ir adjusted her posture in the leather chair, trying to find afortable position…an impossible task <b>at </b>eight and a half months pregnant. The air conditioning in the office provided some relief from the summer heat, but nothing could ease the constant pressure on her lower back or the way her ankles had swollen to twice their normal size.
Next time, she told herself, she was going to n better… because there was no way she was carrying another baby to term in summer.
“Mrs. Kingston, the designers are ready for you,” her assistant let her know, poking her head through the door.
“Thank you, Reba.” ir gathered her tablet and presentation materials, as she levered herself out of the chair. Thest trimester hadn’t been easy… her normally energetic pace reduced to a waddle, her sleep disturbed by the acrobatics of her baby, who seemed determined to use her dder as a trampoline.
ir was d Keira and Alexei had held off their wedding until after she gave birth. It hadn’t been so bad for Sutton’s wedding, but now, at the end of her pregnancy, she felt like an elephant.
Still, ir wouldn’t trade a moment of it. Not when each kick and hup reminded her of the miracle growing inside her. This pregnancy felt like the most precious gift.
She made her way to the conference room, where the Warner Industries designers and guest designers awaited her seasonal presentation. Despite her condition, she’d refused to slow down, determined to prove that motherhood and leadership weren’t mutually exclusive. Roman had been supportive but concerned, constantly reminding her to pace herself.
As she walked into the room, the conversation hushed briefly before the designers rose to greet her.
“Mrs. Kingston, you’re positively glowing,” said Alec, one of their guest designers, as he pulled out her chair.
ir smiled as she settled in. “Thank you, Alec. Though I suspect what you’re seeing is mostly perspiration. Carrying an extra person in this heat is quite the workout.”
Laughter rippled through the room. ir had worked hard to build rapport with the designers over the past year, turning her parents‘pany around and expanding its reach. Growing on their vision. The financial results spoke for themselves… profits up twenty–eight percent, three sessful new product lines, and a marketing strategy that had rejuvenated the brand’s image. She had someone ready to take over while she took time off–Brandi, who sat quietly in the corner, ready to step in after today.
She was halfway through her presentation when another twinge hit, a sharp tightening across her abdomen that made her pause mid–sentence. It had been the strongest yet.
“Mrs. Kingston?” prompted Brandi, noticing her sudden silence. “Are you okay?”
ir recovered quickly, pushing aside the difort. “Yes, of course. As I was saying…”
Another contraction came ten minutester, stronger than thest. ir gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles whitening as she tried to maintain herposure. Just Braxton Hicks, she told herself. She’d been experiencing them for weeks on and off.
<b>10:07 </b><b>Mon</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>15 </b>
The next one was so powerful it momentarily took her breath away, ir knew this was different. This <b>was </b>
real.
“Excuse me,” she managed to say. “I think I need a moment. Brandi, can you take over?”
<b>2 </b>
Brandi nodded and moved to the front of the room, picking up seamlessly as ir stepped out, hand <b>resting </b>on her belly.
Reba was at her side instantly, having noticed her distress. “Mrs. Kingston, should I call Mr. Kingston?”
ir nodded, her hand instinctively moving to her stomach. “Yes, please. And my doctor.”
Reba helped ir back toward her office.
“I’m fine, I’m sure it’s nothing. I was most likely on my feet too long,” ir insisted, though the increasing frequency of contractions suggested otherwise. “Just need to sit down for a minute.” She eased around her desk, holding onto the edge as another pain hit.
Reba didn’t look convinced. “Your water hasn’t broken?<b>” </b>
“No, but-” ir stopped, feeling a sudden release of pressure and warmth. “Well, spoke too soon. It’s that, or I just wet myself.”
Reba’s eyes widened. “I’m calling an ambnce.”
“No!” ir’s response was immediate. “No ambnce. Just get Roman. He’ll drive me. He has to drive past here to get to the hospital anyway.” Thest thing she wanted was to be wheeled out of her office on a stretcher. She still had her dignity, even if her body had other ns. Today was herst day anyway. She had already pulled back from duties…she just wanted to finish this one.
Roman was in a meeting when his phone buzzed. Normally, he’d never check it during negotiations of this importance, but he’d made one exception to his rule: ir. As soon as he saw Reba’s name on the screen, his heart rate spiked.
“Excuse me,” he said, rising abruptly. “I need to take this.”
He barely made it to the hallway before answering. “Reba? Is It ir?”
“Mr. Kingston, ir’s inbor. Her water just broke. She wants you to pick her up.”
Roman’s world narrowed to those words. “I’m on my way.”
He returned to the meeting room long enough to gather his things and offer a curt exnation. “Gentlemen, my wife is having our baby. We’ll have to reschedule.”
No one argued.
Fifteen minutester, Roman burst through the doors of ir’s office at Warner Industries, where he found her sitting calmly, breathing deeply through a contraction while Reba hovered anxiously nearby.
“ir!” He was at her side in an instant, crouching beside her chair. “Are you okay? How far apart are the
<b>16:07 </b><b>Mon</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>15 </b>
contractions<b>?</b><b>” </b>
210
So vouchers.
“About seven minutes,” she said, reaching for his hand. “And I’m fine. This wasn’t exactly how I nned to finish myst workday, but-” She inhaled sharply as another contraction hit.
