Page 119 of Leather & Ledgers
“Why are you crying, then?” I asked as I pulled her into my arms. My son was awake, and I felt a kick where her stomach was pressed against me.
“I’m crying because I’m a hot, hormonal mess. This is perfect. It’s exactly what I needed. Thank you, Bash.” She sniffled, and I pulled her into me for a deep kiss.
“Fee, baby, I’d do anything for you, you know that right?” She nodded, her tears slowing as she laid her head against my chest, our hands on her stomach as our boy continued doing back flips in there.
“He’s excited, too, it seems,” I commented, and Fiona laughed.
Skipping plates all together, Fiona and I curled up on the couch eating out of the various takeout containers. By the time we were finished, Fee was ready for another nap, so we moved upstairs. I lay awake, listening to her breathing as I wrapped my body around hers. I was in awe of her strength and resilience. Her love and humor.
When she woke up, I helped her get propped up in bed surrounded by pillows. Handing her the remote, I let her pick the movie while I popped the popcorn and selected different candies to bring upstairs.
We spent the rest of the day and night, curled up in bed eating popcorn and candy watching action movies and making out like teenagers. I massaged her feet and painted her toes. It was one of the best days of my life.
Fiona was glowing, excitement on her face as we watched old movies, her smile growing bigger when she realized I remembered to dump a box of bunch-a-crunch into the hot popcorn so the chocolate melted. By the time the last movie ended, I cleared all the food away and helped Fee wash up.
Back in bed, I showed my wife just how much I loved and treasured her. Making sure not to miss a single inch of skin as Islowly kissed and caressed her, we made slow, sweet love before falling asleep naked in each other’s arms.
Time passing didn’t dilute my obsession, the need for Fiona. Instead, it grew, it became deeper and more layered. Every day I was more in awe of the woman I got to call my wife, the mother of my children, my Fiona. I would spend everyday making sure she never regretted choosing me, choosing us. Fiona would have the beautiful life she had always deserved.
A week and a half later, Fiona went into labor. After seventeen long hours, our son came roaring into this world. He let out a hearty cry and didn’t settle until the nurses placed him on his Mama’s chest.
Tears filled my eyes as I took in his features, counting his fingers and toes. His hair was lighter than Birdies, still red but slightly blonder. He was a big baby coming out at nearly nine pounds. Fiona looked exhausted but beautiful as we looked into our son’s eyes.
“So, should we talk about names?” I asked. We had decided to wait, like we did with Birdie, knowing a name would come to us once we met our baby.
“Phoenix,” Fiona replied as she stroked a hand down our son’s face before letting him wrap his hand around her finger.
“Now, our family is complete, and we can prepare for a bright, magical and completely unexpected life together,” she said, repeating the words I told her years ago when I made her my Old Lady. It was perfect, she was perfect and there was only one thing left to do.
“It’s late and you’ve been through a lot. Let me bring Birdie in to meet her brother, then I’ll send everyone home, they can meet Phoenix tomorrow,” I told my wife. I saw her getting ready to argue but Phoenix let out a cry and started fussing.
As Fee started feeding my son, I took a moment to take in the scene in front of me, my heart full to bursting. Pressing a kiss to her head and then my son’s, I went outside to update the friends and family who had taken over the waiting area for almost a full day. My parents were there, as were Charlie, Match, Roxie, Star, Bull, and Atlas.
Birdie loved her Uncle Jackson, and was excited that he was visiting. Atlas arrived earlier in the week, wanting to be around to help out with the new baby. Both Jackson and Fiona worked hard to develop a new relationship. It was still fragile but with time and open conversation they were rebuilding, their relationship morphing to suit the people they were now, not the children they used to be.
Seeing me enter, Birdie wiggled out of her spot sandwiched between Atlas and Charlie to run over to me. Lifting her up I gave her a kiss before hugging her tight to my chest.
“Your baby brother is here,” I told her before looking out at the crowd of friends and family waiting anxiously.
“He’s beautiful and healthy. Got a set of lungs on him already,” I told everyone with a happy smile.
“Daddy! I play with baby brother now?” she asked excitedly. I smiled down at her, pressing a kiss to her curls, her fruity shampoo a calming break from the antiseptic hospital smell.
“He’s pretty tired, baby. He had a long day. I’m gonna take you back there now so you can meet him and say good night to Mommy. Then you’ll spend the night with Auntie Charlie, like we talked about,” I told her, and saw as Birdie processed the information.
I knew she wanted to stay and be part of the excitement, but she also knew that a sleepover at Charlie’s meant chocolate and Disney musicals on repeat. She gave me a loud kiss, then turned to the rest of our family.
“Bye-bye! I’m meeting my brother now!” she told them excitedly, and everyone laughed. I picked her up and hugged her to me as I made my way to Fiona’s room. Once inside, Fiona had just finished burping the baby, and his soft snuffles indicated he was close to sleep. Birdie hid her face in my neck, seemingly shy around the nurses and doctors still hovering about.
“Hi, baby girl! Mama missed you,” Fiona said, and instantly, Birdie’s shyness disappeared. Wiggling out of my arms, she toddled over to the bed, where Fiona sat, holding Phoenix.
“Do you want to meet him?” Fiona asked, and Birdie nodded. I lifted our daughter up and got her settled next to Fiona. My heart swelled at the sight of my family all together.
“Meet Phoenix, your baby brother,” Fiona told her as Birdie studied her brother’s face.
“He’s wrinkwy. And pink,” Birdie commented, staring at her brother as if he were some sort of alien blob. Fiona and I laughed at her description, but watched quietly as Birdie touched her brother’s hand.
“Hi, Phoenix! I’m your big sister. We gonna pway together all the time,” she told him in her version of a whisper. I took a picture of the three of them together, knowing my family was rabid for any content. Then I put my phone away and joined my family, now complete, and couldn’t believe how lucky I was.
When I had first met Fiona, I knew my life would change forever. Nothing could have prepared me for how absolutely phenomenal it would turn out to be. I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life with that woman and the children she had gifted me with. Our family was flying high, and the sky was the limit.
The End
