Breaking the Rules

by Cat Lavoie

  “If you think I’m going to support you after we’re married, you’re wrong. My wife needs to have a proper job. One that doesn’t involve baking cupcakes while wearing pajamas and watching TV.”

  I feel the blood boil inside my veins. Why can’t he see? Why can’t he understand?

  “Yeah, Ethan. I am looking for your support. But it’s obvious you don’t believe in me.”

  “I didn’t mean...” He sighs and looks at me, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head again. “Roxy, you always do the right thing. That’s what I love about you.”

  The right thing. I don’t even know what that is anymore. But in the last few weeks, I’ve cheated and lied and kept things from Ethan. I think it’s clear that I am anything but the right thing for him.

  I look at the ring on my finger. My gorgeous princess cut platinum engagement ring.

  “What are you doing?’ Ethan asks as I start twisting and pulling my finger. “Roxy, stop that.”

  It takes a little effort but I succeed in stripping the ring off my finger. I place it on the table between us, unable to look Ethan in the eye.

  “I think it’s better this way. For you and for me.”

  I can see Ethan shaking his head from the corner of my eye but I can’t look at him. If I look I’m going to cry but, more than anything, I might back down. And today, I don’t back down.

  “You’re making a big mistake, Roxy,” Ethan says.

  I finally look up and see that his face is twisted and his eyes are angry. I hate seeing him like this.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Unbelievable.” Ethan gets up and storms out of the Quid, almost knocking Adam over on his way out.

  I catch Adam’s eye and it only takes him a second to understand when he sees my engagement ring laying on the table. He rushes over to me and, up until that moment, I thought I’d be able to keep from crying. But as soon as my head hits Adam’s shoulder, tears start pouring down my cheeks.

  “Why do I always make such a mess of things?” I ask, wiping my eyes with one of the few napkins I haven’t shredded.

  Adam looks at me. “Do you want the truth or do you want me to give you the supportive friend bullshit?”

  I laugh. “What the hell. Give me the truth. It’s been that kind of day.”

  “I think...” He pauses for effect. “I think you’re sad about quitting your job and dumping your fiancé, but it’s not what’s making you cry. You’re crying because you want to tell Ollie how you feel. I know how messed-up relationships work. I practically invented them.”

  I sit back and think about this for a second. “It’s too late,” I tell Adam. “I don’t want to mess things up more than they are now, you know?”

  Adam nods. “I don’t agree but if that’s how you feel...” His voice trails off. “Listen, I have news that might possibly cheer you up—if you’re the kind of person who gets cheered up by slightly depressing job prospects.”

  I perk up at the sound of the word job. I need one of those.

  “I can’t pay more than minimum wage...”

  I jump up and wrap my arms around Adam’s neck. I don’t need to hear the rest. “Thank you.”

  “There’s a condition. You need to get out there and go find something better. If it isn’t cooking school, then it has to be something else. And when you find it, I will gladly fire you. Promise me you’ll do that?”

  “I promise.” I hug Adam tighter and look around the Quid. It’s a minimum-wage job where I’ll be cooking burgers and fries all day and my hair and clothes will smell like grease. It will barely be enough to make ends meet once I find a cheaper apartment. I’ll probably have to live off my credit cards for a while. But even after all that, this is still the best news I’ve gotten all day.

  “Sweetie, you’re vibrating.”

  Adam pulls away from me and I dig my phone out of my pocket, praying for it to be anybody but Ethan.

  “It’s Steffi,” I say, relieved.

  I read the text message and feel my heart skip a beat.

  Hurry 911.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The Rule Family 911 Emergency Procedure was created by Izzie when Dad got sick three years ago. The rules are simple:

  1) If a Rule sister receives a 911 text message, she must drop everything and rush to the sender or call right away if the sender is out of town.

  2) The 911 procedure must only be used in cases of extreme emergencies.

  2.1) There is no such thing as a fashion emergency.

  That last part was added because of Steffi and The Great Shoe Sale Incident and, after the long lecture she received from Izzie, I know she’d never send me a 911 message if it wasn’t something urgent. And considering her current pregnant state, I give Adam a quick hug and rush out of the Quid, promising to call him with news.

