Lakeside Love

Are You Ready for it?

"Please please please pick up," I said to my phone.

The car was tearing down the highway, and I was laying as far back as I could in the front seat.

"If he doesn't pick up, just leave a voicemail," my mom said.

"I know, I know," I said, unzipping my winter coat. It was too hot in this car.

"Hey, this is Brayden. I guess I couldn't come to the phone, so leave me a message and I'll get back to you."

Please leave your message after the tone. The phone beeped right after that.

"Hey Brayden, this is your girlfriend. I'll start off by saying happy five-montherversery. Go us for being semi-long distance for all these months. And other than that my water broke and I'm literally in labor. So when you get this, come to Oak Falls General, okay? Bye. Love you."

I hung up and gripped the door handle. This was not fun.

"Is that another contraction?" my mom asked.

"No, it's just a painful fart—yes, of course it's a contraction!" I said.

"Listen, I didn't go through labor with you girls. It was a planned c-section. I'm completely in the dark," she said. "Just keep breathing through it. We're almost there."

"I'm gonna die. It's supposed to get worse than this? How the hell does this woman expect me to push out two babies? I can't even imagine doing one!"

"Just relax. You'll get through it. With pain meds and all the other stuff they have for you, you'll make it out on the other side."

When we got to the hospital, we parked the car, walked inside, and a nurse got a wheelchair for me. From there, I was taken back to the maternity ward. I got changed into the special labor and delivery gown I bought (so I didn't have to wear one of the ugly hospital ones) and my mom got me some ice chips. The nurses got me hooked up to all kinds of machines, checked my vitals, and told me Doctor Andrews had already been called that I was here.

She arrived about thirty minutes after that, a bright smile on her face. Meanwhile, I was laying on my side and gripping the handrails of the bed, ready to kill Brayden for not even texting me back.

"Hey Kimi! So it looks like we're here to have some babies today?" she asked.

"I'll take my epidural now," I said.

Her and my mom both laughed. Dr. Andrews checked me. Four centimeters dilated. Six to go.

"I'll be back in a little bit to check on how you're progressing, okay? Then if everything looks good, we'll get you set up with the epidural," Dr. Andrews said.

"Okay. That's fine. I think I can make it," I said.

"You're doing awesome, sweetie," she said before leaving the room.

I picked up my phone again and checked everything. Nothing from Brayden. He really picked the absolute worst day to suddenly turn into a bad boyfriend.

"It's two-thirty. I need to go get your sisters from school. Will you be okay here for another hour?" my mom asked.

"Yeah. I'll just turn the TV on I guess," I said.

"Okay. I love you. You're doing great. I'm so proud of you."

She gave me a hug and then left the room. I chugged a few more ice chips, dealt with a contraction, and turned on the TV. I flipped the channels around, and to my luck, found MTV. Teen Mom was on. How coincidental.

"The sextuplets are literally going to preschool, and I can't believe it," said Harper, who was secretly my favorite.

And I thought my hands would be full with twins. Her and her husband Lee had triplets at sixteen, then sextuplets at nineteen. I could not even fathom that.

Ten minutes later, and without knocking, three familiar faces walked into my room. My jaw just completely dropped. Brayden ran over to me and I wrapped my arms around him.

"You didn't call or text back! I was so mad," I said.

"When I got the voicemail, I literally just jumped in the car," he said.

"You're the best."

"Thanks. I try," he said.

After that, I hugged Opal. I missed her so much. I'd only seen her a handful of times since I had to move back here. We talked almost every day, but it was nothing like hanging out in person.

"Wait, isn't today your holiday party for the club you're the president of?" I asked her.

"This is more important. You don't need the club president there to lay out some cookies and candy and play some music," she said. "We're here for you. This is so much higher on my list of priorities."

"And DJ...I'm honestly surprised you came. You hate hospitals and babies," I said.

"I'm just out here repping my girl and showing my support," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "And I'll be here for you all the way...out in the hall."

We all laughed.

"Thanks, bro. It still warms my heart," I said, giving him a fist-bump. "It means a lot that you guys are here, but it's probably gonna be a while. I'm not even halfway there."

"I can find a place to sleep and vibe with my phone. I've got my charger and two packs of PopTarts. I can survive anywhere! Plus, if I'm here, then I'm not in school," DJ said.

"Well when Brayden called me he made it seem like we wouldn't even make it here in time!" Opal said, crossing her arms over her chest and giving Brayden the stank eye. "I'll probably have to get someone to come pick me up. I love you more than anything but I can't stay here all night with school in the morning. I have an important ceremony for ROTC."

"It's okay! They should be here by the time you're done with school tomor...row," I said, gripping the bed with another contraction.

"You okay?" Brayden asked, taking my hand.

"I'm in labor. That's a very complex question," I said.

After that, it was becoming a long, long night. A dose of pitocin, an epidural, and ten hours later, Doctor Andrews came into my room. I was a little loopy, Brayden was asleep in the chair next to me, DJ was using his jacket as a pillow as he laid on the floor, and my mom and sisters were sitting in the camping chairs they brought from home on the other side of the room.

Doctor Andrews checked me, then came back with a few nurses. I was loopy and tired, but still pretty uncomfortable. I wouldn't necessarily say it was pain, but just a lot of pressure. Like I really, really had to use the bathroom.

"Okay, Kimi. You're at ten centimeters. It's time to start pushing. Are you ready for it?" asked Doctor Andrews.

"I don't think I have a choice, do I?" I asked.

We cleared the room so it was just Brayden and I, along with the medical team, of course. My sisters were kind of pissed that I kicked them out, but I wasn't comfortable with them seeing my crotch. Just...no.

I felt the next contraction, and Doctor Andrews instructed me to start pushing. This was it. My girls were literally coming...right now.