Things were not going as planned. Ronaldo gripped the steering wheel and tried not to plow into the back of the slow-moving Nissan in front of his F150 pickup.

Beside him, in the passenger seat, his wife of 2 years was screaming. That was a new noise to him. She was normally a very quiet and reserved person. But at this moment she had a hand clutching his forearm, and a sound like nothing he had heard issuing out of her mouth.

“How much farther?” Lily asked, her breathing labored.

“It says the hospital is two miles away.” He replied.

“I don’t know if I can make it that far.” She said, then screamed again as another contraction took over her body

This was their first child. They had spent countless hours pouring over parenting books, looking into reviews of the best hospitals in their area, and had typed up a birthing plan for the day that their daughter came

All of that didn’t matter now as the anxious father barreled down the highway, willing his unborn child to stay that way.

“What do you mean you don’t think you can make it that far?!” He asked. They hadn’t planned this. Babies were born in hospitals with medical professionals, NOT in trucks on the side of the road.

At that exact moment flashing lights appeared in his rear view mirror.

“Oh my god! I’m getting pulled over.” He exclaimed, before swinging the vehicle onto the side of the road

“What are you doing? You can’t stop! I can feel her head!“ Lily screamed

“Her head?” He questioned, suddenly feeling as if he couldn’t breathe.

The officer walked up to his window. Before he could get a word out, Ronaldo was speaking.

“My wife is having a baby!” He yelled. As if on que, Lily screamed in pure agony.

“She’s coming out!” She yelled, instinctively opening her legs.

The officer rushed around to the woman’s side of the car and opened the door. Ronaldo looked over to see blood, fluid, and a dark head coming out of his wife. His world started to swim, then he was plunged into darkness.

The fist sound he heard as he started to come to was a kitten. Wait…no. That wasn’t a kitten. That was a baby crying! He blinked and looked over to see his wife, tears streaming down her face, cradling the most beautiful little being he had ever seen.

“Our baby!” He exclaimed

“She’s hear…” Lily responded.

Ronaldo couldn’t help the huge smile that spread across his face.

Things weren’t going as planned. They were even better.