  I never run. Not for the subway, not for the bus, not to get out of the rain. But now my feet can’t move fast enough and I’m running like I’m being chased with an axe. A chorus of “Hey lady, watch where you’re going!” and “Where’s the fire?” rings through my ears but I don’t stop. I concentrate on running while praying that I don’t fall flat on my face. One quick look at the traffic inching along tells me that I have a better chance of getting to Steffi faster if I just keep running. So I do.

  When I get to the apartment, I can’t feel my legs and my lungs are burning. My knees almost buckle under me as I try to climb the stairs. Why doesn’t this building have an elevator?

  “Steffi, I’m here,” I say, bursting through the door. I fall on the couch, my heart still pounding through my chest. “What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

  “My water broke,” Steffi says, her eyes filled with fear. That’s when I notice the puddle of water at her feet.

  The baby can’t come now. It’s too early. “It’s okay,” I tell Steffi, trying to be calm for both of us. I attempt a smile but I think I just end up making a face at her.

  “Roxy, it’s too early. I’m scared...” Steffi clutches her stomach and screams out in pain.

  I freeze where I am and look at her. What am I supposed to do again? What did the baby book say? “Push, push... no, breathe. Breathe.”

  I let her squeeze my hand and try to figure out what might have triggered this. She was fine this morning, didn’t even have the fake contractions I read so much about. “Did you fall? What happened?”

  “Kitchen,” she says, pointing to the door.

  “Do you want water?” I ask, trying to read the look in her eyes. She shakes her head and squeezes my hand harder.

  “All right. I’ve called the hospital and told them we’re coming and the taxi’s on its way...”

  My head jerks up when Ollie walks into the living room. He drops his phone when he sees me.

  “Roxy.”

  “Ollie.”

  We stare at each other as Steffi looks from Ollie to me and back to Ollie. I don’t have time to ask any questions because Steffi has another contraction and almost breaks my fingers.

  “Stef, aren’t you supposed to have a bag or something?” Ollie asks.

  “In... my...room.”

  “I’ll get it. Stay here and look after her.” I’m talking to Ollie but I can’t bear to look at him.

  I run into Steffi’s room and stare at the pile of clothes on her bed and everywhere else. I can barely see an inch of floor.

  “Where’s your bag?” I yell out, still scanning the room for the overnight tote that Mom bought her.

  “Under...the...bed,” Steffi says before screaming out in pain again. I cringe at the sound.

  I kneel down and pull the bag out from its hiding place. It’s there all right. Still perfectly folded, tags still attached.

  “Steffi, you were supposed to prepare your bag. Didn’t I give you the list?” I try to remember what was on the list that the hospital gave Steffi. Slippers, nightgowns, underwear...

  Ollie pops his head into the room. “Roxy, I’m so sorry. I think she freaked out whe
n she saw me and she started having contractions...”

  “A little busy here,” I say, stuffing an unusually large number of nightgowns into the tote bag.

  I can feel Ollie watching me. I want to look at him but I can’t. What if I start crying? Besides, this isn’t about me right now. My baby sister is giving birth and my heart is beating right out of my chest. Good thing we’re going to the hospital since I think I might be having a heart attack. I grab a fistful of underwear, place them into the bag and run out of the room. I almost tackle Ollie but he moves out of the way just in time. Damn. Might have felt good to elbow him in the stomach. Accidentally on purpose.

  “We need to get her downstairs,” Ollie says. “I really wish this building had an elevator.”

  I nod and grab my sister’s left arm while Ollie takes the right. We move slowly towards the door and through the hallway, Steffi huffing and puffing and holding on to us with a death grip.

  “Maybe we should call an ambulance,” I say.

  “It won’t get here fast enough.”

  I turn my head and look at Ollie. His face is calm but determined. He smiles at me but I quickly look away. “Let’s go then.”

  The four flights of stairs that connect my apartment to the lobby have never felt so long. We inch forward at a snail’s pace and stop every now and again when Steffi has a contraction. They seem to be happening every five minutes and lasting for about a minute. I remember reading about this in the baby book.

