Chapter 26: The Real Deal

A few days had passed since Ashley's dinner conversation with her mom, and she had been feeling restless and on edge ever since. She had been experiencing some mild cramps and backaches, but she had written them off as normal pregnancy discomforts. That was until she woke up in the middle of the night to a wave of extreme pain. "Mom!" Ashley cried out, her voice shaking with fear and discomfort. Nicole was out of bed and in Ashley's room in an instant. "Ashley, sweetie, what's wrong?" she asked, flipping on the light and rushing to her daughter's side. "It hurts," Ashley whispered, tears streaming down her face. "It hurts so much." Nicole quickly assessed the situation and saw that Ashley was having contractions. She had been warned that this could happen at any moment, but she was still taken aback by the intensity of Ashley's pain. "Okay, okay, baby," Nicole said, trying to calm Ashley down. "Let's get you comfortable. We need to time these contractions and see how far apart they are." Ashley nodded, wincing in pain as another contraction hit her. Nicole helped her get into a comfortable position and began to time the contractions. As the minutes ticked by, the contractions grew stronger and closer together. Ashley cried out again, her body tense with pain. Nicole held her hand, trying to offer what little comfort she could. "I'm here, sweetie," she said. "I'm not going anywhere. You're going to get through this." Ashley looked up at her mom, her eyes filled with tears. "I don't know if I can do this," she whispered. Nicole smiled and squeezed her hand. "You can, baby. You're strong and capable. We've been preparing for this moment for months. Let's get you to the hospital and get you checked out. It might be a while yet, but we need to be prepared." As Nicole helped Ashley get out of bed and get dressed, Ashley couldn't help but wonder if she was really ready for what was coming. The pain was intense, and she was only just beginning to realize what she was in for. But with her mom by her side, she felt a sense of determination wash over her. She was going to do this, no matter what.