Stronger Than Ever (My Best Friend) (11 page)

She leaned against him, loving the feel of his arms around her.

He rubbed her stomach. “The baby finally calmed down.”

“Yes, giving Mommy a break.” She was about to turn when she got a sharp pain in her belly.

Jason held her up. “Kay”

“I think something is wrong.” She grabb
ed
her stomach.

He put his arm around her.

“I think I need to go to the hospital.” She cried in pain.

“Okay, but we’re about an hour and a half away from the hospital. You think you’ll be fine or should I call 911?” he asked with concern on his face.

“Drive me to the hospital. The contractions are far apart.”

“You’ve been having contractions? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I thought they were the Braxton-Hicks.”

He
started
to pick her up when her water broke. “Oh, God.”

“My water just broke?” Another contraction hit, making her cry out in pain.

“Not again.” Jason met her gaze and she knew they must both be thinking about the last time, when her water broke at home. “It’s too soon?”

“I know.” She paused and yelled. “Jason…”

“What, baby?”

“I don’t think we’re going to make it to the hospital. I can feel the baby crowning.”

“What?” Jason picked her up in his arms and headed to the bedroom. He gently put her on the bed. “Baby, I’m calling 911.” He grabbed the phone off the nightstand and dialed.

The operator answered. “This is 911. What’s your emergency?”

“My wife is in labor. She is only 3
5
weeks. We won’t make it to the hospital on time. Help me!”

To Kay’s ears, he sounded frantic.

Jason told her the address. “Baby, the ambulance is on its way. Can’t you wait?”

“No, I can’t wait!” Kay yelled at him. “You think I can turn this on and off?”

“Okay, Keisha,” he said in amusement.

“I can’t believe you’re trying to be funny.” Kay gave him an angry stare, raising her eyebrows. “They won’t make it on time. T
h
e baby is coming now!” she screamed.

“My wife says the baby is coming now. What do I do?” Jason asked the operator.

Apparently, she gave him instructions on what to do. He
started
running, sterilizing items and boiling water.

Kay
cried
out. “I can’t wait
.
I have
to start pushing!”

Jason lifted Kay’s sundress to her waist and stared into her eyes. “We can do thi
s,
remember when I told you we can do anything together?”

She
nodded
.

“I can see the baby’s hair! What do I do now?” he shouted.

The operator was now on speaker. “Sir, put your hand in front of the baby’s head and let it gently come out. Once the head is out, ma’am, I’m going to need you to stop pushing. Sir, when the baby’s head is out I need you to clean its nose and mouth with the towel, since you don’t have a syringe.”

He followed all the steps she told him. “I did it. What next?” he asked calmly, staring at Kay. “Baby, you’re doing grea
t
!
”
H
e smiled
wide.
“
T
he baby has lots of hair.”

She could see he was doing his best to remain calm for her. She nodded and another contraction hit.

“Can she push?” he asked the operator.

“Yes, help the baby by gently guiding the shoulders and hold him tight.”

“I’ve got him. It’s a boy!” he yelled with a great big smile. “Kay, we have a son.”

“Sir, now I need you to tie the umbilical cord really tight and cut the cord with the sterilized scissors. Then wrap him in the blanket. Keep him warm.”

The baby
started
crying his lungs out.

“You’re perfect,” he said with tears in his eyes. He suddenly got worried when Kay wasn’t talking. He remembered what happened when she gave birth to Ange
l,
she’d almost died. He got up and rushed to her. Though she was tired, he could see she was all right. “Kay, we have a son. He’s the most beautiful baby boy I’ve ever seen, even with all that white stuff on him.”

“Can I see him?” she asked with a smile on her face. He placed him in her arms. “Hi, baby.” With tears in her eyes, she clean
ed
him with the towel.

He was the color of a vanilla latte, with curly, tight dark blond hair, pink, full lips and chunky cheeks. At that moment he resembled Jason.

“Sir?” The operator asked.

“Yes, I’m sorry
.
I forgot you were still on the phone.”

“Sir, we’re not done yet.”

“What do you mean we’re not done yet? The baby’s out. She’s not having twins, is she?”

The operator laugh
ed
. “Sir, I don’t think so. It’s time for the placenta
to
come out
.
It should come out by itself.”

“Okay….” The placenta
came out
. He almost threw up. “This is nasty.”

“You can put it in a trash bag if you want. The paramedics are almost there.”

“Ma’am?”

“Yes?”

“What’s your name?” Jason asked.

“Carolyn.”

“Carolyn, thank you so much,” he said choking, on his emotions.

“You’re welcome.” They disconnected.

He walked over to Kay. “Are you okay baby?” he leaned over and kissed her forehead. He looked down and the baby was already nursing.

“I’m more than okay. We did it, you and I.”

“I love you.”

“He looks like you,” she said, wiping the baby’s face.

“He does, but that might change.” He looked so proudly at his new baby.

“We have a son,” she said, beaming with love.

“We do.” He bent down and kissed the baby’s cheek.

She caress
ed
the baby’s face with her fingertips. “Happy birthday, Jeremy.”

A tear escaped his eye. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Daddy. Our son’s name is Jeremy, just like his angel.”

