“Yes, it’s normal,” the doctor says.
She looks at me and smiles embarrassedly. “Uh, just checking.” Looking up at Wendy, she gives her an encouraging smile. “You’re doing great!”
Wendy barely gets out a chuckle before she goes back to pushing, bearing all her weight down and squeezing my hand.
“Holy, shit.” I can’t be sure if I say that in my head or out loud, but I say it again a couple more times.
“Okay, Wendy. One more really big push,” the doctor instructs.
I look over at Aundrea who’s holding onto Wendy’s leg like it’s her job. She looks so beautiful right now, coaching the woman who is about to welcome our child into the world.
Aundrea senses me watching and looks over. I give her a wink and rub her back. It’s a small gesture, but it’s something to let her know that I’m here with her.
This is our moment.
Wendy pushes with a groan, and I see a baby. All the air is sucked out of my lungs and everything begins to happen so fast. Words are being said, small body parts are becoming more visible, and, before I know it, a baby is being placed on Wendy’s chest.
A nurse begins cleaning the little one off.
“Dad, would you like to cut your little boy’s cord?”
A boy!
“Yes. Yes, I would.” Before I release Aundrea, I whisper, “It’s a boy.”
Watching our child be born is more than magical. It’s beautiful. We’re welcoming him into the world. This is a feeling of unconditional love I’ll never forget. I want to stay lost in this moment with Aundrea forever as I stare at our baby.
I take the scissors from the doctor and tears instantly sting my eyes as I cut the cord. After it’s done, the nurse takes our little man away to get cleaned and weighed.
“Seven pounds, four ounces. Twenty inches,” the nurse says. She wraps the baby and hands him to Aundrea. When our son is in her arms, Aundrea says, “Seeing you is worth every minute it took to get you to us. I don’t know how I ever made it through life before you.” She stops and looks over at me. “He’s a part of us, Parker, and he’s more beautiful and perfect than I could have ever imagined.”
I stand next to her, looking down at our baby boy. So tiny and small. Two dark eyes stare up at us. I read babies can’t see very far when they’re first born, so I get real close to his face.
“Hi, Mason. I’m your daddy. This is your mommy and we love you so much.” I bend down giving our baby a tiny kiss. “I love you so much.”
“I can’t believe this. He’s so beautiful,” Aundrea whispers.
I wrap an arm around her waist. “We did it.”
“We did it,” she repeats.
Looking back down at Mason I smile. I just got this beautiful baby and I already know I’ll wake up every morning vowing to do anything in this world to protect him.
I already can’t live without him.
It’s been three days since we brought Mason home and in those three days our life has changed so much. My life is no longer mine. It’s Mason’s. Everything we do is for him, and neither of us would have it any other way.
“Shh, it’s okay. I know what it’s like to not want to sleep at night, but believe me when I tell you that there is nothing to be afraid of. A little wet diaper isn’t anything to get worked up about.” I finish changing his diaper, wrapping him back up so he’s nice and warm before putting him back in his crib.
In our room, Aundrea’s sitting in bed with the lamp on.
“You’re awake?”
She points to the monitor and I smile as I crawl back into bed, getting comfortable.
“Parker?”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For giving me the best gift in the world.”
“Thank you for saying yes.”
One word has changed my life. Her saying yes to going home with me the night we met, yes to our first date, yes to marrying me, and, lastly, yes to having a child.
The next morning I’m making coffee when Aundrea joins me in the kitchen.
“What are you so happy about this morning?” she asks, resting her head on my shoulder.
“You opened your eyes.”
“Huh?”
“In my dream.” She looks over at me, perplexed. “It started out how it has before, but then … you opened your eyes, Aundrea. It changed.”
She kisses my lips.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I knew this day would come. Aundrea and Mason are my heart. And sometimes your heart and mind are equal partners. She’s taught me to conquer my own fear and, because of that, for the first time, I was able to watch my wife open her eyes, changing what was once a nightmare into something bright.
I wrap my arms around her and hold on tight. I take in her pear and honey scent and smile. This is my life.
Soft cries interrupt our embrace. “I’ll go,” she whispers against my lips.
The doorbell rings and people start piling in.
Both sets of parents come up from downstairs. Mine flew in two days ago to see their grandson and help out for a week and Aundrea’s came up the night Mason was born.
“Hey guys, come on in.”
Shannon walks in first, followed by Kevin and Jean who have their arms around each other. Jason, Genna, and Hannah arrive shortly before ten. Donna and Genna start making brunch right away, which is when Wendy arrives with her family. We wanted to have all our family and friends with us to welcome Mason. Each person here has played a role in getting him into our arms. We couldn’t have done it without their support.
When everyone is gathered in the kitchen, I make a toast. “I want to thank everyone for coming here this morning and spending the day with us. Aundrea and I especially want to thank Wendy.” I look over at Wendy. “Wendy, you have given us something that we’ll forever be thankful for. You’ve become a part of our family and we want you to know you’re always welcome.”
I hand her a small white box.
“You didn’t have to get me something, you guys,” she says.
“We wanted to,” Aundrea says.
