Adah grabbed her stomach, hoping that she could ease the pain if she held securely enough.  After a moment, the cramp passed and her muscles relaxed.  She’d been having pains on and off for the better part of the morning,  but when she called the doctor they’d assured her that they were just Braxton-Hicks and everything was fine.

“Ace, you ready?”  Brett’s voice floated into Adah’s bathroom and she pushed the door open to let him enter.

“Just about.  I just want to throw my hair up.  It’s too hot for anything else.”

“Mm, yeah.  I hate it when it’s hot and my hair’s down.”  He grinned at her as she scowled at his tightly cropped hair.  “Come on, Ace.  We’re all waiting on you.”

“I’m coming.  Let me grab my phone and I’ll meet you in the living room.” 

Brennan was having a cookout in the park this afternoon and Adah, Sam, and Brett were all going.  A couple more people would be there, too, but it was mostly just for the four of them.  They’d developed quite the friendship since Brennan had moved in across the hall, and Adah felt like he was just as much a part of the family as Sam and Brett.

Nothing had come of the friendship between Adah and Brennan, but neither of them was ready for that at the moment.  They had been spending a lot of time together, and Adah was just glad to see that their friendship had grown.  She was really fond of both Brennan and Ranger, and she looked forward to having him as part of her life when the baby came.  She just hoped that things would stay the same between then when that happened.  He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to run, but one never knew.

Adah grabbed her phone off of the bed and waddled to the living room to see Brett, Sam, and Brennan waiting not-so-patiently.  She gave them a grimace.  “Don’t be mad, you try and walk with this…thing attached to your stomach.”  She gently prodded her stomach, feeling the baby move around as she did so.  “It’s not easy.”

Adah was a week away from delivering and she really couldn’t wait.  Well, that wasn’t quite true.  She was scared shitless to give birth and she had no idea what to expect, but she was damn ready to have this baby out of her body.  She was done feeling like she’d been abducted by aliens.

“Ready?”  Sam helped Adah out the door.  The boys went ahead with the coolers, and the girls took their time.  “You sure you’re OK, Ads?”  Sam questioned when she saw Adah grab her stomach and breathe through another Braxton-Hicks.

“Yeah…”  She waved the other girl off, “I’ll be fine.  Just give me a second.”

Sam gave Adah another concerned look but went on ahead.  She was convinced that Adah was in labor and they should all head to the hospital, but Adah believed the doctors and was too stubborn to do anything but head to the park.  Sam figured they’d probably be trying to deliver a baby in the middle of a Frisbee game, but that was just her opinion.

~*~

Adah relaxed in her lawn chair, happy to be off her feet and in the shade.  It was a mild day for L.A. but she had her own personal furnace attached to her stomach so she was constantly running hot.  She sipped at her lemonade and laughed as she watched Brennan and Brett try to catch Ranger.  Apparently Ranger was a good retriever, he just didn’t get the part about needing to give the Frisbee back.

Her thoughts were broken when her phone buzzed next to her.  Justin’s number flashed across the screen and she found herself smiling as she answered the phone.

“Hey.”  The two of them had managed to do some talking and even hang out a few times since he’d been back from tour.  She was happy to say that she felt comfortable with him and he seemed pretty determined to make things up to her.

“Hey, how are you?”  Adah had had some false contractions a week or so ago while she and Justin had been hanging out.  He’d been concerned about her well-being ever since, even when she explained that they weren’t anything to be worried about.

“I’m fine, Justin.  I’m at the park with some friends.  We’re having a cookout, you should come down.”  Justin had been to the apartment mostly when Brett and Sam were working, and Adah really wanted the three of them to develop some sort of friendship.

He let out a breath.  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Adah.”  He sounded sorry, and she remembered that he was a famous musician and the last place he probably wanted to hang out was the park where everyone could oogle at him.  She agreed with him about keeping this baby a secret, but sometimes she forgot who he was.

“Right, sorry.”  She wasn’t mad, just bummed.  She liked being around him, which wasn’t surprising, given her current condition.

“I was actually hoping you might be free today.  I wanted to bring you to the house so I could show you something.”  The addition had been a secret, but now that it was finished Justin was excited to show Adah the nursery and her new room.  It rattled him to think about a baby being in that room soon, but he’d deal with that when it happened.

“Uhm, I’m not sure when we’ll be getting done here.  Do you have anywhere to be?  I could have Sam drive me over now.”

“Oh, no, it’s no big hurry.  Stay and enjoy the cookout.  Maybe Sam can drop you over later.  I’ll cook dinner or something.”  He paused, “If you need me to come get you, I could do that too.  What park are you at?”

It was as close to a compromise as he could get and she was happy to know that he was trying.  “I’m sure Sam will be happy to drive me over in a little while.  She’s been dying to see your house anyway.”  Adah giggle.  Sam would never admit it aloud but she was a little star-struck when it came to Justin.

“Sounds good.  Just give me a call when you’re on your way.  Dinner OK with you?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.  I’ll see you later.”  Adah said her goodbyes, hanging up the phone and setting it down.  She struggled to her foot, waiving to Sam as she did so.

