“Your blood pressure is high,” she said gently. “We need calm in here.”
“I’m trying,” I whispered, ashamed. “She makes me feel like I’m losing my mind.”
The nurse’s voice softened. “You’re not losing your mind. You’re in labor.”
Through the thin wall, Janice’s voice still echoed down the hallway, loud enough to rattle my nerves. “She’s always been manipulative!” Janice shouted. “Derek, she’s trying to cut me out!”
Derek’s voice came back faintly, strained. “Mom, please—”
Janice interrupted him immediately. “Don’t ‘please’ me. You know I’m right. You’ve seen how she cries to get her way.”
My chest tightened again, panic creeping back toward the surface. When Derek stepped back into the room, I stared at him. “Tell her to stop,” I said, my eyes filling with tears. “Just once, tell her to stop.”
He looked miserable. “Mia… this isn’t the time.”
“It’s exactly the time,” I snapped—then instantly regretted raising my voice because another contraction slammed into me. I groaned and clutched my stomach. “I can’t do this while she’s screaming.”
Derek dragged a hand through his hair. “She’s just worried.”
