Both their phones are going off now and Joel is about ready to tell Spencer to go ahead, throw them both in the water, they can get new phones tomorrow when what he's said actually manages to register and his hands fall to Spencer's hips, holding his husband there on his lap for a moment in surprise more than anything. It's Erin. That isn't entirely unusual. Erin often texts or calls to give them updates or inform them of appointments with the doctor they'll need to attend. Joel and Spencer see her several times a week, either apart or together, and they keep in relatively close contact with her, but when she texts and they don't immediately answer, she never keeps texting. Erin is perfectly content to let them get back to her in their own time and barely more than an hour or so will go by before they respond to her for the most part. Given the fact that they own their own business, set their own hours and really make their own rules for their store, it's easy enough for them to grab their phones and send a quick message in response. It's rarely so busy that they don't have a chance at all, so if she's texting them repeatedly, it's for a good reason. So Spencer tells him it's Erin, that they really should take this call, and Joel shoves his hand into his pocket for his phone, pressing the button on the screen to answer her call.
"Hi," he says, already a little breathless, and he supposes he could blame Spencer for that, but for what might be the first time in all their time together, he's completely distracted. Spencer is still sitting on top of him and Joel's free hand is still on his hip, he's even still hard, having responded to Spencer's hand pressing his vibrating phone against his skin quite eagerly. But almost none of that registers. Spencer is there and Joel is very aware of him, but his focus is narrowed down to this call, to Erin's voice coming over the line, to the things she's saying. He's terrified something bad has happened. The baby still isn't due for almost three weeks and the only thing he can think of is that something terrible has happened. There's been a car accident or some other awful emergency and she's been taken to the hospital. He's scared he won't even hear her phone on the other end of the phone at first, that it's going to be her husband calling to deliver the worst news Joel will ever hear and his hand tightens on Spencer's hip as the seconds tick by. It's the longest three seconds of his life.
"Hey, you guys are in town, right?" He's so relieved to hear Erin's voice instead of her husband's that Joel actually can't answer for a moment. He nods, then realizes she can't see him and swallows hard.
"Yeah," he says, his voice a little rough. "We're at home right now. Are you alright? Is everything okay?"
"Oh, everything's fine," she says, then laughs, and there's something about her laugh that puts him at ease. It's light and easy, the kind of laugh no one can fake. She's been like this right from the start, able to put the both of them into a state of relaxation without even having to try and Joel is reminded all over again why they picked Erin. She's the right choice. From the beginning they've both known that without a doubt. "There's no rush, I'm sure it'll be a few hours yet, but I started having contractions this afternoon. They're close enough together now that we're heading to the hospital, so you guys might want to head over as soon as you're ready. You're probably eating right now, aren't you? Did I interrupt your dinner?"
"Uh," he says, then blinks up at Spencer. Erin is worried about having interrupted their dinner, but their baby is coming. Their baby is coming now and the news sort of sits in Joel's chest, preventing him from doing or saying anything else for what feels like a very long time.
"Joel?" Erin asks. "Don't freak out. Everything is fine."
"But it's early," he says finally, still looking up at Spencer. "It's almost three weeks early."
"Well, babies aren't exactly known for following a strict schedule," Erin answers and she sounds amused again, enough that it seems to unstick whatever part of Joel's brain had frozen at the word contractions. "Take your time. Get Spencer. We'll meet you guys at the hospital, okay?"
"Okay," he says, then hangs up the phone. He blinks a few times, trying to register everything, then says, "The baby is coming."
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"Hi," he says, already a little breathless, and he supposes he could blame Spencer for that, but for what might be the first time in all their time together, he's completely distracted. Spencer is still sitting on top of him and Joel's free hand is still on his hip, he's even still hard, having responded to Spencer's hand pressing his vibrating phone against his skin quite eagerly. But almost none of that registers. Spencer is there and Joel is very aware of him, but his focus is narrowed down to this call, to Erin's voice coming over the line, to the things she's saying. He's terrified something bad has happened. The baby still isn't due for almost three weeks and the only thing he can think of is that something terrible has happened. There's been a car accident or some other awful emergency and she's been taken to the hospital. He's scared he won't even hear her phone on the other end of the phone at first, that it's going to be her husband calling to deliver the worst news Joel will ever hear and his hand tightens on Spencer's hip as the seconds tick by. It's the longest three seconds of his life.
"Hey, you guys are in town, right?" He's so relieved to hear Erin's voice instead of her husband's that Joel actually can't answer for a moment. He nods, then realizes she can't see him and swallows hard.
"Yeah," he says, his voice a little rough. "We're at home right now. Are you alright? Is everything okay?"
"Oh, everything's fine," she says, then laughs, and there's something about her laugh that puts him at ease. It's light and easy, the kind of laugh no one can fake. She's been like this right from the start, able to put the both of them into a state of relaxation without even having to try and Joel is reminded all over again why they picked Erin. She's the right choice. From the beginning they've both known that without a doubt. "There's no rush, I'm sure it'll be a few hours yet, but I started having contractions this afternoon. They're close enough together now that we're heading to the hospital, so you guys might want to head over as soon as you're ready. You're probably eating right now, aren't you? Did I interrupt your dinner?"
"Uh," he says, then blinks up at Spencer. Erin is worried about having interrupted their dinner, but their baby is coming. Their baby is coming now and the news sort of sits in Joel's chest, preventing him from doing or saying anything else for what feels like a very long time.
"Joel?" Erin asks. "Don't freak out. Everything is fine."
"But it's early," he says finally, still looking up at Spencer. "It's almost three weeks early."
"Well, babies aren't exactly known for following a strict schedule," Erin answers and she sounds amused again, enough that it seems to unstick whatever part of Joel's brain had frozen at the word contractions. "Take your time. Get Spencer. We'll meet you guys at the hospital, okay?"
"Okay," he says, then hangs up the phone. He blinks a few times, trying to register everything, then says, "The baby is coming."