“What did I do wrong?” Trinity asked with real fear.

“You’ve done nothing wrong. Sometimes our bodies just don’t realize it’s not time for the baby to be born,” the doctor tried to reassure her. She lay almost completely still for the next several hours, not wanting to do anything to make the labor progress. Finally the drug seemed to be working because the contractions stopped. She fell into a fitful sleep, as she continued to lie in the hospital bed.

Drew stayed by her side the entire time. He was just as worried as her, if not more. He was frustrated there wasn’t more he could do to help her and the baby. He was supposed to be their protector and couldn’t do anything to stop her pain. He was also feeling incredibly guilty about their lovemaking. He knew he’d been too rough with her. He questioned the doctor about it and he reassured Drew the lovemaking wasn’t to blame but he didn’t believe him. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to his child or Trinity.

Trinity came in and out of consciousness, as the doctor continued to monitor her. Jasmine showed up and stayed by her bedside, next to Drew. She was grateful to have her in her life. Trinity had quickly become one of her best friend’s and she couldn’t imagine losing her.

Jasmine and Drew comforted each other and Trinity as well each time she woke up. They all said prayers the baby would stay in the comfort of her womb for as long as possible. The doctor told them each extra day gave the baby more strength and increased her odds.

The doctor moved her to a private room but he wanted to keep her in the hospital for the remainder of her pregnancy, to make sure she was safe. The contractions stopped but her body was dilated about four centimeters and he was very concerned he’d only put off the early labor, for a short period of time.

“I’m hoping to get at least another week in, before you go into labor for good. You won’t reach your full term but each day we’re able to keep the baby safe inside you is one more day she’s getting stronger and gaining weight,” he told her.

After her third day in the hospital room, Trinity was ready to leave but knew it wasn’t safe for her daughter. She missed her house already and was surprised she thought of it as home so soon.

The doctor said her body was in a very fragile state and he was concerned if she left, she’d go immediately into labor. He wanted to keep the baby in her stomach as long as possible and keep her hooked up, where both her and the baby could be monitored around the clock.

“So, please tell me why I’m only seeing you at the hospital, now?” Damien asked as he walked into her room, holding a giant vase of flowers, balloons, and most importantly, a huge box of chocolates.

“Oh, Damien, you’re my hero right now if you hand over that box immediately,” she said with a tear in her eye. He didn’t even bother teasing her with the chocolates, he just handed them over.

“How are you feeling? Are you going to roast our pretty girl a while longer?” he asked with a teasing smile.

“I’m trying to keep her in as long as possible,” Trinity told him, while rubbing her large stomach.

“I’m sorry I haven’t made it by the new place. I had to leave the country for a while. This new business deal is kicking my butt,” he told her.

“I’ve really missed you. I have Jasmine but you’ve been my best friend forever,” she said, having a hard time not crying.

“Hey, you know I’ll never go away. I promise when this deal is over I’ll come over and even change a few diapers,” he promised.

“I’ll hold you to that,” she said with a smile. She bit into her first chocolate and moaned, causing his brows to rise. “It’s really good,” she added with a giggle. He was able to stay with her for a long time so they caught each other up on their lives. She cried a little more when he walked out the door.

On her fifth night in the hospital, Drew pulled his chair close to her bed. He grabbed her hand and took a deep breath. She knew he was trying to talk to her about something important and so she waited for him to say what he needed to.

“Trinity, I know you aren’t sure about us as a couple but you know I care about you, right?” he finally asked her.

“I think you want to care about me because you love our daughter,” she answered him honestly.

“I do love our daughter, more than you could ever imagine but Trinity I care about you. When we’re together, everything feels right. I think over time we could be really happy together, if you’d just give it a real chance,” he pleaded with her. She was feeling more open, as she worried over her daughter.

“You’re a good man, Drew, I’ll admit that,” she told him as she squeezed his hand.

“Will you please let me do the right thing for my daughter, before she’s born?” he asked her. She didn’t understand what else he could possibly do that he hadn’t already. He had turned his world upside down to take care of her, bought a new home, took time off from work. She looked at him quizzically. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and her eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about. She automatically started shaking her head but he stopped her.

“Please marry me so you and my daughter can have my name. Let me be your husband and her father. If you really can’t stand it then you can divorce me but please don’t deliver our daughter without being my wife. I thought we were going to have more time to figure this all out but she could be born any day and I need for you to be my wife when she’s born,” he asked her with so much passion, she didn’t know how she could deny him.

She was still unsure about everything between them but he had been really good to her and this was one way she could actually pay him back. This was something she could do for both him and her daughter. She knew he was nothing like her ex-boyfriend, so she had nothing to fear. She finally nodded her head in agreement.

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.

She wanted to bash his head in. It was really easy for him to tell her to give it all she had. He wasn’t the one trying to pass a child through a small opening. Drew rubbed a cloth over her sweating brow, then the next contraction hit with the force of a tornado. She didn’t see how she wasn’t ripped in half from the horrible pain.