65

BLOOM

It was relieving to have Grey beside me. It’d been about an hour since the contractions started and Grey returned from his hunt, and I wasn’t sure how much longer it would take. At that moment, I wish I had known to prepare myself for the pain I was going to experience.

I bit down my lower lip to stop myself from crying out as another wave of contraction hit. Grey noticed this, and his eyes widened in worry. I wanted to reach for his forehead and rub away those creases, and I wanted to assure him that everything was okay, but I wasn’t even sure of that myself.

Under the doctor’s instruction, the nurses kept checking if I was ready, and their heads shook and shared looks told me that I wasn’t. It was a struggle to keep my eyes open at this point, as the doctor asked questions relating to how I was feeling.

Every surge of pain intensified my uncertainty and fear. I needed a voice of reassurance to just guide me through the labyrinth of my emotions. As more time went by, I could