“That’s okay. It’s worth it.”

  I opened my mouth to speak when the pair of nurses barged back into the room.

  “Ms. Hawthorne, are you in pain?”

  I shook my head no. I was feeling some discomfort but beyond the panic of today and the discomforts of late pregnancy, I’d figured it was normal.

  “Well, the monitor shows you’re having some fairly regular contractions. I think we should check your cervix.”

  What?

  “I’m not due yet!” I exclaimed as the nurses pulled out gloves and swabs.

  Everything processed in a hazy daze as the nurses pulled my legs up into stirrups and prodded my vagina with gloved hands.

  “Sooo… You’re about four centimeters dilated. Baby is on her way!” Nurse one said gleefully as she glanced up from between my legs.

  Ringing filled my ears. I knew she was coming, but not so soon. Not yet.

  “Breathe Elle. Breathe!” Logan’s steady voice reassured me as he kept his grip on my hand firm.

  I took shallow breaths as the weight of what was coming settled on my shoulders. The nurses left the room to make the necessary arrangements for admitting me.

  “I’m going to stay right here. Whatever you need me to do, I will do.”

  “I don’t want you to go.” Just when I thought I had out cried everything, my body had the warm heat of tears pricked my eyes again. “I never wanted you to go… I need you, Logan. I don’t know how to do anything. I don’t know how to be a good girlfriend or a good mom. I’m scared, and I don’t want to do this alone.”

  Logan cupped my face in his hands. He leaned forward and pressed our foreheads together. “I need you too Elle. You need to know just because you’ve never done it before doesn’t mean you’re not good at it. You’re the best partner I’ve ever had.”

  He brushed my tears with his thumbs. “I fucked everything up. I broke your trust and hurt you. I’m so sorry. I never intended to, but my intent isn’t important. The outcome and the pain I caused you and our child is what matters. I’m sorry Elle. I love you. I never stopped loving you.”

  Although left breathless, I managed to squeak out, “I never stopped loving you either, Logan. I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too, Elle.”

  “But you can’t stay. You have a show tomorrow.”

  “Fuck the show. Fuck wrestling. None of that shit matters. What matters is you Elle! Being here for you!”

  I blinked. A golden thread of love stitched together the broken pieces of my heart.

  I love this man.

  “… T-t-that’s a very valid statement,” I stammered, still stunned by his willingness to put me before his life’s work. “But I’m not going to let you toss away the career you worked so hard for. Call Joe and tell him what’s going on. Then you and Davis head to my aunts’ house and grab my hospital bag. It’s in the den. Also, can you call them for me?”

  “Will you be okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. Just promise you’ll come back in one piece.” I smiled.

  “I promise!” Logan said before giving me a quick peck on the lips.

  “Love you!” he shouted over his shoulder.

  “Love you too!” I waved.

  Head light and heart full, I sank back on the crappy hospital stretcher. We were doing this, and we were doing it together.

  Logan

  “What’s going on?!” Davis jumped out of his chair.

  One would think Elle was having his baby. I grimaced at the thought.

  “We’re going to have a baby.” I said way more nonchalantly than I felt.

  I had stepped into my wrestling persona to present a calm front for Elle. But my insides were twisted into knots. A wave of nausea twisted my stomach. My legs wobbled before giving out. I managed to sink into a nearby chair.

  “Dude! This is so exciting!” he punched my shoulder.

  Exciting? Maybe. Terrifying? Totally.

  “Shit man, what about the pay-per-view?!” He asked once the amazement faded.

  “… Elle said I should call Joe, but I have no idea what he’s going to fill time with. I was going to drop the belt tomorrow, but now I’m not sure what should happen,” I sighed.

  Davis ran a hand over his bald head and smirked at me. “Call him. I’ve got a crazy idea.”

