Cherishing His Forever

by LeAnn Ashers

For your information if your asshole hurts, don’t tell your best friend, because she will think the baby is going to fall out.

  “Ouchh,” I grind out. I turn my head and grip the pillow, covering my mouth so I don’t cry out. Chase rubs my back and neck, trying to ease the tension. I get the sudden urge to push. “You better get the nurse and doctors,” I tell him.

  He runs out of the room, and I move onto my back, preparing myself, because I know it’s time to start pushing. I take my hair out of the bun and rearrange it, and I close my eyes and have a moment of complete silence as I mentally prepare myself for what’s about to happen.

  A minute later Chase walks back into my room and returns to his spot by my side; then a host of nurses comes in. One of the nurses checks me and nods. “You’re fully dilated, its time.” She leaves and comes back with the doctor, and my nerves are hitting me full force. I am scared. I know this is something women go through all the time, but when you’re experiencing it, it’s different.

  “Alright sweetheart, next time you feel a contraction, I want you to push for me, okay?”

  I nod. The nurses help me scoot down to the edge of the bed, putting my legs in the stirrups. I lean forward and push as hard as I can. Chase puts his arm behind my back, helping me lean forward. I grit my teeth and bear down; then I close my eyes and grip the blanket.

  “Good job!” the doctor says.

  This continues for an hour before the doctor tells me, “One push and he will be out.” I bear down as hard as I can, my arms shaking from the sheer force--and then relief. I fall back onto the bed, and a sharp cry fills the room as Hunter is laid on my chest. I can’t stop crying as I touch his little hand and the nurses rub his body with the blanket.

  “My sweet Hunter.” I touch the back of his head, feeling an overwhelming bout of love for him.

  “We are going to take him to be examined.” One of the nurses takes him away, and instantly I am itching to have him back.

  Chase kisses my forehead. “I am so proud of you, sweetheart,” he whispers, wiping the tears off my face.

  I close my eyes for a few minutes, letting the doctors finish with me. I can hear Hunter’s cries, and that is comforting to me, to know that he’s here. With me.

  Chapter 4

  Jessica

  The doctor and nurses finally leave, leaving me with Hunter and Chase. I position my nightgown, laying him down so I can breastfeed. I cover myself up so Chase can’t see, and I smile at him. “Thank you again, Chase, for everything, you being here.” I stop because I am about to get emotional from all these hormones.

  If he hadn’t been here, I’m not sure how I would have handled it. I could have done it all alone, because I am a boss-ass bitch. But he made me feel safe, he made me feel like I am going to be okay, and he never left my side unless it was to get a nurse. He let me squeeze his hand, and he rubbed my back and told me how strong I was.

  If I ever questioned what kind of person Chase is, that has now gone out the window.

  He is the best.

  Chase’s phone goes off as he gets a text. “Braelyn is here and Ethan. I’m going to go walk them up, is that okay?”

  I nod. “Yeah, Hunter and I will be right here.” I gently rock side to side.

  As he walks toward the door, he looks back and I can tell he is hesitating to leave.

  “We are fine, we will see you in a second,” I tell him to soothe his nerves.

  He opens the door and shuts it gently behind him, and the room instantly feels huge and cold.

  I hug Hunter a little tighter, and I look down at his precious face. It’s hard to believe that something so perfect came from me.

  * * *

  Chase

  * * *

  Braelyn and Ethan are waiting in the lobby for me, and Braelyn has a gift bag in her hand. “How is she?” she asks.

  I grin. “She is perfect, tired but perfect, and Hunter is great also.” I’m proud of her. She did such an amazing job, and she didn’t even get the epidural.

  Braelyn practically jumps up and down with excitement. “I can’t wait to see them.”

  “Come on then.” I motion for them to follow me. I am itching to get back to Jessica and Hunter.

  The moment I held Hunter in my arms, I felt something. I felt something that I have never felt before, something I can’t wrap my head around.

