by E. L. Todd
“Oh, gotcha.” She didn’t bother asking for the scoop. “So, Kayden told me about this.” She pointed at both of us. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” I said. “You better get used to it.”
“We would love to be used to it,” Jessie said. “Now all three of us can go out.”
Tobias had a beer, but Jessie didn’t have a drink, something very peculiar for her.
I narrowed my eyes and immediately jumped to a conclusion I didn’t think was possible. Jessie was always so careful about stuff like that. She used two forms of birth control—the pill and the pull out method. “Jess...why aren’t you drinking?”
Terror jumped into her expression instantly. “Maybe I’m not thirsty.”
“Bullshit. Are you pregnant?”
Her terror only intensified.
I probably shouldn’t have put her on the spot like that, but my emotions were driving me forward.
Tobias placed his arm around her shoulders. “Yeah, we’re having a baby.”
“Oh. My. God.” I covered my mouth and screamed. “Are you serious?”
Now that the cat was out of the bag, Jessie finally relaxed. “We didn’t want to say anything right now since you guys just got back together—”
“Who cares.” I came around the table and hugged her. “Congratulations.”
“Oh god, Rae.” She squeezed me tightly. “I need some serious help. I don’t know shit about babies.”
“You think I do?” I asked incredulously.
“Probably more than I do,” she countered.
“We’ll order some baby books on Amazon,” I said. “I’m gonna be the best aunt ever.”
“Thank you,” Jessie said. “Because we know this baby is gonna hate me.”
Zeke walked to Tobias and shook his hand. “Congrats, man. How are you handling it?”
“You know, I was terrified at first,” Tobias said. “But you know what? Any baby that Jessie and I make together is gonna be beautiful. Come on, look at her.” He nodded in her direction. “It could be worse.”
Zeke smiled. “Well said, my friend.”
“We aren’t going to get married, but we’ll keep dating,” Tobias continued. “We’ll see where things go. I’m getting old anyway, so it’s about time I settled down and popped out some kids.”
“True,” Zeke said. “I’m not sure when Rae and I are gonna start, but I hope it’s soon. And if not, practice is always good.”
Ryker returned with the drinks and talked quietly with Monica, both of them in their own world. She said something that made Ryker laugh, and he couldn’t stop smiling, absorbed in their conversation.
Rex and Kayden returned, drinks in their hands. “What’s with the commotion?” Rex asked. “Please don’t tell me you guys broke up again.”
I wanted to throw my drink in his face. “How are my flowers doing?”
Rex rolled his eyes.
Jessie placed her hands on her stomach even though she was flat like an ironing board. “So...Tobias and I are having a baby.”
“Say what?” Rex dropped his drink on the ground. Thankfully, the cup was plastic so it didn’t shatter. “No fucking way. You’re having a baby? Like, a human baby?”
“What other kind of baby could she have?” Zeke countered. “An alien?”
Kayden hugged her. “Oh my god, this is huge news.”
“I know,” Jessie said. “I’ll need help because all I know how to do is hair—that’s it.”
“We’ll be there for you,” Kayden said as she rubbed Jessie’s back. “We’ll be the best aunts ever.”
“Good,” Jessie said. “And I need to talk to Zeke about giving birth.” She locked eyes with him. “Does it really hurt as much as they say?”
“I’m a dermatologist,” he said. “I don’t really—”
“Does it hurt as much as they say?” Jessie demanded.
Zeke shrugged then cringed. “It’s not gonna be easy...”
“Oh, god.” Jessie grabbed my hand. “I’m already terrified.”
“You’ll be fine, baby.” Tobias wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll be there the whole time. You can break my hand if you want.”
“Good.” I twisted out of her grasp. “Because she’s about to break mine.”
“This is so exciting,” Kayden said. “You guys are back together, Ryker and Monica are perfect for each other, and now Jessie is having a baby. We’re so lucky, you guys. We have everything.”
