34 weeks pregnant.

Today is Jessica's baby shower.  Sarah and her sisters were the ones throwing it, and it was being held at Jessica's favorite restaurant.

Jessica wore a flowy white dress with floral designs.
Her golden curls rested a little past her shoulders.
She wore natural makeup, and some gloss.  She was glowing.

"Oh my gosh, everything looks so nice! Thank you guys!"

"Anything for our new little nephew!" Ann grabs her sister's belly and kisses it.

"Aw! He's already so loved!"

"Of course he is! Baby Jonas, as soon as you come out, we are going to spoil you rotten, little boy!"

"Aw, so sweet!" Jessica smiles.

**

After everyone had their meal and started on their cake, Danny and Jessica sat down to open presents.

"Mommy, can I help you open presents?" Nova asks.

"You can hand the little ones to us." Jessica smiles.

"Okay! I'm a really good helper, mommy!"

"Yes you are!"

She then feels a strong kick on her side.
"Ooh!" She says placing her hand where Jonas was most active.

"Is he awake?" Danny asks.

"Yeah, he's rolling all around in there."

Danny places his hand on her belly and Jessica says, "Oh my gosh, dejavú! This just happened at Nova's baby shower!  Remember when she was going crazy while we opened the presents?"

"Yeah." Danny smiles.

"But now I'm big! I'm not in your tummy no more, I'm a big girl that's almost SIX! Now you have baby boy in there!"

"Yep! Crazy how time flies!"

"Crazy how freakin fertile you are!" Sarah says.

"I know!" Jessica laughs. "No More After This! I need my tubes tied and double, triple, quadruple knotted! No more babies!"

"Are you sure you don't want to go for number eight?" Danny smiles.

"Number eight?  Jesus Christ! After I give birth to Jonas I would have had seven babies!  Well really I've only given birth to six, but still!  That's a lot!"

"No," Danny laughs.

"What?"

"Did you forget about me, Grandma?" Alyssa says bouncing Enrique on her lap.

"Oh my goodness!  How could I do that, Ricky?!
Holy shitballs, well this is my seventh birth!  That's so crazy!  This mommy factory is closed.  OFFICIALLY!"

***

May 26th.

Nova woke up bright and early and ran in to wake her parents.

"Good morning, guys!  Wake up!  It's my party day!  Even though I won't be six for THREE more days!  I'm having a before party!"

"Well good morning to you too, honey." Jessica yawned and rubbed her eyes as she chuckled.

"Get up!  Get up!  Get up!" She says smiling up onto the bed.

"Nova, I'm tired!" Danny whines and covers his face with the sheet.

Nova goes under the blanket and lays on his chest.

"I'm not!  We have to get up, there's so much to do!"

"I'm coming, baby.  What do you want for breakfast?" Jessica asks.

"Ummm..Donuts!"

"Donuts?  That sounds good, actually.  Daddy, wake up and go get the birthday girl some donuts!"

"I'm tired.."

"Get up, Daniel!  Your daughter wants them!"

"It's not her real birthday."

"GET UP!" She shouts.

"I'm up!"

"Go on, daddy!" Nova says attempting to push him off the bed.

"Anything for my queens.." Danny says sitting up.

"Aw so sweet." Jessica smiles.

"Daddy, your hair does not look good like that!"

"Thanks, Love."

Grayson ended up going with Danny to grab the donuts, leaving the girls all alone.

"Now that he's out of the bed, we can spread out and go back to sleep!" Jessica says getting a little more comfortable.

"We can cuddle?" Nova asks.

"Sure, bug.  Let's cuddle!"

"Yay!" Nova smiles and cuddles up to Jessica's belly.

"I'm hugging brother!"

"Such a sweet girl!" Jessica smiles and lightly pats her back.

**

Later at the party, Enrique was being extra clingy to his mother.  He would cry if he wasn't with her, and was just a lot more fussy than usual.

"Are you feeling sick, baby?" Jessica asks.

"My mama.."

"Aw!  Bless his little heart.. he knows sister's comin and that things are gonna change soon." Jessica pouts.

"Yeah, I think so."

"My kids have all done that.  It's normal.  Then once that baby's here, they want to be your big helper!"

"Aw." Alyssa smiles.

"Yeah, it's fun.. Are you okay, honey?  You look tired."

"I am.  I couldn't sleep last night at all.  I was gonna ask, how early do you usually start having braxton hicks?"

"I guess around twenty four or twenty five weeks, maybe."

"I think that's what's happening.  I just haven't been very comfortable at all."

"I'm sorry, honey."

"It's okay.  I know it'll be worth it in the end."

"Definitely!"

"How are you feeling?  Baby boy is just a growin!"

"Yes he is!  We're thirty six weeks today." Jessica smiles holding her belly.

"Wow!  You're so close now!"

"I know!  I'm really nervous now.."

"He'll be okay." Alyssa smiles softly.

"Thanks.. I just have to be positive and put it all in God's hands."

"Yep!  He'll make sure baby boy is okay."

**

As the party went on, Alyssa started to feel worse and worse.  She was now terrified for her baby girl.

"Zachary." She says on the verge of tears.

"We need to go to the hospital."

"What's wrong?" He instantly panics.

"I keep getting contractions.  Not braxton hicks, these hurt!"

"Oh my gosh, okay.  We'll leave Enrique here and I'll take you."

"Okay.  We need to go.. Now!"

"Okay!  Mom, can you keep Enrique, I need to take Aly to the emergency room."

"What's wrong?!"

"She's having bad pains.  I'll let you know what they say.  I've gotta get her there as soon as possible."

"Okay, be careful."

Alyssa stood at the front door in tears.  This baby was more than halfway to her due date.  If something happened this late in the pregnancy Alyssa didn't know how she would move on.

"Mama!" Enrique cries.

"Baby boy, you're gonna stay with Gigi and papa for now.  Mommy and daddy are only going to check on sister.  They'll be back soon."

"I want mama!"

"I know, honey.  I'm so sorry."

Jessica sat with him on the couch until he was totally passed out on top of her.

**

"Zachary, I'm so scared!  I don't want to lose her."

"Baby, she'll be okay.  Just pray.. God will handle it."

Alyssa gasps making Zachary turn sharply towards her.

"What?"

"My water broke." She says in tears.

In that moment Zachary wanted to scream.  He was terrified.  Alyssa was only twenty five weeks pregnant.  There was no way baby Valerie could be on her way already.

He needed to be strong for her, so he held his tears back and focused on getting to the hospital.

"She'll be okay."

"But what if she's not?  Zach.. I don't feel her."

Zachary didn't respond.  He felt completely numb.