But she wasn’t sure either of them was up for all of this. If this was how bad the pain was now, how much worse was it to get when the baby was finally born? The thought sent an arrow of fear through her.
She couldn’t do this. She never should have agreed to have this baby for her sister. Sure, women had babies all the time, but they were different than her—they were braver and stronger.
As the pain ebbed away, she said, “I don’t know if I can do this.”
Apollo placed a finger beneath her chin and turned her head until their gazes met. “You can do this. You are doing amazing so far. I’ve never seen anyone as brave as you.”
She didn’t believe him. “You’re wrong.” Panic clawed at her. “I can’t do this.”
“I swear you are the bravest.”
“But you’ve done all kinds of brave things, from hiking and camping in the jungle to mountain climbing. I’m just having a baby.”
“Having a baby is one of the bravest things a person can do. And climbing a mountain doesn’t even compare.” His voice faded away, as though he were lost in his thoughts.
She was supposed to have another couple of weeks before all of this. Even her doctor hadn’t said anything about her going into preterm labor. If she was going to be a parent, she had to do better—be more prepared.
“Popi, I’m in awe of you.”
He was? Had she heard him correctly? He was in awe of her?
She turned to him and found warmth reflected in his eyes. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“I do. This little baby is going to have the most amazing mother.”
What did that mean? Was he telling her that he was going to relinquish his quest to have custody of the baby?
She never got to ask the question, as another more powerful contraction swept her breath away. She held on tight to Apollo’s hand as she rode the painful wave.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
WHAT EXACTLY HAD he gotten himself into?
Time passed slowly. Very slowly.
Apollo sat by helplessly as Popi writhed in pain. It was more horrible than even he had ever imagined, not that he thought about childbirth much. In fact, he’d spent his whole life avoiding the subject. But he hadn’t been able to avoid the guilt that shrouded his youth over him surviving while his mother had not.
But that wasn’t going to happen with Popi. She would make it. The medevac would be here shortly. He was positive of it. Because there was no way he was delivering that baby.
As more time passed, Popi’s contractions were a mere two minutes apart. The winds and rain continued to pummel the bungalow. His hopes of a quick rescue were slipping away.
It was going to be up to him to make sure Popi held the baby in her arms at the end of all of this. That seemed like a very daunting task.
“Talk to me.” Popi’s voice drew him out of his thoughts.
“What do you want me to talk about?”
She pulled her hand from his and ran her finger along the uneven scar trailing down his thigh, where his shorts had ridden up. “Tell me about that.”
“You don’t want to hear about it.”
“I do. Please tell me. Give me something to concentrate on besides the contractions.”
With all she was going through to bring a healthy baby into this world, he had no right to withhold her one request. But where did he begin?
He cleared his throat. “I was on an extended trip in the Himalayas when it happened.”
“What were you doing there?”
He shrugged. “Would you believe me if I told you that I threw a dart at a map and that’s where it landed?”
She looked at him with disbelief reflected in her eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Pretty much. The dart method has taken me to some of the most interesting places on this earth. Some places I’d rather have not visited. This was one of those places.”
“You mean because you got hurt?”
Just then her hand sought out his, and he knew what was coming—another contraction. He couldn’t believe the contractions just kept coming one right after the other. It was well into the middle of the night by now. And lines of exhaustion were written on Popi’s face.
“Keep talking,” she said before groaning in pain.