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Chapter Forty Seven

"Don't call our parents first," Kay said in a panic. "Call Baylee and Marcie. Call em!"

I had no idea what was happening in the backseat; I had a white-knuckled grip on my steering wheel. For once in her life Kay wasn't being dramatic. My best friend was in labor.

"They were about ready to announce prom king and queen," Kay said in a small voice. "Who cares?" I squeaked. I leaned forward, my nose dangerously close to the windshield. I was driving like a bat out of hell. I should have learned my lesson about speeding, but I was almost hoping a cop would pull me over so we could get a damn police escort.

I loved my brother. I loved Kay. But there was no way I could deliver a baby. I was a singer, not an OB/GYN.

"Slow down," Jasper said. "She's not going anywhere." I had almost forgotten Jasper was in the car. I shoved my hand towards his face. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his mouth twitch. "KAY! LABOR! NOW!" My eyes flew to the rearview mirror. Noah looked whiter than snow. Kay yanked her phone back. "Bay? You gotta come. My water broke." I saw her teeth clench. I wanted to shout at her to keep her legs closed, but I kinda knew the opportunity for that advice was past.

Plus, who was I to tell her that? I was the one who had wanted to get sexed up in my backseat...the same seat that now had baby fluid on it.

Another glance in the rearview mirror told me Noah was calling Brian and Leigh. A conversation much have taken place while I was concentrating on the road; I heard Jasper talking to my mom and dad.

Kay moaned. My foot pressed down on the accelerator.

The red 'Hospital' sign was right up ahead. I practically took the corner on two wheels.

We needed professionals. Stat.

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"You're going to be fine," Aunt LeighLeigh assured Kay. "Your contractions are still far apart. They're getting you some pain meds."

The room was full of people: mom, dad, Uncle Bri, Aunt LeighLeigh, Noah, me, and Jasper. Jas and I were sitting on the floor. I was still in my prom dress. Noah had taken off his tie somewhere between the dance and the hospital. His hair was dishelved; he looked like he might pass out at any moment.

"Have you heard from Bay?" Kay asked. Uncle Bri had his nose glued to his phone.

"They have another half hour before they land," he said. I glanced over at mom and dad.

"Who's watching the babies?" I asked.

"Grandma and Grandpa," mom said. "Peyton's doing Landon control."

"Ohhhh," Kay moaned. Noah took her hand.

I leaned back into Jasper. I had never seen Kay in so much pain. Sweat had beaded up on her forehead; I could tell by the lines from the monitor when a contraction was coming. Her screams made me queasy.

"Want to get something to drink?" Jas whispered. I nodded. I knew the guy with the epidural would be coming soon. I prayed he was coming soon.

Jas helped me up and we walked out into the hall; no one was paying attention. There was too much going on: the labor, wondering if Bay and Marcie were going to make it in time...

"Diet Coke?"

I looked at the machine in surprise. We had already walked down to the vending area and I hadn't even realied it.

"Yeah," I said. Jasper put some money in and retrieved the two bottles that came out. I twisted the cap and took a sip.

"That year doesn't feel so long now, does it?" Jasper asked.

I knew what he was getting at. I licked my lips. "That wouldn't happen if we did it before then," I pointed out.

"You don't know that. They obviously weren't thinking this was going to happen."

I sighed. He was right. Even so...

"So what if it happens when I turn eighteen?" I pressed.

"I'd marry you."

My eyes widened. He was deadly serious.

"You don't marry someone just because they get pregnant," I said lightly.

Jas ran his finger around the top of the bottle. "True. But it wouldn't be my only reason." He sighed. "Brooke, there's more than one good reason for waiting. We have a whole 'nother year to get to know each other. You might find some annoying quality in me that you can't stand. It's better to know that before we do something we can't change. I know I have past regrets. What about you?"

"I can think of two right off the bat," I mumbled. Jasper smiled; he knew what I was talking about. He had called it from the start on the chimps.

"I don't want you to regret us," he said softly. He kissed me. I clung to my bottle.

I knew I wasn't going to regret him, but I also knew he wasn't just playing.

All my torture was for good intentions.

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"How are we doing Kayleigh?"

"Eh," she grunted.

It had been four hours since we had gotten to the hospital. Everyone was getting restless; Baylee and Marcie still hadn't arrived.

"You're about six centimeters."

"That's it?" Kay said. "My water broke hours ago!"

The doctor looked like he was trying not to smile. "It can be anywhere from a few minutes to a day after your water breaks before the baby is born. All women are different."

"A day? Are you fuckin' kidding me?"

Uncle Bri paused for a second and then kept talking. The pain meds had brought the real Kay back into the room.

"You're doing really well," the doctor added. "I'll be back."

I pressed my back against the wall. Jas had given me his coat to wear a half hour before; my dress was great for a warm room. A cool hospital room? Not so much. Jasper's tie hung loosely around his neck. I had tried to tell him he could go if he wanted, but he didn't seem to be in a hurry.

Noah, on the other hand, was in a hurry. He was pacing back and forth. I had never seen him so impatient.

I was the impatient one.

"It's quicker the second time around," Aunt LeighLeigh said. "Not that you need to do this again. Soon."

I couldn't have agreed with her more. Kay closed her eyes and shook her head. She pressed a hand to her stomach.

"They've landed!" Uncle Bri suddenly announced.