“We need to get you to the hospital. Now,”
ir nodded, letting him help her to her feet. “You will find my bag in your car. I already let Sutton and Keira
know.<b>” </b>
“Always prepared,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple.
The drive to the hospital was tense for him, alternating between careful driving and casting worried nces <b>at </b>ir. She managed to remainposed, focusing on her breathing techniques, though her grip on the door handle betrayed her difort.
“It’s early,” ir said between contractions. “Almost two weeks.”
“A Kingston,” Roman replied, attempting to lighten the mood. “Impatient and unwilling to follow anyone else’s schedule.”
That earned him a weakugh, which quickly transformed into a gasp as another contraction seized her.
At the hospital, everything moved fast. Within an hour, ir was settled in a delivery room, monitors tracking both her contractions and the baby’s heartbeat. Her doctor confirmed she was already five centimeters dted.
“How long have you been having contractions?” Dr. O’Neill asked.
ir shrugged sheepishly. “Since this morning. I thought it was just more Braxton Hicks. I had today… It was myst day at the office.”
Roman looked shocked at her words. “You were giving a presentation while in activebor?”
“To be fair, I didn’t realize it was activebor until my water broke,” ir defended herself.
a presentation
Dr. O’Neill shook her head, amused. “Well, your baby seems even more determined than you are. This is progressing quickly for a first baby.”
The next four hours were a blur of increasing pain, ice chips, and Roman’s unwavering support. He never left her side, letting her crush his hand during contractions, wiping her forehead with cool cloths, and murmuring words of encouragement.
“I can’t do this,” ir gasped after a particrly brutal contraction. “Roman, I can’t- I want it to be over. You are never going to touch me again.”
The delivery room staffughed, having heard it all before.
“You’re doing so good,” he said firmly, his eyes never leaving hers. “You can bring our baby into this world. I love how strong you are. If you don’t want any more, I understand.”
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She clung to his words, drawing strength from his certainty. When the time came to push, ir <b>channeled </b>every ounce of determination she possessed.
“One more big push,” Dr. O’Neill urged. “Almost here!”
ir bore down with everything she had, a primal sound escaping her as she felt their baby finally emerge into the world.
The room filled with the powerful, indignant cry of their newborn.
“And here she is!” Dr. O’Neill announced, cing the squirming, red–faced infant on ir’s chest. “Congrattions, you have a beautiful baby girl.”
ir’s exhaustion vanished the moment she felt her daughter’s weight against her skin. Tears streamed down her face as she stared in wonder at the tiny being they’d created.
“Hello, Olivia,” she whispered, running a trembling finger along the baby’s cheek. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
Roman leaned down, his own eyes glistening with unshed tears. “She’s perfect,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Just like her mother.”
Olivia Eleanor Kingston had a shock of dark hair like her father. Her tiny fingers wrapped reflexively around Roman’s thumb when he touched her hand, and ir swore she’d never seen such a look of awe on her husband’s face.
“Roman?” ir’s voice was soft with exhaustion. “Did you let your family know?”
Roman nodded, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. “They’re all waiting. Half the waiting room is taken up; actually. Keira and Alexei, Sutton and Luca, my parents, Rose. They’re all here.”
ir’s eyes widened slightly. “All of them?”
“Everyone wanted to stay and wait. I think this is the first hospital visit for the Warner sisters that wasn’t an emergency…something to celebrate, don’t you think?” Roman said, his fingers gently stroking Olivia’s dark wisps of hair. “Do you feel up to seeing them once you’re settled in your room?”
ir nced down at herself, then at their daughter, considering. She was exhausted, sore, and probably looked a mess, but the thought of their families waiting to meet Olivia filled her with warmth. Her family had expanded in ways she never could have imagined a year ago.
“Yes,” she decided, adjusting Olivia in her arms. “I’d like that.”
Roman pressed a kiss to her temple. “I love you. Both of you.”
Two hourster, settled in a private room with Olivia sleeping peacefully in her arms, ir watched as Roman opened the door to their visitors. Keira burst in first followed by Alexei, her eyes immediately going to the bundle in ir’s arms.
“Oh my god, she’s here!” Keira whispered loudly, hurrying to ir’s bedside. “Let me see my first niece!”
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“Congrattions.” Alexei said.
Luca and Sutton followed, her own baby boy Miles nestled against her shoulder. “She’s beautiful, ir<b>, </b><b>she </b>said, leaning down to get a better look. “Absolutely perfect.
Roman’s parents were next, Eleanor’s eyes already filled with tears as she approached<i>. </i>“Oh, darling,” she breathed. “She’s exquisite.”
James put his arm around his wife, beaming with grandfatherly pride. “Another Kingston woman to keep <b>us </b>
on our toes.”
Rose peered over their shoulders, grinning. “She’s got your nose, ir, but definitely Roman’s scowl.”
“She’s not scowling,” Roman protested, though his smile never faltered.
“Does that mean she got your personality too?” Keira teased. “Poor ir.”
irughed, wincing slightly at the movement. “Don’t make meugh. It hurts.”
“Do you need anything?” Roman asked immediately, ever attentive.
ir shook her head, looking around at all the faces gathered around her bed.
“No,” she said softly. “I have everything I need right here.”
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