like to see him go through what I have in just the two hours since we got to the hospital, starting with the not-so-bright registration lady who had me verify my first, middle and last names, my date of birth, my address, and middle school locker combination all while she could plainly see I was trying to get through a monumental contraction. Then being told the anesthesiologist was backed up and it would be a while before my epidural, while having another split-me-in-half contraction. This is after more stupid horrific contractions, all while feeling like a rhino is sitting on my chest, because seriously, it feels like I can't catch my breath.

Yeah... Let's see him go through all that without screaming.

The contraction ebbs and I suddenly feel bad for probably making him go partially def.

"I'm sorry." I pant. "That one was seriously horrible."

"I know, baby." he says in a quiet, soothing voice as I drop my forehead to his from where I sit on the edge of the bed. "But you're doing so so good, baby. I'm so proud of you." He's in a chair by the bed, facing me, running his hands softly up and down my thighs. I'm hooked up to a monitor that tracks my contractions, and while I deliberately have my back to it, Aidan is watching it so that he can prepare me for when another one comes.

"I dont think I. . . can't... I can't take another one." I say miserably, shaking my head as I continue to pant out my words. "I'm going to die. The pain's going to fucking kill me." I whimper.

"That's what you said about the last one, and you kicked its ass." he calmly reminds me.

"I mean it this time." I wail, still trying to catch my  damn breath.

He looks over my shoulder and back to me again. 

"Okay, another one's coming and this one is not as bad as the last one. Give me your hands. We're going to breathe through this together..."

We go on like this for the next hour, with me wanting to give up with each contraction and Aidan calmly not letting me. He coaches me through each one, staying completely in tune with me. He's the glue holding me together.