My Kind of Forever

“Didn’t want to wait, huh?”

“Yeah you know I thought what the hellllllll!” I cry out as another contraction hits. Once it subsides, Liam is wiping my forehead with a damp cloth.

“Mr. Westbury, when I tell you to, help Josie to sit up so she can push,” The doctor says as he places my feet in the stir-ups and sits down between my legs.

“Look at me,” I say to Liam to get his attention. I know he’s getting pissed that a man is about to deliver the baby, but we have no choice.

“He hates his job,” I say, trying to lighten the mood even though I’m in pain.

“Here comes another one, Josie. Go ahead and bear down,” the nurse says as she and Liam help me sit up. I scream out and start panting.

“I need drugs.”

“It’s too late,’’ she says.

I turn and glare at her, but she doesn’t back away.

“It’s burning!” I scream.

“Almost done, Jojo. You can do this.”

“What do you know? You did this to me. I should’ve learned the first time I had one of your kids.”

Liam doesn’t balk at the fact that I just insulted him.

“I love you so much, Jojo. You’re my life, you and the kids. I can’t imagine what a day looks like without you in it. I’m so fucking lucky you chose me to be the father of your children. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait to meet our baby. I hope she looks just like you.”

“It’s a boooooooyyyyeeeeeeeeeee!” I say as I bear down again.

“Okay, the shoulders are out. Suction,” he says. “Do you want to look?” he asks, looking up at Liam, who shakes his head. “One more push, Josie, and you’ll have your baby in your arms.”

When the next contraction hits, I grunt, pushing down as hard as I can to squeeze the little human out of me. The soft wail of a baby cry fills the room and everyone cheers.

The doctor holds the baby up for us to see.

It’s a girl.

She’s a girl.

We have a daughter.

“Oh my God, we have a daughter,” I say through tears.

“I told you, Jojo.” He says, as he kisses me. “I love you so much.”

“Dad, would you like the cut the cord?”

Liam nods and takes a pair of medical scissors from the nurse and cuts where she says to. Then she takes my little girl and places her on my chest. Liam is right by my side before I can even blink.

“Liam, look at her. She looks just like Noah did when he was born.” She’s tiny, but long and can fit in my arm. Her hair is dark, with a little nose and perfect lips.

“She’s beautiful, Josie. God, she’s so beautiful. Thank you.” He kisses me again before kissing her. His tears fall onto my hand as he looks at our daughter. “Look at how tiny she is. I could carry her like a football.”

I laugh and kiss him. “We have to give her a name.”

“Yeah we do,” he says as he runs his finger over her dark hair.

“Hey, baby girl, can you open your eyes for Mommy and Daddy?” I run my finger along her cheek, back and forth until she opens her eyes quickly before shutting them again. They’re dark, but will likely change.

“Aside from calling her Noah Junior, I’m stumbling for names. Mason?” Liam asks. I shake my head.

“What about Betty?” I ask, just as Liam blurts out “What about Page, with an i?”

“I like Paige,” I say.

“I like Betty, too.”

“Betty Paige Westbury? And we’ll call her Paige?”

“And not Mason?”

I shake my head.

“Hi, Paige,” he says. Her mouth opens in agreement.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we need to take her and get her vitals. Then we’ll be taking her upstairs for observation.”

I reluctantly let her go and tell Liam to go with her. I don’t want her alone.

“Before you take her, we need to introduce her to our family. They’re waiting.”

The nurse nods and carries Paige over to the station they’ve set up. Once she’s weighed, measured, cleaned and has had her Apgar test done, she’s bundled up and placed in Liam’s arms. He sits down next to me and pulls out his phone.

“Smile, Mommy.” I don’t, I lean in and kiss Paige’s head instead. This is how I want her first photo to be.

Once my delivery doctor leaves, the nurse opens the door to let everyone in. My mom walks in first and covers her mouth as tears start flowing.

“Oh my, it’s a girl. She’s so tiny.”

“Very tiny. She weighs five pounds, six ounces and is nineteen inches long. I bet she’ll be tall like her mom,” Liam says as he looks at me. I never thought he could look at me any differently until now. To see the love in his eyes when he looks at me is breathtaking. I lean in and kiss him in front of our family and friends.

Once everyone is in, Liam turns Paige to face everyone. Noah sits beside me, begging to hold her. It’s fu

“Everyone, the Westburys are overjoyed to introduce you to Betty Paige Westbury. We’ll be calling her Paige.”

I look to Bianca for a reaction and get what I was expecting. Tears are falling and she’s mouthing “thank you”. All I can do is smile. Smile at my family and friends. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

M y mouth is parched and my throat hurts. My hands seem heavy as I try to move them. As I open my eyes, I squint even though the lights aren’t very bright. My tongue darts out to wet my lips, but they’re still dry and feel chapped.

“Here.” I turn to the sound of the voice. It’s Harrison.

“Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital, mate.” It’s good to know that JD is here as well. I wonder where everyone else is.

Harrison brings a straw to my lips and I suck greedily, taking all that I can to wet my mouth and soothe my throat.

“What am I doing here?”

“There was an accident,” Harrison says as he puts the plastic cup back on the track. He’s sporting a beard and I’m not sure I like it. I slowly move my head to look at JD and find that he has one too.

“What happened?”

“An eighteen-wheeler lost control and hit the bus. You were sitting up front, talking to the driver when it happened. You were thrown to the back of the bus, breaking your back. You’ve been in a medically induced coma for six months.”

“What? What about…” I can’t imagine what Josie must be going through and for me to be hurt in the same type of accident as Mason; her mind must be going crazy. Why isn’t she here? Where are my kids? The last thing I remember is Paige being born.

“You need to calm down. You don’t want to accelerate your heart rate,” Harrison says.

“What town are we in?”

“Some rinky dink place called Beaumont.”

Harrison doesn’t smile when he says it, but I know he’s happy. I’m happy. I smile at him, but his expression doesn’t change.

“You love it here, don’t lie.”

“No, I don’t. The sooner we get back to Los Angeles, the better.”

“What are you talking about? Where’s Josie? Where are Noah and Paige?”

“Who the hell are Josie and whoever else you said?”

I look from Harrison to JD, who shrugs. “I gotta get out of here and find my wife. Where are Katelyn and the kids? Je