Chapter 240

• When I felt the next contraction coming on, I braced myself as best I could. The pressure was intense and unrelenting, but I knew I had to push through it. Ethan was right there beside me, holding my thighs up firmly, giving me all the support he could. I gave it one strong push, putting every bit of strength I had left into it, continuing until the contraction subsided. As soon as it passed, I collapsed back onto the pillow behind me, completely out of breath.
• “Summer, you are doing brilliantly,” Elsie said, her voice calm and encouraging, her presence a small comfort amid the chaos.
• "I hope you loved our sex life," I said breathlessly to Ethan, trying to joke through the pain. "Because we are never doing it again." I was half-serious, and he knew it. The pain was unbearable, like nothing I had ever imagined, and I needed a moment of humor to stay sane.