I'm too busy trying to refill the cups on the table that I don't even notice Maya standing beside me. The screams of children fill up the house, and at first it made me so happy, but now I'm just stressed, and tired, and I want this to be over with.

"Let me help." Maya smiles and takes over for me, pulling out a chair to our dining room table. "Sit down."

"I don't need to sit. I've got it, but thank you." I tell her, and together we manage to get all of the plates and cups restocked for the guests. The patio door opens to our backyard, and Izzy comes running inside behind Cameron, totally riled up on sugar.

"Mommy!" She shouts, tugging on the bottom of my dress. "Bounce! Bounce!" And she points outside to her princess castle bounce house that we got for her, those pleading eyes seeming to melt me at once.

"Baby, I would love to go on the bounce house with you, but-"

Cam sinks down in front of Izzy, giving her cheek a gentle pinch. "Is daddy not enough?" He raises a brow. "I told you we'll go back on it, but you need to drink something first. Mommy needs to make sure baby brother is okay."

Then he stands to his feet again and places his hand on my large stomach, rubbing in circles. Izzy runs outside to join the rest of her friends before Cam says, "You need to sit down. Remember what the doctor said?"

"I tried to tell her." Maya inputs, and I send her a death glare. "What? You're due any day now Maddie. You need to take it easy."

Cam points to the chair again with a look I know not to mess with, so I huff in defeat and sit down. It's Izzy's third birthday. I wanted everything to go perfectly, but even I can admit that I'm tired as hell. My ankles are swollen, my legs hurt, and the heat is almost unbearable.

"Okay, Maya we might need to build a guest suite and move here." Ethan enters into the house now, bouncing baby Elias on his hip. "Every time I come here I'm in awe. There's a freaking basketball court!"

Smiling to myself, I glance outside to oversee the party, our huge backyard that is filled with so much love for our daughter. The white picket fence is gleaming in the sunlight, and I find myself starting to relax. Sometimes I need to be reminded about how truly blessed I am. My problems really aren't that big.

"How's mommy's sweet boy doing?" Maya coos and takes Elias from Ethan, my heart swelling up twice the size. Maya is an incredible mother. I always knew she would be, but watching my bother and Maya flourish into the parents they are has been so exciting.

"Mommy!" Izzy bursts through the door with huge crocodile tears, stomping her foot repeatedly as she holds her hand out to me. It's covered in stickiness. "Po-sickle!" She says, her own version of popsicle. I realize that someone must have taken it from her.

Cam gets a knowing look on his face, going to the window to take a good look at the kids. "Who was it?" He asks, and then he laughs. "Not in my house! Not yet. She's only three."

Rolling my eyes, I stand up from the chair until Cam gently pushes me back down. "It's fine. I've got it." He reassures before turning his attention to Izzy. He sinks down in front of her and smiles brightly, and every time he does this Izzy seems to be putty in his hands. Eventually the tears stop, and she reaches out to touch his cheek. "Daddy knows where the secret stash is, okay? Let's go grab you another."

________

After cake and presents, and another hour of play time, the party is finally over with. Maya, Ethan and my mom stayed to help clean up, and as Cam helps pick up all of the popsicle sticks and trash from the backyard, I'm in the kitchen cleaning the dishes.

It's not until I go to bend down to put away a plate that I realize my pants are soaking wet. It feels like I peed myself, and when I glance down at the hardwood, seeing blood mixed into the liquid, I immediately know that my water just broke.

Oh, shit.

This never happened before with Izzy. I was overdue, and I had to get induced before I was rushed to an emergency c-section. They had to forcefully break my water, but clearly that's not going to happen this time.

"Mom?" I meekly call out. She's on the other side of the island picking up the dirty paper plates, and as soon as her eyes meet with mine she knows that something is wrong.

"What is it?" She asks, but I'm too in shock that I can't seem to say anything. Immediately dropping the plates she's holding, she comes around the island, seeing the mess on the floor, a hand flying to her mouth. "Oh, good heavens!" She shrieks. "Oh. Okay. Okay." And she racks her brain before she's finally able to do something. "Stay here. I'm going to get Cameron."

The door the patio flies open, and my mom practically screams at the top of her lungs. "Cameron!" She yells. "Get in here! Your wife is in labor!"

"She's what?" I hear him scream from across the lawn, and in seconds he's in the kitchen with me, seeing the mess beneath me. He can tell that I'm scared out of my right mind, because things with Izzy didn't exactly go well the last time. He wasn't there. He didn't see how scary it was. "Hey." He says gently, and rather than freak out like my mom and I, he's calm and reassuring. He's everything I'm needing him to be. "I need you to sit down, okay? I'm going to go and grab the bag from upstairs, and then we're going to go to the hospital."

