Butterflies in Honey (Growing Pains #3)(123)

“Sure, of course.” Sean helped her up gently. They took a turn around the living room. Half way through she had to stop, bow down, and breathe as her ass was ripped apart from her uterus, which was being kicked and stepped on by a giant goat. They kept walking until the next one, which didn’t seem worse than the last, thank God, and Sean informed her excitedly that it was time to go. Things were starting to speed up.

Thank God.

The pain was starting to make her into a potty mouth like Kate.

Krista leaned against the couch as Sean ran around like a wild man getting everything they would need. He had a checklist that he actually checked things off of. Once everything was loaded, he took a break to help Krista through the next contraction, then got her coat, and started patting his pants frantically.

“Keys, keys…” He looked around wild eyed. “Okay, Sean, stop a minute, take a breath…” He took a big breath, “and think. Oh yes—“ He dashed to the counter, reclaimed his keys, and raced back to Krista. “Let’s go, baby. You’re doing great.”

Krista tried not to waddle for any part of her pregnancy. Now, however, she did not care. She teetered out of the house, stopped to basically try and push out a thorny Buick, and continued on when the pain passed.

In the car, she was in agony. Bumps and the car’s rocking made her uncomfortable, and there was nowhere to bend or move when the contractions hit. She gripped the handrail and braced herself, but it didn’t help.

“Call Marcus,” Krista said through clenched teeth.

“Marcus?” Sean asked in confusion.

“He is the most relaxed person I know. Call him.”

“Oh right. Of course.” Sean hit a button on his dash and instructed the computer to call.

“Hello?” Marcus answered lazily over the car’s speakers.

“Hi Marcus, this is Sean.”

“Sean, I am almost finished. I literally have been working on your…”

“No Marcus, not why I’m calling.”

“Oh. What’s up? Need the latest? Kim in New York was saying—”

“Marcus, shut up and head to the hospital,” Krista yelled.

“Krista? Hey sexy, how are things going with your waist line?”

“I’m about to lose a few pounds, actually. I need…”

The pain came out of nowhere. She let out a moan as her world went a bad kind of sparkly.

“What’s going on?” Marcus asked quickly and loudly.

“She’s in labor and she has asked for you. Says you’re the most relaxed person she knows. Can you stay the most relaxed person she knows?”

Was that a hint of steel in his words?

“Oh my gosh. I am strangely excited.” Marcus sounded like a little boy.

“But can you stay calm?” Sean asked with an edge. Yes, definitely steel.

“Life is but a breeze. Krista, make sure that young stud of yours doesn’t scare the hospital staff. I’ll see you in twenty. Hospital, right?”

“Yeah, see you there,” Sean said as Krista looked out the window.

“Probably should invite Ben, now. But no one gets to see my vajayjay unless it’s you or they have one of their own.”

“Noted.” Sean barely suppressed the laughter in his voice.

Being admitted to the hospital was torture. Krista had to answer questions and fill out a form, all while being racked with pain every five minutes. Then they gave her an exam to make sure she was far enough along to be admitted. She was three centimeters by that point. She had to get to ten. This pain, which was the worse she had ever experienced, was nothing compared to what it would become.

She was no hero. Decision made—epidural, please.

She had often wanted to punch mother nature in the vagina for making pregnancy such a pain in the ass. Feeling sick, feeling immobile, random fears, terrible acid reflux, restless leg where her feet felt like they had ants and needed to stay moving when she was trying to sleep—all that was terrible stuff to endure. But labor? Millions of years of evolution and it still hurt this much? Really?!

They got to the room and the nurse got Krista all situated. She was hit by a harder contraction and life stopped to gather around the pain. Sean got in her face and started coaching her through it.

Back when they were in the labor and breathing class, Krista decided she would be highly irritated if someone got in her face while she was trying to work through pain. That was before she knew how much pain they were talking about. Now she was happy to have something else to distract her, even if it was a ridiculously charged, over-the-top positive,über gung-ho Sean.

At least she got to look at a crazy handsome face. Could definitely be worse!

As the pain subsided and her claws relaxed back into hands, she noticed Kate and Jasmine in the corner with a terrified looking Ben. Maybe having him come along wasn’t the best idea after all. Ben had a girlfriend, but they weren’t serious. She had a feeling Ben wouldn’t look at his woman the same after this.

Good thing g*y wasn’t a choice, because if it were, he would sprint toward Marcus’s side of the yard.

“Hey, guys,” Krista said as she was eased back into the bed by the nurse.

“Hey, Kris, how about those drugs?” Kate asked. Her eyes looked slightly wild. Jasmine also looked on edge.