Chapter 34: Damian

I run up all four flights of stairs. We'll be carrying Lydia all the way down if the power doesn't come back on. Lydia is pacing the carpet when I enter the front room, her expression worried. I want to yell at her for walking around. We need things to slow down. Instead, I scoop her into my arms and pull her tightly against me. I press my lips to her neck and cheek.

"I love you. I promise our baby will be fine. You have my word." She immediately relaxes in my arms. I rub her back and hold her. A few minutes won't make a difference and I want her calm for the trip down the stairs. Less than a minute later, she stiffens and inhales deeply. "Breathe," I tell her because she's holding her breath and I know by the pain on her face that this is a contraction. "How long have the pains been going on, Lydia?" I ask as soon as it ends.

"A few hours," she whispers. "I'm sorry," she adds when my expression turns murderous. Now's not the time to lose my cool, so I tone it down a notch. "Why didn't