Drew's face split with a brilliant smile as he gently pulled her into his arms and hugged her close to him. "Thank you so much," he whispered into her ear and she felt a tear escape her eye at the heartfelt gratitude in his voice.
Things moved far more quickly than she could've ever imagined. A few hours later Derek, Jasmine and Ryan showed up with a preacher in tow. Jasmine had a bouquet of flowers, which she handed over and a tiara she placed on her head. Trinity felt really silly, considering she wasn't allowed to get out of the bed and was wearing a hospital gown but she didn't say anything.
"We'll do this again the right way later but for now it's the best we can do on such short notice," Jasmine told her.
"Thank you very much, you really didn't have to do anything at all," Trinity said self-consciously. She knew she must look a wreck but she wasn't even allowed up for a shower, only sponge baths. She didn't exactly feel like a blushing bride. It hurt her heart a little bit so she pushed it out of her mind.
The ceremony only took about fifteen minutes. Ryan went out the door and came back in with a beautiful cake and some sparkling cider. She got a little bit choked up as Drew fed her a piece of the cake, then leaned down to kiss her lips. He seemed so happy, she knew she'd made the right choice.
"I know this isn't a traditional wedding by any means but none of that matters. What matters is you two love each other and are going to have this beautiful baby girl soon. There will be plenty of time later to do things the right way. May you have many romantic days and far more passionate nights," Ryan said, as he held up his glass in a toast.
Trinity could feel the blush stain her cheeks at his words. It may not have been her dream wedding but it was perfect nonetheless. She looked at Drew and realized she was head over heels, completely and totally in love with the man. She didn't know at what point she let down the walls around her heart but she knew the door was open and if he decided to leave her, she was going to be beyond devastated.
She couldn't say it was any one particular moment she fell in love but several smaller moments over the last several months. The man was simply too hard to resist and now she was married to him and her world had flipped completely upside down.
Chapter Eleven
Trinity barely reached thirty-six weeks in her pregnancy. She'd been having contractions all morning and nothing the doctor's did could stop the labor. She prayed she'd kept her inside of her long enough she'd be okay.
In the afternoon her water broke and nothing was going to stop the delivery. She'd hoped to stretch it for even a day or two more. She'd deal with the pain to give her baby girl more time inside her womb, safe and sound.
"Trinity things are moving along really quickly, we need to move you to the birthing room. Your daughter is anxious to meet her parents and it's not going to be much longer," the doctor told her.
They wheeled her down the hallway and Drew never left her side, which she was incredibly grateful for. She'd never needed anyone like she needed him at that moment. She was terrified and wouldn't feel better until the doctor told her the baby would be fine.
"Everything looks good Trinity, her heartbeat is strong and she has put on some good weight this last week and a half. I know that doesn't seem like much time but for a baby it can make all the difference," the doctor continued to reassure her.
She cried terrified tears as they switched her onto a new table and began prepping her for the birth. "You'll both be okay, baby. I know it," Drew told her, while gripping her hand. He was solid as a rock and the confidence in his expression was encouraging.
"It's too soon," she cried helplessly.
"You've done everything you were supposed to do and I know she will be strong, just like her mother," he reassured her and bent down to gently kiss her. She took a deep breath and got ready for the hard task of pushing.
The hospital staff got her legs in the stir-ups and checked her dilation. "You're ready now, so the next time you feel a contraction, I want you to use all your strength and push," the doctor explained.
She didn't have to wait long before the pain came ripping through her body. She'd never felt anything like it. It was as if her insides were turning inside out and she was going to explode. Sweat broke out over her brow and she cried out, as she pushed down with all her might.
"That's really good Trinity, I can see her head. I think she's going to come out with only a few pushes. I know it's hard but you need to relax and push just like that when you get your next contraction," the doctor said.
The next one hit before she was ready but she did what he said, gripping Drew's hand tightly in hers, as she pushed with everything she had. "Very good, she's crowing. We need to get her head out so as soon as it hits, push with all you've got," the doctor told her.