Going to the Chapel Read online

  Haley smiled. “Textbook,” she mouthed

  “Ty’s son,” Amy replied, indicating her husband, who followed all the rules.

  They smiled at each other as Ty raised a brow. Haley exchanged a glance with Damon then pulled up a seat from the row behind to sit beside Amy. Ty held one of Amy’s hands and Haley held the other. They were both watching the time and Amy liked the sense that she wasn’t doing this alone. She inhaled as the next contraction rolled through her with gusto, vaguely aware that Cassie was making her vows to Reid.

  “Call 9-11,” Haley said to Tyler. Even though they were softly uttered, everyone in close proximity turned to look.

  “We can drive there,” he protested in an undertone. “We’ll just leave.”

  “There’s not enough time,” Amy whispered with conviction. “He’s coming now.”

  Ty looked alarmed as he seldom did. “Now?” he mouthed.

  Amy nodded.

  “Call,” Haley ordered Ty with soft urgency. “Now. We need paramedics and you also need to notify your OB/GYN that it’s time so he or she can meet you at the hospital.”

  “My doula,” Amy murmured.

  “She can meet us there, too. Go!” At Haley’s sharper tone, Ty moved like lightning. Maybe it was just because she’d given him specific directions. The rest of the guests watched when he strode to the back of the room to make the call and the whispering began.

  “What hospital were you intended to go to?” Haley asked Amy who told her that as well as her doctor’s name. “And you’ve been to classes?” Amy nodded. “Been coached by your doula?” Amy nodded again, aware that the attention had shifted from the bride and groom to her.

  Then she had another contraction and didn’t care.

  “Breathe,” Haley instructed Amy. “Little puffs.” She demonstrated and Amy copied her, even as the next contraction surged to such intensity that tears rose.

  She knew this part. She and Ty had gone to practice together, but the pain made her forget what she’d learned.

  “Hurry, hurry,” Cassie said, and the minister finished the service, speaking very quickly.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife,” the minister concluded and the guests cheered. “You may now kiss the bride.”

  “Make some room,” Haley said to the others when they began to gather around, then softened her voice when she turned to Amy again. “Let’s get down on the floor. You can’t lose your balance from there.”

  “I’d like that,” Amy admitted with a smile, holding tightly to Haley’s hand.

  “But not here!” a woman protested. Was it Cassie’s mom? Amy wasn’t sure.

  “Here,” Haley said firmly. She straightened and faced them all, one hand on her hip. Amy could see that people responded well to Haley’s tone of authority. “Now. Step back, everyone, please. Guys?”

  Lauren got a tablecloth and spread it on the floor. Kyle and Damon urged the other guests to move away and Amy was glad to have fewer onlookers. Kyle and Damon stood guard over Amy, defending the corner of the room that Haley had claimed. Reid and Cassie went to the other side of the room at Haley’s suggestion. “It’ll draw the guests away,” she said. “It’s your party, after all.”

  Amy could see that Cassie was curious, but was glad the other woman provided a distraction. She and Reid formed a receiving line, taking the opportunity to talk to each of the guests in succession, and the waiters began to pour champagne.

  “I didn’t intend to be the evening’s entertainment,” she whispered.

  “It’s not very private in the hospital, either,” Haley replied, her eyes sparkling.

  “I know,” Amy agreed.

  The catering manager arrived then, his eyes wide, and Haley gave him a list. “I’ll need some cloths and water, although we might not need them. A glass of ice cubes would be great, too. The paramedics are on their way,” she added to the manager’s obvious relief. She looked at Ty who was striding back toward them and he nodded. “So, it would be great if someone could meet them in the lobby and escort them up here. With any luck, this little guy will wait for them, but we need to be ready. Quickly, please.” He nodded and hurried away, calling to several people to help him.

  “You’re bossy,” Amy said around her little puffs. “I like that.”

  “Someone’s got to take charge,” Haley said. They grinned at each other but Amy’s smile faded at the next contraction.

