by Laura John
A yawn slips past his lips and I feel like shit. I hate feeling so useless.
“I’m sorry, babe. I wish there was something I could do,” I tell him with a sigh.
“It’s fine. It’s what I signed on for. Joey was a complete surprise to you, but he wasn’t to me. I knew getting back together with you would mean taking on the responsibility for another person. I love him with all of my heart. And you know what they always say, we’re going to miss this.” He adjusts the camera and I see that Joey is sleeping on Mason’s chest.
“I thought we agreed we weren’t going to coddle him like that.”
“Babe, you can’t spoil a baby with too much love. He is calmest when he’s next to my heart. If this is what I have to do so he doesn’t scream, I’ll do it. I found an awesome baby carrier that we both love, so I can still do everything I need to do.
“I’ll talk to the doctor tomorrow, and you can video call and be a part of the appointment as well. Just let me have these moments with our son. One day he’s not going to want us at all. When you get home, I’ll let you get all the cuddles,” he pauses and sniffs Joey’s head.
“He’s kind of like a calm-down drug. When I’m feeling anxious, I just smell him and know that if he can make it through what he did, I can get through anything.”
“Thank you so much, Mason. I promise to show you how much I appreciate you when I get home in three days.”
He smirks and bites his lip. “Give me one minute,” he says, setting the phone down.
He isn’t gone for too long, and I’m curious about what he had to do.
“Where did you go?” I ask and notice his shirt isn’t on anymore.
“Put Joey down in his crib so we could have some alone time,” he tells me before adjusting the phone so I can see his cock.
“Fuck,” I hiss, pulling out my own hard erection.
“Tell me how you would show me your appreciation,” he whispers, stroking his penis slow and firm.
I bite my lip, trying to think of words. “I would start by slowly licking you from root to tip, making your cock vibrate with anticipation.”
A moan escapes his lips as he continues to stroke himself slowly. “Tell me more.”
“Then I would take you into my mouth, swallowing you down, so that you could feel my throat contract around you. I’d suck you until you came in my mouth. I don’t think you know how much I love the taste of you on my tongue.” I stroke my cock, hard and slow, following the same motions as him.
“Mmmmm,” he moans, and I see his one hand grip the sheet as he continues his movement.
“Keep doing that, babe,” I tell him, and he does. “Speed it up. Think of my mouth sucking you, pleasing you.”
He listens to my instructions and strokes himself faster.
“Good job, baby. Grip it hard and fast. Think about me being inside you. I grip your hips and thrust into you, hitting that spot you love so much, over and over.”
He picks his speed up, and I can hear his breathing, shallow and rushed. I do the same and I know I’m fucking close.
“I miss you so much,” he whimpers.
“Same. Just think of all the ways I’m going to please you, though,” I tell him. “I’ll suck your cock and fuck you so hard.”
With those words, he starts to come over his hand, but he doesn’t stop stroking just yet.
“Fuck,” he hisses.
I follow suit, spilling over my hand.
“I love you so fucking much,” I tell him, lightly stroking out the last of my come.
Mason moves the camera so I can see his face again. He has a satisfied yet tired look on his face.
“I love you too, babe,” he tells me, yawning.
“Why don’t you go to bed? Who knows when Joey is going to wake up? And you need some rest.”
He nods, and his eyes look exhausted.
“I’ll call you tomorrow from the doctor’s office,” he reminds me. “I love you, baby.”
“Love you too,” I tell him before hanging up.
I lie in bed missing Mason so goddamn much. Even though it hurts to be away, I still feel so lucky. I have the job I’ve wanted since I was young, the man of my dreams, and the most perfect child. Life really is perfect. We’ll get over these obstacles and grow stronger through our distance.
Sweat is pouring down my face. I can’t believe this is actually happening. We just won the MLB World Series. My heart is pounding so hard I feel like it’s going to beat right out of my chest.
“We fucking did it!” Johnny yells, throwing his arms around me for a hug.
The cheer of the crowd is deafening.
“This is so crazy. I knew we could do it, but still, it’s fucking surreal.”
He smiles and nods. “I know. I don’t think you ever get used to this feeling. Are you ready for the crazy party at my house? It’s not the same as the rest of the team who will go out drinking and fucking, but you’re a family man now, so I think you’ll enjoy this one.”
I nod. “I’m so excited to see Mason and Joey. I’m really happy that we got to win in our city.”
Johnny smiles even wider. “I know, it’s fucking great. Now, let’s go get this press shit over with so we can get home and party like the legends we are.”
“Are you ready?” Leah asks with a wink.
“So ready.”
I would have proposed no matter what, but the fact that the Grey Wolves won the World Series makes this even better. Johnny knows what is going on and is supposed to bring Xavier here as soon as they are done at the stadium. I know it will probably be late because of all the interviews they have to give, but I just can’t wait to see him.
“Are you ready for Dadda to ask Daddy to marry him?” I ask Joey and he blows out a little bubble. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Joey has been doing so amazing. It just took some time to get him adjusted to home life. At the hospital, it is so loud and there is a lot going on all the time. When we brought him home, the quiet almost scared him.
