Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
She’d wanted to carry on with life as usual until the end, but I couldn’t do it. I threatened her boss that if he didn’t block her from the damn building I would tear it down.
They all thought I was nuts, especially since she was the picture of health and energy. But they didn’t see her at the end of the day. When her ankles were swollen and her back ached, when her tummy itched and made her so miserable she cried.
I saw it all, and knew even though she thought she could do it all that I needed to rein her in. Life had taken a break from shitting all over me in the last few months, in fact since the day we got married.
We’d gone to the doctor a few days later and confirmed the news that she was indeed pregnant. I’ve never been so nervous and happy at the same time. I watched over her like a hawk until I rushed into this room last night.
My job wasn’t done though, it was only just beginning. I closed my eyes in a rare moment of Thanksgiving. Whatever life had done to me it had repaid me tenfold.
“Well can we come in now?” Mom popped her head around the door and the look she gave me told me that something had happened that I’d obviously missed, and when Shelly turned to me with a raised brow it was confirmed.
“What?” I looked back and forth between them.
“You told them all to get out.” What was she talking about?
“What when?” Mom thought it was safe enough since she made a beeline for me and the babies and a little bit of what happened earlier came back to me.
I almost turned my body so she couldn’t get to them. “Nicholas Sheridan let me hold my grandbabies.” It was like some kind of code word or some shit because as soon as she said that and snatched Gracie out of my hand, the door swung open and the whole damn family was there.
My arms were soon empty and I wasn’t too happy until my wife beckoned me over to her on the bed. “Come meet your son.” It felt as though the whole room stood still and no one even breathed. I wasn’t sure I was breathing myself as she lifted the little bundle out to me.
I hadn’t made room for him in my heart, hadn’t even known he was inside his mother with his sisters all this time. But the moment his little head hit the crook of my arm, my heart opened to let him in. “Hello little Nick. Daddy’s here.”
He opened his eyes and looked right into mine. Now I know the women in the room would have their own explanations for what passed between me, and my son. But when he looked at me, there was so much in those eyes. I felt…forgiveness, acceptance, love.
It wasn’t more than a split second but for as long as I live I would hold onto the feelings I had the first time I looked into my son’s eyes. “I will keep you safe.” I whispered the words to my boy as I lifted him to my chest.
“Thank you sweetbaby.” I held my son with one hand and reached out to my wife with the other, brushing my thumb along her cheek to her chin.
She was radiant; her face shone with happiness. It suddenly occurred to me that had we been together all along we probably would’ve had three children in fourteen years. I guess life had decided to stop fucking with me.
She made room for her guys on the hospital bed and I sat beside her so we could both look at our son. As if by silent agreement the moms brought our girls over and laid them between us before leaving the room and taking the horde with them.
I didn’t feel the fear I’d expected to last for a lifetime. Instead I felt whole, complete, excited. “I can’t wait to start this new adventure with you Shell. My Shelly.”
We spent the next half hour counting fingers and toes and whispering to each other about all the great things we had to look forward to with our little family.
“How are you really feeling sweetheart?” I couldn’t stop kissing or touching her in some way. This whole experience has left me in awe of her, of them, of life.
“I feel amazing, like we’ve just erased all the bad that happened to us. Does that make any sense? I know we can’t rewrite the past, but right here, right now, I wouldn’t change anything we have for the world.”
My heart squeezed at her words, and though I wished that we’d never parted, I knew and understood what she was saying. Our love, like the Phoenix, had risen from the ashes. Strong, secure, forever. “I love you sweetbaby.” I smiled down at my son as he grabbed my finger, before kissing my wife’s forehead.
THE END