Chapter 2 - His Promise
Blake had promised Claire she would never face labor alone.
The pregnancy had been difficult from the beginning.
At twenty weeks, doctors classified it as high-risk. At thirty-four, Claire was told to avoid unnecessary travel and immediately report sustained contractions, unusual pressure, or sudden weakness.
The instructions were repeated at every appointment.
Blake attended most of them.
He heard the warnings.
He packed the overnight bag.
He taped the emergency checklist inside the pantry and placed the hospital folder on the kitchen counter.
“When it starts,” he told Claire, “we leave. Nothing else matters.”
Claire believed him.
At thirty-eight weeks, the twins were considered ready, but her doctor remained concerned about complications. She was not supposed to drive herself during labor.
That afternoon, Diane arrived at the house with Blake’s younger sister, Madison, and Blake’s father, Frank.
Diane expected Blake to drive them to a shopping mall across town. A designer store was running a private sale, and Diane had talked about it for weeks.
Claire felt the first strong contraction while making coffee.
By the third, she could no longer pretend they were ordinary discomfort.
She gripped the counter.
“Blake, we need to leave.”
He reached for the keys.
Then Diane walked into the hallway.
“Where are you going?”
“To the hospital,” Claire answered.
Diane looked at her watch.
“No, you’re not. The sale ends at five.”
May you like
Blake hesitated.
That hesitation frightened Claire more than the pain.