  I need to get back to them.

  * * *

  Jessica

  * * *

  I’ve just finished feeding Hunter when my door opens. I smile, waiting to see Chase and Braelyn. My heart hits the floor when I see who it really is.

  Lee.

  He walks into the room like he owns the place. Then he shuts the door behind him and smiles like this is the best day of his life. “Well, if it isn’t the bitch who ran off and took my son with her.” He pulls out a gun and scratches the side of his head with it. I am frozen with pure terror, and I hold onto Hunter a bit tighter.

  He walks to the end of my bed. “I got to say, I waited until he was born and now that he is, I don’t have any need for you anymore.” He chuckles as he looks me over. “I am here for my son.”

  I can’t breathe, I can’t move, I can’t do anything as reality sets in. He is going to kill me and take my baby. My worst fear is becoming a reality.

  He points his gun at me; what can I do? I don’t want Hunter to get hurt.

  I shake my head. “Lee, don’t do this.” I stop because I honestly don’t know what to say, and I don’t want to beg. I won’t beg for my life. He doesn’t deserve that satisfaction.

  Then my door opens and Chase steps inside. He stops dead in his tracks as he takes in the scene. Then he charges Lee and tackles him to the ground, and I can’t see what’s happening.

  * * *

  Chase

  * * *

  I open the door to her room, expecting Jessica and Hunter to be relaxing in bed. I never expected a man to be standing there with a gun drawn on them.

  She is curled up in bed, her eyes wide and her face completely white with fear. Rage unlike any I have ever felt before hits me.

  I charge him, bringing him to the ground, and wrestle the gun from him. I punch him hard in the face. He tries to kick me off, but I punch him, over and over, until he is unconscious. I stand up, looking at the sorry sack of shit lying on the floor.

  Ethan arrives and puts him in handcuffs. Jessica is staring at the foot of her bed. She is in shock. Ethan drags him out of the room. He’s on the phone, probably with the police.

  I walk over to Jessica. I cup her face, and she finally looks at me, her bottom lip trembling. I sit on the edge of her bed and pull her into my chest, and she’s shaking so fucking hard.

  She’s breaking my heart.

  “I have you, baby.” She nods. With her free hand, which is not holding Hunter, she grips my shirt like she is afraid I’m going to leave.

  She whispers so low that I can barely manage to hear her. “He found me. He said he was waiting for me to have Hunter so he could take him and kill me.”

  I put my hand on the back of her head, my eyes connecting to Braelyn, who’s standing on the other side of the bed. She looks as helpless as I feel.

  “He’s a member of a cartel, a drug ring, or something malicious. I watched him kill someone and, on top of that, I found out I was pregnant. I ran because it was just hell.”

  I know that is not everything that went down, but it’s the gist of what happened. Now it makes sense why she ran. She was trying to protect herself and her unborn child.

  “He is going to be in jail now,” Braelyn tells her.

  Jessica finally moves her head from my chest. “Yeah, until he gets out or one of his buddies shows up.” She looks so defeated. I know a huge part of that is because she’s exhausted, physically and mentally. She just had a baby and, on top of that, he showed up.

  “Jessica.”

  She looks at me.

  “No one will ever hurt you or Hunter, I promise you that.
I will protect you with my life.” I push her hair behind her ear.

  Her eyes search mine. “Chase, I can’t drag you into this. This is dangerous.”

  I smile. “Sweetheart, you can’t drag someone somewhere they want to go willingly.”

  She rolls her eyes and lies back on the bed, and I pull the blanket up. Hunter is fast asleep.

  “Rest, sweetheart, I will be right here.” I kiss her forehead and take Hunter from her. I sit down in the chair next to her bed; then I come up with a plan.

  * * *

  Jessica

  The Next Day

  * * *

  “YOU DID WHAT?” I ask loudly.

  Chase shrugs. “I signed the birth certificate. It’s to keep Hunter safe. On paper I am his dad. I can be that for him.”

