When September Ends

by ANDREA SMITH

  Hell, can I blame her? She’s carrying an extra thirty pounds, and the heat is making her swell up. She’s due in two-and-a-half weeks and, right now, I can’t think of anything to do to make her more comfortable. I adjust the thermostat and then go to close the mini blinds in the living room to keep the sun out.

  “Jesse!”

  My heart stops as I hear September scream from the kitchen. I immediately stop what I’m doing and tear into the next room, seeing her standing in the middle of the kitchen looking down at the floor. Too late, I see the pool of water on the linoleum, just before my bare foot slides into it sending me sprawling across the floor until the wall stops me with a loud thud.

  “Oh my God, Oh my God,” she screams, half-laughing now, “Are you okay, honey? I am so sorry! My water broke.”

  “You think?” I ask, shaking my head to clear it. I’m able to pull myself up from the floor, my backside is now soaked. “Are you having contractions?” I ask as my adrenaline is ramping up.

  “Not yet,” she says, “Oh God, it’s too early.”

  “Doesn’t matter, babe. You know what they told us in class. This is it. Showtime.”

  Her eyes are wide and, for a second, I see a flash of panic go through them. I need to keep her calm. I remember when Libby had Scout, it had been fairly easy but, then again, it was her second. This is September’s first, and I don’t know what the hell to expect. “Baby? Are you okay?”

  She’s biting her lower lip, lost in thought. “I haven’t packed my bag,” she says, as if all bets are off and that’s that. She looks up at me with a deer-in-headlights look going on.

  “Sweetheart,” I say softly, “Come on, let’s go get changed, pack your bag, and get to the hospital. Everything is going to be just fine, I promise.”

  “What about Scout?”

  “I’ll call Casey and see if she can stay with them.”

  I’m rewarded with an eye roll on that one. “Amber’s mom was supposed to keep her, remember?”

  “I know, baby, but they’re on vacation until Saturday, remember?”

  It’s all I can do to keep my shit together. September is being too damn pokey getting changed and packing her overnight bag.

  I call Casey and, under the circumstances, I ignore her fucking innuendo when I tell her September’s time has come a bit early.

  “Oh, really?” she says, “Well as big as she is, she looks full term. I wonder if she’s farther along than she’s telling you?”

  “Look, Casey, her water broke. Now can Scout stay with you until–well until we know what’s going on? If that’s a problem, send her over and she’ll have to go with us.”

  “No, of course it’s no problem. She can stay here with us. After all, what are neighbors for?”

  Once that’s taken care of, I go looking for September and find her in the nursery, going through the baby’s dresser drawers. “Hun, are you ready?” I ask, trying my very best not to come across harshly. My nerves are on edge, I have no desire to deliver my own child in the back of my truck, but if September doesn’t get with the program, it’s a real possibility.

  “Oh, I can’t decide what outfit to take to bring the baby home in,” she says, rooting through the stack of tiny sleepers. “What do you think? Yellow, green, or white?”

  I sigh, and rub the back of my neck, bringing my hand back to my jawline. “Pack them all, babe. We can decide later, how’s that?”

  She nods, pulling three of them from the drawer. “Okay, put these in my bag, let me get my robe, and I’m ready.”

  Thank fuck.

  “Okay, baby. Let’s do this.”

  Chapter 35

  I gaze down into the beautiful cherub face of our newborn baby. He is so precious, so beautiful, and everything I went through in the hours before his arrival is forgotten.

  Jesse is still wearing the hospital issued scrubs he was given when I was admitted. He is right beside me, and I watch as his finger gently brushes across the soft, pink skin of our baby boy.

  “Isn’t he perfect, Jesse?” I ask, looking up into his eyes. They are so blue right now, so full of emotion. I can read every one of them: love, pride, happiness—all of them are there.

  “He is, baby. He’s healthy and perfect. Thank you for my son.” He leans forward and I feel his lips graze my forehead. “You were perfect.”

  I give a soft chuckle. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” I reply, “I had my moments. I think I might’ve shocked the nurses with my language.”