Zeke gave me an affectionate look, the same expression I’d seen my entire life. It was only recently that I truly understood what that look meant. Now, I couldn’t live without it, needing to see it every single day. “I know I have everything.”
My eyes softened just like my heart. “Me too.”
Epilogue
Rae
Jessie sat on the bench near the basketball hoop, eight months pregnant and viciously uncomfortable. “Would you guys judge me if I said I hated my baby right now?” She rubbed her hand across her stomach, obviously uncomfortable by her enormous belly and the stress on her bladder.
“No,” Kayden said. “Because we know you love that baby.”
“Only one more month, baby.” Tobias held up a finger. “And you’ll be able to sleep again.”
“Ugh.” Jessie grabbed the umbrella and held it over her head to stay out of the sun. She wore a loose fitting white dress, her stomach protruding out of it. “I miss sleep...”
“What are the teams?” Zeke had the ball tucked under his arm. “I don’t want to be on Rae’s team.”
“What the hell?” I snapped. “I’m the best player.”
“But I want to block you.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“How about me, Rae, and Kayden,” Rex said. “Kayden doesn’t count because she sucks.”
“Hey.” Kayden smacked his arm. “I’m trying.”
“I know, baby,” he said. “But I’m being honest. Rae is the best player of all of us and I’m okay. So, I think we’re even.”
“Alright.” Zeke dribbled the ball. “Let’s get this game started.”
Zeke got the jump ball because he was a foot taller than me, but that didn’t mean I didn’t bust my ass chasing him down the court. He was stronger and thicker, but I was lean, so I could get around quickly. He made the shot but the ball bounced off the rim.
Like a tiger, I snatched it. Rex was down the court, so I threw it hard.
Rex caught it and did a lay-up. “Hell yeah. We’re up by two points, bitches.” He high-fived me.
“For now,” Tobias said threateningly.
I stuck out my tongue at Zeke.
He narrowed his eyes aggressively, like he wanted to suck my tongue into his mouth and do nasty things with it.
It was winner’s take out, so I stood behind the hoop next to Jessie and Safari. It was nearly impossible for Rex to get open, but he faked to the right and was open for just a second. I passed it.
We darted down the court and Rex passed it back to me.
But Zeke came out of nowhere and stole the ball. “Sorry, baby.” He sprinted the opposite way, way faster than I could possibly run. And then he scored.
Zeke high-fived Tobias. “You’re going to need to step it up, baby. I’m not going easy on you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not going easy on you tonight when we get home.”
“Ooh...” Tobias chuckled. “That sounds like a nice threat.”
Zeke smiled. “I’m gonna hold you to your promise.”
“And I’m not gonna hold my vomit,” Rex snapped.
We started the game back up, going back and forth and making shots. It was a close game, and most of the time, we were tied. Zeke and Tobias were both excellent players, and Rex and I were a good team. Kayden didn’t do much other than run back and forth and try to snatch the ball when it bounced hard off the rim.
Zeke got the ball back and sprinted back up the court.
I wasn’t gonna let him get away this time. I chased a
fter him, close on his tail.
“NOW!” Zeke stopped and dropped the ball.
Everyone else stopped and formed a semi-circle.
What the hell was going on?
Jessie ran over with a camera and stood five feet away.
Zeke pulled something out of his pocket and dropped to one knee. It was a black box, and he popped the lid to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. “Rae, will you marry me?”
I covered my face and stood in shock, not caring about Jessie taking pictures of me and all my friends standing around and smiling. Kayden was already crying, wiping her tears away and sniffing. Rex smiled wide, all of his teeth showing and his eyes on me. Zeke looked up at me with joy in his eyes, knowing what my answer would be once the shock wore off. “Oh my god...” I finally pulled my hands away, tears in my eyes. I hadn’t expected this in the least, and somehow, that surprise made it a million times better. It started off as a normal Saturday with us playing basketball in the park, and now, it was something so much bigger. “Oh my god...” The ring was beautiful, a princess cut made of white gold. I never told him what I wanted because I never really cared. Anything he gave me would be perfect. “Zeke...”
