"We should go," I said. "We can get something to eat at the hospital once they check you."
"Okay," she said. "I don't think I could eat anyway. I'm too afraid -- or excited. I can't tell which. I knew we should have taken the classes sooner."
"That's my fault," I said and grabbed her emergency overnight bag, that we had prepared after reading the booklet the maternity program sent us when we confirmed our registration in the prenatal classes. I led her to the limo, which was waiting outside the door, the engine running. "I should have spent more time here, instead of going to LA."
"Shh," she said and squeezed my hand as I helped her into the limo. "What's done is done. Besides, I'm the one who told you we could put it off and that you should go to LA. Let's just get to the hospital."
So we did, driving in the growing darkness, Alexa sitting beside me, my arm around her shoulder. I kissed the top of her head and we watched the scenery as the limo drove back into town.
Once we arrived at the hospital, an orderly at the entrance helped me get Alexa into a wheelchair and pushed her to the maternity unit, where she was already pre-registered. All we had to do was show our insurance cards and she was whisked into an examining room where Vanessa met us.
Alexa changed into a hospital gown and got up on the examining table. With a light on her head and gloves on, Vanessa, a young dark-haired woman about thirty, examined Alexa, to see how far along -- if at all -- she was.
"Any contractions?" she asked as she peered at Alexa's cervix.
"No, nothing," Alexa said. "Just the water breaking."
"Your cervix looks a little dilated but not much progress as of yet. The plug is de
finitely gone so I would expect your labor to start in the next twenty-four hours."
"How come so early? Shouldn't it wait for three weeks?"
"Babies come when they come." Vanessa smiled. "You're far enough along that there shouldn't be any issues."
Then, Vanessa did an ultrasound and checked to see how much amniotic fluid remained and how Leif was doing.
"Baby is doing well. We'll take your blood and watch you overnight. The obstetrician on call may want to induce you tomorrow, depending on how your cervix looks. The doctor will decide when he examines you."
She removed her gloves and helped Alexa up.
"There's a family waiting room with lounge chairs and refreshments, but there's a special room for preterm labor you can use for the night. You can also go to the cafeteria and get something to eat if you don't mind hospital food."
Vanessa smiled. "Someone will come and get you when the doctor wants to see you."
"Okay," I said and thanked her for her calm reassuring manner.
When we were alone, I turned to Alexa, who was dressed once more in her street clothes.
"Let's go to get something to eat. If we're going to be here all night, we might as well eat first."
"Okay," she said, and it was at that moment that she bent over, her hand to the bottom of her belly.
"Oooh," she said, her voice sounding shocked.
"What?" I went to her and bent down to look in her eyes. "A contraction?"
She breathed in and then stood up straight. "I think so. It felt really weird and then everything tightened up. No real pain or anything."
"Maybe the start of labor. We should tell Vanessa."
"We should."
We went to the nurse's station and told Vanessa about Alexa's contraction.
She smiled. "Looks like you're in labor after all."
"Can I still go to the cafeteria?"