“What’s up, Ads?  You OK?”

“Yeah, I just need to pee.  Wanna come with?”  The girls made their way to the bathrooms, taking their time because anything more than a waddle was impossible for Adah.  Surprisingly, the bathrooms were empty and both girls got right in with no waiting.

“So, remember that guy I met at the coffee shop the other day?  The one with the seriously incredible green eyes?”  Sam could never resist a good story, even if they were peeing.  “He totally slipped me his number the other day, and when I called it, it was a fake!  Either he doesn’t know his own phone number or he’s his own cock-blocker.”

“Uh…Sam?”

“I mean, he could have just told me he wasn’t interested…”

“Sam?!” 

“Maybe he’s gay!  That’s it!  Maybe he realized that he was giving me the wrong message and just had no idea how to tell me--”

“SAM!”

“What?”

“I think my water just broke.”  Adah’s voice was shaky.

“You’re shitting me?”  Sam finished quickly, moving from her stall and over to Adah’s.

“No…no, I…I thought I had to pee, but, I really think my water just broke.”  She opened the stall door, her face pale and her eyes wide.  “I’m going to have this baby.”

“Right now?!”  Sam frantically searched the bathroom, finding an empty paper towel holder and a leaky faucet.  “Oh shit, oh shit…”

“Not this very second, no.  But I think it might be best if we get to the hospital.”  Adah was eerily calm as she directed Sam in what to do.  Sam, on the other hand, felt ready to pass out.  “Go grab Brett and Brennan, tell them to meet us there.  And then get the car.  I won’t make it in time if we walk.”

“Jesus, how can you be so calm?  You’re having a freakin’ baby!”

“I guess it’s my motherl--”  She was abruptly cut off by a contraction ripping through her abdomen, much more concentrated than the others had been.  “Ok…” She panted, “Time to go.”

Sam took off running in the direction of the guys while Adah slowly started toward the car.  She half-watched as the boys scrambled to get things together, throwing blankets and food into anything that was close.  Sam ran back toward Adah, out of breath as she reached her.  “OK?”

Adah only nodded, trying to focus on breathing slowly.  It seemed to take forever to reach the car, but as soon as she was seated she grabbed her phone and dialed Justin’s number.

“Hey Adah, everything all right?” 

She took a deep breath, “Well, either I just peed myself, or my water broke.”  There was a long silence on the other end as she waited for Justin to respond.

“You…your what?  Are you serious?”

“Why does everyone think I’m making this shit up?  Yes, I’m serious.  Get you’re ass to the hospital, I’m having your baby.”

“Oh shit, Oh shit.  OK.  I’m on my way.  Did you call the doctor?  Do they know you’re coming?  Should I get you something?  Do you need clothing?  Should I call an ambulance?”

“Whoa, slow down.  You’re the first person I called.”  She stopped again, panting through another contraction.  She figured that they were about fifteen to twenty minutes apart right now.  She didn’t know much, but she knew she still had some time.

“Ok.  Ok.  I’ll call the hospital to let them know we’re coming.”  He stopped, taking deep breaths when Adah did.  “This is really happening?”  His voice was small now, scared.

“Yeah, it’s really happening.  I’ll see you at the hospital.”

Adah hung up the phone, her focus completely on her stomach and the contractions she was having. 

Sam drove them to the hospital as fast as she dared, one eye always on Adah.  She was excited but nervous for her best friend.  This was going to change her life forever and Sam wasn’t sure Adah was completely ready for that.  She was happy to see that Justin had finally grown a pair (figuratively speaking, of course, her pregnant best friend confirmed the fact that he literally had a pair, but she digressed) and started to be a part of Adah’s life.  Adah had been glowing these past few weeks and Sam knew that it had a lot to do with Justin’s presence.  For the first time since this whole pregnancy thing began, Sam actually believed that things might be OK.

Then again, the sounds that were coming from Adah at the moment made her re-think that.

“Ads, are you OK?”

“Just keep driving!”  Her white knuckles gripped the seat with all of her power.  The pain in her abdomen was almost unbearable, and ever time a contraction hit she was sure she was going to rip in half.

“Almost there, Ads, just hang on.”  Nothing more was said as Sam sped the rest of the way to the hospital.  It only took another ten minutes, but for both women it felt like a lot longer.

The staff was waiting for them when they pulled up, a wheelchair ready.  Adah looked around for Justin briefly, but couldn’t spare much of her focus for long.  She was rushed inside, directly up to the private suite that had been reserved for her.  She was startled to find Justin already waiting in the suite, Lynn, Trace and Rachel by his side.  He jumped up, moving quickly to take her hand as the nurse stopped the wheel chair.

“Ok, Adah, we’ll need you to put this gown on.”  She turned to the spectators that now included Sam.  “There’s a waiting room connected to the birthing room, if you don’t mind?”  She ushered everyone out.

