Chapter VI
December 11, 1999
“—you’re only dilated by two centimeters,” Doctor Harris said, “so it could be
hours before actual labor begins.”
“Hours?” Casey repeated, stunned.
“I’m afraid so,” the doctor replied. “Based on that, I’m going to send you home.
Once the true labor contractions begin, they’ll be much stronger than what you’ve
been having. You’ll be able to tell the difference.”
The ride home was quiet. William had expected Casey to yell, vent, even cry, but
she stared out the window the entire way. He offered to stop for another slushie,
but she didn’t respond.
Back at the house, William helped her inside. She sat down without a word. He
resumed timing contractions and counting Mississippis. After a few hours, with
contractions holding steady at over six minutes apart, William fell asleep sitting
on the couch.
The living room was completely dark when he woke up. He glanced around trying to
determine if Casey was still there. The couch beside him was empty. Casey wasn’t in
the living room.