Laurel P.O.V
The moment the hospital doors flew open, everything became a blur.
"She's in labor!" I screamed before anyone could even ask questions.
Within seconds, nurses rushed toward us with a wheelchair.
Racheal, who had spent the entire ride blaming me for every contraction she felt, grabbed my wrist with terrifying strength.
"Don't you dare leave me!" She cried through gritted teeth.
"I wasn't planning to!"
"You were! I can see it in your face!"
"I literally drove here with you!"
"You still look suspicious!"
A nurse looked between us in confusion. "...Are you her sister?"
Before I could answer, Racheal shouted, "Unfortunately!"
"I heard that!" I snapped.
The nurses exchanged amused glances before wheeling her away.
I hurried after them without thinking.Everything suddenly became serious.
The laughter.
The arguments.
The childish insults.
They all disappeared.
The bright hospital corridor felt unbearably cold.
Machines beeped.
Doctors rushed past.
Voices echoed from every direction.
For the first time that day,i was scared,really scared.
One doctor turned toward me. "Are you a family member?"
I hesitated. "No..."
Then I looked toward the delivery room where Racheal was disappearing behind double doors. "...But I'm staying."
The doctor simply nodded. "You'll need to wait outside unless she asks for you"
Almost immediately-
"I WANT LAUREL!" Racheal's voice echoed through the corridor.
The doctor sighed. "Well...I guess you've been chosen"
I blinked. "Me?"
Another painful scream came from inside.
"LAUREL!"
"...Coming!"
The delivery room was chaos.
Doctors.
Nurses.
Bright surgical lights.
Medical equipment.
And in the middle of it all,Racheal looked like she wanted to murder someone.
The moment she saw me, she pointed a trembling finger. "You..."
I swallowed. "...Me?"
"This..." She groaned loudly. "...is somehow your fault"
"My fault?"
"If you hadn't made me walk through fifty clothing stores-"
"You bought more clothes than I did!"
"I WAS EXERCISING!" Another contraction hit.She squeezed my hand so hard I nearly saw my ancestors.
"OW!"
"You deserve it!"
"I don't deserve broken bones!"
"You'll survive!"
"I'm not sure about that!"
The doctor cleared his throat.
"Mrs. Racheal, focus on your breathing"
She glared at him. "I'm trying!"
Then she looked back at me. "And stop looking so calm!"
"I am not calm!" I frowned,already getting frustrated.
"You look calm!"
"I am panicking internally!"
Another contraction rolled through her body.
She cried out.
This time,i didn't joke,i tightened my grip around her hand.
"It's okay"
She looked at me with watery eyes. "I'm scared..."
The words came out so quietly that they barely sounded like Racheal.
For the first time,she wasn't loud.
She wasn't teasing me.
She wasn't smiling.
She was just afraid.
Something inside my chest tightened.
Without thinking, I brushed a few damp strands of hair away from her forehead. "You're going to be okay"
"What if something happens?"
"Nothing is going to happen"
"What if-"
"Racheal"
She looked at me.
"I won't let anything happen to you"
For some reason,she smiled. "...Liar"
"...Maybe"
"But thanks"
Hours seemed to pass,the contractions became stronger,the room became louder.
Doctors spoke quickly.
Machines continued beeping.
The pressure in the room grew heavier with every passing minute.
Outside, rain began tapping softly against the hospital windows.
It felt as though the entire world had stopped to wait.
Then a nurse hurried toward me.
"You should inform the baby's father"
My heart skipped.
Marco.
I had completely forgotten.
My shaking fingers reached into my handbag before pulling out my phone.
He answered before the second ring.
"Laurel?"
"Marco..."
Something in my voice made him immediately stand.
"What happened?"
"It's Racheal"
Silence took over.
"...Is she alright?"
"We're at St. Vincent Hospital"
Another silence.
Then...
"I'm on my way"
The line disconnected.
The delivery room erupted again.
"Push!"
"I AM PUSHING!"
"One more time!"
"I'M TRYING!" Racheal's cries echoed through the room.
I stayed beside her,holding her hand and wiping the tears from her face while encouraging her every time she looked like giving up. "You can do this"
"I hate you..."
"I know"
"I really hate you..."
"I know"
She took in a deep breath before another push. "I hate Marco too!"
I couldn't stop myself.
Even in that terrifying moment,i laughed. "So does he know?"
"No!"
"You'll tell him yourself"
"If I survive!"
"You will"
The doctor suddenly smiled. "I can see the baby's head"
Everyone became focused.
The room fell into tense anticipation.
One final effort.
One final cry.
Then,a tiny cry echoed through the room.
Everything froze.
A baby's first cry.
Small.
Fragile and beautiful.
Racheal burst into tears.
I felt my own vision blur.
The doctor gently lifted the newborn.
"It's a healthy baby"
The room, moments ago filled with urgency and tension, softened into relieved smiles.
The nurses carefully wrapped the baby in a warm blanket before carrying the little one away for the first examinations.
Racheal's breathing slowly steadied.
She looked utterly exhausted.
I leaned closer. "You did it"
A tired smile crossed her face.
"...Tell...Marco..."
"I will"
"I love him..."
"I know"
Her eyelids fluttered closed.
Within moments,she was asleep.
Nearly thirty minutes later,the hospital corridor echoed with hurried footsteps.
Marco walked in,his suit was slightly wrinkled,his hair was a mess,he looked like he had broken every speed limit in the city to get there.
The moment he saw me outside the room, he stopped,his eyes searched my face desperately.
"Laurel..." His voice cracked. "Racheal?"
I smiled for what felt like the first time all day.
"She's alright"
His shoulders sagged with relief. "And the baby?"
"A healthy little miracle"
Marco covered his face with both hands.
For several seconds,he couldn't speak.When he finally lowered them, his eyes were bright with tears. "I made it..."
"You did"
"Can I see them?"
I nodded and gently pushed the hospital room door open.
Racheal lay peacefully asleep on the bed, looking nothing like the woman who had threatened to strangle me a short while earlier.
Beside her rested the tiny bundle that had turned an ordinary shopping trip into the most unforgettable day of our lives.
Marco stepped inside slowly, as though afraid the moment might disappear if he moved too quickly.
He looked at his sleeping wife.
Then at his child.
A smile spread across his face-quiet, overwhelmed, and full of love.
Standing in the doorway, I watched them, and something settled warmly in my heart.
Not every family begins peacefully.
Sometimes,it begins with arguments, laughter, tears, and absolute chaos.
And somehow,that makes it even more beautiful.