“Think of it as a belated push present.”
Aundrea opens her mouth in shock. Wendy laughs.
“Parker, how do you know about push presents?” Genna presses.
“I know a thing or two.”
Wendy opens the box to find a picture frame. On one side is a photo of Wendy, me, and Aundrea holding Mason just hours after he was born. The other side of the frame is engraved, “I’m here because of you.”
Wendy starts to cry. “Wow, this is the best gift. I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
“No, thank you. Like Parker said, we couldn’t have done this without you. I will forever be grateful for what you’ve given us.”
Wendy passes the frame around. When Genna holds it, she gazes at it intently. “I never would have thought that my little sister would marry a man I introduced her to and go on to have a baby. Miracles do happen.”
Jean and Shannon both burst out laughing at the same time.
“You didn’t introduce them,” Jean says, eyes filling with tears she’s laughing so hard.
“What are you talking about?” Genna looks at us, confused.
“You mean you have no idea? To this day?” Shannon asks.
“No idea about what?”
Everyone turns to us.
I can only manage a shrug.
Aundrea’s cheeks flush a deep red.
It’s not that we’ve kept how we met a secret. People just assumed we met through For the Love of Paws and we’ve never found it important to correct them.
“You mean … you two met before the night at our house?” Genna interrogates.
“Uhh …” Aundrea looks uncomfortable and I find it absolutely adorable.
“Yes,” I answer for both of us. The room goes silent. I swear you could hear a pin drop. “Honestly, I’m surprised it never came out sooner.”
“How?” Genna looks between the two of us.
Both sets of parents look at each other. My mom speaks up. “I think we’ll take the kids in the living room.” Jay takes Hannah from Jason and they all exit.
I chuckle at their embarrassment. We have smart parents. I’m pretty confident they’ve figured out exactly how we met.
I start to speak, but Aundrea cuts in. I love when she takes charge. “We met at Max’s Bar the night Jean came to visit.”
I know the moment the light bulb goes on in Genna’s head because her eyes get wide. “Did you two …?”
“Oh, hell,” Jean laughs out. “They did more than hook up. Those two were all over each other that night, grinding and making out by the bathrooms. She was too chicken to leave, but finally grew some tits and went home with him.”
“She’s the girl you left with?” Kevin says loudly, in realization.
I nod.
“Damn.” He laughs.
“So, that night at our house,” Jason begins, “the two of you already knew each other.”
“Yes,” Aundrea confirms.
“How long were you two hooking up before you announced that you were dating?” Genna asks, hands on hips. I can’t tell if she’s upset because she didn’t know or because she wasn’t the one who actually introduced us.
“We weren’t,” Aundrea answers.
“Well, unless you count the make out session at the clinic right before you started,” I counter.
Aundrea swats my chest playfully and I laugh.
“Oh, come on guys! She turned me down countless times. I had to work for it—hard. I mean, it took me a long time just to get her to agree to go on a darn date with me to the hockey game.”
“That wasn’t a date,” Aundrea insists.
“Babe, call it what you will. It was a date.”
“I can’t believe I was so blind,” Genna says.
“No shit; well played, guys,” Jason adds. He’s smiling. “No wonder you were so shocked to see him in our living room that night. Here I thought you were mesmerized by his good looks when, really, it’s just a total nightmare to see your one-night stand in your sister’s living room. Damn. That’s quite funny, really, looking back.” He laughs harder.
“You.” Genna shakes her head at Aundrea. “I never would have thought you had it in you, sister.”
Aundrea laughs, then she turns serious as she looks at me. “I never thought my Mr. One Night Stand would become my future.”
I pull her close. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
“Speaking of which,” Jean announces, pulling our attention back. She steps close to Kevin and takes his hand. “Neither am I.”
“What do you mean?” Aundrea asks.
“I’m moving to Rochester.”
“You are?” Aundrea’s face lights up and she practically slams into Jean as she pulls her into a hug.
Jean just shakes her head.
I knew she and Kevin would figure it out.
Eventually, we all join the parents in the living room. Looking around, though, I don’t see Aundrea. I finally find her in the basement, gathering food from our snack bar.
“Hey, do you need any help?”
“No, thanks, I got it.” She shoots me the smile that hits me like a bolt of lightning. I take the snack bowls out of her hand.
“What?”
“I bought you something.”
“You didn’t need to get me anything.”
“Yes, I did.” I pull a tiny gold locket from my pocket.
Aundrea takes it, opening the small heart. Inside is a photo of me, holding Mason. The locket reads, “We’re here because of you.”
“Parker,” she exhales.
“You once told me that I have to surround myself with light and give it to others. I can only hope to give you and Mason as much light as you’ve given me.”
“Parker.” She pulls me into her arms, hugging me as tight as she can. “How did I get so lucky?”
“I ask myself the same thing every day.”
We’ve said those words to each other before, but they’re true. I’m still amazed this woman chose me.
“I love you, Aundrea.”
“I love you more, handsome.”
“If you say so.” I smile.
Some people search their entire lives for that one person they can’t live without; who is their other half in every way possible.
