She shifted left and right, trying to gain the momentum to roll out of bed, and when her feet hit the floor, she felt something had changed. She stood and walked toward the bathroom, one hand on her stomach, but had to stop in the hall and put the other hand on the wall to steady herself. The tightness had increased. Her stomach felt like a fully inflated basketball. The nurses said contractions were normal, but this didn’t feel normal. And just as she took another step, a surge of water gushed from her and stained her sweatpants.

She froze, staring at the wet carpet. The nurses had said something about her water breaking, but she didn’t know what that meant. She hobbled into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Was this really happening?

She turned on the shower. Maybe the water coursing over her would settle her. But another wave of pain hit and she knew she had to get to the hospital.

She called a cab, then with great effort pulled on her maternity jeans, pausing during another contraction. When the cab honked in front of the apartment, she looked at her red high-tops. Brian always helped her because she couldn’t get that low to put them on herself. Another honk. She grabbed the gym bag she had packed a month earlier with what she’d need, shoved her bare feet as far into the shoes as she could, and shuffled into the cold morning, her shoelaces flopping.

The cabdriver got out and opened the trunk, but when he glanced at her, his eyes widened.

“I need to get to the hospital. Fast.”

He slammed the trunk and opened the back door and helped her in.

She handed the man a ten-dollar bill as they approached the hospital and when he stopped, she didn’t wait for change.

A nurse met her just outside the front door and got her to a wheelchair inside. Melissa was never so glad to see a nurse in her life.

The next couple of hours went by in a blur. A female doctor with red hair examined Melissa, and as she put her feet in the stirrups, she remembered that spring day at the clinic. She’d come so close. And yet here she was. Her baby on his way.

On his way.

Her son was coming. Somehow in all the months leading up to this, it had seemed like a dream, like it was so far away. Was it really going to happen today? Would she hold her baby in her arms in a few minutes, a few hours, or be sent home again?

Another wave of pain. Another nurse guided her through the contraction and she thought of Brian. She wanted him to be with her, but she didn’t at the same time. Best to just get through this alone.