  Ty knelt beside her, looking uncharacteristically pale and uncertain, and took Amy’s hand. “What do I do?” he asked Haley.

  “That’s a good start,” she said. “Moral support is good.”

  “My rock,” Amy whispered and Ty almost smiled.

  “How much do you like that jacket?” Haley asked. “I’m thinking Amy might like some privacy as we get to the next bit.”

  Ty took off his jacket and draped it over Amy, answering Haley’s questions with his usual precision. “You’ve done this before?” he asked Haley, his voice rising in his uncertainty.

  Amy had the fleeting thought that the delivery might be harder on him than on her, and almost laughed out loud.

  “No,” Haley admitted and Ty’s horror was clear. “I’ve worked the cardio ward and the oncology ward, but never OB/GYN or the ER.” Haley smiled at Amy. “But babies often manage this part just fine on their own. It’ll be fine.”

  Amy nodded, hoping Haley was right.

  “Tell me quickly. Any complications anticipated? When exactly are you due? When was your last appointment with the doctor?”

  As Ty gave her all the pertinent details, Haley pushed up Amy’s skirt and removed her panties. The third contraction was even stronger. Amy leaned back and closed her eyes, surrendering to the force of nature that she couldn’t control.

  Kyle grabbed Ty’s jacket and held it up like a screen between them and the other guests. Damon took off his jacket and did the same. “You have good friends,” Haley said with a smile and Ty nodded.

  “The best.”

  Haley lifted Amy’s knees and bent down. “Look at that,” she said with satisfaction. “You’re fully dilated already. Somebody’s in a hurry. Maybe we should take bets on whether the paramedics make it in time.”

  “You’re kidding me,” Ty said grimly, but Haley shook her head.

  “Did your mom have quick deliveries?” she asked Amy.

  Amy nodded. “Just one. Me. And it was fast, apparently.” She took a deep breath, feeling another contraction starting. “My dad said I was almost born in the car on the way to the hospital.”

  “Like mother like daughter. The next one will be even faster so be prepared.”

  Ty blinked at that, but Haley leaned down. “Here comes our boy.”

  The next contraction was tighter and stronger, leaving Amy gasping. Haley was grinning when Amy looked. Then she breathed in little puffs again, reminding Amy to do the same. “I see the crown. This is going to be over very soon.”

  “Good,” Amy said, thinking it couldn’t be soon enough.

  “Go for it next time,” Haley advised as the pain began to grow in intensity again. Amy breathed in little puffs that got faster and faster, gripping Ty’s hand so tightly that she thought she might crack his fingers. She could feel Haley’s hands, so cool and competent, and was soothed by her touch. She felt Haley’s fingertip trace around her vagina, easing the opening a little wider.

  “You can see him?” she asked.

  “More of the crown. The next push will probably be the one.”

  Amy nodded and swallowed, then bared her teeth at the next contraction. She was oblivious to the other guests and their location, her entire universe centered on Ty’s hand, Haley’s touch and the power of her body. She tipped her head back at the longest and most powerful contraction yet, then panted as she wondered how women survived labor that lasted twenty or thirty hours.

  “Okay?” Ty said.

  “It’ll be over in a hurry at least,” she managed to reply.

  “And, hello, sir,”
Haley said softly. “Give me a second, Amy, to check on the cord before you push again.”

  “Okay.” Amy closed her eyes, fighting against the next contraction. They seemed to be running into each other, like ocean waves in a storm. She felt as if she barely had time to catch her breath.

  “We’re good. He’s fine,” Haley said with resolve. “Go for it. Work with it. Give him a big old push.”

  “I want to move,” Amy whispered. Ty moved around behind her quickly, tugging her against himself to support her weight. Amy felt surrounded by him, secure, and more in control of the birth. They’d practiced this position and she’d liked it even then.

  Now it felt exactly right.

  “Perfect,” Haley said. “Let’s do this thing.”

  The next contraction came like wildfire, fast and hot and impossible to stop. Amy held on tightly to Ty and pushed with all her might, willing her son out into the world. She felt a whoosh and heard Haley cheer. “You are good at this, Amy,” the other woman said and Amy laughed a little, feeling like a sweaty mess.

