Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Four days overdue.

Four.

Entire.

Days.

Daisy was officially miserable.

Everything hurt.

Sleeping was impossible.

Walking was uncomfortable.

And every person she knew seemed determined to ask the same question.

"Any signs yet?"

No.

No signs.

No baby.

No labor.

Nothing.

Which was exactly why her midwife had given her very clear instructions.

Walk more.

Apparently movement could help encourage labor naturally.

Daisy remained unconvinced.

Still, that was how she found herself wandering through Central Park with Harper, Poppy, and Theo on a beautiful autumn afternoon.

The city buzzed gently around them.

Children played nearby.

Dogs chased tennis balls.

Runners passed beneath trees streaked gold and orange.

Ahead of them, Poppy skipped happily through piles of leaves while Theo raced along on his scooter.

"Slow down!" Harper called.

"I am slowing down!" Theo shouted back while doing the exact opposite.

Daisy laughed.

Then immediately regretted it because her back hurt.

"My feet hurt."

"You've said that five times," Harper replied.

"Because they still hurt."

Harper rolled her eyes.

A moment later, Daisy stopped walking.

Something felt strange.

A sudden pressure.

Then warmth.

She blinked.

"Oh."

Harper looked over.

"What?"

Daisy looked down.

Then back up.

"My water just broke."

For one full second Harper simply stared.

Then panic erupted.

"Oh my God."

Daisy started laughing immediately.

Because somehow seeing her sister panic was genuinely hilarious.

Harper had two children.

Two.

Yet she looked moments away from calling the National Guard.

"This isn't funny!"

"You have literally done this before."

"Daisy!"

Meanwhile Theo looked horrified.

"You wet yourself."

Poppy gasped dramatically.

"Ew."

Daisy laughed even harder.

"Thanks, guys."

Another contraction hit.

Stronger.

Definitely stronger.

Okay.

That got her attention.

Harper immediately noticed.

"Was that one bad?"

"A little."

"Oh my God."

"Harper."

"What?"

"Calm down."

"I am calm."

She absolutely was not calm.

Daisy took a steady breath.

"Call Noah."

That finally focused her sister.

"What?"

"Tell him to go to my apartment and grab my hospital bag."

Harper nodded immediately and pulled out her phone.

"Then tell him to meet us at Mount Sinai."

"What about the kids?"

"He can take them home afterward."

Harper blinked.

"Us?"

Daisy looked toward the hospital.

Only a short distance away.

"We can walk."

Harper looked personally offended.

"You are in labor."

"Yes."

"We should call an ambulance."

"I'm a doctor."

"You're also having a baby."

Fair.

Another contraction rolled through her.

Daisy breathed carefully through it.

Still manageable.

Still early.

When it passed, she smiled.

"First babies take hours."

Harper looked horrified.

"You want to walk?"

"We'll go slowly."

Poppy immediately grabbed Daisy's hand.

"I'll help."

Theo looked suspicious.

"Is the baby coming out now?"

"No."

"When?"

"I don't know."

"That seems badly organised."

Honestly?

Fair point.

So together they started walking.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Every so often Daisy would stop and breathe through another contraction.

Each one stronger than the last.

Each one bringing her daughter a little closer.

Despite the discomfort, despite Harper's ongoing panic, despite Theo continuing to ask deeply concerning questions about childbirth—

Daisy found herself smiling.

Because after months of waiting.

After months of fear.

After months of wondering what her daughter would be like.

She was finally about to meet her.

Chapter Twelve – Part Two

By the time they reached the hospital, Daisy was officially done with walking.

The contractions were stronger now.

Closer together.

And significantly less fun.

"I told you we should've called an ambulance," Harper said.

Daisy glared at her.

Then stopped speaking entirely as another contraction hit.

Halfway across the crosswalk.

Perfect timing.

When it finally eased, they reached the hospital entrance.

And there stood Noah.

Holding Daisy's hospital bag.

Beside him was one of Daisy's coworkers.

Sarah.

And a wheelchair.

A very welcome wheelchair.

"Dr. Miller," Sarah said cheerfully. "Get in."

"I can walk."

Another contraction hit immediately.

Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"Sure you can."

Five seconds later Daisy was sitting in the wheelchair.

No regrets.

The automatic doors opened.

The familiar hospital smell hit instantly.

Usually comforting.

Today terrifying.

Nurses immediately recognised her.

"Dr. Miller's on the other side today."

"I hate all of you," Daisy muttered.

The maternity staff laughed.

They'd been waiting for this day.

The ride upstairs felt surreal.

This was her hospital.

Her workplace.

Yet today she wasn't a doctor.

Today she was a patient.

A mother.

The labor room was ready.

Monitors.

Hospital bed.

A tiny bassinet waiting in the corner.

Waiting for her daughter.

The sight of it hit harder than she expected.

Harper squeezed her hand.

"You okay?"

Daisy looked toward the empty bassinet.

Then at her sister.

Then at the growing contractions lighting up the monitor.

"No."

Harper looked worried.

Daisy smiled weakly.

"But I think I'm ready."

A few hours later, Noah arrived with Poppy and Theo.

The children rushed into the room.

Theo immediately looked at the monitor.

"Is that the baby?"

"No."

"What is it?"

"My contractions."

Theo stared.

"That's boring."

Poppy was more interested in the bassinet.

"That's where my cousin goes?"

"Yep."

Poppy smiled.

"I'm going to teach her everything."

Harper laughed.

"That is exactly what worries me."

The room filled with laughter.

And for a little while, labor didn't seem quite so scary.

Because Daisy wasn't alone.

She had Harper.

Noah.

Poppy.

Theo.

Her hospital family.

Everyone was waiting.

Everyone was excited.

Everyone already loved this little girl.

As another contraction rolled through her, Daisy gripped Harper's hand and breathed through it.

Then she looked at the bassinet again.

At the place where her daughter would soon be sleeping.

And for the first time since discovering she was pregnant—

she truly believed she was ready to meet her. ❤️