The hospital came into view, and Jaxon’s voice softened, a determination in his gaze that bolstered my own resolve. “We’re almost there, Jasmine."
Pain and exhaustion blurred together as the contractions swept over me in waves, each one pulling me further into an aching darkness I couldn’t shake. I could barely make out Jaxon’s voice beside me, his words steady, his grip on my hand a firm anchor keeping me grounded.
“You’re going to be alright, Jasmine,” he said, his voice as steady as his hand on mine. “Both you and the baby will be fine. I promise.”
I clung to those words as the world faded in and out, my only thought for the child I was about to bring into this world, desperate for him to be safe. “Please… the baby,” I murmured, fighting back tears as the sharpness of another contraction washed over me. “Save him… please, save him.”
Jaxon’s fingers tightened around mine, his voice dropping to a whisper. “He’ll be alright, Jasmine. He’s a fighter, just like his mother.”