"What about the baby shower?" Kay asked glumly. Aunt LeighLeigh smiled down at her.

"Brody will be the guest of honor next weekend," she said calmly.

"I think I--" Kay stopped mid-sentence. The hand that was resting on her stomach dropped and she gripped the sheet. I gripped my sheet.

"Woah, that's one hell of a contraction," Uncle Bri said. COming from him, you knew it had to be bad. He hardly ever cussed. I looked at the monitor. Noah stopped pacing and knelt down beside Kay.

The hard contractions just kept coming. I started to get excited; Kay began to look like she was going to vomit.

"Did you feel anything before your water broke?" Aunt LeighLeight asked. Kay nodded.

"All morning...since I woke up," I gasped.

"So you've been in labor for awhile."

Kay let out a high-pitched wine. "I ate too much."

Dad laughed. "If a person gave birth everytime they did that, I'd have a million kids."

"You do have a million kids," Uncle Bri said.

"Six! Six isn't a million!"

"Six isn't a bad number," Jasper said from his corner spot. Dad looked at him in gratitude.

"See?"

I looked at Jasper increduously.

"Six might be a little much," I said awkwardly. He smiled. He leaned in close.

"Just think of all the fun we'll have getting to that number," he whispered. He kissed my earlobe. "Trial and error."

He had a point. But something told me we wouldn't have to worry too much about the trial and error part. I knew just from everything else we had done that we weren't going to have any problem making sparks.

Everyone started to talk about the right 'number' of kids. Suddenly, Noah got up and tore out of the room. I looked over at Kay. She was shaking her head; she seemed to be talking to herself.

"What's going on?" mom asked gently. She took Noah's spot bedside.

"It doesn't feel right," Kay said.

When the door opened five minutes later, I fully expected to see the doctor rush in with Noah at his heels. Instead, Baylee and Marcie rushed in. Marcie made a beeline towards Kay.

"We got stuck in traffic, we had a flat tire...we abandoned the rental car and just paid for a damn cab," she said breathlessly.

"What did we miss?" Bay asked. He walked over and kissed Kay's forehead.

"Not too much," Kay said.

I snorted. That was a typical Kay line.

And a HUGE understatement.

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Staying in the waiting room for the delivery was the hardest part. Jasper and I took turns catching quick little catnaps. Dad went off and called Peyton. He came back with McDonald's. Mom didn't move from the edge of her chair.

Baylee looked like a man being tortured. Only three people were able to stay in the room. Aunt LeighLeigh, Marcie, and Noah were the chosen ones. Bay kept glancing up at the clock. Bri kept hugging him and praying with him.

I was never so happy to see Aunt LeighLeigh when she walked into the room.

"Brody's here!" she said.

She started to cry.

It took awhile before we could all go in and see him. I clung to Jasper's hand as we walked back into the room.

Kay was holding him. Noah was attached to her; hovering over her protectively. Both of them were staring down at the little baby in her arms. They both looked like they had cried buckets.

For a second, I couldn't help but wonder if NoNo and Kay had changed their minds. Now that Brody was here, now that they could see him, how could they give him up? I knew I wouldn't have been able to.

"Brody, I bet your parents want to hold you," Kay said softly. Noah's cheek pressed into the top of her head.

I couldn't help myself; I started to cry. Jasper pulled me close.

"Really?" I heard Bay ask. "If you're going to be changing diapers, the first step is holding him," Kay said lightly.

Tears were obscuring my vision. When I finally got myself under control, I saw Baylee rocking the baby in his arms. He was crying.

"Hey," he said. He sank down in the rocker that was positioned by Kay's bed. "Happy birth day."

I almost started crying again.

After Marcie and Bay had each had a long turn holding him, Brody got passed around the room.

"He's got the Littrell nose!" dad said. He tapped it gently.

"Noah's eyes," mom whispered. "Look at those gorgeous lady-killer eyes."

"This bald head will be blonde in no time," Aunt LeighLeigh said when it was her turn to hold him. She rocked him lovingly in her arms.

"So this is what would happen if Nick and I had a baby," Uncle Bri said lightly. His eyes crinkled in the corners with his full-on smile. "Not bad, Nick."

We all laughed.

"We should clone him, grow him up fast, and give him to all the Frick-n-Frack ladies," dad added.

"I think that would probably achieve world peace," Uncle Bri said in mock-seriousness.

Uncle Bri passed the baby to me. I took him and got my first good look at my nephew.

He was a doll. An absolute doll. Mom hadn't been kidding when she said that he had the Carter eyes. Brody yawned and then stared up at me in confusion.

If I had just gone through what he had experienced, I would have been confused too.

"Hey handsome," I whispered. "We're glad you're here."

I kissed the soft fuzz on his head. I seriously wanted to hold him forever. After awhile, I looked over at Jasper.

"Want to hold him?"

He looked surprised. He smiled. "Sure."

If I thought Brody was cute before, he was even cuter with Jasper holding him.

The sight of him smiling down at Brody made me start to contemplate what the future might hold if Jasper decided he could put up with me for the rest of his life. I mentally fastforwarded ten years. I would be the one in the hospital bed; Mrs. Yevetti. And the baby Jasper would be holding would be our child.

I loved the thought of it all. I had an amazingly good feeling that I was looking at my soul mate.

The rest of forever didn't sound so bad, after all.