“Enough. No dramatics.”
“Give it back.”
“You’re in labor, not under attack.”
“Those can be the same thing.”
He tossed the phone onto the armchair across the room.
“You are staying here until Janet gets here.”
“I don’t care if the president gets here.”
The grandfather clock chimed four downstairs. Then another contraction slammed into me so hard I cried out. When it eased, something warm trickled down my leg. Not much, but enough to send fear through me. Barbara noticed my face.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Then my phone screen flashed from the chair. A calm automated voice filled the room.
“Emergency protocol activated. Emergency services have been notified of your location. Please remain calm. Help is on the way.”
For one perfect second, no one moved. Richard lunged for the phone.
“What did you do?”
“It’s a safety protocol,” I said, breathing hard. “If the phone detects active labor and I’m not moving toward the hospital route, it sends alerts.”
Barbara spun toward me.
“You called the police on us?”
“I didn’t have to. You did that yourselves.”
The automated voice repeated the message. GPS location. Daniel. Dr. Martinez. Sandra. Emergency services. Everything had been sent. Barbara’s face went pale.
“You are making us look like criminals.”
“If the robe fits.”
Her expression twisted.
“You vindictive little—”
“Careful,” I said. “Everything is still recording.”
That stopped her. Sirens began in the distance. Barbara turned toward the window.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t understand what you’re doing. Reports get filed. Agencies get involved. These things follow families.”
“You should have thought of that before you stole my keys.”
“Stole?” Richard scoffed.
“I know about the money,” I said.
The room froze again. Barbara recovered first.
“Family helps family.”
“Family asks.”
“We planned to put it back.”
“You planned to keep taking it after the babies were born.”
Richard glanced at her, and that one look told me enough. The pounding at the front door shook the house.
“Emergency services! Open the door!”
Barbara stepped toward me, but a contraction dropped me to one knee. Then the front door burst open below us. Heavy footsteps rushed up the stairs. My water broke as they reached the bedroom.
“Move,” I said.
This time, strangers moved for me.
