Page 117 of Hold Me Down
“It’s okay, princess. Daddy’s here. He’s going to make it stop.” Her building cry hushes to a small whine, like she recognizes my voice, and I swallow harshly to keep my emotions at bay as I swipe the phone from the wall. My eyes drift to Ashia, hoping that she closed her eyes again, but instead, I’m met with enlarged pupils and amber colors. “Yes?” I answer the phone quietly, but probably a little more harshly than I should have.
I don’t give a fuck. They disturbed my wife and woke up my baby. As far as I’m concerned, this person is now enemy number one.
“I'm sorry to bother you all, Mr. Hartley,” a soft-spoken woman speaks. “But a Leanne and John Hartley are here at the front desk, asking to visit?”
God damn it, Mom…
“Who is it, baby?” Ashia asks groggily.
“It’s Mom and Dad, but I can tell them to come back tomorrow,” I practically insist. She was in such a deep sleep—they both were. The past sixteen hours has been a lot on them both, and I just want them to rest. Theyneedto feel safe and comfortable. Well, as comfortable as Ashia can manage right now. The last thing they need is to be crowded by my overbearing mother, especially because their husband-slash-father is already so possessive and protective. “Please go back to sleep, baby. You’re so tired…”
She smiles at me so lovingly that it almost steals the agitation from beneath my skin.
“No, it’s okay. I'll have to feed her again soon, anyway.” She painfully sits up, groaning softly as she moves slowly to adjust her position. I move on instinct to help her, but all I do is pull the phone cord, so I tuck the phone into the crook of my shoulder and offer her my hand. Relief instantly floods me when she takes it for support. “They know they can’t hold her right now, right? I don’t want them to be disappointed.”
“Yeah, baby. Serena told them.” I squeeze her hand just a little. “Are you sure you’re up for it? They don’t have to come in just because they’re asking,” I remind her. Once the hospital bed is lifted and she leans back into a comfortable position, she nods her head in the sweetest way. “They can come back,” I speak into the phone and hang it up, then quickly adjust the blanket around Emma, in case it shifted when I moved.
“Do you want to hold her?” I mumble, not really wanting to let her go. Ashia smiles at me and bounces her gaze between me and the baby, clearly wanting to.
“Do I? Absolutely, but they'll want to see you with her. So, I can wait a few minutes. Plus, this view isreallynice.” Her tired smile reaches her eyes, feeling the same overwhelming love as I do.
“I love you,” I blurt out, sounding like a love-sick puppy and enjoying every second of it. Her eyes brighten and she silently chuckles, obviously finding it endearing.
“I love you, too.”
The door opens much too quickly, despite how gentle it is. I was really hoping we’d have a few more minutes, so Ashia could mentally prepare for the emotional wreck my mother will inevitably be. The curtain is pulled back, and my giddy mother emerges like a jack-in-the-box. She scans the room until she locks eyes on us, then her face twists and her hands immediately fly up to her mouth.
I swear to God if she squeals and disturbs my baby, I'll fucking disown her.
“Oh, my God… Look at that sweet face,” she whispers and stalls for a moment, then slowly steps toward us.
Thank God.
“Wash your hands first, dear,” Dad reminds her, already moving towards the sink on the far side of the room. He’s walking leisurely, but I know he’s secretly determined to beat my mother to it.
“Oh, shoot.” She practically stomps her foot before she joins him. Normally, my Dad would step aside and let my mom go first in just about anything, but not this time. In a matter of seconds, it seems, his hands are clean and he’s drying them off as he steps up to my wife.
“How are you feeling?” He leans down and…hugs her. Not a simple side-hug, either. He wraps both arms around her shoulders and pulls her in, which shocks us both. Ashia’s eyes widen a little, but she doesn’t hesitate to lean in and reciprocate the fatherly affection.
“I feel good, thanks—a little tired and sore.”
My dad pulls back and lays a hand on her shoulder.
“You don’t need to sugarcoat how you’re feeling. A little is an understatement, but you look beautiful.” He moves his loving gaze over to me, sporting a genuine smirk as he stares at the little ball of purity in my arms. “How is she?”
“She’s perfect.”
“Serena told you guys everything?” Ashia double-checks. My mom practically flies from the sink and over to her, pulling her into a strong and forceful hug despite her still-dripping hands.
“Mom, be easy with her,” I growl. When they say opposites attract, they were right when it comes to my parents. While my dad rarely shows any emotion, my mom is full of it.
“Ease up, Leanne. We don’t need to overwhelm them,” my dad backs me up, thankfully.
“I'm sorry, I can’t help it.” She pulls back and wipes her eyes before holding Ashia’s face in her hands. “Yes, sweetie. Serena told us everything. How are you really feeling? Do you need anything?”
“No, I think we’re okay. Damien was really good about packing what we would need, and Serena ran over to the house to check on everyone.”
My mom nods her head, then looks back at me before slowly making her way over. She holds her hands to her chest and fidgets, clearly fighting not to reach out and touch her.
