All My Heart
Bulletproof Love
Annie’s POV
“I’m just gonna pop to the store sweetheart, do you need anything?” my mum asked, grabbing her handbag as she made her way to the door.
“No I’m fine mum, how long will you be?”
“I don’t know honey, about an hour? I’ve gotta pick up something for you from a store I’ve never been to, so I might get lost,” she smiled. Of course she would. My mother got lost in her own house most the time.
“Ok, I’ll see you later.”
As the front door slammed shut, I lay back on the couch, turning on the TV and wondering whether it would be an inconvenient time to call Vic.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, there was a sharp kick in my stomach and I grinned, rubbing my bump. It was the most wonderful feeling, having a little baby growing inside of you. I’d never felt more important in my life. Well, it was amazing until Sophie decided to point out there was a little alien thing growing inside of me, and moving about…then it made it kind of weird, but I still loved it. I loved the fact that I was so essential to someone’s life.
“You miss daddy too? He’ll be around for when you finally come, don’t you worry,” I whispered to my baby, and I felt another sharp kick, this time much more uncomfortable.
“Alright, calm down in there baby; it’s only a matter of time.”
The next pain that shot through my body was not a kick, and I put it down to Braxton Hicks, trying to move my body into a more comfortable position, closing my eyes and trying to ignore the uncomfortable pain that shot through my body again.
10 minutes later, I thought they had stopped, when an impossibly harder contraction started up, so hard that I felt tears pricking the corners of my eyes, and I started to panic. They weren’t supposed to be like this when I still had so much time left...right? It couldn’t be coming, Vic wasn’t here, he was too far away.
After it passed I decided to call my mum, but was left with no answer, going straight to voicemail instead. Her phone was off.
Another contraction racked my body, and this time a few tears slipped through my eyes, the pain becoming unbearable.
I dialled Sophie’s number, starting to really panic, the baby couldn’t come yet, it was way too early. I was left being sent to voicemail, and the contraction died down. I still tried my mum again, but her phone was still off.
I frantically called up Sophie and this time she picked up.
“Hey, sorry I didn’t pick up; I was talking to my mum. What did you want?” she breathed out in a hurry.
“I need you to come over now Soph, I need you to take me to the hospital,” I hurried out down the phone, wiping away the tears that were now falling down my cheeks. This wasn’t right, something wasn’t right.
“What? Why? What’s wrong?” she asked panicking now.
“My mum’s gone to the store and she’s not picking up her phone,” I explained, my breathing becoming rushed and I winced as the contraction racked my body. They were too close together…there was supposed to be like an hour between them, but there was barely half an hour between the large ones; but small ones were coming every ten minutes.
“Why do you need to go to the hospital Annie?” she practically screamed down the phone, my heart speeding up.
“The baby’s coming.” I hurried out, more tears falling.
“Wait no, it can’t be, Annie you’ve still got a month left!”
“You don’t think I know that Sophie?! I...” at that point I was cut off as another pain shot through me and I let out a hiss down the phone, “fuck.”
“Ok, don’t panic, I’ll be there in a few.”
Ten minutes later there was banging at the door, and I silently thanked God for making Sophie be so quick.
“It’s open,” I shouted out.
The door opened and Sophie came rushing in looking incredibly scared.
“Are you OK?” she asked, worry tracing her features.
“Not really, I’m not ready for this Soph, I mean what about Vic, he’s hours away and he has
to be – FUCK!” I winced as another contraction shot through.
“Well get in the car, come on!” she said, impossibly calm.
“I haven’t got a bag packed, or called Vic! Sophie it’s too early!” Tears started up again but this time from the panic that things weren’t going to plan.
“Right I’m gonna pack a bag, and you need to call Vic. Do you think you can do that?” she asked, already starting up the stairs. I thanked god for her ability to remain calm in stressful situations. I couldn’t do it.
I just nodded and dialled Vic’s number, praying he wasn’t busy doing sound check or anything, but when I was met with his answer phone I didn’t have much faith left. Vic always turned his phone off when he was working so that he didn’t get distracted. I’d just hoped with me being so close to the due date he’d break his rule. I was fuming and in agony. All I wanted was for my husband to be here for our child’s birth and if he didn’t turn his phone on he wouldn’t.
“He’s not answering!” I called up the stairs, and I heard Sophie curse.
“Call the others, see if any will answer!”
I selected Mike’s number and waited as it rang, each ring getting closer to the answer phone but then:
“Annie? For what do I owe the pleasure?” I could almost hear the smile in his voice, and I rolled my eyes before remembering he had no idea what was going on.
“Is Vic around Mike? It’s really fucking important and he’s not picking up,” I hissed down the phone, wincing as a small contraction started up again.
“Yeah he’s in his bunk, I dunno why he’s not answering...oh wait his phone’s out here. Hold on Annie,” he replied, and I heard his footsteps on the bus floor, and him pulling open the curtain as he explained to Vic what was happening.
“Annie?” Vic’s voice came down the phone and I just started sobbing, the worry fully taking over.
“Annie, what’s wrong?” he was met with just another sob and then a sharp curse as another
small contraction began.
“Sweetheart I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on,” he sounded like he was about to throw something in frustration, and I could hear the fear lace his voice, and I tried my hardest to compose myself.
“It’s too early Vic,” I sobbed out down the phone.
“What is?” though I knew he could tell.
“The baby’s coming now Vic,” I gasped.