  Jesse laughs softly. “Nothing they haven’t heard before, I’m sure.”

  My labor pains had started shortly after arriving at the hospital. They were coming hard and fast, but I was slow to dilate. Finally, I was given an epidural at seven centimeters. It had made all the difference in the world. An hour later, our son was born, weighing in at six pounds and four ounces.

  “So, what are we going to name our little fellow?” Jesse asks, tracing one of the baby’s eyebrows with his thumb.

  “I know you said you don’t want him to be a junior, but I really would like to name him after you, well sort of…”

  He cocks a brow at me. “Sort of?”

  “What do you think of naming him Jesse Merrick Ryan? We can call him Merrick if you want.”

  Jesse repeats the name out loud a couple of times, and then gives me a smile. “I like it. It fits him, too.”

  So, Jesse Merrick Ryan stares up at his very proud parents, who have just given him his first gift: a name.

  Two days later we’re all home and, aside from the pain I still have in my lady parts, everything else is going very well. Scout is a major help, and aside from the fact that I’m breastfeeding Merrick, she totally wants to do everything else.

  “Why is his poop yellow and seedy?” she asks me, as I’m showing her how to clean his bottom with baby wipes.

  I giggle, “It’s normal for a breastfed baby to have poop like that,” I explain. “Notice it doesn’t smell though?”

  “Yep. That would be really gross if it did. Did Mama breastfeed me, September?”

  “No, sweet girl,” I reply with a sigh, “You were bottle fed. Same as me I expect.”

  “Does it hurt when you feed him?”

  “Well, it hurts just a little bit when he first comes on, but nothing major. Hey, how about I start using that breast pump I got at my baby shower?”

  “What does that do?” she asks, her brow furrowing.

  “Well, that way I can pump the milk into the baby bottles, and we can take turns feeding him.”

  She gives a big smile, shaking her head. “That would be so cool.”

  “Did you call Gram and let her know?” I ask warily. We’ve not been in contact much.

  “Yep. I told her all about my new brother. She wants me to send her a picture from my phone. Is that okay?”

  “Sure it is,” I reply, wrapping Merrick up in his receiving blanket. “How about if I take one of you holding him?”

  She nods.

  So, I get them settled on the sofa in the living room, and take several pictures with her cell phone.

  “Your turn,” she says, once I finish. “Come on. It’s time for everyone to be a family again.”

  And there it is. Scout’s old soul is speaking and there’s no reason why everyone shouldn’t start being a family again. There’s a new family member to be welcomed. If nothing else, a baby brings love, no matter what the circumstances or history between family members might be.

  “Okay,” I relent, scooping up the baby and taking my place on the sofa. Jesse comes into the room just then.

  “Just in time, Dad. Go sit next to September. Gram wants pictures.”

  Jesse gives a shrug, and then sits down next to me, resting his arm behind me on the back of the sofa.

  “Scoot closer, Dad,” Scout instructs, “And September, raise Merrick up just a little bit. Good—just like that. Now both of you look up at me and smile.”

  We follow Scout’s directions as she takes sev
eral pictures in various poses.

  “You’re pretty bossy there, girl,” Jesse teases once Scout informs us it’s a wrap.

  “I come by that honestly, Dad,” she replies, giving him a sly grin. “I’m gonna go and save these to a file and then send to Gram.”

  She’s off to her room, and Jesse chuckles after her shaking his head. “She’s something, isn’t she?”

  “She sure is,” I reply, carefully placing the now sleeping baby into the bassinet next to the sofa. “And she’s so much help, too. Merrick has a great big sister.”

  Jesse leans over and tilts my face up to his; our eyes lock and he’s intense when he speaks. “He’s got a great mama, too, and a daddy that’s crazy about all of you. I love you, September. I love you like I’ve never loved anyone else.”

  He lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me softly, his tongue parting my lips as our kiss grows deeper and more passionate. I’ve missed this over the past couple of weeks. We’ve been so busy with getting settled, and meeting the demands of our newest member, that we haven’t had much time for one another.