Aundrea is mine.
We’re intertwined.
For life.
Read other books by Amanda Maxlyn
It’s hard to believe I’m here again, writing my mini novella of thanks for my second novel. In What’s Left of Me I started out the acknowledgements thanking those that inspired me to sit down and write Parker and Aundrea’s story. I believe it’s only fair I start these out in the same manner. I owe this book to YOU, the reader. I don’t believe thank you will ever be enough, but with everything inside of me thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’ll never forget the countless emails, tweets, Facebook messages and posts, asking for more Parker and Aundrea. Your love for these characters brought this story to life. I never imagined any other story for them. So, once again, thank you for your constant support.
My love, my life, my friend: You’re one of my biggest supporters and make me a better person. You listen when I need to talk out an idea and never mind brainstorming with me. Thank you for believing in me and never letting me give up. I love you.
My two amazing little boys: The dedication says it all.
My wonderful parents: You’re there for me when I need to talk about everything in the “book world” and are my biggest fans. Thank you for coming to signings with me, telling everyone you know about my books and believing in me. You’ll never understand what you two mean to me.
Beth Suit: You read this book in its rawest form and never stopped believing in it. Thank you for all your advice and suggestions on making Parker and Aundrea’s story all the better.
Con Copon and Beth Simkanin: You two were the first to read this book, and I’ll be forever thankful for all the love and advice that was given. You two have been by me from the very beginning and I couldn’t imagine my life without either of you.
Christine Borgford: I’ve said this to you countless times, but I’ll say it again: Thank you! Thank you for being there for me when I needed to talk about this story, cheering me on, and loving these characters just as much as I do. Thank you for pushing me and telling me this story needed to be told. Your advice has helped shape this into a better story.
Brooke Page: You’ve read this book countless times and no matter the draft, you’ve loved it. You told me readers needed this book and no matter what, I needed to stay true to myself and these characters. No matter what you say, you’re an amazing beta and I’m so lucky you took the time to read this story. Thank you for your constant advice and support. I’m lucky to call you a friend.
Amy Marie: You have a heart of gold and are an amazing friend, author, and beta. Thank you for taking the time to read Parker and Aundrea’s story in the very early stages, answering all my questions, and being in my corner. I adore you!
Nicky Olson: You’re always there to answer my medical questions, or correct me when I think I’m right. Thank you for all your support.
Shannon Smith and Genna Bichler: Thank you for standing by me and listening to all my crazy ideas and stories. You’re always standing behind me, cheering me 110%.
Samien Newcomb: Even though you don’t like stories about pregnancy, you took a chance on me and came out cheering! Your advice and constant support mean the world to me. Thank you for being an awesome beta!
Christine Estevez: You came into my life and now I don’t ever want you to leave! You were there for me when I needed it and were nothing but honest. Thank you for all your advice and suggestions when it came to this book. You knew just where to add “more” and where to cut back. Thank you!
Jessica Guerrero: Thank you for beta re
ading this book. Your constant updates had me cheering from the roof tops. From the first few pages you totally got and understood Aundrea the way I hoped a reader would. You’ve believed in me and this story from the beginning and I’m so thankful for your feedback. You’re an amazing woman and I’m lucky to call you a friend.
Tabby Coots: You, my friend, have the biggest heart and are a huge inspiration. Thank you loving and understanding these characters just as much as me. You understood my vision from the start and were one of the few to get a small preview of where this story was going. You continue to cheer me on and push me to be a better writer. Thank you!
Jennifer Roberts-Hall: You get me. The moment I started talking about this story you understood my vision and direction. You didn’t let me steer from it and kept me on track. Thank you for working on What’s Left of Us and loving these characters. True to your words, you didn’t let me have one bad sex scene and even requested more! You’re the queen of “trimming down” and I love you for it.
Rebecca Peters-Golden: I’d be lost without you. You have an amazing talent for turning the simplest of sentences into a work of art. Thank you for everything you have done with this book and correcting all my terrible grammar and spelling errors!
Regina Wamba: You’re truly a gifted woman. When I saw this cover photo I knew it was Parker and Aundrea. It’s as if you took this one photo with this book in mind. Thank you for always being patient and so kind.
Brandee Veltri with Brandee’s Book Endings: You’ve stood by me from the very beginning and I couldn’t be more thankful. Thank you for believing in me, listening to me talk out this story, and beta reading. Also, thank you for all your hard work with the cover reveal and blog tour. I appreciate everything you do so much! I’d be lost without your friendship.
Lisa Schilling Hintz with The Rock Stars of Romance: As always, thank you for your friendship and constant support. You’re always in my corner, rooting me on and doing your best to get the word out for my stories. Thank you for all you’ve done for me and your promotional expertise!
My DAU girls -Trudy Stiles and Rebecca Shea: You ladies make everything brighter. I am so blessed to have met you. I look forward to our phone chats, group messages, and even texts. You’re always there to give advice, listen to me talk about anything and everything that’s going on in my life and are in my corner no matter what. Also, thank you for always being around to answer a question when in need. You both light up my life!
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