Starting Over Trilogy Boxset

by Kennedy, Brenda

  A.M.: Angel, I just saw that you texted. Your Uncle Raùl is still in bed. We both love and miss you more than you’ll ever know. If we could, we would move down there now. I still have work and so does Raùl. I’ll visit as soon as I can. Please, congratulate Brea and Vincent on the birth of their new baby. We love you, Pumpkin.

  Mason’s phone dings that he has an incoming text. He reads it.

  “Mom, Dad, and Madison are here with breakfast. I’m going to get Donovan to help me carry everything up.”

  I stand up from Mason’s lap and turn around to extend my hand to help him up. He laughs before reaching for it. He stands up and leans forward, then backward. He moves his head from side to side.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

  “I’m not,” he laughs. “Let’s find Donovan to help me.” He takes my hand and we walk down the hall and into the Labor and Delivery waiting room. The waiting room is full of Brea’s and Vincent’s family and friends. The time is 8:28 a.m. Brea’s sisters are all playing cards in the back of the room, Vincent’s and Brea’s parents are gathered at a sitting area on the right and Sara is sound asleep on Donovan’s lap on a couch to the left of the room.

  “I’m going to make fresh coffee while you wake sleeping beauty.”

  “Great idea. I almost hate to bother them,” he says, walking over to the couch where they are asleep.

  I empty the old coffee and start two fresh pots. I walk over to the only free table and remove the magazines and empty coffee cups from it. Sara comes over with some disinfecting wipes that she got from the counter top near the coffee pot and starts wiping the table down. Mason, Donovan, Bruce, Lilly, and Madison all walk in carrying two bags each, which are filled with drinks and glass casserole dishes of food, as well as other items. They look around the room and see Sara and me and walk over to us. They set everything on the table and then walk around the room exchanging pleasantries with everyone. Sara, Donovan, Mason, and I start to arrange the food and drinks on the table. I open the paper plates, napkins, cups, and plasticware and set them out. The casseroles smell delicious. Potatoes, ham, onion, egg, and cheese. I place the homemade biscuits near the casseroles and my mouth begins to water from the aroma. Mason walks over to me and hands me a cup of cranberry juice.

  “Drink up.”

  I back away from the table so others can start filling their plates.

  “Thank you, I’m so thirsty.” I take the cup from him and down the juice in one gulp. He laughs.

  “Let’s eat, I’m starving,” he says taking the empty glass from me.

  Mason and I are the last to eat, and I am surprised to see how much food is left.

  Mason and I get our food and sit in the corner of the room with his family. The door opens and in walks Donovan’s parents. I sometimes forget that Vincent, Donovan, and Mason all grew up together. They walk over to hug Sara and Donovan before walking around the room and exchanging pleasantries with everyone else. Mason introduces Roger and Cam to me, although Roger and I have already met. He was at the celebration the night Vincent found out he was having a son. It was the night we came home from our trip to Ohio early.

  I walk away and leave the families to talk. After I make a plate of food for Vincent, I wrap it up, and set it off to the side. Sara and Brea’s sisters come over and help me clear the table. I look over at Mason and see that he is watching me. He always keeps such a close eye on me. I get goose bumps just thinking about him. I smile at him and continue the cleanup.

  Sara walks over to me and whispers in my ear, “Get a room.”

  “Trust me, I would.” We both laugh because we both know that isn’t going to happen. I look over at Mason and he raises a brow at me. I look away because he is just so sexy. Vincent walks in with a smile. He looks around the room and says, “Mom and Doris, Brea wants you.” I warm up his plate of food while Sara pours him a coffee and a juice. He announces to everyone that Brea has dilated to eight and the epidural has helped, before taking a seat at the table.

  “How is she?” John asks.

  “She’s complaining of back pain, so I rubbed her back during her contraction and continued rubbing her back after her contraction ended. She then yelled at me to leave her alone. With Brea, I have learned that less is best.”

  Vincenzo, Bruce, John, and Roger all laugh. Everyone else just looks at them.

  “My son is a smart man to figure this out on his own,” Vincenzo says proudly.

