Chapter 48
48
AMELIA
I was in the lab trying to make time move faster.
And slower at the same time.
I couldn’t wait to have the baby, but I was also terrified of having an actual newborn to take care of.
My due date was fast approaching.
I was tired, uncomfortable, and ready to meet this baby already.
After the scare several months ago, everything had been smooth sailing—normal, uneventful, and stress-free.
It felt almost unfair, all that worry for nothing.
But here I was, counting down the days, hours, and minutes until I could finally hold my son in my arms.
The doctor assured me all was well, but yes, I still had some concerns.
It was impossible not to.
Especially with Jared questioning every hiccup and case of heartburn.
He was supportive and move of a worry wart than I was.
It was cute. Absolutely adorable.
And incredibly annoying.
I couldn’t wait to see him.
Jared and I had a date tonight.
I had a feeling he was up to something.
That man was a paradox—stoic and calm while digging around in someone’s brain, but jittery and transparent whenever he was trying to hide something from me.
It was almost comical.
I’d caught him sneaking around the house a few times this week, whispering on the phone, and being very secretive.
I glanced at the clock on the wall, then down at the stack of files on my desk.
My research assistant, David, was standing in the doorway, looking hesitant.
He was young—fresh out of grad school—and still trying to find his footing in the lab.
I waved him in.
“Hey, David. What’s up?”
He stepped inside, fidgeting with a pen in his hands.
“Uh, I just wanted to check in with you. Make sure everything’s set before you… you know, go on leave.”
I leaned back in my chair, resting a hand on my belly.
“Everything’s fine, David. Or as fine as it can be. The project’s on track, and Clair’s going to take over while I’m out. You’ll be in good hands.”
He nodded, but he still looked uneasy.
“Yeah, I know. It’s just… I guess I’m nervous. You’ve been leading this team, and now you’re going to be gone for months. What if something goes wrong? What if we miss something?”
I smiled, trying to reassure him.
“David, you’re more than capable. You’ve been doing great work, and Clair’s been keeping up with things. She knows this lab inside and out. Trust me, you’ll be fine. And I’m on the campus. It’s not like I’m going to be out of reach. I’m sure I’ll be popping in and working from home.”
He nodded.
“Okay. But, um, my position is secure, right? If you don’t come back, what happens?”
“You have a job. I have a job. It’s fine.”
“Okay. Cool. Uh, can I get you anything?”
“No thank you.”
He walked away.
I smiled and shook my head.
I understood his concern, but I had made sure everyone was ready to handle my absence.
I checked the time. I wanted to go home and get ready.
It felt like an exercise in futility to try and dress up and look sexy at this stage in my pregnancy, but I was going to give it my best shot.
I had bought a dress for the night.
Although when I opened the package, I thought it resembled a tent.
But Jared assured me he thought I was beautiful.
I closed my laptop and stood up, wincing as a sharp pain shot through my lower back.
“Okay, little guy,” I muttered, rubbing my belly.
“You’re not making this any easier. Get your foot off my kidney. Or liver. Wherever it is, move it, buster.”
I grabbed my bag and headed out of the lab, waving goodbye to the assistants.
The walk through the foyer was slow and awkward, my waddle more pronounced than ever.
I felt like a penguin.
No matter how hard I tried to walk normal, it just made it worse.
I had long lost the ability to see my feet.
They were a little swollen, but the doctor said it was fine.
Nothing to worry about.
That’s what she said.
I had given up on heels and had taken to wearing Uggs most days, despite the weather not calling for it.
I was just passing the main entrance when it happened.
A sudden gush of warmth, and then—oh no.
My water broke.
I froze, staring down at the puddle forming at my feet.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered.
This was not how this was supposed to go.
Jared was still in Miami.
He was supposed to fly back tonight, and we were meeting at the restaurant in an hour.
He was going to miss it.
He was going to miss everything .
A few people nearby noticed and rushed to my aid.
“Are you okay?” one of them asked, their voice panicked.
“I’m fine,” I said, though my voice was shaky.
“I just… my water broke.”
They stared at me, wide-eyed.
I realized they had no idea what to do.
These were all neurosurgeon interns and researchers.
OB was not their thing.
I was about to tell them to call Jared when Shawn appeared.
“Amelia,” he said, looking down at the puddle at me feet.
“Let’s get you to the clinic.”
“Thank you,” I said.
To my own ears, it sounded like I was thanking him for holding open the door for me.
Shawn was always so composed, so reliable.
He guided me to his car, helping me into the passenger seat before climbing in behind the wheel.
“Jared’s still in Miami,” I said, trying to sound calm.
“He’s supposed to be back soon, but?—”
“I’ll call him,” Shawn said, pulling out his phone.
“Don’t worry. He’ll make it.”
I nodded, but I wasn’t so sure.
“I’m supposed to deliver in Miami,” I said.
“My doctor is in Miami.”
“I’ll call the pilot,” he said.
A contraction hit, sharp enough to make me double over.
I groaned, unable to stop myself.
“Uh, just breathe,” he said.
“Like, um, I don’t know—breathe.”
“I’m breathing,” I grunted.
“I’ll call the pilot.”
Things were moving fast—too fast. “No,” I said.
“I can’t. Too fast.”
“What?”
