Sequel: Non Sequitur

Cinematic Confessions

Pretty in Pink

Autumn looked over at Katherine. "Where is he?" she asked Katherine for the fourth time that hour. "I need him here," she told her. She didn't just want Corey there, she needed him there. They had talked about her giving birth to Katherine and Cade's baby a lot, and every single time, he was always there with her. But, now that it was actually happening, he was in St. Louis.

Katherine reached out and pushed Autumn's hair out of her face. "He's on his way, sweetie," she said calmly. It had been nearly two hours since she had talked with Corey when he was getting on a plane from St. Louis to Chicago, so he had to be there any minute. She'd already called Brianna and asked her if she could pick Corey up at the airport so he didn't have to bother trying to get a taxi to the hospital.

Autumn sighed. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I know this is your baby," she said, looking between Katherine and Cade. "And, Corey isn't a part of it, but…" she trailed off, not knowing how to explain her reasoning for needing him there.

"We get it," Katherine smiled at her. "He's basically your husband without the official marriage certificate," she said with a chuckle. "He should be here, and he will be here," she assured her. Then she looked back at Autumn. "Why isn't he your husband yet?" she asked, trying to get her mind off the fact that she was in labor and Corey wasn't there yet. She still hadn't dilated much more since Katherine had talked to Corey on the phone, so they weren't in a real hurry for Corey to get there. He wasn't going to miss the baby being born.

"Because every time he proposes I say no," Autumn laughed.

"What?!" Katherine exclaimed. "You love the man, you two are practically married as is, and you won't accept his proposal?" She couldn't help but laugh at the logic.

"He just hasn't done it at the right time," Autumn shrugged. "I told him I want a true proposal. But, right now I’m starting to regret that, and just want him to propose already. I'm tired of waiting, even though that's what I told him I want. Why doesn't he know that?" she laughed, knowing she sounded like the crazy, pregnant lady she was at the moment.

"Autumn, he loves you, you'll get that proposal soon enough, I can guarantee that," Cade said from beside Katherine.

Autumn smiled at him. "I know," she nodded her head.

Suddenly, the door to her room opened, and Corey rushed in, out of breath. "Please tell me I didn't miss anything!" he said, looking around at everyone in the room, completely calm. "I'm guessing I didn't," he laughed at himself.

Katherine shook her head. "No, not even a little bit. She's only like three centimeters still. She apparently wants a long labor," she joked. "But, we're all glad you're here. I think she was telling the baby to hold off until you got here," she smiled at Corey.

He went to Autumn's side and bent down, kissing her forehead. "You know I wouldn't miss this," he told her, and she smiled as she nodded her head. "So now we just wait?" he asked.

Cade nodded his head. "Yep, now it's all up to the baby and when she's ready to come to the world," he explained.

Corey looked between the three of them. "And, has the doctor said anything about needing a C-section?" he asked cautiously. He knew Autumn didn't want one, but if it was the safest thing for both her and the baby, then that's what he would encourage her to do.

Cade shook his head, taking the lead on the answer. "Dr. Shively hasn't said anything yet. They need to wait until she's a little further dilated to see if the baby is going to be able to be delivered naturally," he explained.

Corey nodded his head, reaching down and grabbing Autumn's hand with his own, squeezing gently. She looked up at him. "I'm really happy you're here," she told him softly.

He smiled at her. "Me, too," he said.

Four hours later, they were all still sitting in the room, waiting on Autumn to have the baby. She still hadn’t dilated far enough to have the baby, but Dr. Shively had come into the room to check on her. She looked up at Autumn, a frown on her face. "What?" Autumn asked nervously, squeezing Corey's hand.

"You ready to have this baby?" she asked, the frown turning into a smile.

Autumn inhaled deeply, looking between all the people in the room. "It's time?" she asked. Her contractions had been getting closer together, but she didn't know that that meant she was ready to have the baby. She had been anxiously waiting for this time to come, but now that it was here, she was incredibly nervous.

Dr. Shively nodded her head. "Yes, it's time," she said. "Now, if we could just have the parents in the room," she said, glancing at Corey. "We'll have someone come get you after the baby is here."

Autumn's grip on Corey's hand tightened. She didn't want him to leave. Corey leaned down and kissed her forehead, not knowing what to do. "You'll be just fine," he said softly in her ear. "You're going to do great, baby."

Autumn looked up, ready to protest, but Katherine beat her to the chase. "He's staying," she stated, looking directly at Dr. Shively.

"He's not going anywhere," Cade nodded in agreement.

"Okay, then," Dr. Shively said, knowing there was no reason to argue. They had all already made up their mind. "Let's get you in some scrubs then if you're staying," she told Corey, as a nurse took him away so he could change out of his clothes.