  Bruce adds, “I didn’t figure that out until Lilly was in labor with Madison.”

  “Thanks for telling me, I appreciate that,” Vincent says with a twinkle in his eyes.

  “Some things a man needs to figure things out on his own.” John laughs as he cups his hand on Vincent’s shoulder.

  Vincent finally eats. He downs his drink and eats quickly. I’m not sure if he is hungry or trying to hurry in case Brea is ready.

  Doris walks in the room with a smile. “Vincent, it’s time for Brea to start pushing.”

  Everyone starts to clap in excitement. Vincent walks to the door and turns around.

  “What’s the date?” he asks.

  “It’s September 13th,” Johns says.

  He looks at the clock; it is 10:14 a.m. “My son’s birthday will be September 13th. The next time you see me, I’ll be a dad.”

  Vincent looks pale and Mason walks over to him.

  “Vincent, you’ll be fine and you’ll be a wonderful Dad. Now, go in there and help Brea with Junior,” Mason says, laughing.

  Vincent laughs, too. “You better not let Brea hear you call him that.”

  “Trust me, I won’t make that mistake again.”

  Vincent looks around the room. Vincenzo walks up and hands Vincent his camera. “I don’t care who, but have someone take pictures of my grandson.”

  Vincent takes the camera and nods before he exits the room with Doris.

  Once they both leave the room, Sylvia says, “When I was in labor, I was having a lot of pain but I was not dilated far enough to push; they didn’t have epidural back then for pain, and they wouldn’t give me anything stronger for fear of it affecting the baby. The bitchy nurse I had, kept telling me to find my focal point and breath. I had no idea what the hell she was talking about and finally screamed at her, ‘What the hell is a focal point?’ She then said, ‘It was obvious that you haven’t taken the time to take Lamaze classes,’ to which I responded, ‘They didn’t offer Lamaze during the midnight hours when I was available.’ I was so grateful when she went off duty. Shortly after, a super-sweet nurse came on duty.”

  Cam added a story about one of her childbirths as well. “When I was in labor for Donovan, I was scared and didn’t know what to expect. At one point when I was screaming and crying and the nurse said, ‘Honey, you’re going to scare the other moms if you keep screaming.’ I yelled back, ‘They SHOULD be scared!’”

  Vincenzo laughs and holds up his right hand.

  “Do you see this?” he says, pointing to his little finger.

  We all nod at his crooked finger.

  “Selena broke it when she was in labor with Vincent. I was holding her hand during a contraction and she squeezed so hard she snapped it.”

  We all laugh.

  “As soon as Vincent was born, I had to go downstairs to the E.R. for an x-ray and they were able to set it,” he says, flexing his hands. “It’s almost good as new. People think I injured it at work; I just let them think that.”

  Mason gets a text and reads it quickly. “I have to pick something up from downstairs. I’ll be right back.”

  “Hurry up, I don’t want you to miss anything.”

  “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

  Vincenzo and John start to pace the room. Brea’s and Vincent’s Moms are allowed in the room with Brea since they are the grandparents. Sara, Donovan, and Sara’s mother, Sylvia, are on the couch. Brea’s sisters are huddled together and Bruce, Lilly, Madison, and I wait near the front table. I pour myself
a cup of juice and wish my self-pity would pass. I have Mason’s family here, and these people in the room are my friends. I am so blessed, and yet here I am feeling sorry for myself.

  I miss my family. I miss having a Mom to share my joy with. I blink back the tears that threaten to fall. It is such an emotional day.

  The door opens and in walks Mason carrying two suitcases. He holds the door open wide and in walks Maria. I smile and look at Mason and then Maria and then back to Mason. I almost run over to her. I wrap her small body in my arms.

  “I didn’t know you were coming,” I say, leaning back away from her to make sure it’s her.

  “I didn’t know either — thank Mason for this. I had some time off work and Mason surprised me with a plane ticket. He wanted me to be here with you. Now that I am here, I know this is where I belong.”

  I look at Mason, “You did this?”

  “It’s nothing. I thought it would be nice to have some of your family here with you.”

