Myla jumped out of bed. “That was faster than six minutes, love. Let’s get you downstairs.”
Jordan pulled on her robe. “Go. I will meet you there. I am going to pack up all of our stuff.”
“Thank you.” I squeezed her hand as she helped me out of the bed.
“Myla!” I started frantically looking around the room. “Where’s my phone?”
She grabbed it from the desk where she had put it to charge the night before. “Got it.”
She handed it to me as Jessica started to help me get my shoes on. I dialed Brayden’s number and it went straight to voicemail.
“Hi, you have reached Brayden Cox. Please leave a message.”
After the beep, I yelled, “She’s coming and you’re not here. Brayden! Our baby is on her way!”
Myla grabbed my hand. “I will keep calling all the guys until I get through, don’t worry. Let’s just get you to the hospital before McBee has to deliver your little girl in the bathtub.”
Brayden
Iwokeup to Gavin frantically shaking me. “Brayden, wake the fuck up man.”
Sean and Griffin were already up and moving around frantically, but it took me a couple moments to process what was going on. “What? What? I’m up.”
“Karla is in labor. Myla was able to get us on the next flight out.” Gavin’s words hit the air but they weren’t processing.
“Excuse me? What the fuck?” I lunged for my phone, hitting the button over and over. “Fuck, my phone died.”
“There’s plenty of time to charge it later. Get the fuck up and get some clothes on. We have to leave in five minutes to make our flight.”
“She’s three weeks early!” Panic started to set in. I knew our baby was healthy, but being early was something I had always been told was not a good thing.
“It’s going to be ok, man. Let’s just get to her.”
Gavin’s phone started to ring again and I ripped it from his hands. “Karla?” I yelled.
Myla’s sweet voice came from the other end. “No, this is your sister. Hold on.”
“Brayden?” Karla’s voice sounded so far away. “Baby, are you on your way to the airport?”
“We are just about to leave.” I hopped on one foot, trying to hold the phone and get my jeans on.
“Hurry. She’s coming fast.”
“I will be there as soon as I possibly can.”
We sprinted through the tiny airport, barely making our flight. It was the longest four hours and fifty-four minutes of my life.
When Gavin, Griffin, Sean, and I bolted into the maternity ward at Flushing, a nurse glanced up from behind the nurse’s station. “Mr. Cox?”
I threw my hands onto the counter. “My girlfriend is in labor.”
She smiled sweetly at me. “Actually, she isn’t anymore. Congratulations, you’re a father to a healthy little girl.” She pointed to the room right in front of us. “Just be quiet when you go in. I think they’re all sleeping.”
I rushed into the room to see Karla sitting up in the hospital bed, staring down at the pink and white bundle in her arms. Jordan, McBee, and Myla were all sleeping in chairs around the room, their luggage from the spa trip piled high in the corner.
Tears started streaming down my face as I took in the view for a few seconds. I never wanted that memory to fade. Those simple moments made me feel complete, and right then I knew exactly what it meant to love someone—or multiple someone’s—unconditionally, even I hadn’t even met one of them yet.
“Hello, gorgeous,” I whispered, walking over to Karla’s side.