After making some changes at home, like playing a radio or leaving the TV on during the day to create background noise, he hasn’t been as clingy. Of course, I still give him lots of cuddles, especially while Xavier is gone. I know that these moments are going to fly by, and I want to cherish every one of them.
“They’re on their way,” Leah says with a giant smile. Throwing her arms around me, she pulls me in for a hug. “I’m so glad you pulled your head out of your ass and are getting your happily ever after.”
“Me too,” I tell her, kissing her head. “I know I’ve said it a million times already, but I’m sorry for the asshole I was.”
She pushes my shoulder and shakes her head. “No more apologizing. Just don’t do it again.”
“I promise.”
“They’re here!” Meadow yells, running out to the backyard.
“Are you ready, little man?” I ask Joey where he is lying in a bassinet stroller.
He blows another bubble, and I smile.
“Congratulations!” everyone yells when Johnny and Xavier walk into the living room.
I’m standing outside nervously waiting for Xavier. I see him give hugs to our friends and Meadow grabs my hand.
“You can do this,” she whispers, and I nod.
Xavier finally comes out where I am standing by the pool, a million tealight candles lit.
“What’s all this?” he asks, both eyebrows raised.
I take a deep breath and get down on one knee.
Xavier covers his mouth and gasps.
“The moment you walked into my office, you woke something up in me. Something I wanted so desperately to push down and get rid of. But you showed me what love was. You showed me that it’s okay to be me. You showed me that the strongest of loves can overcome any obstacle if they are willing to let love in and be honest with each other. And most importantly, you showed me that there is no one I would rather spend the rest of my life with. I couldn’t imagine waking up next
to anyone but you. Will you please say yes and walk with me into forever?”
Tears are running down both our faces and Xavier nods his head, his hands still covering his mouth.
“Can I answer your question with another question?” Xavier asks and I’m so confused.
“Umm, okay?” I ask more than say.
“Mason, I love you so fucking much. The day I met you, I knew I wanted you, but I didn’t quite know at that moment that I wanted you for the rest of my life. But every day that went by, you were all I could think about. I prayed that one day I would get the chance to be with you, but I still didn’t know how amazing that would be. You are not only my lover, but my best friend, and the best father. I would never want to raise my son with anyone else. Of course, I’ll marry you, Mason, but my question is, will you adopt Joey? You are already his father, but let’s make it official.”
I stand up and smash my lips to Xavier’s. “Of course, I’ll adopt Joey,” I tell him before kissing him again.
Xavier laughs and pushes me away slightly. “Let me see that ring,” he says with a wink.
“Shit, I almost forgot about that.” I slide the band onto his finger. It looks amazing on his hand.
“We’ll have to get you one of these too,” he tells me, admiring his ring.
“You can buy me one for our wedding day.”
I give him a gentle kiss.
I never thought I would get my happily ever after. I never thought my life would be perfect, but it is, and I’m so goddamn happy about it.
“I think I’m going to pass out,” Mason says, and I bet he’s never been this nervous in a courthouse before.
I kiss his cheek gently while holding Joey in my arms. “Do you want to hold him? See if he’ll calm you down?” I ask him, holding out my arms. He quickly snatches up Joey and sniffs him like he’s done since he first met him.
“This is like the ‘I do’ portion of a wedding. It’s a celebration and signing of the last of the paperwork,” Foster, our family attorney and friend starts. “You’ve already passed all the investigations; this is the time to get together with your friends and family and make it official.”
Mason nods, and my heart swells with joy. Today is the day Mason is becoming Joey’s dad on paperwork. Even though I’ll always think of him as Joey’s father no matter what, today is really special because everything becomes official. And I know Mason wants that piece of paper to feel whole.
I’m thankful that Mason is a lawyer, so we were able to move forward as quickly as possible. I want this to be over before I have to leave for spring training. I was able to add Mason as a guardian for Joey on most things, but it will be easier when he is his father.
Our friends and family are all here today, showing us the support they always have. When I became friends with Johnny, I never knew that I would be gaining a second family. Not only do I have Mason now, but we also have a huge support system.
“I made you this,” Meadow says, handing us a chalkboard sign that says, Two daddies are waaaayyyyy better than just one!
“That’s perfect,” I tell her, wrapping her in a hug.
“Thanks, there is so much more stuff set up at the party.”
Leah and Meadow got together to plan us a late baby shower-slash-celebration of adoption. I know there are going to be crazy games and lots of presents, but Joey deserves to be spoiled.
“Okay, the judge is ready and everyone is here. Let’s go make this official,” Foster says with a giant smile.
We walk into the courtroom and everyone who means something to us is here. Even Mr. Murphy, Mason’s boss, who I got to meet at the firm’s Christmas party. He has been really amazing, and I know that Mason is going to make partner in no time.
The judge asks us some questions, and Mason holds Joey the entire time. Even when he fusses, Mason tends to it like the pro he is.
After a while, we sign the final documents, and the judge congratulates us. We are finally both parents of our little Joey. Our wedding will come next, but this was the most important thing to us.
“Let’s go to Auntie’s house for your party,” Mason whispers to the sleeping Joey.
