Els had managed to make it through the last contraction, but was very fearful that her active labor had begun and she was still streets away from home! Her mother was going to kill her for sending away the maid and Tyb would lose his marbles to know she'd left the house in this state. She was starting to regret the stubbornness that had propelled her from home this morning, but she had too much else to worry about now.

A voice interrupted her thoughts and Elsie looked up to find a friend of Tyb's looking back at her, asking if she needed help getting home. If only she could remember his name, she wouldn't feel quite so foolish. Well, she felt incredibly foolish right about now, but for a wildly different reason. "Oh, no, I'll be alright. It's only a little ways. Just overexerted myself today." She was never the kind to be a burden even when she was clearly in a state. "Thank you though." Els smiled as best as she could.

The contraction had passed anyway and Elsie was determined to use the time between them to move as fast as her very swollen legs could carry her closer to home. She pushed off the fence and continued her trek, making it a few more houses down when another contraction stopped her progress.