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that didn’t have a
diaper or scrap of clothes to it’s name. The baby didn’t even have
a name!
    “We should get her in the Gator, and up to
the house so that you can go to the hospital don’t you think?” Deb
asks, finally catching up to us.
    “Right. You’re right, Deb. Up you go.” I hold
under her elbow and help her stand. Deb and Phil take Ollie, and I
drive Dominique to the house. To get up the hill in the vehicle we
have to go through the woods on paved roads and it takes two more
contractions before we get to the car.
    “Your seats,” she says.
    I wave her concern away. “Don’t worry about
that. Get in the car, we have to go.”
    “Don’t you need your keys?” she asks.
    I turn back to the house. “Right.” Jogging
into the house, I yell, “Rosa!”
    Rosa comes out of the kitchen, of course. The
woman can’t help but feed people, even when I was making dinner for
everyone. “Dominique is having the baby. Ollie is with Deb.” I grab
the kitchen towel out of her hand. “I need this. Thanks!”
    Running back outside before she can say
anything, I climb into the SUV as Dominique breathes through
another contraction. Once it’s over I ask, “Does it hurt?”
    She shakes her head. “Not really. Like a
rubber band kind of, it just gets hard to breathe and I’m really
hot.”
    “Okay, sweetheart. Here, I got you a towel. I
don’t want you to worry about anything right now but that baby.” I
turn on the AC, even though it’s in the forties outside.
    The fifteen minute drive to the hospital
lasts an eternity. When we get there, she refuses a wheelchair so
we make our way slowly to the maternity floor where she’s admitted.
When asked my relation to her, I stumble but Dominique says,
“Mother,” as firmly as I’ve every heard her.
    “Right.” I look to the nurse and say through
shocked lips, “I’m the mother.” Dominique thought of me as a
mother? I may cry. Yes, I probably am, but not right now because
she needs me. When we get her into a bed and nurses are flitting
around her, I hold her hand and call Danny.
    “Hey, Kinley, love of my life. How are you on
this eve of Christmas Eve? Are you calling to tell me you’ve got a
sexy Mrs. Claus suit? Because I can tell you right now this Santa
is down to climb in your chimney any time.”
    I turn away from Dominique as my face turns
beet red. “Danny! I’m at the hospital. Dom— Nicky is having the
baby.” I really hope the three nurses and young girl in the bed
didn’t hear him.
    “Right-o! On my way. Where’s the other baby?”
he says, sounding unbelievably unalarmed. What the hell, were women
the only ones that freaked out? Couldn’t be.
    “Ollie was with Deb, but I’m sure they took
him to Rosa. I can call—“
    “Nope, I’ll call them. You focus there. I’m
on my way.”
     
    They give Dominique something through her IV,
but it quickly becomes apparent it’s not enough. Since her water
broke she’s in it til the end, so they do the epidural. I try to
leave, but the girl has got a hell of a grip. They have her lean
all of her weight on me as they stick the biggest needle I’ve ever
seen into her back.
    When she’s comfortable again, they let Danny
into the room. He’s been gone for two days, been on a plane for
hours and still looks delicious in a henley and worn jeans.
Baseball cap is of course on his head, he rarely goes without one.
The hat does nothing to disguise his identity, but he knew that.
Danny smirks knowingly when he sees me checking him out, along with
all of the nurses in the hallway that followed him in.
    “Thanks, ladies. I’ve found my way.” He leans
down to kiss my lips hard and pulls a chair next to mine. “How are
you doing, doll?” he asks Dominique, completely ignoring the women
hanging in the door.
    She nods with a little smile. “I’m good,
Danny. Thanks for coming.”
    “Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t miss this for
anything.” Danny crosses one foot over his other knee and links