  “Steffi, I think you’re in labor.”

  “You’re kidding me.” Steffi narrows her eyes at me, her face drenched in sweat. If looks could kill.

  We finally make it to the bottom of the stairs and I can see the cab waiting for us outside. I let go of Steffi’s arm and push the door open so she and Ollie can make it through. He helps Steffi settle in the back seat and Ollie and I sit on either side of her.

  “Hurry, please,” Ollie says, giving instructions to the driver.

  Before the driver can go, there’s a loud knock on my window and I look up, startled.

  “Roxy, I need to talk to you,” Ethan says, banging on the window.

  I press the button and bring the window down a few inches. “We’re bringing Steffi to the hospital. Can it wait?”

  Ethan peers inside the taxi and gives Steffi a stiff nod. I see his face cloud over when he notices that Ollie is there too.

  “I’ll call you later...” I begin, but before I can finish, Ethan circles the cab and hops in next to the driver. I swear I’ve never see that man move so fast.

  “Ethan, please.”

  “Roxy, I’m not going anywhere.”

  The driver turns and looks at Ollie and me. “Do I go?”

  Steffi’s frantic eyes tell me that we can’t afford to waste one more second. “Go,” I say. The car starts moving and she squeezes my hand as another contraction begins.

  We ride in relative silence for a few minutes, Steffi practicing her breathing while Ollie and I hold on to her.

  “So, Oliver. Why are you here?” Ethan asks. There’s an edge to his voice and I can’t help but think that he suspects our break-up and Ollie’s presence are somehow related.

  “Steffi is having my baby and I want to be here for her.”

  Ethan chuckles under his breath. “Really, Frost? I always assumed that if you were going to knock up a Rule sister it would be Roxy.”

  I shake my head and Steffi grabs my hand, her eyebrows firmly set in a frown.

  Ollie kicks the back of Ethan’s seat. “What a classy thing to say in front of your fiancée, Covington.”

  “Oh, she’s not my fiancée anymore,” Ethan says, readjusting himself in his seat. “Not since half an hour ago.”

  Steffi squeezes my hand even harder and I squeeze it back. “Are you okay?” she asks, out of breath.

  “Don’t worry about me,” I say, trying to smile.

  “Roxy...”

  I can’t bear to look up at Ollie so I keep my eyes on Steffi and try to breathe along with her. After a second, I feel a bit dizzy and crack open a window.

  “Roxy. Please say something,” Ollie says, leaning over Steffi. “Anything.” Even though he’s whispering, I know that Ethan can hear him because I see him tilt his head back slightly.

  “You lied to me,” I whisper back, looking up at him. “In fact, you’ve been lying to me since New Year’s. We’ve had so many conversations since then. How could you look me in the eye and not tell me about this?” My eyes drift towards Steffi. I lower my voice even more. “How could you... how could you .... kiss me... and...” I stop when I notice Ethan looking at us through the rearview mirror. This is not the time.

  “I’m sorry. I really am. I messed up and hurt a lot of people. But I’m going to do everything I can to make it up to everyone and be a good father.”

  I hear a snicker coming from the passenger’s seat. Ethan must love seeing Ollie squirm.

  “Guys, don’t fight,” Steffi says, clutching my arm when a new contraction begins. Ollie and I hold her until it seems to be over. “Don’t fight. I don’t want the baby to be born in an environment of conflict. Peaceful, relaxing, soothing sounds. That’s what the baby should hear.”

  “Good idea, Steffi,” Ethan says, turning around to face us. “This child is going to be a member of the Rule family. It should experience peace and relaxation now while it still has the chance.”

  Ollie’s face goes red and he turns to Steffi. “Just this one last thing and I promise I won’t say another aggravating word.”

  She nods and Ollie leans forward until his face is a few inches from Ethan’s. “If I ever hear you make another rude comment about Roxy, Steffi or any other member of the Rule family, I will kick your ass so bad your own mother won’t be able to recognize you.”

  Ethan’s face shows no sign of stress. In fact, I think he might be enjoying this. “Are you threatening me, Frost?”