  Davis’ idea was totally out of the box and really fucking stupid. So naturally, that meant Joe was totally on board. He needed to make some calls, but he promised to let us know when he knew something. Davis drove me to Elle’s aunts’ house for her bag. While there, I called her aunts. There was a lot of shrieking and screaming on their end. Everything washed over me like an icy wave and before I knew it, I was back at the hospital. They moved Elle to a larger room with a more comfortable bed. I peeked in on her before stepping inside. She had changed into a hospital gown. She looked serene, with her eyes closed and her hands cupping her belly.

  “Hey you.” She smiled weakly.

  “Hey. How are you holding up?” I asked as I made cautious steps across the room.

  “Okay right now. They gave me some medicine for the pain. But I think I’m tolerating the contractions okay-” before she could finish that thought, her eyebrow squeezed together, and she winced in pain.

  I bit back a smile. There was nothing wrong with taking the epidural, but I knew it was important for Elle to see how long she could go without.

  “Do you need anything? Is there anything I can get you?” I asked as I smoothed a hand down her arm.

  “N-no,” she exhaled. “Did you talk to Joe?”

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. I glanced at a message from Joe.

  Joe: Everything is good here! TY is laughing his ass off. I just need the green light from you guys

  I swallowed. A lump formed in my throat. I didn’t know how Elle would take this, considering wrestling was what broke us up in the first place. I needed to be a grownup. This was a problem I needed to confront head on.

  “Elle, can we talk?”

  She nodded, and I flopped down on the weird, plastic fold out couch next to her bed.

  “… So, the plan was for me to drop the title to TY tomorrow night so I could have time off when you had the baby. Now that can’t happen, so we needed to come up with something different. Davis had a crazy idea, and everyone is on board. But I won’t do it unless I have an okay from you. You have all the veto power.” I sighed. “… Joe wants to load up TY and a film crew to come down here and shoot a parking ramp brawl…”

  Elle raised her eyebrows, “Maternity ward parking ramp brawl…” the way she moved her mouth made it seem like the words were heavy, jagged pieces of glass.

  “Yeah…” my heartbeat filled my ears.

  After a beat, she giggled. The airy sound hugged my heart.

  “That’s so damn ridiculous! I love it! Do it!”

  My mouth dropped open, “Really?”

  “Yeah. I’m progressing slowly, so you’ve got time. Besides, the point is you’re telling me in advance. You didn’t do that before. I had no way of preparing myself. People are still attacking me online. It was overwhelming and scary. Not communicating was the issue. You left me adrift all on my own.”

  Elle confronted me with our issues. I avoided her eyes by staring at the copper-colored floor tile.

  “I’m so sorry Elle. I’ll never forgive myself for putting you and our baby in harm’s way. I’m an asshole. An asshole blinded by my ego who deliberately pushed you away. Things were too good, and I needed it to fall apart. With Yuki, things were always so chaotic I didn’t know how to deal with a functional relationship. But I want to be with you. I love you and I want to do everything to build a life with you.”

  “Look at me Logan.”

  Carefully, I raised my head to look into Elle’s round brown eyes.

  “So, have this match then, baby girl, and I get you all to ourselves, right?”

  I jumped up, climbed over the guardrail on the hospital bed, and pulled Elle into my arms. She giggled as the lead on her stomach detached. Her warm softness felt right. I missed holding her so much. The tightness in my chest loosened as I nuzzled against her. Miscommunications be damned. This was my life, and I was never letting her go again.

  Epilogue

  Elle

  “ Hmmm…” I sighed at Logan’s back.

  He leaned over the side of the bed to peek into the bedside bassinet.

  Baby girl Penelope Emory Smith snoozed, content in her swaddled cocoon.

  She was the best and cutest baby in the world, her great aunts, grandparents, and god-uncles all agreed.

  It was 3am, and I was so exhausted my eyeballs ached. Penny had a diaper change, a bottle, and a burp, so we were guaranteed an uninterrupted hour. We should have taken the time to catch up on sleep but new parent anxiety made that sort of impossible. Instead, we watched old GJPW pay-per-views, and talked about the weather. Exhilarating stuff, but our brains were mush.

