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macees pov
i wake up to an empty house. usual for any other day, but today i frown as i peer around the front door.
today is our two year anniversary.
the first few years of conrad and i's marriage has been nothing short of dreamy. a child on the way - due in two weeks!! - and a house of our own now, we were loving every second of married life. and new-parent life.
and now the bump on my belly almost fully grown, i felt little suz kick with aggravation too.
"i know right," i mumbled, rubbing him, "the nerve."
i heard my phone ding, and rush towards it. maybe it was conrad.
it was.
hey babe, out doing chores, have a great start to your day!! love you lots!!
i frown. the usual routine for a saturday morning, connie would go grocery shopping, and id stay home with the kids. but this wasnt any usual day.
he had definitely forgotten, but i wasnt going to make him feel bad. i took this as an opportunity to surprise him big time when he got home. balloons, cake, streamers, kazoo's... i was going all out - and was going to make him look and feel like the biggest idiot. in the loving way a wife can do.
the truth was - every day with connie felt like our anniversary. the way he loved me was unreal, i was okay to let this slide. we were almost parents now, so our lives and days were busier than ever. connie went to work everyday, shopped on the weekends, and i always stayed home with the nursery, getting it ready, we both did our parts.
i still felt an evil smile creep across my face as i blew up the balloons, though, not being able to wait to see his face as he walked in and realized. we had a bunch of party stuff stuffed in a closet, so it took me about a half hour to set up.
a part of me was still a little sad, but after making the cake batter, and even feeling suz start to get excited off of my excitement, i was happy again. she was already a little bundle of joy, and we hadn't even met her yet. life with a baby was going to be so fun, and the thought of our little family always brought sunshine to the darkness.
she was already so much like her grandmother.
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conrad's pov
"dude, she totally is not going to see this coming." i smiled at jere, who smirked over at me as he shoved two bouquets of balloons in the backseat rather roughly.
truth was - i was only down the street, getting everything i needed for a romantic dinner at a park right by our town.
next stop was the bakery, for a cake, and chocolate covered strawberries.
i wanted to set the whole thing up like i had forgotten. jeremiah was going to go pick up mace for a 'dinner' and drive her here... and then she'd understand why i had been radio silent all day. it was all perfect.
"i know, when you first told me this plan, i thought it was so evil," jere grunted and he quickly slammed the car door shut, grunting with the balloons, "but i think its going to be so worth it." he placed his hands on his hips and nodded at me.
next stop was the bakery, then the florist, then setting up the park.
my phone buzzed in my pocket, and i took it out to see macee's contact picture - from our wedding day - she was calling me. i showed jere, and he laughed. i shook my head and denied it, we werent ready yet. and macee knew - i was a terrible liar.
a moment later, jeremiah's phone went off. the look he gave me told me it was also macee. i just shook my head, smiling.
"should i answer it?" he deviously smiled.
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macee's pov
i groaned satisfyingly as i put another spoonful of frosting in my mouth. i just couldn't resist, always blaming it on the baby inside of me, my cravings were through the roof lately.
suz kicked me from inside, and i almost lost my balance and my hands flew forward to prop myself up on the counter. first i gasped, a sharp pain following the kick, but then i laughed so hard i thought i peed.
well, i pretty much knew i did. being pregnant, you tend to do that a lot. either always needing to go, or just... going.
but something felt different this time. my heart dropped, and i got an instant stomach ache. i looked down toward my feet, and they were standing in a puddle, but not of pee.
my water had just broke.
i froze, i shook. i didnt know what to do.
conrad was gone. who knows where. and i was in labor. completely alone.
"what am i gonna do?" i asked no one.
could i drive to the hospital? should i drive to the hospital? probably not. but who would drive me?
i ran for my phone and dialed 911. the operator answered with a sweet voice, when i did the exact opposite.
"my husband isnt home, and my water just broke, i dont know what to do-"
"relax ma'am." i could tell she had a smile on her face, "could you sit for me?" i did what she said, "an ambulance is on its way, and just try to get in contact with your husband in the mean time. the front desk at the hospital will help you further if needed."
i told her thank you, and she hung up. i closed my eyes. i needed to calm down.
i typed in conrads number, getting his voicemail. i grunted.
who else?
jeremiah. he only lived a town or two away, he wouldnt beat the ambulance, but someone had to know.
i typed in his number, and prayed one of the fisher boys would pick up their phone.
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conrad's pov
i let him answer it. i felt bad, a little. to wake up on our anniversary and not know where i was, and to also not get me on the phone, i didnt want her to feel completely abandoned.
"you better be a good actor, jere." i bark before he answers, and he waves me off.
"hey macee, whats up?" he walks a few feet away from me, covering the other exposed ear, cringing a little, "oh- what is that noise!?" he started to laugh, but then his face went slack.
his eyes widened.
"macee, is that an ambul-" he had gotten interrupted, i could tell, and i stood up straighter. my heart dropped.
i could tell his did too, his face seemed to go even more emotionless.
"ok, ok, we're on our way, im with him now." he nodded, and hung up.
and he looked me dead in the eye and said, "macee's water broke."
we rushed to the hospital. i couldn't even feel excited about this because all i felt was guilt — i wasn't there.
jeremiah drove, and i hopped out of the car before it even stopped. i ran into the sliding front doors and right up to the front desk, "macedonia castillo. my wife, she should be here." i blurted out, breathing heavy.
the front lady nodded quickly, "she is. room 319."
"thank you." finally jeremiah had caught up, and we both ran to the room together.
i bursted through the doors, and my girls eyes were creased with pain. i ran for her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. she squeezed my harder.
"baby, i'm so sorry. i'm here now. i'm here." i said, and she smiled, putting her other hand on top of mine, but i wouldn't let her speak just yet, "jere and i. we had this whole plan. i didn't forget, God, i didn't forget our anniversary mace. i had this whole thing planned for tonight, a picnic and everything. it was going to be lovely." she smiled more, nodding at my words, letting me rant, "and i'm so sorry i wasn't there. and i didn't pick up. and-" she groaned, closing her eyes and squeezing my hand tightly, obviously going through contractions, "oh my gosh what am i doing trying to speak to you through all of this-"
i panicked, but she shook her head, "no. no don't worry." she smiled through the pain, "i have the sweetest husband, i do." she squeezed my hand, but not from pain this time, "and i'm so grateful for him." we smiled at each other.
"let's just have this baby and i'll make it up to you later, yeah?" i asked, and she nodded, and i wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"ok. let's do this." i cupped her face, "i love you."
"and i, you."
with another strangle of my hand, contractions worsened, and we got ready as our whole lives began to change together.
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