  There was a gurgle and then the unmistakable sound of a baby crying.

  The guests began to applaud on the other side of the room.

  Amy felt tears on her cheeks. “Is he okay?” she whispered and felt the tension in Ty’s grip.

  “Looks great to me. You want to do skin to skin?” Haley asked.

  “Of course,” Ty said, and unfastened Amy’s dress. She wondered absently if she’d chosen the shirt dress that buttoned down the front because she’d known, on some level, that this would be the day. She sank down to sit in front of Ty as Haley put her son in her arms and eased him against her breast.

  He was warm and small and so very, very precious, curled against her as Amy held him close. Haley dropped Ty’s jacket over the baby and Amy, once again giving them a bit of privacy. She had her hand on the baby beneath the coat and was looking at her watch, counting his pulse. She nodded and smiled at Amy again, the most reassuring sign there could have been.

  “Look at him,” Amy whispered to Ty.

  “He’s perfect,” he murmured in her ear and his grip on her shoulders tightened. “Just like his mom.”

  There was a clatter of noise from the back of the room and Haley glanced up. “The cavalry is here,” she whispered then smiled. “They’ll check everything, Amy, but he looks great. His color’s good, his pulse is regular.” She heaved a sigh. “Looks like you did a great job.”

  “You did a great job,” Ty said. “Thank you, Haley.”

  “I’m so glad you were here,” Amy said, grateful from the bottom of her heart.

  Haley smiled. “You did all the work.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without you. I would have forgotten to breathe.” They laughed together as a paramedic crouched down beside Amy.

  She was an older woman with a practical air. She peeked beneath Ty’s jacket and smiled. “Well, hello, there,” she murmured and the baby stirred a little. “Welcome to the world, little one,” she continued then took his vitals. “Great Apgar,” she said. “How long since he was born?”

  “Eighty-seven seconds,” Ty said and the paramedic smiled. She clamped off the umbilical cord then reached for the baby. “Let me just clean him up a bit and weigh him, then we’ll get you all to the hospital and you can hold him all day long.”

  “Okay.” Amy held on to Ty, feeling almost overwhelmed with emotion. The other paramedic was talking to Haley, reviewing what had happened, and taking notes. Amy realized the other wedding guests were watching with surprise and awe, kept at bay by Damon and Kyle, and then she knew how best to show her appreciation.

  She reached up and took Ty’s hand when Haley came to help her again. “They’ve got some of those fashionable hospital gowns if you want to change, Amy.”

  “Thank you.”

  The paramedic brought the baby back to Amy and she held him close again, feeling complete in a new way when he was in her arms.

  The paramedics worked efficiently. They asked about her doctor and hospital and made the arrangements. Her afterbirth came but they were matter-of-fact about that, the guys defending the perimeter until everything was to the paramedics’ satisfaction. They had a stretcher for tighter spaces that folded to be more like a chair and helped Amy into it. Only then were the guests permitted to come and see the new arrival, and Cassie was at the front of the line.

  “I’m sorry we spoiled your wedding,” Amy said but Cassie smiled.

  “You didn’t spoil anything. You made it more memorable.” She touched the baby’s chin. “Look at him! He looks like Ty, but with your auburn hair.”

  There was laughter and many congratulations. The paramedic began to wheel Amy to the elevator. Amy thought Ty might have his hand shaken off, but he looked both relieved and pleased by the time he came back to her side.

  “Do you have a name for this handsome addition to the family?” the paramedic asked as her partner packed up their gear.

  “I think so.” Amy smiled at Haley. She knew that Haley’s father had been a fireman and that he’d died in the World Trade Center. “What was your dad’s name, Haley?”

  The other woman blinked. “My dad?”

  “It’s because of him that you became a nurse, right? So, it’s because of him that you were able to help me today. What was his name?”

  Haley looked overwhelmed and Damon slid his arm around her shoulders. “You don’t have to do that,” she whispered, her tears rising.

