My Water Broke During His Ex's Hostage Crisis

Chapter 1

The international news channel blared with live footage from the warzone in the Middle East.

I lay on the couch, my round belly rising and falling with each breath. The sweet taste of cantaloupe still lingered on my lips when the screen suddenly cut to a fleeting shot—a female journalist held at gunpoint by armed militants.

The sound of the fruit platter toppling over made my fingers twitch.

Gavin Sullivan shot up from the couch, his knee slamming into the coffee table with a harsh thud.

Instinctively, I pressed a hand to my belly, but Gavin didn't seem to notice the pain. He staggered into the kitchen, his footsteps heavy.

The sharp crack of glass followed, then the sound of water rushing from the tap.

"I have to go on a business trip."

His lips were still red from the scalding heat of the cantaloupe, but his voice was steady, determined.

I felt the contractions hit again, coming in regular intervals.

Gripping the armrest, I slowly pushed myself upright.

"The doctor said it could happen any moment now."

A trickle of amniotic fluid slid down my leg, leaving a wet stain on the floor.

"Do you remember how my mother died?"

Gavin's suitcase wheels rolled over the damp spot as he bent down to tie his shoes. Cold beads of sweat dotted the back of his neck.

"Passport."

I shuffled to the entryway, leaning against the wall, and shoved his travel documents and a bank card into his hand. It held all the savings he'd entrusted to me over the seven years of our marriage, the surface of the card still sticky from a prenatal class sticker.

His fingers trembled, his throat working as he swallowed hard.

"I'll make it back."

As the distant wail of an ambulance grew louder, my gaze fell on the open photo album on the coffee table.

Last year, for our anniversary, Gavin had taken time off to do maternity photos with me. The edges of the prints were still smudged with his accidental fingerprints. Now, the album was stained by the overturned fruit platter, orange juice slowly seeping into the photo of us, smiling in each other's arms.