  My mind is completely boggled at what he just told me. I am floored, and I’m beyond pissed that he would do that without my permission. I am also flattered that he would go to these lengths to keep my baby safe.

  I rub my temples, trying to get my bearings.

  He sits on the edge of my bed. “Jessica, I know you’re pissed, but I only did it to protect Hunter, and I am going to keep my promises. To you and him.”

  His words ring true. I know that he is trying to do the right thing.

  I am honestly too tired to really fight him on this and, deep down, I know this will keep Hunter safer.

  “Okay,” I say. Hunter starts crying from his bed. Chase slides off my bed and picks him up, rocking him from side to side. I have to admit Chase looks way too good holding Hunter, and the moment the baby cries, he is awake and ready to take care of him.

  “I think he wants his momma.” Chase hands him to me, and I hold my baby close to my chest. The love I feel for him is something I can never describe.

  “I’m ready to get out of here. I want to go get in my bed and just rest.” I sigh and close my eyes, letting myself relax. I don’t think I will feel safe until I’m out of here. This room holds bad memories of Lee.

  Lee is in jail and being held without bond—that makes me feel better—but it still feels like my insides are shaking. When I was with him, I was in a horrible state mentally; being scared all the time took a huge toll on me. But this is a different kind of fear.

  I had to keep Hunter safe, and I was helpless to protect him today. I think that’s what scared me the most.

  * * *

  Chase

  * * *

  She says she is ready to go home and relax. Well, that is not going to happen, because I may or may not have gotten all of her stuff, along with Hunter’s, and moved it to my house. I live outside the city, way in the country, and I have the best of the best security. I even have a security guard at my gate; I hired him to help protect her.

  I will not be leaving her side at all. The terror on her face is something I won’t forget.

  Lee is in jail, but I know this is not the fucking end of it. I want to make sure she is safe and that she never has to feel another ounce of fear again.

  She may be pissed at me for moving her out of her apartment, but she will see that it’s for the best. Plus I want to be with her and Hunter. She shouldn’t be alone, and I want to make sure she is taken care of. She deserves that.

  Chapter 5

  Jessica

  Uhh, what are we doing? Chase is taking the road out of town; he isn’t going to my apartment. I’m in the back seat with Hunter, who is fast asleep in his car seat. “Uhh, Chase…I think you’re on the wrong road.”

  He shakes his head. “No we aren’t.”

  I arch my eyebrows. “Yes we are, I live on the other side of town.”

  He sets his shoulders and grips the steering wheel harder. “Angel, you’re coming to my house. “

  I open my mouth, ready to start in on him.

  “Sweetheart, my house has the best of the best security system, and there’s a guard at the entrance. The most important thing is, he knows where you live, honey.”

  I stare at the back of his head in shock. “What do you mean?” My heart is starting to beat fast.

  “Lee told Ethan that he has been watching you for a while, so he knew where you lived.”

  He really was planning on taking Hunter. “Okay. Thank you, Chase…seriously…for everything. I’m not sure how I will ever repay you.”

  He shakes his head. “No, angel, I want to do this.”

  We sit in silence as we drive twenty minutes. We reach a gate with a security guard sitting in a little glass building. He steps out of his building and walks over to Chase, who shows him his ID. The guard lets him through and slams the gate behind us.

  We drive up a huge winding driveway; then Chase’s house comes into view. It’s gorgeous. It looks like a castle, with dark stone walls and large windows.

  “Wow, Chase, your house is absolutely beautiful.”

  “I’m glad you like it. It’s your house now too.” He parks the truck and opens my door. The he takes my hands and helps me out so I don’t hurt myself. I am really sore. Hunter was a big baby; he weighed almost nine pounds and was twenty-two inches long.

  I take the diaper bag off the floor, and Chase lifts Hunter out of his car seat. I follow him up the steps of his house and inside.

