Read Online The Baby Surprise by Brenda Harlen - Free Book Online

realized, as her pregnancy progressed and the date of Emma’s birth drew nearer, that I was the one who was grateful. Because the whole process of growing a baby really is a miracle and I was thrilled to share in it.”
    â€œDid Olivia know she was having a girl?”
    â€œYeah. She didn’t like surprises, and she was determined to know the baby’s gender so that she would be better prepared for her arrival.”
    Zach finished his coffee. “Was she happy?”
    â€œShe was thrilled,” Paige said. “I’m not sure that was true in the very beginning. As far as I know, she struggled through the early stages of oh-my-God-I’m-pregnant-what-do-I-do-now? on her own. She didn’t even tell me until she was through her first trimester, and then it was a very matter-of-fact ‘I’m pregnant. Yes, I’m keeping the baby. No, the father isn’t going to be involved, and will you go to prenatal classes with me?’”
    â€œI’m glad that she didn’t seem to have any doubts about having the baby—if a little surprised,” he admitted. “She seemed so completely focused on her career. During the time that we were together, she certainly never said anything to me—she never even hinted—about wanting a baby.”
    â€œI don’t think she had thought about it, not until she realized she was pregnant. But she was a wonderful mother.” Tears stung her eyes as she thought about Olivia with Emma, how much her friend had loved her baby and everything Emma had lost when she’d lost her mother. “She was so patient with the baby. Sure, she got overwhelmed and frazzled on occasion, but she never took it out on Emma. She simply and completely loved her little girl.”
    â€œTell me about when Emma was born,” he said.
    â€œYou really want the details?”
    â€œYeah.”
    Paige shrugged. “Her water broke at three o’clock in the morning, so she knew that labor would be starting soon, but she figured she had time to shower and shave her legs first—as if the ob-gyn cared about her razor stubble.”
    â€œI can see Olivia worrying about something like that,” Zach said and smiled.
    â€œYeah, well, she took a chunk of skin off her ankle bone because she had the razor in her hand when the first contraction hit.”
    He winced. “Ouch.”
    â€œAnd that was only the beginning.”
    â€œWhen did she call you?”
    She thought back, trying to remember. So many details of that day were permanently etched on her memory. Others were less clear. “It was around four, I think. She’d managed to finish her shower and dry her hair and get dressed, but the contractions were coming every fifteen minutes or so, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to drive herself to the hospital.”
    â€œWhich proves that she’d considered it,” he noted.
    Paige nodded. “Thankfully, I only lived a few blocks away, so we were at the hospital before five. Of course, her doctor didn’t show up until seven, and even then, he wasn’t ready to admit her because the labor hadn’t progressed very far.
    â€œAnyway, long story short, Emma was born just after ten p.m. that night.”
    â€œWhy do I get the feeling that you skipped over a lot of stuff?”
    â€œBecause I didn’t think you wanted to hear about the contractions stalling and the baby being in distress and finally being delivered by emergency C-section.”
    Nor did she want to think about those complications—and the accompanying terror—while Megan was in labor. Of course, she was confident her cousin could handle just aboutanything. Because from the minute she’d learned that she was pregnant, Megan had been reading everything she could find on pregnancy and labor and childbirth. In fact, Paige wouldn’t be surprised if the mother-to-be couldn’t teach the doctor a thing or two.
    Still, Paige