I shook my head, a strong contraction stole my breath away.
I reached out and sank my claws into his arm.
“Ouch! Okay, okay. Alright. Not the airport. The clinic.”
I groaned again, leaning my head back against the seat.
The pain came out of nowhere.
My body felt like someone was stretching and twisting.
By the time we reached the clinic, the contractions were coming hard and fast. Shawn was talking on the phone, but I could barely hear him.
I was focusing every ounce of my energy on breathing through the pain.
“He’s on his way,” Shawn said.
“Turns out, we couldn’t fly you to Miami if we wanted to. Jared’s on the jet and the helicopter is delivering a patient to Orlando.”
I was starting to panic.
We weren’t supposed to have the baby here.
We had a reservation in Miami.
My doctor was in Miami.
“I can’t,” I murmured.
“Not here. I don’t want to.”
“Sweetie, I don’t think you have a choice.”
He helped me out of the car.
I walked in, hunched over and on the verge of real panic.
I didn’t want to do it here.
I knew these people.
They were great neuro doctors, but they weren’t OBGYN’s.
This wasn’t right.
“No,” I shook my head.
“I want to go to Miami.”
“Come with us,” a nurse said.
“We’ve got you.”
The nurses rushed me into a room, helping me into a gown and hooking me up to monitors.
Shawn came in once I was settled into a bed.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice gentle.
“Like I’m about to have a baby,” I said, my voice strained.
“Where’s Jared?”
“He’s on his way,” Shawn assured me.
“He’ll be here soon.”
I nodded, but the fear was creeping in.
What if he didn’t make it?
What if he missed the birth of our son?
I couldn’t do this without him.
I didn’t want to do this without him.
I really didn’t want to do it with Shawn at my side.
Some things a male friend shouldn’t see.
“Where’s Clair?” I asked.
“She’s in Miami,” he said.
“She’s on her way back with Jared.”
“Not you,” I groaned.
“Sorry. No offense. But you cannot see…well, you know.”
He smiled and patted my hand.
“Jared will make it. And if it’s me, I promise I won’t look.”
The contractions were relentless.
Time seemed to blur together.
The nurses and doctors moved around me, their voices calm and reassuring, but all I could think about was Jared.
Where was he? Why wasn’t he here?
I couldn’t do this here without him.
If I had to have a neurosurgeon deliver my baby, I wanted it to be the best one…
my baby’s father.
I cried out, grabbing Shawn’s hand.
“Tell the pilot to fly faster!” I shouted.
Shawn grimaced, holding my hand.
“He’s coming.”
“Shawn, this is not?—”
Pain cut off my words.
The doctor came in. “Let’s see how things are progressing.”
I knew how they were progressing.
I felt the urge to push.
My body was ready even if I wasn’t.
“Alright, Amelia?—”
“No! I can’t. You have to wait.”
The door burst open, and there he was—Jared, his usually immaculate hair disheveled, his gray eyes wild with worry.
He was breathing hard, as if he’d run every step from the jet to the clinic.
For all I knew, he had.
“Amelia,” he gasped, rushing to my side.
His hands were shaking as he reached for me.
“I’m here. I’m here now.”
Relief washed over me, and tears streamed down my face.
“You made it,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
“I was so scared you wouldn’t.”
He cupped my face in his hands, his touch both firm and tender.
“I’d never miss this,” he said.
“Not for anything.”
Shawn cleared his throat quietly and stepped back, giving Jared space.
“I’ll wait outside,” he said, his tone both awkward and relieved.
“Let me know if you need anything.”
Jared barely acknowledged him, his entire focus on me.
He pressed his forehead to mine, his breath warm against my skin.
“How are you holding up?” he asked, his voice soft.
“Not great,” I admitted, wincing as another contraction hit.
“This wasn’t the plan.”
“I know,” he murmured, brushing my hair back from my face.
“But we’re here now. We’ve got this.”
The next contraction hit like a tidal wave.
I gripped Jared’s hand so tightly I was sure I’d leave bruises.
He didn’t flinch, his steady presence anchoring me.
“Amelia, you’re ready,” the doctor said.
“It’s time to push.”
I shook my head, panic clawing at my chest. “I can’t. I’m not—I’m not ready.”
Jared’s voice cut through the fear.
“Look at me,” he said, his eyes locking onto mine.
“You can do this. You’re the strongest person I know. Just like we talked about. You’re going to breathe and push.”
His words grounded me.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“Okay.”
The next few minutes were a blur of pain and exertion, Jared’s hand never leaving mine.
His voice was a constant in the chaos, urging me on, murmuring encouragement.
And then, finally, there it was—a tiny, piercing cry that filled the room.
Our son.
Jared’s breath caught, and for the first time since I’d known him, his composure shattered completely.
Tears streamed down his face as he leaned over to press a kiss to my forehead.
“You did it,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
“Amelia, you did it.”
The nurses moved quickly, cleaning and wrapping the baby before placing him in my arms. I stared down at him, my heart swelling with a love so overwhelming it nearly stole my breath.
He was perfect—tiny and a little red, but perfect.
Jared leaned over, his eyes shining with tears as he looked at our son.
“He’s beautiful,” he whispered, his voice choked with emotion.
I nodded, tears streaming down my face. “He is.”