“Shit.”
“I’m just gonna pop to the store sweetheart, do you need anything?” my mum asked, grabbing her handbag as she made her way to the door.
“No I’m fine mum, how long will you be?”
“I don’t know honey, about an hour? I’ve gotta pick up something for you from a store I’ve never been to, so I might get lost,” she smiled. Of course she would. My mother got lost in her own house most the time.
“Ok, I’ll see you later.”
As the front door slammed shut, I lay back on the couch, turning on the TV and wondering whether it would be an inconvenient time to call Vic.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, there was a sharp kick in my stomach and I grinned, rubbing my bump. It was the most wonderful feeling, having a little baby growing inside of you. I’d never felt more important in my life. Well, it was amazing until Sophie decided to point out there was a little alien thing growing inside of me, and moving about…then it made it kind of weird, but I still loved it. I loved the fact that I was so essential to someone’s life.
“You miss daddy too? He’ll be around for when you finally come, don’t you worry,” I whispered to my baby, and I felt another sharp kick, this time much more uncomfortable.
“Alright, calm down in there baby; it’s only a matter of time.”
The next pain that shot through my body was not a kick, and I put it down to Braxton Hicks, trying to move my body into a more comfortable position, closing my eyes and trying to ignore the uncomfortable pain that shot through my body again.
10 minutes later, I thought they had stopped, when an impossibly harder contraction started up, so hard that I felt tears pricking the corners of my eyes, and I started to panic. They weren’t supposed to be like this when I still had so much time left...right? It couldn’t be coming, Vic wasn’t here, he was too far away.
After it passed I decided to call my mum, but was left with no answer, going straight to voicemail instead. Her phone was off.
Another contraction racked my body, and this time a few tears slipped through my eyes, the pain becoming unbearable.
I dialled Sophie’s number, starting to really panic, the baby couldn’t come yet, it was way too early. I was left being sent to voicemail, and the contraction died down. I still tried my mum again, but her phone was still off.
I frantically called up Sophie and this time she picked up.
“Hey, sorry I didn’t pick up; I was talking to my mum. What did you want?” she breathed out in a hurry.
“I need you to come over now Soph, I need you to take me to the hospital,” I hurried out down the phone, wiping away the tears that were now falling down my cheeks. This wasn’t right, something wasn’t right.
“What? Why? What’s wrong?” she asked panicking now.
“My mum’s gone to the store and she’s not picking up her phone,” I explained, my breathing becoming rushed and I winced as the contraction racked my body. They were too close together…there was supposed to be like an hour between them, but there was barely half an hour between the large ones; but small ones were coming every ten minutes.
“Why do you need to go to the hospital Annie?” she practically screamed down the phone, my heart speeding up.
“The baby’s coming.” I hurried out, more tears falling.
“Wait no, it can’t be, Annie you’ve still got a month left!”
“You don’t think I know that Sophie?! I...” at that point I was cut off as another pain shot through me and I let out a hiss down the phone, “fuck.”
“Ok, don’t panic, I’ll be there in a few.”
Ten minutes later there was banging at the door, and I silently thanked God for making Sophie be so quick.
“It’s open,” I shouted out.
The door opened and Sophie came rushing in looking incredibly scared.
“Are you OK?” she asked, worry tracing her features.
“Not really, I’m not ready for this Soph, I mean what about Vic, he’s hours away and he has
to be – FUCK!” I winced as another contraction shot through.
“Well get in the car, come on!” she said, impossibly calm.
“I haven’t got a bag packed, or called Vic! Sophie it’s too early!” Tears started up again but this time from the panic that things weren’t going to plan.
“Right I’m gonna pack a bag, and you need to call Vic. Do you think you can do that?” she asked, already starting up the stairs. I thanked god for her ability to remain calm in stressful situations. I couldn’t do it.
I just nodded and dialled Vic’s number, praying he wasn’t busy doing sound check or anything, but when I was met with his answer phone I didn’t have much faith left. Vic always turned his phone off when he was working so that he didn’t get distracted. I’d just hoped with me being so close to the due date he’d break his rule. I was fuming and in agony. All I wanted was for my husband to be here for our child’s birth and if he didn’t turn his phone on he wouldn’t.
“He’s not answering!” I called up the stairs, and I heard Sophie curse.
“Call the others, see if any will answer!”
I selected Mike’s number and waited as it rang, each ring getting closer to the answer phone but then:
“Annie? For what do I owe the pleasure?” I could almost hear the smile in his voice, and I rolled my eyes before remembering he had no idea what was going on.
“Is Vic around Mike? It’s really fucking important and he’s not picking up,” I hissed down the phone, wincing as a small contraction started up again.
“Yeah he’s in his bunk, I dunno why he’s not answering...oh wait his phone’s out here. Hold on Annie,” he replied, and I heard his footsteps on the bus floor, and him pulling open the curtain as he explained to Vic what was happening.
“Annie?” Vic’s voice came down the phone and I just started sobbing, the worry fully taking over.
“Annie, what’s wrong?” he was met with just another sob and then a sharp curse as another
small contraction began.
“Sweetheart I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on,” he sounded like he was about to throw something in frustration, and I could hear the fear lace his voice, and I tried my hardest to compose myself.
“It’s too early Vic,” I sobbed out down the phone.
“What is?” though I knew he could tell.
“The baby’s coming now Vic,” I gasped.
“Shit.”
6/18/13