Some People Have It and Other People Don't

I couldn’t believe it was happening. I felt the first pain early one morning. William was in the kitchen already getting breakfast and I was still in bed.

“William!” I called, a hand flying to my stomach. I could feel the baby right there.

“What’s wrong, honey?” he asked, sitting down next to me and stroking my belly. “How’s my little guy doing?”

“He kicked really hard...or at least I think it was a kick. I don’t know. It just really hurt.”

He looked worried. “Do you want to go to the hospital?”

“Not now. I mean I am almost nine months, but still...” I sat up in bed. I’d never been too fond of the idea of a baby coming out of there.

His face was completely white.

I laughed. “You worry too much.”

“Am I not allowed to worry? You’re carrying my child!” he cried.

I just smiled at him. “You’re much too overprotective of me. Help me out of bed.”

My stomach was so big I could barely sit up or get out of bed without help.

He helped me out and we went to the kitchen. Kiera was pouring herself some orange juice. She was still in her pajamas.

I looked outside. Even though it was almost eleven, it was still dark and it was raining pretty hard.

“It’s like a monsoon out there,” I said as I plopped down on the couch. It was too uncomfortable to stand. I was such a fat lard.

I turned on the TV and after only a few moments, the power went out.

Bill cursed and I heard something hit the ground. “Sorry, I dropped my cereal everywhere....”

“It’s okay, we’ll clean it up when the lights are back on,” I heard Kiera say.

Then I felt another pain, more intense than the last one had been. “Owww.”

“What’s wrong? Another pain?” William asked, finding his way over to me.

Kiera found the flashlights in one of the drawers in the kitchen and brought one over. William put his arm around me. “Should we go now?”

I sighed. “I’m fine. If it keeps happening, then we’ll go. Kiera sat down next to me. “Where’s mom?”

“At work,” she took a bite of her apple.

“Oh...right... Well, if I do need to go to the hospital today, you’re going to have to drive me,” I said to William.

“Can’t we get an ambulance?” he asked, worried.

I smiled. “Do you know how long it takes for an ambulance to get anywhere in New York?”

“But but but.... its raining out!” he cried.

“Wimp. I would drive myself in the rain!”

“NOT IF YOU’RE IN LABOR!” he nearly screamed.

“Calm down, can’t you t-,” I grabbed my stomach as a pain shot all through my body. “Oh god, that one hurt.”

“KIERA DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE?!”

“William you’re going to freak everyone out with that attitude of yours! You just have to remain calm!” I flashed the flashlight in his eyes and he looked at me like he was about to pass out.

“Em...” he looked down. “I think your water just broke.”

I looked down at my lap and finally felt something. I cursed under my breath and tossed Kiera my cell phone. She was surprisingly calm compared to William. Well...William was the dad... so yeah...

“Call mom,” I said to Kiera. “Bill, help me into the car. We’ll go to the hospital now.”

He looked like he was going to pass out. If he passed out I was totally a goner. His hands were shaking uncontrollably as he helped me up and out to the car.

I tried to breathe and do all that crap that they told women in labor to do in movies. Why hadn’t I read about what really to do? I was feeling kind of mad at myself now.

Another pain shot up my spine and I almost fell over but William caught me. He got me into the backseat and Kiera stayed with me. She held my hand with one hand and the phone with the other. Mom wasn’t picking up at work. She must have been busy at the office.

William started the car and I cursed the world for being rainy today. There was barely any visibility and the roads were so slippery. Hail was pelting at our car.

I let out a gasp at every start and stop. I told him to look at the road and not me; the faster we got to the hospital, the better. It was nearly every three seconds that he would ask me if I was alright.

“BECKETT, DRIVE THE CAR!” I cried as another pain came.

Kiera was even yelling at him too to go faster. I nearly crushed her hand with the pain. Poor girl.

It took us a whole effing hour to get to the hospital.

William and Kiera helped me out of the car and through the rain and into the lobby, where I started to have another pain, the biggest one yet.

I was admitted to a room really fast and they asked me how far apart the pains were. I told them ten minutes, and the nurse said I was lucky I got there when I did. I could’ve given birth in the car.

William and I both almost fainted at that comment. Thank god it hadn’t actually happened that way. They made Kiera wait out in the waiting room and I heard William tell her to keep trying to get a hold of my mom.

The next few hours were a blur. I remember the big needle they put in my back to lessen the pain, I remember the doctors telling me to push, and I remember William holding my hand and nearly crying at seeing me in pain. He told me it would be worth it soon enough, and I believed him.

After four rigorous, painful hours in labor (my mom came in an hour through it), I gave birth to a son.

“You are so lucky you’re cute,” I gasped out and looked at William a few seconds after. He was crying.

I heard the little one crying. They cleaned him off and wrapped him in a blanket.

“What are you naming him?” the doctor asked.

I was too weak to answer. “William Eugene Beckett. The third,” William answered for me.

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I love you.”

I smiled at him and he rubbed my hand lovingly.

A few moments later they placed the newborn in my hands and I couldn’t hold back my tears. “He’s so beautiful.” The little one was almost asleep now, no doubt as tired as I was.

“Just like his mommy,” Bill was crying like a madman. The look of happiness on his face was just indescribable.

I rocked little William in my arms. Mom wrapped an arm around me.

“I expect you to take care of your little boy, mister,” Mom teased William.

“I will be, I will be!” he was still crying. “Do you think I would abandon my wife and child?!”

My face flushed. “Wife?”

He smiled and grabbed my hand. “Of course we’re going to get married Emily,” he kissed my forehead again. “If you want to marry me.”

“You silly goose, of course I do!” And I really did. “Do you want to hold him?”

His face lit up again and he carefully took the sleeping child from my arms. “Hello little one,” he whispered. “He’s got such tiny hands,” he said to me. I nodded.

And then William started to sing a lullaby. Ha, that song put my exhausted self to sleep as well.

And I dreamed about me and him and being married and his band and friends and our baby, William Eugene Beckett III.

Emily Beckett... sure sounded sweet, didn’t it?

Who says nothing comes out of one night stands?