Ralph became worried immediately. He gently placed a hand on his stomach and asked:
—Honey, are you okay? Do you want me to stay and take you to the hospital?
Rachel took a deep breath and smiled, trying to reassure him.
“There’s no need, my love. I don’t think it’s anything serious. He’s probably just excited to be born, like his older brother. You can go to work without worrying.”
Ralph hesitated for a moment, but Rachel gave him a firm, loving look, and he nodded. Before leaving, he leaned down, placed his hand on her stomach, and gave her a soft kiss.
—Behave yourself in there, champ. See you soon.
David, who had been observing everything very carefully, said confidently:
—Dad, don’t worry. I’ll take care of Mom and my little brother while you’re gone.
Ralph smiled, touched by his son’s determination. He bent down and gently kissed David’s forehead, holding him by the shoulders.
—That’s my boy. I’m proud of you, son.
Several hours passed after Ralph left for work. Rachel was now in the kitchen preparing lunch, while David played in his room. Everything seemed normal until she heard a strange noise coming from the kitchen, as if something had fallen to the floor.
He immediately stopped playing and shouted:
—Mom! Are you okay?
But there was no response.
David felt a knot in his stomach and ran to the kitchen. There he found his mother lying on the floor, pale and unconscious.
“Mom, what happened?” he asked, full of concern, as he knelt beside her.
Rachel slowly opened her eyes, trying to calm him, and said:
“I feel dizzy, son. I lost my balance and fell. I don’t really know what happened, but I don’t feel well at all.”
The boy looked at her belly with a racing heart.
—Is my little brother about to be born?
Rachel slowly shook her head and replied:
—No, honey. My water hasn’t broken yet, but I think we need help. Please get my phone and call an ambulance.
David didn’t hesitate for a second. He knew where his mother kept her cell phone, so he ran to the bag hanging in the living room. His hands were trembling as he unlocked the device and dialed the emergency number.
“Hello, my mom fell and she’s not feeling well. I think it’s because of the baby,” she told the operator, her voice trembling.
After listening to the instructions on how to keep his mother comfortable until the paramedics arrived, David returned to the kitchen. He knelt beside Rachel again, took her hand, and said:
—The ambulance is coming, Mom. Everything will be alright, I promise.
As soon as the paramedics arrived at the house, they found Rachel unconscious on the kitchen floor, with a very distressed David by her side. They checked the pregnant woman’s vital signs and carefully placed her on a stretcher, while the boy insisted on riding in the ambulance with her.
Moved by their concern, they accepted.
During the journey, David didn’t let go of his mother’s hand. Worried, he asked:
—What’s happening to my mom? Will she and my little brother be okay?