  Since the labor and delivery parking lot brawl where Logan dropped the championship to TY Blue, he had been given 3 months of parental leave. Almost a month into playing parents and we couldn’t say we had things figured out. Some days were easier than others. Penny didn’t know day from night and was fond of spitting up all over herself. Logan and I were zombies, existing in a fog. But a damn blissful fog it was.

  Often, I didn’t bother to change out of my pajamas and Logan lived in his himbo panties. But all that aside there would be moments where I would glance up and he would have Penny in the fabric wrap babywearing her and talking to her about anything and everything. Watching them together made me weepy and I couldn’t explain it away as hormones.

  I didn’t know I could love anyone the way I loved them.

  They were everything I needed.

  I ran a finger along Logan’s shoulder. “She still doing okay?”

  “She’s fine. Still breathing.” Sighing, he sank back onto the pillows.

  I wrapped my arms around him and curled up against his chest.

  “…Hey, uh… Elle can I ask you something?”

  I nodded.

  “Do you think… Do you think you might do the honor of marrying me?”

  I sprang upright. My eyes wide.

  “What the fuck did you just say to me?!”

  Logan blinked. “Will you marry me?”

  “Is this the tired talking?”

  He chuckled, “No. A little bit, but still no. I want to spend forever with you Elle. You’re the other half of my soul. I never want to picture my life without you or Penny again.”

  He reached under the pillows and produced a small, black ring box. Inside rested a bright round diamond. Smaller diamonds fill the platinum band that swirls outward before curving around the center stone. I wasn’t the type of girl who daydreamed about her ideal engagement ring, but damn if it wasn’t amazing.

  “Elle Hawthorne,” he smiled so hard his cheeks bunched up into the bags under his eyes, “I promise I’ve never wanted anything more than this. Wrestling championships, rare video games, all of it is meaningless if I can’t spend forever with you. Will you marry me?”

  God.

  Words failed me. I nodded.

  “Really?”

  I nodded again.

  Still grinning like a weary Cheshire cat, he pulled the ring free and placed it onto my trembling finger.

  “…You didn’t get down on one knee…” I mumbled.

  “I’m so tired I don’t think I could get back up.”

  I leaned over, cupped his cheeks and kissed him.

  “I love you.” I whispered against his lips.

  “I love you too Elle. Always and forever.”

  “Always and forever.”

  Penny started grunting and gurgling.

  “I think the queen is up.” I smiled.

  Penny’s fussing quickly transformed into a full-on cry.

  “What could be more romantic than this?” Logan laughed as he climbed out of bed.

  I watched him pick up Penny and carefully rock her back and forth while reassuring her that everything was alright.

  This is the most romantic thing in the world.

  Afterword

  Thank you so much for reading my book!

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  About the Author

  Quiana Glide (she/her) considers herself a Jill of all trades but a master of none. She loves romance novels, 80’s music, comics, wrestling, and other general nerdy. In a past life she was an award-winning cosplayer. In this life, she enjoys siting on the couch and occasionally refereeing wrestling matches. Besides writing romance, she’s had nonfiction essays published in HuffPost and CafeMom. Quiana lives in Michigan with her charmingly goofy husband and their chaotic toddler.

  Also by Quiana Glide:

  Cosplay Worthy

  By Dave and Quiana Glide:

  Mocha and Murder

  Acknowledgements

  First and foremost thank you my husband Dave Glide for supporting me through anything and everything. You have always been my biggest cheerleader, even when it annoyed me. Thank you for listening, brainstorming, being the best alpha reader in the world, and for just being you. I love you more than I can say!

  To my girls in the RWAG chat (Tawana, Aaliyah, Jadesola, Tiffany), thank you for helping prop up my depressed ass and listening to me! I love y'all so much we need to have a video meet up soon!

  Thank you to Gwynne Jackson, Avery Flynn, Chace Verity.

  Anyone who read my writing at any stage and in any form, thank you. Anyone who offered kind words or a shoulder to cry on, Thank you!

 

 

  Quiana Glide, Pregnancy, Wrestling, & Dating

 

 

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