I fell to my knees in front of him, not caring about the hard concrete. I looked him in the eyes, still on the verge of sobbing. “Yes. You know my answer is yes.”
He smiled and slipped the ring on my finger, fitting it perfectly on my left ring finger. The diamonds sparkled in the light, illuminous and beautiful. The second I felt the cool material against my sweaty skin, I knew I wouldn’t want to ever take it off.
Zeke pulled me into his chest and hugged me, his powerful arms squeezing me tightly. His face was buried in my neck while everyone clapped around us, whistling and cheering. “I love you, Rae.”
“I love you too.” I pulled away and kissed him, sharing an embrace for the first time as fiancées. In my lifetime, I’d lost so much. My father abandoned us because he didn’t want the responsibility of a family, and when my mom had nothing else to live for, not even Rex and I mattered and she killed herself. But I made my own family, my own group of people that I could count on for everything. And everything was truly perfect. I found the man that would always be by my side, who would love me and take care of me every single day. For the first time, I truly felt complete.
“We need to get home and pack,” Zeke said.
“Pack?” I asked. “Why?”
“Because we’re going on a trip.”
“What? Where?”
“Hawaii. I already talked to Ryker, and he gave you the vacation time. So, let’s get to the airport.”
“You’re serious?” Now, I was screaming, so excited that I couldn’t keep my voice down.
“And you know what the best part is?” Rex asked. “Kayden and I are coming too.”
“Aww!” I hugged Zeke again. “This is so amazing. Thank you so much.”
“Don’t thank me, baby. I’m gonna be your husband, so you should get used to this sort of thing.”
“I’m so lucky.” I pressed my face into his chest and resisted the urge to cry. “So goddamn lucky.”
He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “No. I’ve always been the lucky one.”
Epilogue II
Zeke
“Zeke.” Rae grabbed my arm and shook me.
“Hmm?” I kept my eyes closed as I turned over, my arm moving underneath her enormous stomach. I was still half-asleep.
“Zeke, wake up.”
I distantly felt the moisture underneath me, the warm liquid that soaked into the sheets.
“I think my water just broke.”
My eyes finally snapped open when the realization hit me. I sat upright and felt my heart slam hard into my chest, my protective instincts kicking in. I knew exactly what happened when the water broke and what I needed to do next. “Alright, baby. Hold on.” I hopped out of bed, pulled on some clothes, and grabbed the packed bag for the hospital stay. I went to her side of the bed next and helped her up. She had a petite frame so her stomach appeared to be larger than normal. Just by looking at her, I could tell our son was going to be healthy and happy.
“God, I think I’m feeling a contraction.” She held her stomach as she breathed through the pain.
“In through your nose and out through your mouth,” I instructed.
“Okay,” she said through her deep breathing.
I pulled her up and wrapped my arm around her waist as I walked her into the garage and the Jeep. Once I pulled onto the road, I called Rex.
“Muh,” he answered. “Blem car...”
“What?” I asked, not having a clue what he was saying.
“Blar blar...”
“Dude, your sister is going into labor, so get your ass up.”
That made him snap out of it. “Oh, shit. For real?”
“Yes, for real. We’ll meet you at the hospital. Tell the others.” I hung up and drove through the empty streets to the hospital. My free hand moved to Rae’s stomach, feeling my wife and son at the same time.
Rae panted through another contraction.
There wasn’t much time between them, which told me she was having his baby sooner rather than later. Good for her. She wouldn’t want a twenty-four-hour delivery. “You’re doing great. Just keep breathing.”
“Why are my contractions coming so quickly?”
“It’s normal. Don’t worry about it.” I was just trying to keep her calm until I found a parking spot outside the hospital. Once I did, I got her out of the car and into the maternity ward. I checked her in, and they immediately whisked her off into a delivery room.