“You did not have to do all of this.” I walk into Leah’s house. It looks like a Smurf exploded in here.
“Yes, we did,” Meadow sing-songs and skips into the house.
“She’s way too happy about this,” I tell Xavier, who laughs.
“Oh, come on, let the girls have fun,” he kisses my cheek and grabs the car seat carrier from me, bringing Joey into the house.
“We are going to keep this pretty low key, just visit and have fun. Don’t worry about Joey. He will be well taken care of this afternoon. All you have to do is participate in the games and open presents in the end,” Leah tells me while pinning a clothespin to my shirt.
“What is this for?”
“Everyone gets one and if you catch someone saying ‘baby’ then you get to take the clothespin, but they can take yours if you say ‘baby,’ so be careful!”
“Can I take yours since you said it twice?” I ask and she laughs.
“No, I’m explaining the game.”
“Well, fine,” I tell her, rolling my eyes.
“Just have fun, Mason. I know you are still getting used to having so many people in your life, but I promise we are all just here to celebrate you and your family.”
I hug her and kiss the top of her head. “Thank you for everything. I really do appreciate it.”
I walk out down the stairs to the basement where I see stations set up and I move to where Xavier is standing with Mikey.
“Congrats on the adoption,” Mikey tells me, reaching out his hand.
I take it and smile. “Thank you. It’s pretty crazy. I never thought I would be a dad like this. Hell, I knew I wanted to be a dad, but I didn’t think it was really in the cards for me, but I’m just glad that everything happened like it did.”
Xavier kisses my cheek. “I think I want another,” he tells me.
“Really?” I ask, a little shocked.
He nods. “Yeah, I was thinking surrogacy, so you could be the biological father this time.”
I wrap my arms around him for a hug.
“I don’t care about that, but I do think Joey should have a sibling. I love Leah and you love your brothers; it would feel weird having just one child.”
“I totally agree. Would you be open to surrogacy, or do you want to adopt?”
I’m thinking about it when Meadow walks over. She wraps her arms around me and squeezes me super tight.
“It’s game time,” she tells us. I want to whine, but I’m supposed to be happy today, so I walk over.
“Know any surrogacy agencies?” I ask her as we walk over to where there are paper towel towers set up.
“No, why? Are you guys wanting another baby already?”
I shrug. “Not right away, but eventually. Xavier wants me to get the chance to be the father this time.”
“That’s a great idea.” She smiles at me. She pauses for a moment and her eyes light up. “Why don’t you let me be your surrogate?”
I laugh out loud, and she glares at me.
“What, you were serious?”
“Of course, I was serious. I wouldn’t suggest something like that as a joke. I always thought we would make beautiful babies. Here’s our chance! You and Xavier make the best parents and I’m done dating for a long time, so why not?”
Xavier wraps his arms around my stomach, hugging me from behind.
“I think it’s a great idea. We know Meadow would never do anything to hurt the baby, and we could really be involved in the pregnancy every step of the way.”
“What if you get attached?” I ask, a little concerned this could turn bad.
“I’ll sign paperwork before, so I’ll have no legal rights. And even if I get attached, I’ll be Auntie Meadow, so I’ll see the baby all the time.”
“It’s an idea,” I finally say. “How about we all think a
bout it for a while.”
She kisses me on the cheek and tells everyone to make teams for the game.
“I’m exhausted,” I whine to Xavier as we head upstairs to open presents. “Who knew peopling was so much work?”
He laughs and hugs me. “You’re doing so good, baby. Everyone here loves you so much.”
“You said baby,” Isabel yells, running over to grab his pin.
“Damn, you have the ears of a rabbit,” he jokes, and she smacks him upside the head.
“It comes with being the mother of four very crazy boys,” she laughs and walks into the house.
Leah instructs Xavier and me to sit in chairs that have blue ribbons tied to them.
“I’m going to take a million pictures for Joey’s baby book, so make sure to hold up every present,” she instructs, and I sigh.
“You said baby,” Tia yells, grabbing Leah’s pin.
“It’s almost over, and then I can show you a real party at home,” Xavier whispers into my ear.
My face gets hot and my cock springs to life, knowing exactly what kind of party Xavier means.
We open the presents and hold up the little onesies with cute sayings. One says, “Born a Grey Wolves fan just like my daddy.” Another one says, “There’s no crying in baseball.” And another one has baseball stitching on it and says, “I’m a big hit.”
“These are perfect, thank you,” I say to Tia and she smiles.
“Thanks, I made them.” She blushes at the admission. I had no idea she was artistic like that. “You can thank Mikey, though. He’s the one who bought me my Cricut.”
“Me nect,” Eddie says, handing me a box.
“Of course. What did you get your cousin?” I ask him, but he shakes his head, not telling me.
I open it and there is a cute dinosaur blanket.
“Oh, dinosaurs, your favorite.”
He nods. “Joe-we wuvs dino too,” he tells me, and I smile.
“You are probably right. This will be his favorite blankie, thank you.”
He smiles and runs off to play with the other kids. Probably eating too many cookies and causing chaos. I can’t wait for when Joey is that age. It’s a lot of work, but so much fun.