When he go back, they had gotten Autumn all ready to have the baby with Dr. Shively in position at her feet. Katherine and Cade were on one side of Autumn, leaving the other side for Corey. He immediately grabbed her hand. She looked up at Katherine, shaking her head. "I don't think I'm ready for this," she said suddenly, a look of panic flashing across her face.

"You don't really have a choice. This little girl is ready to come," Dr. Shively told her.

She tightened her grip on Corey's hand. He wanted to tell her to ease up, but then reminded himself that she was currently about to have a baby come out of her, and he kept his comment to himself. "Katherine," Autumn began, looking up at her with wide eyes, shaking her head. "I'm not ready," she said, fear overcoming her.

Katherine nodded her head, putting her hand on Autumn's shoulder. "Yes, you are. You're so ready, Autumn. And, she's ready," she smiled, nodding her head towards Autumn's stomach.

Autumn remained quiet, squeezing her eyes shut as a contraction hit her. "Are you sure you don't want an epidural?" Dr. Shively asked her. Autumn had turned the offer down earlier, wanting to do everything naturally, but women changed their minds about getting an epidural often.

She gritted her teeth, shaking her head. "No, I'm fine," she squeezed out.

As the contraction passed, Dr. Shively looked up at Autumn. "She's ready," she repeated. "Autumn, I need you to give me one big, long push," she told her.

Autumn closed her eyes, clutching Corey's hand and squeezing as hard as she was pushing until she could do no longer. When she relaxed, Corey, tried moving his hand, wanting to get some circulation back into it. "Again, Autumn. She's being a little stubborn. Another push," Dr. Shively told her.

"You're doing great, Autumn," Katherine told her as she leaned into Cade, who had his arm wrapped around her, waiting on their daughter to be born.

Autumn took a deep breath and turned her head towards Corey. "Marry me," she breathed out as she pushed as hard as she could.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Corey wide eyed, and no baby out of her yet. "Did you just propose to me?" he asked as she took her free hand and tried to wipe away the hair that was stuck to her forehead from the sweat on her face.

She nodded her head. "Yes, marry me," she repeated, looking into his eyes. "Say you'll marry me," she practically begged.

"Another push," Dr. Shively said, interrupting Autumn's impromptu marriage proposal. "C'mon, Autumn," she encouraged.

Autumn prepared herself to push again when she heard Corey say, "No."

"No?" she said just before she forced herself to push once again. When she finally relaxed, she opened her eyes to look at Corey. "You just told a woman trying to fucking push a baby out of her fucking vagina no when she fucking proposes to you?" she cursed, completely outraged. She knew she was making a scene, but she didn't care about that right now.

"One more, Autumn. She's right there," Dr. Shively interrupted.

"Autumn, I want to marry you," Corey told her. "And, we will get married. But, you've turned me down every time I've asked you to marry me, and I'm not about to allow you to be the one to propose," he told her with a chuckle.

"You're fucking turning me down so you can win some pretend competition in your mind!?" she exclaimed.

"Autumn, push," Dr. Shively told her, and Autumn did as told, putting her argument with Corey on hold for the moment.

Screaming as she pushed as hard as she could, she finally collapsed back on the bed, opening her mouth to yell at Corey some more when suddenly she heard a cry. Her eyes shot open, and she saw Dr. Shively holding a tiny baby. She suddenly forgot all about everything with Corey as tears slipped down her cheek, as she watched Katherine and Cade see their baby for the first time.

"Would you like to cut the cord?" Dr. Shively asked Cade, who nodded his head, a big grin on his face as he looked down at his daughter for the first time.

After cutting the cord, the nurses took the baby away to wipe her down before returning her to the waiting family. "Who wants to hold her first?" the nurse asked with a smile.

Cade and Autumn both looked at Katherine. "Hold her, mama," Autumn told her, and a beaming Katherine reached her hands out to take her baby, bundled up in a pink blanket.

As Katherine held baby Harper, Corey leaned down and kissed the top of Autumn's head. "You know I love you, Autumn," he whispered in her ear.

She was suddenly reminded of the fight they had been having and the fact that he had turned down her proposal. But, watching Katherine with her baby, she let the anger go. Corey had told her that he wanted to marry her. And, while they might not be officially engaged yet, she knew they would be at some point in the future.

"I love you, too," she told him, not taking her eyes off of the family as Katherine gave Harper to Cade to hold.

"And, I can't wait until you are just as great giving birth to our baby," he added.

"We have to get married first," she told him sarcastically. "And in order to do that, you need to be engaged."

Corey smiled at her. "And, we will be. When I propose and you finally say yes." Autumn rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. It would all come in due time. But, for now, she would just revel in the fact that she had just given her best friends the best gift in the world. Baby Harper was finally here, and she couldn't have been happier.
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I've got the ending to this story all figured out. Now, I'm just trying to figure out if I want to do an epilogue or a sequel! Thoughts on the chapter? Thoughts on the story? Or the epilogue/sequel dilemma I have? Haha :)