Chapter 3
Autumn
SEVEN MONTHS LATER
“Hey, Mesha. What’s going on, boo?”
I breathed through another contraction that assaulted me the moment my sister, Wynter, answered my call.
“Mesha, you there, baby?”
“Yeah. I’m here,” I replied breathlessly.
“What’s wrong? You sound winded. Are you in labor?”
“I’ve been having contractions all day and—”
“Why haven’t you said anything?”
“Because I was just going to time them, which I have been doing. They’ve been coming and going off and on all day. But they haven’t been consistent until the last hour and a half.”
“How consistently are they coming, Sis? Where are you?”
“They’re about three to five minutes apart. They keep alternating, and each one lasts about a minute.”
“Where are you?” Wynter repeated.
“I’m at home, getting ready to head to the hospital.”
My parents and sister were in Alabama, burying my father’s sister.
“We’re still a couple hours away. They stopped to gas up. They’re in the restroom now. You’re going to—”
“Aiggghhh!” I groaned as another one hit me. Shit, that wasn’t even five minutes after the last one. That was only three minutes apart.
“Mesha, I’m sorry. I knew I should’ve stayed.”
I clenched my teeth and gripped the doorknob as my stomach continued tightening, and a pain worked its way across my back. When I finally caught my breath again, I blew it out and spoke.
“No. I’ll be fine. You needed to be there supporting Daddy.”
“And who’s there supporting you?”
“I’m less than ten minutes from my hospital.”
“But are you going to make it there safely? With the pain that you’re in, Mesha, you might not—”
“Don’t say it. I’ll be fine. I just wanted to call and let you know.”
“Do you need me to stay on the phone with you?”
“No. I can’t focus like this.”
“I’m telling Mama and Daddy,” Wynter declared.
“Mmkay. Y’all be safe.”
I pushed the front door open and made my way through it. No sooner than I had put my phone away and closed and locked my door, another contraction hit me, causing me to buckle slightly.
I was thankful that I had the foresight to pack mine and my baby’s bags a couple of weeks ago and leave them in the car so that I didn’t have to worry about this. Even my car seat was already properly hooked up.
As a single mother, I had to be able to be independent and take care of myself in the event that this happened when I was alone. It hurt that Wilson wasn’t here for me. Never in a million years could anyone have told me that there would be no more us.
I loved that man and knew that we would be together forever. He was my everything until he wasn’t. He had left me in a horrible predicament, trying to figure out the future for my baby and myself.
I straightened up with my hand holding my belly as my neighbor, October, called out, “Are you okay, Autumn?”
I nodded, but he came rushing over anyway. “Let me help you down the steps.”
He took my hand and gradually helped me down the steps to the sidewalk. The moment that I made it, another contraction assaulted me in my back and my belly. I surrendered to the pain, crumpled over, and squeezed his hand until he exclaimed, “Shit!”
“Sorry. So sorry,” I whispered between breaths when the contraction passed.
“No problem. How far apart are they?”
“They were five minutes, but they’re now coming three minutes apart.”
“Shouldn’t you be at the hospital?”
“I’m on my way there now.”
“Who’s taking you?”
“Me.”
“You can’t take yourself, pretty baby. How you gon’ drive in this kind of pain?”
“I have no choice, October.”
He glanced around as I walked to my car and unlocked the doors.
“Like hell you don’t,” he declared nervously.
“No. I’ll be fine.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I’ve been preparing for this moment in the event no one was around when I went into labor.”
“Well, someone is around. Me.”
“Well, it isn’t your problem, is it?” I snapped rudely.
He blew out another breath as I walked around the front of the car.
“I know you’re in pain, ma, so I’ma let you make it.”
I opened the door and glanced in the back seat to make sure that our bags were there. I knew that they were, but it was just a natural response to check. Once confirmed, I prepared to sit down when another contraction hit.
I gripped the door handle, and sweat popped out on my face. I squeezed my eyes tight, trying to breathe through the pain. I felt October’s cool hand resting on mine.
“Come on. I’ma take you.”
“No. I’ll be fine.”
“No, you won’t. God forbid that you should have one of those during a moment of snap judgment. The last thing you want is to be involved in or create an accident right now. Your baby’s safety is our primary concern.”
“I can—”
“If you don’t get your ass in my car and let me drive you, I’ma know something,” he grumbled, rushing to my passenger side and opening the door.
I watched in alarm as he grabbed my and my baby’s bags and came back for me. He graciously took my hand and helped me to his car, which was parked one space in front of mine.
“You really don’t have to do this,” I stated, humbled and embarrassed by my need to depend on anyone. From the moment that I learned I was pregnant, I vowed to do this alone with minimal help from my family.
Not that they wouldn’t be there for me, but this wasn’t their problem. It was borne from a decision I had made, and I alone would bear the responsibility and inconvenience of it.
He helped me into his car without responding to my protestations. Once he finished, he declared, “I’ll be back. Let me get her car seat.”
“You don’t need to do that. I can have my sister or parents pick it up before I’m released.”
“If I have the honor of transporting you to the hospital, let me have the honor of transporting your princess back home again.”
Although his tone was sharp and his demeanor serious, he flashed a beautiful smile that may have had me jumping on his lap under different circumstances. But the last thing on my mind at the moment was another man. God knew I had my fill of trouble with men.
I waited while he went to retrieve the car seat. October didn’t bother to buckle it in.
“I’ll strap it in later. Right now, let’s get you ladies to where you need to be,” he stated, starting the engine and taking off.
Within six minutes, we were at the hospital. Though I held on tightly because the man drove like a speed demon in his Porsche, he was extremely safe at the same time. He maneuvered through the streets as if they belonged to him.
I had two more major contractions on the way, and another one as we arrived at the hospital. He rushed inside to grab a wheelchair and returned with it and a male nurse. They helped me out of the car and into the wheelchair just as I felt major pressure in my bottom.