One More Night

Marc rushed home from practice as per usual. He hated having to leave Bree at all, but unfortunately if he wanted to get paid, he still had to go. But he did his best to be out of the locker room as soon as possible and back to her so they could keep working on their new place. She was starting to worry that it wouldn’t be done in time for the baby to arrive.

They’d decided to buy a new home; and while Bree had wanted something small and quaint that had a yard, Marc worried it was too small; that it would need too much renovation, but he hadn’t been able to talk her out of it. Even at seven months pregnant she was stubborn as a bull. So they’d bought the two story townhouse, and had immediately set to the renovations, staying at the old apartment in the meantime. It was all Marc could do to keep Bree out of there; he worried that the dust and the paint smell wouldn’t be good for her or the baby. Already once the smell had given her a massive migraine and he’d panicked and taken her to the emergency room. His brothers teased that he was more panicky than anything they’d ever seen, in truth he didn’t want to make any mistakes.

“Honey?” the house was too quiet. Unless she’d gone over to the new place, but the second car was still parked when he arrived home. It was frightening, really. There wasn’t even a creak to tell him that there was movement by either his pregnant girlfriend or his mother anywhere in the place.

“Bree?”

His heart was racing. Had she changed her mind? Had her brother and best friend convinced her to change her mind and she’d taken off for Toronto? Every possible worst-case scenario was running through his mind when his cell phone began to chime at him.

“Mom? Mom thank God, have you talked to Bree? Do you know where she is?” he immediately bombarded her with questions when he connected the call.

“Hospital, Marc. You need to get here now. That baby’s on the way,” his mom calmly told him, and it was like his whole world stopped. On the way. They hadn’t even hit nine months yet – that meant their baby wasn’t full term. Not by much – late next week would be the “official” nine-month mark – but it was enough to make his heart sink.

“It is? B-but it’s too early! We aren’t to term yet!” he argued, and heard his mother sigh.

“Neither was Jordan, but that didn’t stop him. Sometimes when they’re ready they are ready. Now get over here before Bree has a fit!” she commanded, and in an instant Marc ended the call and was back out the door. He should have noticed the emergency suitcase was gone from its place beside the door; thank God his mother grabbed it.

The only thing Marc was glad for was his knowledge of driving around New York; he managed to take more of a back-street approach and miss some of the severe traffic jams that occurred every single day. After a few minutes of arguing with the clerk at the front desk about whether or not he should be told which room Bree was in, he spotted his mom waving him over.

“How’s she doing? Is she okay?”

“She’s doing fine Marc – they just gave her the epidural. So now the pain isn’t quite so bad and she’s thinking a little clearer, but her contractions are getting pretty close together,” she informed him, the two taking up a brisk pace to head to the maternity ward. Somewhere Marc had never been before.

“Thanks so much mom; I’m so glad you came and stayed with us,” he pulled his mother into a quick hug, the adrenaline finally giving way to the rush of gratitude for her. While his parents had been quite upset about the whole situation, his mom hadn’t even hesitated with an answer when he’d asked if she’d come stay with them until their baby arrived. He was too worried about being away when Bree needed to go to a hospital, and due to her own shyness about the situation, Bree hadn’t really had much to do with any of the WAG’s.

“Of course honey. Now let’s go, Bree needs you,” she gave him a warm smile, before opening the door to his girlfriends’ room. She was lying on a small hospital bed, hair pulled back and off of her face and in a hospital gown.

“Marc! Oh thank God you’re here!” she looked almost in tears as she spoke, and Marc immediately went to her side to kiss her and give her a hug.

“Of course I am Bree, I’m sorry I didn’t get here earlier. How’re you doing?”

“All right, the doctor said everything is fine and normal. Just a little early. But she said we’re close enough to term it shouldn’t really make a difference,” she told him, helping him to relax.

“Can you believe it?” he whispered, and watched her brow furrow slightly in confusion.

“Believe what?”

“We’re having a baby, Bree,” he kissed her again, before nearly letting out a yelp as she squeezed his hand.

“Bree! Bree what’s… wrong?” he had to all but choke out his words, and mentally reminded himself that his girlfriend had a grip to kill.

“Contraction,” was his answer, her teeth gritted hard as she tried to breathe through the pain. His mother rolled her eyes at him, and he tried not to groan at his own lack of thought.

They chatted for almost ten minutes, Bree having another contraction in the meantime, and then her doctor entered the room. After asking Bree a few questions, consulting the monitors, and taking a look, she determined that they were ready to push. Linda made to leave, telling them this was something for the two of them to experience, and almost made it to the door before Bree called out to her.

“If… if my mom was still around I’d want her here. I know… I know you guys really don’t think much of me – hell I don’t blame you – but… but I’d really appreciate having you here to help,” was her quiet plea, and Marc didn’t miss the tears welling up in his mothers’ eyes.

“That’s nonsense sweetheart – you know we think the world of you. You two got off to an… interesting start, but seeing the way you two are, and how happy you make my son? There’s no words to describe it. And I’d be honored – you know your mom would be proud of you Bree,” was her response, before taking up a spot on her other side, holding onto the hand that Marc didn’t have.