He helps me into a chair, and then turns to my mom. "You'll watch Izzy?" He asks, and I find it utterly adorable that he's got tears in his eyes. He's happy to be a part of this.

"Absolutely." My mom wipes away a tear of her own and squeezes onto his arm before he heads down the hallway to go upstairs. I'm trying to breathe normally, but I already feel the hint of the first contraction. "Honey, you're going to be okay." She says and comes to sink down in front of me. "This is such a special day. You're going to be a mom again."

"I know." I nod. "I'm excited. I am. I'm just... scared. I don't want it to end up like last time."

"You're going to be fine, okay? This pregnancy has run smoothly, Maddie. Just try not to stress."

This contraction is stronger, and I glance at the clock, wincing from the pain. Cameron finally returns to the kitchen and helps me to my feet. "Are you ready to become parents again?" He asks, and almost instantly my nerves seem to evaporate.

_____

There was an accident on the highway, and Cameron is speeding now to try and get to the hospital as quickly as possible. He's been acting cool, calm and collected, but I can tell from how hard he's gripping the steering wheel that he's just as nervous as I am.

"Fucking hell!" I hiss from another contraction, and I'm trying not to freak out, but they're extremely close together. This one lasts almost a minute, and I'm squeezing onto Cam's hand for dear life.

"We're almost there." He says. "You're doing so good, baby. You hear me? So good."

I'm only allowed about thirty seconds before the next one starts, and I cry out in agony, Cameron stepping his foot on the gas pedal even harder.

"I-I don't want to have this baby in a car." I choke out when the contraction passes, flinging my head back onto the headrest to try and breathe. I'm already exhausted.

"You're not going to." He says calmly. I don't know how he isn't freaking out right now, but i'm grateful. "Look. We're here, okay?"

Whipping in front of the emergency room doors, he jumps out and races inside to get some help. The next contraction hits, and I swear I don't think I'm cut out for this. How the hell did I even deal with these contractions the last time?

A wheel chair and two nurses come out and Cam helps me into the chair. "They're going to get you a room." Cam says. "I'm just going to park the car and I'll be right in."

Everything is happening so quickly. My contractions are so bad. It feels like I'm being completely torn in half as they wheel me inside. "I-I want an epidural." I cry out. "Please."

They help me into a bed, and literally in less than three minutes a doctor is in the room with me to do an exam. I cry out in agony again and grip onto my stomach, begging and pleading for an epidural.

"Mrs. Holden it's too late for an epidural." She says and then glances to the nurses. "Where's the father?"

"Wait why?" I choke out, all of my worst fears seeming to come true. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, your son is-"

Cameron throws the curtain back, and as soon as he does his face goes as white as a ghost. "Oh my god." He grips onto the wall, and a nurse comes over to try and help him. "Is that his head? Already?"

"Yes." The doctor reiterates and shouts a bunch of instructions to the nurses before they run off to get whatever it is she needs. "Looks like this is going to be fast. You okay, mom?"

I'm not okay. Sweat is on my forehead, and as the next contraction hits I feel like I'm in pure agony. I cry out in pain as the doctor tells me to push, and Cam comes to sink right beside the bed, grabbing onto my hand to give it a squeeze. "You've got this, Mads." He says sweetly. "I- oh my god, babe that's it! His head's all the way out now."

"Why are you looking?" I shriek, and Cam instantly turns his gaze to mine again.

"Because this is incredible, Maddie." And then he laughs in disbelief and wipes away a tear that's escaped onto his cheek. "You're incredible."

The moment is quickly ruined from the next contraction, and after three more pushes our baby boy is placed onto my chest. He's crying, and the sound is like music to my ears.

"Oh my god." Cameron keeps repeating, and he kisses the top of my head multiple times. "Baby, you did it. Look at him! He's perfect."

I'm so exhausted. My body hurts. I'm sweating from head to toe as they ask Cameron if he wants to cut the cord. He gladly agrees and I watch him with a smile on my face. He was born to be a father, and he's wanted a son for as long as I can remember.

When he's cleaned off and placed onto my chest again I inspect all of his little fingers and toes, running my hands over his baby soft cheeks. It's an indescribable feeling to know that we created this. That this little human was inside of me for an entire nine months.

"Welcome to the world, Everett Ethan Holden." Cam gushes. "We love you so much."

A/N:

MY EYES ARE SWEATING

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

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TWO MORE BONUS CHAPTERS LEFT

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