“Wait, I want Sam, too.”  Adah called, motioning toward her best friend.  She looked up at Justin, “Can she stay too?”

“Too, you…you want me in here with you?”  He could feel the blood start to drain from his face as the thought fully registered in his brain, but when he saw the look on her scared face, he knew he was going to stay.

Justin and Sam were pushed to the side while the doctors hooked Adah up to IVs and monitors.  She was checked over, her blood pressure taken, and her cervix examined.  The nurse stated that it would be a while longer because she was only a few centimeters dilated, but they were going to give her some medications that would help the process along.

It all sounded Greek to Justin.  He just kept staring at the swell of Adah’s belly, knowing that pretty soon his baby was going to be coming out of her.

He wanted to faint.

Adah grunted with effort, trying to breathe through the contractions instead of pushing like the doctor had said.  She was totally uncomfortable and it hurt like hell, but she was trying to keep it together.  Both Sam and Justin looked like they were ready to bolt and she didn’t want them to leave her.  She knew that she wouldn’t be able to do this alone and she really wanted both of them to be here with her.

“Hey Ads,”  Sam brushed the hair back from Adah’s forehead, giving her a light kiss.  “Brett and Brennan are here.  Can they come in a say Hi?”

“Sure,” she nodded, trying to keep her eyes open.  She was exhausted already.

The two boys tiptoed in the room, nerves evident on their faces.  Brett gave a small wave to Justin who sat in a chair near Adah’s bed, but he didn’t stop until he was close enough to give her a kiss on the cheek.  Brennan did a double take as he noticed the man sitting in the corner, but Adah called out to him before he had the chance to confirm his assumption.

“Hey, thanks for coming.”  She waved a tired hand at him and he smiled at her.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”  He sat gingerly on the bed next to her, eyes darting between Adah and the fiercely protective look Justin was giving her.  “Uhm, Adah,”  He leaned in to whisper, “Justin Timberlake is sitting in your hospital room.”

While he’d meant it to be between the two of them, Sam and Brett laughed along with Adah when they heard his statement.  “Yeah, he’s kind of important to this whole thing.”  She patted his hand, turning slightly to include Justin in the conversation.  “Brennan, I’d like you to meet Justin, the father of my baby.”

A sudden awkwardness filled the suite as the two men sized each other up.  Brennan couldn’t really believe that he was looking at the Justin Timberlake and that this man was actually the father to Adah’s baby.  Justin was wondering why he was suddenly so jealous and what this man meant to Adah.

Adah was thinking that she was having another contraction and she didn’t care what else was going on.  “Oh Jesus!”  She screamed, grabbing at the rails on the bed.  Justin was at her side in a second, coaching her through the contraction like a pro.  Brett and Brennan stepped back, happy to leave the room when the nurse ordered them out.

In the waiting room, a tense silence held the occupants nearly immobile.  Trace was flipping through the channels on the TV but not really seeing them.  Everyone else sat, listening to what was going on in the next room.  Every time Adah would let out a scream, they would all cringe.  Lynn knew all too well what was going on in that room and she kept praying for Adah and the baby.  She could wait to hold her new grandchild.

It felt like an eternity to everyone involved, but soon enough Adah was given the OK to push.  Once that started, it wasn’t too much longer before the doctor was asking Justin to cut the umbilical cord and Adah was being handed her brand new baby girl.

“It’s a girl.”  She gushed, tears in her eyes as the tiny infant was placed on her heaving chest.  “Oh, it’s a girl.”  She repeated, looking up at Justin’s shell-shocked face.  “We have a little girl.”

Adah lifted the bundle up, placing her soundly in Justin’s arms.  He peered down at the crying infant, and suddenly he knew what love at first sight really meant.  “She’s absolutely beautiful.”  He cooed, grinning over at Adah.  He was reluctant to hand the baby back to the nurse, but he knew she needed to be cleaned up, weighed, and measured.

“Emma.”

Adah’s voice broke Justin from his thoughts.  “What?”

“Her name is Emma.”  Adah looked up at him.  “It was my Mom’s name.  I hope you don’t mind, I know I didn’t ask you first.”

Justin shook his head.  “No, it’s perfect.”

“Emma Lynn James.”  Adah grinned as Justin’s eyes widened at the addition of Emma’s middle name.  “I thought that since I was naming her after my mom, it was only fair that I included your Mom, too.”

“Thanks.”  He grinned again, his eyes moving back over to the baby as the nurses did their thing.  Soon enough, he watched as they brought the baby back over to Adah, proudly declaring her healthy.

“Congratulations.  6 pounds, 5 ounces, 19 inches long.”  The nurse settled Emma back on Adah’s chest and Justin was at her side in an instant. 

“Maybe you should go tell everyone, Dad.”  She elbowed him in the ribs, her grin matching his.

“Yeah.”  He made no indication of moving as he gazed down at their daughter.  His daughter. 

Their moment was broken as the nurses took Emma so the doctors could finish up with Adah, and Justin took this as his cue to break the news to everyone out in the waiting room.

He was a Dad.