He bent down again, kissed her lips, and whispered
, to the sound of sirens heading toward them
, “Thank you, doll eyes.”

At the hospital, Jason and Kay waited for the nurse to bring Baby Jeremy back. Even though the doctor insisted on checking him out, there was no doubt in Jason’s mind that their baby was healthy.

“Baby, how are you feeling?” he asked Kay.

“I’m sore and tired, but I can’t wait to see him again. He’s beautiful.” She smiled.

“He is. He has your button nose, but I do have to admit it he looks like me.”

“Yes, he does. He doesn’t even look like he’s half mine.”

He walked up to her bed, leaned down and kissed her cheek. “He’s ours.”

“Did you see his eyes? What color are they? Maybe he’ll have my eyes,” she said with a smirk.

“He didn’t open his eye
s
. A
ll
he
did was
cry
his lungs out.” He sat down in the chair next to her. “They’ll bring him in soon, and we’ll see. You should rest until he comes in
.
I promise I’ll wake you up when they bring him.” She nodded, closed her eyes, and drifted to sleep.

Jason called his parents and told them the good new
s,
they were
all
surprised, but very happy. He told them to wait until later to come and visit because Kay was resting and the baby still wasn’t back from his test, but he knew they would still show up. He talked to Angel and told her that her baby brother was here, and she’d be coming to see him really soon.

There was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Jason said.

The nurse entered the room carrying Baby Jeremy. “Your son wants to see you.”

Jason smiled from ear to ear and went over and gently took his son. “Is he okay?”

“You have a healthy bab
y,
weigh
ing
eight pounds, nine ounces and he’s twenty inches long.”

“Eight pounds,” he said, smiling at Jeremy.

“Yes, if he would’ve been full term, he might have been almost ten pounds. I’ll be back later to check on him and your wife.” The left the room.

“Thank you,” he said, closing the door.

He could finally relax and enjoy his son. He sat down in the chair next to Kay’s bed. “My son.” He kissed his cheeks and removed his baby cap. Jason
started
combing Jeremy’s hair with his fingers. At that moment, he opened his eyes. “Hi, Jeremy. It’s Daddy.” The baby’s eyes were the same color as his, baby blue. He smiled. “Just like me.” He got up and walked over to Kay. “Kay, I have someone here to see you.”

She turned, opened her eyes, and smiled. “Hello.” She leaned up and he handed her the baby.

“Hi, Jeremy. I see you got
d
addy’s eyes. I’ve been waiting for you.” She caress
ed
the baby’s hands
as he
fuss
ed
. She pushed down her hospital gown, and he
began
nursing. “He was hungry.”

“Thank you,” said Jason
, staring
at Kay with both love and tears in his eyes.

“For what?” she asked.

“For him.” He leaned in and kissed her lips.

“No, baby, thank you.” She
stared
at Jeremy. “We made him with love.”

“He weighed eight pounds, nine ounces, and twenty inches long.”

“He’s big for a preemie,” she said, kissing his button nose.

They sat in silence for a while. She turned him on her shoulder. He burped and she turned him back around. “My beautiful baby.” She just stared at him. “Did you call Angel?”

Jason walked over to the table and served himself a cup of water. “Yes, she is so excited to meet her brother. I told my parents to wait before bringing her, but I have a feeling they’re already on their way.” He took a drink of water.

Kay stopped talking and put her hand on the baby’s chest. “Jason,” Kay said, a little worried.

“Yes, baby?”

“His breathing is not normal.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, walking toward her. He noticed the baby was having a bit of trouble breathing. “Let me have him.”

She handed the baby to him. The baby
started
gasping for air. Kay hit the call button for the nurse, who was there in an instant.

She saw the looks on their faces. She took the baby from Jason’s arms, put him in an incubator, and called for the doctor, who rushed him out of the room.

Jason followed the nurse to the NICU. He stayed while they hooked Jeremy up to the machines that would help him breathe.
He sent a prayer up to heaven and left the room to be with Kay.

Jason pulled Kay into his arms and hugged her. “He’ll be okay. They said he was healthy.”

Kay broke down crying. “God, please watch out for my baby. Please.” They held each other.

“Baby, he’ll be okay.” He pulled away from her to
cup her face
with his hands.

“What happened? He was fine.” Kay said
,
putting her hands over
his
.
“Why did my body betray me? It’s because he was premature.”

“Your body didn’t betray you, baby. I watched you every day. You did everything right. Don’t you dare blame yourself,” he said, staring at her.

His parents walked in with a bouquet of flowers and a balloon that said
It’s A Boy
. As soon as Jason’s father saw his face, he knew something was wrong.

“What’s happened?” he asked, walking toward them.

His mom set the flowers on the table. “Tell us. What’s wrong?”

“Where’s Angel?” Jason asked.

“We left her with Sophia. What’s wrong, Jason?” his mother asked again.

Jason told them what happened, and that they were waiting for the doctor to come back and let them know what was going on. His father hugged him and offered comforting words.

Mrs. Anderson walked over to Kay. “Mom, Jeremy is beautiful
. H
e looks like Jason, which means he looks like Mr. Anderson.” She smiled between her cries.