  I’m in awe of the interior of his house, full of white marble and black furniture. It has this amazingly comfortable feel. His couch alone looks to die for. I walk into the kitchen and am itching to use the state-of-the-art equipment. “Oh wow, I just fell in love with your kitchen.” I turn around to look at him, smiling.

  He grins back, his face soft. “That makes me happy.”

  That’s when I notice my bottle warmer and bottle sterilizer. “Did you bring my stuff here from my apartment?”

  “Well, yeah, I wanted to get all of your things and Hunter’s. I want you to be comfortable.”

  Without thinking I walk over and hug him. I close my eyes and enjoy the feel of the warmth and safety that just radiates off him.

  “Come on, let me show you your room and Hunter’s.” He kisses the top of my head.

  I follow him up a winding staircase. I’m like a bobblehead, looking around at everything in front of me. He leads me to a room and pushes the door open. “This is Hunter’s.”

  I walk inside and notice a lot of my things, but many of these things aren’t mine. There is stuff that I wanted to get, but I was too worried about saving money. And I knew I might have to run, so I got the bare necessities.

  He looks a bit sheepish. “I noticed a list of stuff that you wanted, and I saw some things you didn’t have on the list. So I got them for you.”

  “Chase, I just don’t know what to say.”

  He touches my cheek with his thumb. “You don’t have to say anything, sweetheart. I wanted to do this for you.”

  My poor heart can’t take much more of this. He is just so sweet and thoughtful. I have never had anyone think of me and my needs, but he does.

  “Right next door is your room.” He has the bassinet in there, ready for me. The closet door is open, and all my clothes are already hanging up.

  “I am going to order us some pizza for dinner if that’s okay?” he asks.

  “That sounds amazing.” I set the diaper bag on the floor.

  He sets Hunter on the bed, and I take him out of his car seat, snuggling him to my chest. He grunts, not happy at being woken up.

  “You need a diaper change, my sweet boy.” I take one out of my diaper bag. I unzip his onesie, and he starts screaming instantly.

  Chase comes to the rescue and puts his pacifier in his mouth. I giggle as Hunter hushes instantly. “Sweetheart, do you want me to bring some of this stuff downstairs for you?” Chase asks.

  That is a good idea. I won’t be spending my days in the bedrooms. “Maybe the swing and the DockATot?”

  “You got it, babe. I ordered the pizza, and it will be here in thirty minutes.” He takes the DockATot out of the bassinet and walks out of the room.

  “I think I’m goin
g to change you while I’m at it.” I talk to Hunter like he can understand me. I pick him up and walk into the nursery as Chase leaves the room, holding the swing in one hand. I take a second to admire his biceps.

  I lay Hunter down in his crib for a second as I look through everything to find what I need. I open some drawers under his changing table, find his onesies, and take one out. I change Hunter and walk downstairs to Chase.

  I set Hunter in his DockATot, which is sitting on the couch. I sit down beside him and cover my face, trying to relax, because my body is screaming at me.

  “Are you okay, sweetheart?” Chase sits down beside me and pulls my hand away from my face.

  “I am just sore.” I move on the couch to find a more comfortable position. I feel like I shouldn’t complain, because women go through this every single day, but I feel what I feel, and I can’t help but feel that way.

  Labor was worth it, hands down, because I have my precious boy. He is the best thing that ever happened to me. He is going to have the life that I didn’t. He will never know what it’s like to go to bed hungry or wonder where he will sleep the next day. For years and years I had such anxiety because I was scared to wake up in the morning, unsure of where I would be going next.

  Often the foster homes were not great. They were just in it for the money, and the foster parents were negligent. More often than not, we were locked away in our bedrooms, to be let out only to go to school or to eat.

  There were great foster homes, and it was horrible when I had to leave. I think I would love to be a foster mom or even adopt. Fostering would be hard because I know I would get attached, but if I could make a small difference then it would be worth it.

  “Rest your eyes for a bit,” Chase says. “I will keep an eye on him.”