  “Fuck yeah.”

  The cab driver looks back at us and I can tell that he regrets picking us up. A woman on the brink of childbirth and two men who want to rip each other’s throats out.

  Steffi takes a deep breath and screams out in pain.

  My thoughts exactly.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Izzie is waiting for us when we get out of the cab. She doesn’t seem surprised when Ollie climbs out of the back seat and just casually waves at him. If I wasn’t so busy letting my baby sister use me as a human crutch, I’d confront her about it. But I’ve got bigger things to worry about.

  “Mom and Dad are on their way,” Izzie says, helping Steffi settle into a wheelchair brought over by a nurse.

  Steffi nods and digs her nails into the armrests.

  “Who’s coming with Mommy?” the nurse asks. I stretch my neck and look at her name tag. Nurse Goody.

  Izzie and I answer at the same time. “I am.”

  “I can only have two people in there with her. What about the Daddy?”

  Nurse Goody looks back and forth between Ethan and Ollie.

  “That would be him, not me,” Ethan says, pointing at Ollie who looks like he’s about to faint.

  “You girls go. I’ll be in the waiting room.”

  I give Ollie a quick smile before we roll away with Steffi. I can see the panic in his eyes. The last time we were both in a hospital together, his mother was dying. This may be a different hospital in a different city and different circumstances, but I know he must be thinking about it.

  “We’re going to have you checked out by the doctor to see how far along you are,” Nurse Goody says, rolling Steffi into an examination room.

  Steffi lets out a scream. “I want drugs!”

  “After the doctor has examined you, we’ll talk about that.” Nurse Goody’s voice is calm and soothing and I feel a little more relaxed.

  “Maybe you didn’t hear me. I want drugs now,” Steffi says, clearly immune to Nurse Goody’s charms.

  “Breathe,” Izzie says.

  Steffi gives h
er a stare full of daggers but soon begins inhaling slowing through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. Izzie and I start breathing along with her and I see a faint smile on Nurse Goody’s face.

  A few minutes later the doctor walks in and looks around the room with a grin. “Hey there, everyone! Please, don’t tell me. Let me guess. Are you my patient?” he asks, pointing at Steffi who’s lying on the hospital bed in a flimsy gown.

  She smiles and nods at the aspiring stand-up comedian who’s about to deliver her child. “I am.”

  Of all the doctors in this hospital, it seems strangely fitting that Steffi gets to have the stereotypically handsome doctor who looks like he just stepped out of a soap opera. You know—the one with the chiseled chin, easy smile, perfect white teeth and flawless hair. I can’t help staring at him. Is he even old enough to be a doctor? He looks like he graduated from Soap Opera Med School twenty minutes ago. I’d even be willing to overlook that odd sense of humor…

  “Roxy, snap out of it,” Izzie says, hitting me hard on the shoulder.

  The dreamboat doctor shakes Steffi’s hand. “Nice to have you with us. I’m Doctor Bradford.” He looks at Izzie and me. “And you are?”

  “Roxy. Steffi’s sister. This is Izzie. She’s the oldest sister.”

  Izzie rolls her eyes and smiles at Doctor Bradford. “We’re a little worried because Steffi isn’t due for another month or so.”

  He nods as Nurse Goody helps him put on a pair of rubber gloves. “Let’s take a look, shall we?” Still smiling, he takes a tiny stool and sits down at the end of Steffi’s bed.

  I grab Steffi’s hand and concentrate on wiping the sweat off her forehead and giving her ‘everything-is-just-fine’ smiles as the contractions keep coming.

  “Well, looks like the little gal or fella is in a hurry to come meet all of you,” Doctor Bradford says, jumping up from the stool. “You’re fully dilated. Let’s wheel you up to the delivery room and get this show on the road.”

  Steffi looks at me with eyes as wide as saucers and I return the look to Izzie who has no one to return it to. This is too fast. The baby book said that women who’ve never given birth can be in labor for eight hours. Either Steffi has a few kids back in California that we don’t know about or this child has already inherited its mother’s contempt for the baby book.