  I hug Maria again and turn to Mason. I hug him and squeeze him tightly. “Thank you so much. I love you.”

  He drops the luggage and wraps both arms around me. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. I love you.”

  I let go of Mason and lead Aunt Maria to the table. Mason sets the luggage in the corner of the room and walks over to us.

  “Any news on Junior?”

  Everyone laughs, “No news, Bruce says.”

  I look at the clock: 12:05 p.m. Almost an hour. How long does it take to push a human being through a hole the size of a nostril? It could takes days, I think to myself. This baby could be born today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. That is a joke — a joke I will not tell anyone.

  “How long are you staying?” I ask Aunt Maria.

  She looks at Mason, “I took an early retirement so I’m here to stay. I’ll have to fly back to see your uncle and he’ll come here sometimes. Until your uncle retires in December, he and I will have a long-distance relationship. I will fly back once in a while to see him, and he will fly here once in a while to see me.”

  “You’re staying? You’ll be here for the wedding? Oh, my God, you can help me with the wedding!”

  “Yes, Pumpkin, I wouldn’t miss being here to share in your happiness. I wish I could have come sooner. I was going to surprise you next week, but Mason and Raùl thought I should come now. I see now that they were right.”

  Doris and Selena walk into the room with smiles plastered to their faces. We all stand.

  “Brea and Vincent have a healthy baby boy. He was born at 11:44 a.m. weighing in at 7 lbs and 6 oz. and he is 22 inches long,” Doris says, beaming.

  John and Vincenzo bow their head as if praying.

  The room cheers and everyone hugs each other. “The nurses said you can start going in, two or three at a time,” Selena adds.

  “This is great news,” I say.

  “Yes, Beauty, it certainly is. We have a baby boy in our circle.”

  “Would you mind if we say a prayer, to thank God for such a tiny miracle?” I ask.

  Everyone stands and holds hands. I clear my throat, bow my head, and close my eyes.

  “Dear Heavenly Father, We would like to take this time to thank you for watching over Brea while she brings a new precious life into this world. We would like to thank you for giving us the gift of a miracle. A new baby is the beginning of all things — wonder, hope, and a dream of possibilities. This baby is a true blessing, and we pray that you continue to watch over Brea, Vincent, and their child. In your name we pray, Amen.”

  “Amen.”

  Everyone decides who will go in first after the grandparents. I feel overwhelmed all of a sudden.

  “Mason?”

  “Beauty, what is it?”

  “Where’s the chapel? I feel like I need a few minutes with God.”

  “It’s on the third floor. Are you all right?”

  I smile at him so he can see I am more than fine. “I have been so blessed today, with Aunt Maria and our new little addition to our group. I need to thank God in private. I hope you can understand.”

  “Of course, I’ll go with you if you want me to.”

  “No, stay here and wait in line so we can see them,” I say, looking around the nearly packed room.

  Mason

  I wait with my family and Maria. The grandparents went back together, then Brea’s sister will go next. We’ll go in last to see them. Angel has been in the chapel for well over an hour. I think about going to look for her when she finally enters the room — her eyes are puffy and red. I walk over to her and ask, “Are you all right?”

  “Better than ever. Just counting our tiny miracles and huge blessings.”

  I bend down and whisper in her ear, “You’re my blessing,” then I kiss the shell of her ear. “And I love you,” I say, kissing her again.

  “You guys can go in now.”

  We look up and see the nurse standing there holding the door open. I reach over and hand Angel her blue-wrapped gift and hand Sara the Happy Birthday balloons. We follow Sara and Donovan down the long hallway leading to Brea’s room.

  The door is shut. Sara quietly opens the door before looking back at us. She peeks in and then slowly opens the door further. I lift my camera and make sure the flash is off; I don’t want to startle Junior. We walk in and I close the door behind us. Brea is asleep on the bed holding the baby and Vincent is right beside her, also sound asleep. I raise my camera and snap several pictures. They look so peaceful that I don’t want to wake them. Vincent has his hands resting on the baby.