I stood beside her bed, my hand intertwined with hers.
“The baby is coming already?” she asked, breathing through another contraction.
“He’s excited to meet us.”
She nodded, sweat covering her face and neck. “I can’t wait to meet him too. He’s gonna look just like you. I know it.”
“He’s gonna look like both of us, Rae.” I squeezed her hand.
Once she was settled in her room, I joined her in the delivery room with the doctor and nurse. Her legs were spread, and the doctor was already examining her.
“You need to start pushing, Rae,” the doctor instructed. “He’s coming.”
I grabbed her hand and looked into her face, seeing the determination in her eyes. They had already given her the epidural but she was clearly uncomfortable. Sweat began to pour down her cheeks, and her face was blotchy and red. “The sooner you get him out of there, the sooner it’s over.”
“I know.”
“It’s gonna hurt, but you can do it.”
“I’m not scared of the pain.” She gritted her teeth and pushed.
My wife amazed me every single day, but her strength and determination still caught me by surprise. She was never scared of anything, taking every challenge head on without blinking.
I kept my hand in hers as I watched the doctor work. The head was crowning, and the baby was slowly coming. “Baby, you’re doing great. He’s coming.”
“Okay.” She pushed harder, closing her eyes and screaming as she pushed.
“A little more, Rae,” the doctor instructed.
She held her breath and pushed again.
“Keep breathing,” I reminded her.
She nodded and took a deep breath. After a few more pushes, our son was here. He cried loudly in the delivery room, the sound bouncing off the walls. The wailing was music to my ears, pure magic.
“You did it, baby.” I leaned over Rae and kissed her, ignoring the sweat from her fatigue. “You did great.”
“God, I’m so tired... Where is he?”
“They’re just cleaning him up.” I shared my last moment alone with my wife, treasuring the last minutes of our solitude. For years, it’d just been the two of us and Safari. But now our family had grown and there were three of us. While I would miss those days, I was excited to move forward.
Rae gave my hand a gentle s
queeze, knowing exactly what I was thinking.
The doctor walked over with our son, the little boy with beautiful eyes and soft skin. He waved his arms in the air and continued to cry. The doctor arranged him in Rae’s arms before he finally let go.
Rae took one look at our son and started to cry. “Oh my god...he’s beautiful.”
“He really is.” My eyes started to tear up, seeing my family right before my eyes. I’d been in love with Rae since I could remember, and somehow, I was lucky enough to marry her and start a family with her.
Almost immediately, our son stopped crying. He looked up at Rae, having my blue eyes, and he seemed just as infatuated with her as I was.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Rae whispered through her tears. “I’m your mommy.”
I grabbed his hand and felt his small fingers, touching my son for the first time.
“And this is your daddy,” she whispered. “And we love you so much.”
He stared at her for a few more minutes before he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
“Do we have a name?” the nurse asked.
Rae and I talked about it for the past few months until we found something we both loved. “Liam,” I answered. “Liam Price.”
“Very good.” The nurse left the room, leaving us alone.
“Here.” Rae handed him over, so I could hold him.
I took him and sat down in the nearby chair, resting my arms on my raised knee. I looked down at him in fascination, seeing myself as well as my wife in his features. He was perfect, more than I ever could have dreamed of. “I already love you so much, son.”
Rae sniffed as she watched us together, falling in love with the sight.
The door opened. “There you are.” Rex stopped when he spotted the baby in my arms. “Damn, you already had him?” He walked farther into the room and looked down at Liam. “Wow...he’s cute.”
“Thank you,” I said. “But Rae is the one who made him.”
Kayden walked to Rae’s side and stroked her hair. “Hanging in there?”
“I’m fine,” Rae said. “The meds are still strong.”
Rex sat beside me, his black wedding ring contrasting against his fair skin. “So, this is my nephew, huh? Babies don’t seem so scary.”