THE TROUBLE WITH PAPER PLANES(84)

I shrugged, one hand in the pocket of my boardies, the other holding my can. “Yeah, okay.”

Maybe it’d help to clear the cobwebs away.

“Okay, good. Let’s go early to try and avoid the throng.”

I was just about to agree with him when Bridget yelled out from inside. “Vinnie!”

She wasn’t kidding. Vinnie dropped the scraper and headed for the house, with me bringing up the rear. I wasn’t prepared for what we would find. Jas was standing in the middle of the kitchen, a puddle at her feet, looking shocked and frightened.

“Her waters just broke,” Bridget said, calmly this time. “We should probably get to the hospital.”

Jas’s usual unflappable demeanour was gone. She looked petrified. Maia appeared with a towel and began wiping the floor.

Bridget came forward and took Vinnie by the arm, steering him into the living room.

“Has she got a bag packed?”

He nodded, not taking his eyes off Jas. “Is this it?”

Bridget smiled, and I could suddenly see her old self reappear. Calm in a crisis, the voice of reason. “Yes love, this is it. Come on, grab that bag and your car keys and let’s get going.”

I didn’t know what to do with myself. Should we boil water? Get towels? What?

“I’ll phone her midwife,” Bridget said, giving Vinnie a little push towards the hallway. “You grab the bag. Heath, go with him.”

I went with Vinnie down the hallway, doing as I was told. Jesus, that was a lot of water on the floor. I had no idea if that was normal or not. When we reached the bedroom, Vinnie froze. He turned to me with eyes as big as golf balls. I waited for him to say something, but my usually gabby big brother was speechless.

Despite the gravity of the situation, it made me smile. Vinnie. Lost for words. Wonders would never cease.

“Come on, Daddy, get your shit together. Jas needs her bag,” I said, clapping him on the back.

That seemed to spur him on, and he nodded, seeking out a small canvas bag that sat on the floor under the window.

“Where are your car keys?” I asked, reaching out to take the bag from him.

He blinked at me. “Living room.”

“Great. We’re done here, then. Let’s go.”

I steered him out of the bedroom and back down the hall into the living room, where a hive of activity awaited us. Maia was sitting with Jas on the couch, holding her hand and talking to her in a low voice. Another one calm in a crisis. Bridget was on the phone to the midwife. Alex rushed in, slightly breathless.

“I’ve moved our cars so you can get yours out,” he said, pocketing the keys. “Is that the bag? Mum said to put it in the car. Here, I’ll take it. Where are your keys?”

Handing the bag to him, I waited for Vinnie to answer.

I shoved him in the shoulder to hurry him up. “Vin – keys?”

He looked around the room, as if trying to remember, then pointed to the dining room table. “Over there.”

Bridget got off the phone and clapped her hands together. “Right, the midwife said she’d meet us there. The contractions are still pretty far apart, but because her waters have broken, they need her at the hospital as soon as we can get her there.”

“Contractions?” Vinnie frowned, echoing my thoughts. “What contractions?”

“I didn’t know that’s what they were,” Jas said sheepishly. “I thought she was just really active in there.”

“Seems she’s been having them most of the day,” Bridget added, heading to the couch to help haul Jas to her feet, with Maia’s help. “Up you come, love. Time to go.”

It was pretty clear Vinnie wasn’t capable of driving. My laid-back brother was in near lock-down mode. I grabbed his keys off Alex when he reappeared, and offered to drive them.

Everything after that happened in a rush. Suddenly, we were all going to the hospital, in convoy.

It was the longest forty minutes of my life. The contractions started getting more painful, and despite Jas putting on a brave face, I could tell she was scared. I was torn. Drive faster or slow down and drive carefully? I settled on driving as fast as I could, as safely as I could. Maia sat beside me, while Jas and Vinnie occupied the back seat. Bridget and Alex followed close behind in her car.

By the time we arrived at the hospital, things had really sped up. Jas was having trouble walking, and Vinnie and I both had an arm around her shoulders, flanking her as we slowly made our way across the car park towards the main entrance.