Justin smirked as he slid his key into the door of the flat. The flowers and chocolates would score him big points.
"Becca" He called as he entered the flat. He waited for her to answer whilst he fumbled around for a vase for the flowers.
"Becca!" He called again. Maybe she was asleep or in the bathroom.
"Justin? JUSTIN! Please help!" Becca called from their bedroom. Her voice was high-pitched, fast and full of terror. Justin knew that there was something seriously wrong.
He threw the flowers down and quickly rushed to the bedroom. Becca was there, doubled up, sweating and gripping her stomach in pain. He immediately knelt down beside her, throwing a comforting arm around her shoulder.
"Becca, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with the baby?" Justin enquired between panicked heavy breaths.
Becca didn't need to answer, as Justin's gaze moved from Becca's pained face to the clear watery fluid that was all over their bed. The baby was coming! And it was coming now!
"Errrmmmm……OK Becca, we've got to get you to the hospital. NOW!" Justin exclaimed as he fumbled madly around the bedroom stuffing Becca's hospital things into a bag.
"Justin……Arrrhhhh!...I can't, they'll……be……here……too late! It's coming now!"
Justin stopped his mad search around the bedroom and took in a deep breath. He knew what he had to do and this was no time to panic. He quickly rushed over to where Becca was propped against the bed and took charge of the situation.
"Becca, look at me" He requested, kind but firm. "I need to see how far along you are. OK?"
When she nodded, he took off his hoody, rolled it into a ball, and made it into a pillow for her head. Silently, hew was at her legs, carefully putting her feet on the ground and spreading her knees apart.
He sat there for a moment, intently studying and frowning.
"Justin……What's happening?" She was drenched in sweat from both terror and pain.
"I'm not a doctor Becks" He explained honestly, a tiny edge of fear showing in his eyes. "But I can see the head."
"Oh, God" Becca panted.
He was wearing a blue t-shirt, which he quickly removed. He then took off one of his shoes, and began unlacing it while he talked.
"Becks? Becca! Listen to me, in a second you're gonna have to push. Can you do that for me?"
The fear held back her voice, so she could only nod.
Placing the t-shirt and shoelace to his right, he went back to her opening. But, while kneeled out in front of her, he reached out his hand, and she took it.
"Ok……Push!"
Gathering her strength, she raised her head and tightened her abdomen, pushing down as hard as she could.
"Stop!" He yelled after a while, and Becca let go, her head falling backwards.
"Still with me?"
"Mmmmhmmm." She whimpered.
"Ok. You are gonna have to do it again. Ready? NOW!"
Her toes dug into the carpet, her fingernails drawing blood from his palm, but he was concentrated on delivering the baby, nothing else.
"Stop!"
She couldn't do it again. She couldn't find the conviction, the will, to push once more.
Justin obviously saw the defeat on her face, because he jumped to her side, cardling her sweaty face in his palms.
"Becca, look at me." He said, calmly. "It's almost over. We just need one more push."
"……I can't." She sobbed.
"Becca. Don't worry, I'll be right here. You can do this. I know you can."
When she sat up, pushing the palms of her hands into the ground, he kissed her gently on the cheek before returning to the baby.
"Just one more push, I promise."
"OK."
"PUSH!"
It was the most pain she had ever felt. For a moment she thought that she wouldn't make it.
Justin didn't tell her to stop this time. He was hovering over something near her legs, his hands flying everhere.
"Is it OK?" She meekly asked, her voice barely a whisper.
A whimper answered her, followed by an unrestrained cry.
He picked up the crying baby, a shoelace dangling from the umbilical cord, wrapped in the warm t-shirt.
"She's perfect. Our little girl's perfect!" He beamed. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"Girl?"
"A beautiful little girl." Justin affirmed as he placed the baby on her mother's chest.