Homecoming Day by Holly Jacobs

contractionscome quicker and will get more intense,” she warned Laura.
    More intense? Laura groaned.
    â€œIs it safe yet?” Seth called from the doorway.
    â€œFor now,” she told him. “But I think this is the part you were talking about. The—what was it? Messy bits? I think this is that, so it’s time for you to go.”
    â€œMaybe I’ll stay a while longer. I can help you with your breathing.” He hee-hooed at her.
    â€œHow do you know about that?”
    â€œMy wife…” He hesitated, took a deep breath and continued, slowly. “She was pregnant when she died. We’d only taken a few classes, but after sitting on a floor and panting with total strangers for an hour, the lessons sort of stick.”
    His wife had been pregnant? And he was here with her? Laura felt an overwhelming urge to cry, but knew Seth wouldn’t welcome that. “Oh, Seth.”
    â€œBefore, when you were talking about having this baby in your fantasies, I used to do the same thing. Imagine I was with Allie having our twins. I helped her breathe. She would get tired and cranky and yell at me, but I didn’t mind. And when she had the first baby, I held it while she delivered the second. I imagined it over and over, Laura. And I also know, no one should do this alone.”
    Twins? He’d lost three people when Allie died. Twins and a wife.
    She felt humbled by his strength, because she wasn’t sure she’d have survived something like that. It made her more resolved than ever to do this on her own. But more importantly, Seth shouldn’t—couldn’t—staynow that she knew. “You’re wrong. I need to do this on my own, so you—” Another contraction hit before she could tell him to leave, and as if the nurse was some sort of seer, this one was the worst yet. Laura held her breath and tried to keep from crying out.
    â€œNo, don’t do that.” Seth grabbed her hand and got right up in her face, forcing her attention to center on him. “Breathe, Laura. In. Out. Look at me, Laura, and breathe.”
    Time lost all sense of meaning to Laura. The idea of fighting with Seth or forcing him to do anything was long since forgotten. Laura’s world narrowed to contractions and the minutes in between, which were fewer and fewer.
    And there was Seth. Breathing with her. Feeding her ice chips.
    She wanted to be annoyed at his heavy-handed decision to stay, but secretly she was grateful. This would have been so much harder without him here.
    He was putting himself through hell to help her. During the moments of rational thought, she knew that.
    But rational thought was in short supply. All she could do was remember to breathe and ride out one contraction after another.
    At some point the nurse came back in. Laura was about to ask Seth to leave so the nurse could check her progress, but another contraction hit, and Seth was staring into her eyes, making her focus on him. “Breathe,” he commanded. As the contraction ebbed, the nurse’s hand was beneath the sheet and she did a discreet check.
    â€œYou’re almost there,” she said with a bright perkiness that made Laura want to scream.
    â€œShe’s so darned cheerful,” she muttered to Seth.
    He was sitting next to her on the edge of the bed, holding her hand, and chanting, “Look at me, Laura. Breathe. Breathe.”
    At some point the doctor and nurse returned to them. In the few seconds between contractions, the doctor checked her and declared, “You’re totally effaced, Laura. You’ll feel the urge to push soon.”
    He positioned Seth behind her on the bed, so she could lean against him. She should have protested. She would have protested if she had the energy. She waited for him to say, Gotta go now, but all he did was listen to the doctor’s instructions, and let her rest against his chest.
    He felt warm and solid. As if he’d never let