  As our kissing becomes more ardent, we don’t notice when Scout returns to the living room until she clears her throat.

  Jesse and I break apart, and gaze over at her. She has her hands on her hips, and a sly grin on her face. “Seriously you two? Merrick isn’t ready for another sister or brother this soon. I’m going to go over to Catherine and show her these new pictures of my brother.”

  “Make sure you show them to Casey, too,” Jesse calls after her.

  I give him a gentle elbow to the ribs. “You’re so bad,” I reply, giggling, “But I hope she does show Casey.”

  And as I continue to snuggle back against my husband something dawns on me, and I turn to face him. “Hey, did you catch what Scout said when she caught us kissing?”

  He gives me a sexy smile and a wink. “Yep, I think she’s finally put it all together. She’s fine with it, are you?”

  I feel my cheeks warm with a blush. “I hope she hasn’t figured everything out just yet—unless you’re ready to have the talk with her.”

  “Me?” he asks, his blue eyes widening. “Why me?”

  And I laugh and pepper kisses on his stubbled cheek. “Because you’re the parent.”

  “Plenty of time for that later. Right now? How about you and I take a nap in our bed while we have some quiet time?”

  “Sounds good to me,” I reply, scooting up off of the couch. “Make sure you roll the bassinet into our room.”

  I hear him give a loud sigh, mumbling something about Merrick being a cockblocker as he follows me down the hallway with the bassinet.

  Once there, we settle down…for a nap. And I realize that all of my dreams have finally come true. And I know, it sounds corny and cheesy as hell, but I don’t have time for clever prose or fancy metaphors, because it’s naptime for Jesse and me.

  Epilogue

  Denver, Colorado

  Three+ years later

  I head home in the crisp, cold night air of a December evening having just finished my eight-hour shift at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver.

  Twenty minutes later, I pull my SUV into the winding drive to our house, clicking the button on the remote that opens the garage door. Jesse’s truck is already inside.

  The aroma of chili hits me as soon as I step inside. My three-year-old baby boy comes running up to me, squealing with delight because I’m home.

  “Mama!” he screeches, wrapping his chubby little arms around my legs.

  “Hi Merrick. How’s Mommy’s big boy?” I ask, taking off my coat and hanging it up in the closet.

  “Good,” he says, holding his arms up for me. I lift him up, giving him a kiss on the cheek, and carrying him like I know I shouldn’t with my belly distended the way it is.

  I go through the swinging door to the kitchen, and Scout has dinner nearly ready. Jesse’s making the salads.

  “Hey babe,” he says with a smile, looking so handsome and fit.

  “Hey yourself,” I reply, putting Merrick down.

  “Dinner’s about ready,” Scout announces, looking every bit the gorgeous fourteen-year-old that she is.

  “Great job,” I praise. “You guys have it all under control.

  “Dad helped a lot,” she replies, giving me a smile. “Merrick was another story though.”

  Jesse comes over and puts his arms around me. “Busy day?”

  “Yep. Just the way I like them. How about you?”

  “Landed a major contract for a mini-mall. All’s well.”

  The past few years have been about taking baby steps at first, and now we seem to be sprinting by leaps and bounds in the right direction.

  I finished nursing school and completed my LPN certification six months ago. Right after Merrick was born, I started back, taking classes in the evening so that Jesse could stay with the baby. I’ve been full-time at St. Luke’s for nearly a year now.

  We moved to Denver two years ago, when a former boss of Jesse’s in Fort Smith, Carl Walters, contacted him about a business he was starting in Colorado. He asked Jesse if he wanted in and they formed a partnership. Since that time, the business has taken off and grown as a result of landing some big commercial jobs. Jesse now has his contractor’s license in Colorado.

  We found a young married couple in Fort Smith that put a land contract on our home there, and last year they got financing, so the house was officially sold, giving us more money to invest in our new home.

  Jesse and I found a great two-story ranch with a 3-car garage on two acres. It needed some work, but Jesse has turned it into my dream home and I love it.