  The nurse comes into the room and we move out of her way. Brea and Vincent wake up and smile at us. We wait until the nurse checks on Mom and the baby. Once the nurse leaves, we walk closer to the bed.

  “Do you want to meet your new nephew?”

  We all nod in unison.

  Brea opens the blanket and reveals a beautiful baby boy. She removes his hat so we can see his full head of black hair. “Please meet Arturo Vincenzo Salvatore.”

  Brea and Vincent beam.

  “He’s beautiful,” I say.

  Brea says, “He is beautiful, but he has a big bump on his head. The doctor says that it is nothing to worry about. It will disappear soon.”

  Vincent says, “The doctor joked that it is an intelligence bump. He said that it’s where the extra IQ points are stored until they can properly be distributed in Arturo’s brain.”

  The girls lay their gifts down and scramble to the sink to wash their hands so they can hold the baby. Vincent kisses Brea and the baby before he stands. We shake his hand to congratulate him. I also hug Brea after Donovan and congratulate her. I look at the baby, but don’t touch him. He looks like a beautiful British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, although it may not seem like such a thing is possible. If anyone wants to know what Arturo will look like at age eighty, they should look at him now. Most baby boys look like little old men, although sometimes they have more hair at birth than they will in old age. Arturo has pink skin, a perfect nose, mouth, and eyes. He also has the most hair I have ever seen on a baby. Brea looks at him and smiles, then she replaces his hat and covers him back up. Sara and Angel walk over to Brea and the baby. I turn so I have a better view of Angel. She hands Brea the blue-wrapped gift while Sara holds the baby. Brea smiles and unwraps the gift with excitement. Brea looks radiant. She doesn’t look like the villain Vincent made her out to be earlier. Brea holds up the gold 8x10 picture frame. Nice gift, I think to myself. Angel looks at me and I nod and smile to let her know, it’s perfect. I focus my attention back on Vincent.

  “She pushed like only 20 minutes. She did so well; I am so proud of her.”

  That isn’t what he was saying earlier. Donovan and I laugh.

  “I love Brea more now than I ever thought possible. She gave me a child, our child.”

  I have to swallow the lump in my throat. That is pretty special.

  “Arturo looks just like me, although I wished he looked l
ike her.”

  I don’t say that the baby looks like Winston Churchill.

  “He is pretty amazing,” Donovan says, watching Sara rock the baby side to side.

  We talk about the baby and how well Brea did. Vincent talks about all the people who have been here and how wonderful it has been and how grateful he is that we all are here to share it with him. I look back over at Angel; she is holding the baby to her chest and she is rocking him side to side. I notice she doesn’t look sad or unhappy about the recent loss of her baby. I see only joy and happiness on her face.

  “You’re a very lucky man, Vincent. You have it all,” I say, honestly.

  “Yes, I think so, too.”

  “It’s my turn to hold the baby.”

  I walk over to the sink and scrub my hands. Donovan is right behind me. I walk over and hold my hands out for the baby. Angel smiles and gently hands him to me. I hold him up gently so I can see him. I am careful to support his head; we all are.

  “Arturo Vincenzo Salvatore; it means strong.”

  “Yes, Mason,” Brea says, ‘Arturo’ means ‘strong as a bear.’”

  I am a childhood friend of Vincent’s and I know Arturo is a family name. It was Vincent’s grandfather’s name. I kiss the baby on the forehead.

  “I like it, but I like Junior better.”

  Everyone laughs and I kiss the baby again. I hand the baby to Donovan, who holds him gingerly. The baby, young Arturo, begins to fuss.

  “Brea, I think he’s hungry.”

  “Ok, let’s try this again.” Brea sits up in bed and reaches for the baby.

  This is the perfect time for us to leave. We say our goodbyes with hugs and kisses to the family.

  We walk to the cafeteria, get a drink, and join the rest of the family at a table. Everyone decides to meet at Vincent and Brea’s home in two hours to begin the moving process. We want to start moving them as soon as possible. I have no idea how long it will take. We get Maria’s suitcase and take her to the beach house with us. I knew she was coming in, but I didn’t think to get food in the house for her. She’ll also need a car to drive. Poor planning on my part.