It must work, because he changes the subject. “How was the douchebag this morning?”
Their terms of endearment for each other no longer faze me. “Quiet. Reflective. He’s ready for the parade to be over, and everyone to leave town. He begged me to stay in bed all day with him tomorrow.”
“Are you?”
“Yes. But, I told him I had to go to the hospital to check on patients,” I say with a wink. “I can’t let him have his way that easily.”
Aiden laughs and shakes his head.
God. Another Braxton Hicks contraction hits me, and it takes all of my strength to not double over. I wince, grab on to the balcony railing, and clench my jaw, waiting for it to pass.
“You okay, Caroline?” Aiden asks.
“Yeah. I just need to sit down,” I reply as I gingerly walk to the chair that Brad brought out for me.
The crowd erupts in loud cheers as the first of the police cars, with sirens blaring, come into sight, announcing that the parade will be here shortly.
Marley claps her hands and excitedly rushes to the balcony railing for a better view. Janis put her hair in two ponytails that look like pompoms. She’s wearing Colin’s jersey. Cute is an understatement. She’s precious!
Colin and Big Bertha are at the rear of the parade so I settle in knowing that it’s going to be awhile. Brad brings me a glass of water that I slowly begin sipping.
As the first fire truck passes us, an odd feeling washes over me. Not bad. Just odd. There’s no better way to explain it. I take another sip of water, hoping that it’ll help settle me. I reach up and touch my infinity necklace that Colin gave me the day after we reconciled in Los Angeles. The infinity symbol is an eight, which is Colin’s football number, turned on its side. The necklace has remained on my neck without being removed since that day. It’s my talisman, and brings me unbelievable reassurance. I need that right now.
Then, another Braxton Hicks contraction hits me. It literally takes my breath away. I grasp my stomach, saying a silent prayer that my muscles will relax quickly. I try to mask how intense it is, but Janis catches the grimace on my face. “You okay?”
“These practice contractions,” I say putting air parenthesis around practice, “are killing me today.”
“You sure they’re practice?”
“Yeah. I was examined yesterday when we arrived home from Miami. I’m not even dilated,” I reply through my grimace.
Our conversation is cut short when a high school marching-band drowns out our voices. Next, the first float of players pass under us, and confetti rains from the sky. Our balconies go crazy, yelling and waving at the boys. When they spot so many friendly faces in one place they begin acting extra silly. There are huge smiles, and lots of whoops and cheers and waves. A couple of the players spot me in my promised garb, and point and smile. It makes this ridiculous get-up worth it.
This is so amazing. The roar of the crowd is deafening. Colin and the boys have made this crowd—hell, this city—go this crazy. I love it. My heart floods with pride for my man.
Almost simultaneously, another contraction hits me, and makes it impossible for my lungs to expand. I put my head between my knees and beg the pain to let up.
Then it dawns on me. I know what this is. My previous Braxton Hicks contractions never felt like this. This is the early stage of labor. Oh, God! I can’t have this baby yet. Its daddy is in the bed of his truck in the middle of a parade. I have a mental talk with my body and this baby. I’m not leaving the parade early. My husband will see me in this ugly-ass number-eight Dallas Cowboy’s jersey dress that I promised to wear as part of our marriage vows. He will see me clapping and cheering for him. He’ll know I’m here, and I’m fine, because he’s not leaving his victory parade early for me or for this baby.
I also reason that I’m a first-time mom, and our labor will take a notoriously long time. I’m fine.
I stand up when I see Big Bertha in the distance, and mentally say a thank-you prayer to God for not letting her break down. She’s still chugging along, polluting the environment with everything that she’s got.
The crowd noise reaches a deafening pitch, making my ears ring as Colin and the old girl pass by them. I can barely see my husband through all the confetti, turning and waving to his adoring public. I know exactly when he spots the hotel though, because he begins to ignore the crowd and search for me. He holds a hand up to his forehead, blocking out the sun as he scans the balconies. I watch his gorgeous wavy dark-blonde hair catch the light. He takes my breath away. See, baby? That’s your daddy. The one that everyone is yelling for. I make it easy on him, and stand up waving both of my arms like a raving lunatic.