Maui squawks then we both nearly keel over when he says, clear as day, “You’re an asshole.”

My fist connects with my husband’s back as he cackles with delight. “I told you if you kept saying that he was going to repeat it.”

He can’t wipe the smile from his face. “Maybe the little fucker’s cool after all.”

“Oh, my God!” I growl. “Stop cursing in front of him!”

The sound of a horn in the driveway signals Frank’s arrival. “All right, love. I gotta go.”

He leans in and sprinkles kisses all over my face, ending with a big smack on my lips.

“Love you,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I’ll see you at showtime!”

“Love you too.” He makes it as far as the door before stopping in his tracks. “Do you want me to check with Korie and Raven and arrange for you to hang out with one of them tonight instead of coming out to the bar?”

I scoff. “First of all, I can arrange my own babysitter, should I need one.” I turn in his direction and poke up two fingers. “And second of all, I want to go… Once this baby comes, I won’t be able to make a lot of your shows.”

The thought makes me want to cry. Watching him up there, living his dream, is one of my favorite things.

“Okay, Li’l Bit.” He kisses his first two fingers and sends it my way. “See you in a few hours.”

I don’t remember anything after catching that kiss until a sharp pain wakes me from a dead sleep. At least I think it does, because I bolt straight up, waiting to feel it again with no luck.

Deciding it must have been a dream, I run myself a bubble bath and light the candles in the bathroom. I still have four hours until the start of tonight’s show and intend to spend half of that pampering myself.

But no sooner than I get in the tub and rest my head on my bath pillow, do those irritating Braxton Hicks start up again, ruining the experience completely.

I wash up and give my hair a good scrubbing, rinse off using the handheld sprayer that I will never again look at without remembering kama sutra night, and step out onto the bath mat.

While blowing out my hair, I get a sharp pain. This one has me clutching the counter and holding my breath.

Once it passes, I grab my phone and call Korie.

“Hey girl,” she answers. “How’s it going?”

“Hey…uh. Do you remember what it felt like when you started having contractions?”

“Yeah…it was really intense. Not at all like the Braxton Hicks I’d been having.” She gets distracted for a moment with her daughter then comes back to the line. “Why? Are yours getting worse?”