  Gram and Grandpa are still in Meridian, and I think they’ve finally come to terms with everything relative to Jesse and me. We hear from them all the time. Grandpa’s health has improved and I think he’s actually enjoying retirement.

  Mama’s moved in with a man in Meridian, and Gram says that she works part-time as a seamstress. She says that Mama is still not right in the head, but I wonder if she ever really was.

  And the final bit of news is that Jesse and I are expecting a daughter in late February.

  I’m not the same person I was when I first arrived in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, all those years ago and, for that I’m grateful. I’d like to think that growing up under Jesse’s roof is partly the reason.

  I do know that no matter what, we’ll forge through it together as a team, because that’s what we do.

  I also know that I’ve been blessed with the best man I could ever love, along with Scout, Merrick and Madeline Marie come next February.

  Thank you, Lord.

  THE END

  About the Author

  Graysen Blue, is a stay-at-home mom, who has previously self-published children’s book under a different pen name. She graduated with a degree in Economics from Princeton University. She was born in the U.K., but currently resides on the West Coast with her husband, Michael, and her young daughter, Scout.

  Or, she is a pseudonym for Andrea Smith, who will continue to write books of the New Adult genre under this name! Take your pick!

  If you’ve enjoyed this book, please check out Andrea Smith’s other works of fiction:

  G-Man Series: Diamond Girl, Love Plus One, Night Moves, G-Men Holiday Wrap and Taz

  Limbo Series: Silent Whisper, Clouds in my Coffee

  Past Tense Future Perfect: (Formerly the trilogy published under the ‘Baby Series.’)

  These Men: (Part of the BEND Anthology.)

  If you’ve enjoyed Graysen’s novel, please leave a review!

  Do you want a “Sneak Peek” at some of Andrea’s books?

  Keep on reading!

  Sneak Peek at “Silent Whisper” by Andrea Smith.

  Book #1 in the Limbo Series.

  Synopsis

  Parrish Locke is 27 years old, a successful model with a gorgeous boyfriend, and a loft in Manhattan. Little does she know that during a photo shoot in Chester, West Virginia,
an unfortunate car accident will change her life…forever. Parrish discovers she’s gifted in a very special way, and thus begins a suspense-filled journey that unravels secrets and mysteries from the past. Once her journey ends, it is just the beginning for Parrish, because only she holds the key that will bridge the past to the present, and allow wrongs to be righted from beyond. From mafia capos, to steamy romance, to solving the unsolved, her journey is one that provides the blueprint for her future—one she never imagined possible.

  Excerpt

  January 9, 1986

  Chester, West Virginia

  “Karlie, you’re up,” Lana called out from the hallway. “It’s tall, dark and deadly again, requesting you for the night. Lucky you,” she said, snapping her gum. “Why the hell do I always get stuck with the friggin’ weirdoes?” she commented, shaking her head and flopping down on one of the over-stuffed chairs.

  I shrugged as I got up from the sofa in the ‘Ladies Parlor’ as it was called, and gave her a wink on my way out. She was probably the closest thing I’d ever had to a best friend.

  “Hope you land a better one tonight, sweetie,” I remarked. “And if not, make sure he’s missing a gnad before he leaves.”

  I could still see the hint of a bruise on her right cheekbone that her make-up didn’t quite cover. Her john had gotten a bit rough with her the other night. That was always a risk in our business. It had never happened to me yet, and God-willing it wouldn’t.

  “I hear that,” she replied with a meek smile.

  As I walked out to the reception area, I shivered inwardly as I spotted “Nick.” I wasn’t sure if that was even his real name. Most of the johns that visited Mountain Belle’s Lodge, a whorehouse if you will, used only first names, and they were probably fake ones at that.

  “Hey handsome,” I said with a smile, walking up to his tall, muscular frame, brushing his arm with my hand.

  He was sinfully gorgeous, which made me wonder why the hell he felt like he had to pay for pussy in the first place. Hell, I’d fuck him for free just to brag that I had.