~ Mara ~ Time doesn’t move right anymore. I don’t remember getting out of the car. I don’t remember walking in. I remember people touching me. And voices saying “Ma’am, stay with me—” “I’m here,” I answer, but I don’t know if it comes out right. Another contraction hits and everything else disappears. It’s not just pain. It’s force. Like my body is trying to split in two without asking me. “Okay, Mara, breathe,” a nurse says firmly, her hands steady on my arm. “I am breathing,” I say, but it comes out broken, uneven. “Not like that...slowly,” she corrects, I shake my head slightly, my fingers gripping the edge of the bed....Ohhh, I felt like chewing on her neck. “I can’t—” I try to say “You can,” she cuts in. I don’t believe her. But my body doesn’t give me a choice. Another wave crashes through me and I gasp, my back arching slightly as I fight it. “Cole,” I manage, my voice barely holding together. “I’m here,” he answers He’s close.
Last Updated : 2026-05-04 Read more