Formula One - One-Shots Collection - Complete

Adaline - Romain Grosjean

My feet ached as I walked across the carpark from work towards my car, the yellow mini that seemed to be parked the furthest away from the building. As I walked across I felt a twinge in my lower back, I ignored it trying as I made my way to my vehicle. I knew I should have parked closer but I was late in this morning and although people knew my condition it didn't mean they had to leave me a parking space close to the building. 

I reached into my handbag as I walked, my hands finding my keys and then my phone. I unlocked my phone as another pain rippled through me stopping my steps as I took a deep breath trying to calm myself down. Scrolling over my contacts I found my ex-partners name before I pressed on it, the ringing loud as I pressed the speaker button before restarting my walk to my car. 

As the ringing stopped and the voicemail sounded I let out a groan as I ended the call. I put my phone back into my bag as I got my car just in time for another pain to take over my body. Biting my lip I leaned my head against the bright yellow driver's door and closed my eyes. 

I knew pretending that nothing was wrong all day was a mistake but I just couldn't face going to the hospital without him being there. I had tried to call him several times in the afternoon but each call had been left to go to voicemail. 

Once the pain subsided I opened the door and climbed in, my massive round stomach almost blocking the steering wheel as I put my keys in and started the engine. I took a deep breath before leaving the car park, my hands gripping the wheel tightly as I got to the junction before the main road. As the pain hit me again I breathed through it before pulling my vehicle up onto the grass verge. 

REaching for my bag I grabbed my phone again, ringing his number once again, the voicemail message the same as before. Sure we had broken up seven months ago, but I wasn't someone who had rang him since we had split. In fact, he didn't even know of the upcoming birth of his daughter, that's how little contact we had. I hoped that I could just do this without him, but when the pain came this morning, when I saw my best friend struggling with her son alone I knew I couldn't. I knew I needed to tell him even if it was too late. 

I changed my tactics, ringing for the emergency services, hoping to get an ambulance to the hospital before it was too late and I gave birth here at the side of the road. As I waited for it to arrive I experienced more and more contractions, my hands gripping my steering wheel tightly as I could think of nothing else but the pain that seized my body. 

My phone started to ring, my fingers slipping over it answering it as I pulled it close to me. "Romain?" I said his name, my voice was shaky and panicked. 

"You have to stop calling me, Brie." He was firm in his approach, "You have called me ten times today, it's not healthy."

Breathing deeply as the next contract swept through my I gritted my teeth as I rode it out before I spoke again, "I need you." 

"Please stop making this difficult for yourself," he said simply. Of course he didn't understand, I hadn't exlplained. 

"Please, Romain, I'm-" the line went dead, a couple of beep signalling he'd hung up before I sighed, "Having your baby." I spoke the last three wrods to myself. This was the first time I had admitted out loud that I was having his baby. 

I had told my mother that I had engaged in some sexual actuavity with a one night stand, the truth too hard to handle. I'm sure she knew I was lying but I didn't want any sympathy, i didn't need the constant nagging, asking why I kept it a secret. It was best this way, this way I was in control, or so I thought. 

A couple of minutes later the ambulance appeared and I found myself being transported to the local hospital. The paramedics were very caring as they helped me into the vehicle and into the maternity unit where I was taken to a private room.