  “I want to.”

  Haley swallowed. “Michael,” she admitted, her voice hoarse.

  “Michael.” Amy realized only a little too late that this could have ended badly, if he’d had a name she didn’t like. She tickled her son’s chin. “Well, Michael, how does that name suit you?” He stirred a little and Amy could almost imagine that he nodded approval.

  “Michael,” Ty said with approval. “Great idea, Amy, and a great name.” He smiled at Haley. “None of us will ever forget your help today, Haley.”

  “Then bring him to the wedding?” Damon said. He and Haley would be getting married the following Saturday. “He’ll be our guest of honor.”

  “And my mom will be excited to meet Dad’s namesake,” Haley said.

  “We’ll be there!” Amy said as she was wheeled into the elevator. Ty packed in beside her with the paramedics and their equipment, all of the wedding guests gathered to wave them on their way.

  “Congratulations!” Cassie cried.

  “And many more,” Reid teased, then the elevator doors closed on the sound of their laughter.

  “Not many kids have a story like this of their birthday,” the paramedic said with a smile and Amy looked up at Ty.

  She had a feeling their son was going to be special in so many ways.

  If nothing else, Michael was going to keep them on their toes, and that suited Amy just fine.

  After Amy and Ty’s departure, the wedding returned to Cassie and Reid’s original plan. The sun set as dinner was served, the food was delicious, and Kyle gave a speech that left everyone chuckling. Troy said a few words as best man and the guests drank a champagne toast to the new couple. Reid and Cassie cut the cake, which was so pretty, and the staff served the pieces to the guests. Finally, they took to the empty floor for their first dance and she smiled up at him.

  “Happy?” he murmured.

  “Ecstatic. We just had the perfect wedding.”

  “Even with the unexpected arrival?”

  Cassie laughed. “I think that makes the day even more perfect. We didn’t miss anything.”

  Reid smiled. “I thought you might feel that Amy was stealing your thunder.”

  “No.” Cassie shook her head. “It’s not like she chose when to go into labor.” She fixed Reid with a look. “I’ve got a different man to moon after these days.”

  Reid snorted. “I’m right here. You don’t have to yearn for me.”

  “I know.” She kissed him quickly. “That’s the best part.” Their g
azes locked for a long sweet moment and Cassie felt the room was getting warm. She took a deep breath. “I’m really glad the baby is healthy.”

  “And a boy.” Reid was watching her closely. “How do you feel about that?”

  Cassie smiled up at him, liking his concern. “That maybe I should share your company a little sooner than I’d expected. He was so beautiful.” Her throat tightened and she heard her own surprise. “I actually wanted to hold him.”

  “We can visit them...”

  “Maybe tomorrow or later in the week. Or maybe at Haley and Damon’s wedding. Let them find their rhythm. It’s a big change.” Cassie gave Reid a wicked smile. “Besides, you’ll be busy for the next few days.”

  “Will I?” He tried to look innocent and failed so completely that she laughed out loud.

  “Absolutely.” She leaned close to whisper. “Wait until you see what I have for tonight.”

  Reid’s grin turned wicked. “Wait until I show you how much I missed you last night.”

  “Wait until we get to Paris,” Cassie said.

  “Two entire weeks to...explore,” Reid said, raising his brows. They smiled at each other, oblivious to everyone else in the room.

  There was a sizzle of awareness between them, one hot enough to singe Cassie’s fingertips. She hoped that never changed—and she’d do her best to make sure it didn’t.

  Lauren doubted she’d ever get tired of surprising Kyle. She loved his confidence and his decisiveness. She even liked when he was cocky. But there was something particularly sweet about blindsiding him.

  His reaction always made her think of a juggler in the middle of a performance, one with six balls in the air, savoring the rapt attention of his audience and making it look so easy—until something shocked him, and he froze, the brightly colored balls dropping to the ground all around him.

  She had a surprise for Kyle and had been just waiting for the right moment. Thanks to Amy, Lauren figured it was time.