Epilogue
Prince of The City
I was making my way to our bedroom with the new stuffed toy in my arms. It was like the tenth one I’d bought in the last month. This one was about three feet tall, and cute. Mouth will probably hook him up with her surveillance shit. She’d turned the nursery into a showroom for NASA. There were more cameras and recording shit in there than the damn space shuttle. I think Mouth has ADHD or some fuck. More like she hasn’t offed anyone in a long time and she’s fiending.
It has been a rough few months with me trying to blend the two families and keeping her ass out of it. It makes her crazy but I threatened everyone that if they went around me this time they’d be done no matter who the fuck. That had kept her ass quiet so far but I think that had more to do with the child growing in her womb than anything else. It sure hasn’t done anything about her damn mouth.
One mystery that still baffles me to this day though, is her new relationship with Jimmy.
For some reason the two of them are now thick as thieves, but knowing his dumb ass she’s probably milking him for information. I pulled him aside and grilled his ass once and he assured me that he wasn’t stupid enough to go against my orders.
Apparently, she’d shanghaied his ass into helping her in the garden one day and they got to discussing flowers or dirt or some fuck. Now he’s her little errand boy. The twins are always complaining about some fuck the two of them got up to during the day until I started cutting them off with ‘is anyone bleeding, hurt, or dying?’ As long as the answer is no, I tell them to shut the fuck up and leave me out of it.
It doesn’t matter what they say, Mouth gets her way any damn way in the end and I’m tired of dealing with her shit. She wasn’t in the kitchen cooking for a legion like she’s been doing every day for the past week or so. Her due date is a week away and she calms herself by cooking and baking to the delight of the greedy fucks who are always hanging around my house.
Poppy took over my old place in the city and he and the Rossis pretty much live there when they’re not off doing whatever the fuck it is those three are into. I have the sneaky suspicion that they and the mouth have something going but no one’s talking. I did walk in on some kind of meet between the four of them a few weeks ago, but when I asked the twins what that was about they played dumb. My ass; they don’t go more than ten feet away from her unless I’m around so I’m pretty sure they know it all.
I’d been gone all day trying to tie up loose ends so I could take some time off when my son comes; maternity leave and shit, I don’t care how much Mikey and Tony tease. My sisters will probably find a way to have them give birth for them, whipped fucks. But they sure have been having a blast at my expense these past few months.
As a first time father, I’m here to tell you that this shit is scary as fuck. Every twinge I’m ready to take her to the hospital. I spend as much time fucking with her stomach as I do fucking her, and that’s a lot. Her hormones are out of whack and my dick is her therapy.
She’s been waddling around here for the last few days barking out orders like Napoleon at Austerlitz. Everyone else but ma and I are afraid of her shit. Ma just laughs, rubs her shoulder and kiss her forehead with an ‘you’re going to be okay, you’re doing fine.’ And I usually just fuck her out of whatever space she went to in her head.
About the third time I heard ma tell her that shit, I kinda got the feeling she knew something I didn’t, so I pulled her aside and asked. After getting through telling me how lacking I was in understanding because of my male genes, like she didn’t birth my ass and it was my fault, she finally let me in on what was eating Mouth.
“Shane, she’s your wife, but she’s still a young girl going through something life changing without her mama here to support her.” Her aunt’s been here six fucking times in two months giving me shit. I didn’t say that out loud because even I knew it wasn’t the same. From that day ma was on twenty-four seven duty. Which she loves because she’s nosy and likes sticking her nose in my shit.
I personally think she’s a little overwhelmed as well. The kid wasn’t born yet and already he has a life. Little shit already has more gifts than both of us put together for the wedding and that shit had filled two rooms. Plus, everything was about the baby. That’s also how she was running this new con.
Everyone ran to do her bidding because she was using her pregnancy to get whatever the fuck she wants. All it takes are those four words. ‘It’s for the baby.’ Said of course while she’s rubbing her bump and giving people doe eyes. I see right through her shit, but I still give in all the same.
I was almost to the door wondering what kind of shit she had waiting to heap on my head when I heard the first scream. I dropped the bear and pulled my piece as I broke through the door going low, then high, scanning the room. There was no one there but Mouth who was doubled over on the bed grabbing at her round tummy.
I put my shit away and hoofed it to her side. There was a water stain gathering beneath her and I pulled my phone and called ma. “Ma, it’s time.” We had this shit planned out. She’d call the others and take care of everything else while I see to my woman and kid. I called the asshole doctor next and barked at her.
I was sick of her shit too. She was calm as fuck when I told her what was going on and asked me a million questions before I asked her which the fuck one of us had gone to medical school and how the fuck was I supposed to know the answers to her shit. So much for having it all planned out. No amount of planning can ever prepare you for the fear that gripped my bowels when Mouth screamed again.
I picked her up and yelled for her team who came running. I directed them to her bags and rushed outside as fast as I could while carrying her. “Breathe, Mouth.” I fell into the breathing exercise easily as I placed her in the back seat and got in beside her. She had a death grip on my hand as Mikey and Tony came running.
We peeled out into the night with a caravan behind us. Mouth would choose the dinner hour to do this shit when everybody and their mother were on the damn street. “Drive Mikey.” Basically I was telling him to mow down any motherfucker that got in the way.
I don’t recall much of what happened once we reached the hospital. I only know that I never left her side. There were voices all around us but I couldn’t tell you what any of them said. Mouth was doing her best but she was in a bad way. When she wasn’t digging holes in my hand and screaming bloody murder, she was giving me the stink eye.
“This is bullshit.” She’d just had a contraction so I thought that’s what she was bitching about.
“I know, I’m sorry.” I had no idea what to say to her. I’m not gonna lie and say I’d do it for her if I could. That shit just looked wrong. But I felt her pain.
“Oh you’re gonna owe me big time for this, Flanagan.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” What the fuck?
“Don’t you placate me you…. Ahhhhhhhhhh.”
She wanted to argue now? I knew her mouthy ass was scared so I let her rip into me both figuratively and literally. She took the skin off my hand.
It’s amazing what goes through your head when your wife is in pain. All I could do was hold her hand and wipe her brow while feeding her that bullshittery that she was going to be okay. She gave one last howl and I heard my baby’s first cry. My vision blurred, as I looked over at him and felt some of Mouth’s fear grip me for only a split second, before it was replaced by the most intense joy.
“Give him to me.” Mouth held her arms out but the nurse told her they needed to clean up the little guy first. I don’t know what is the usual procedure here, but I do know these people had no idea what the fuck they were dealing with. I saw the kill lights enter her eyes and laughed as I leaned over her. “Behave, I’ll get him for you.”
I didn’t have to because the doc placed the baby on her chest and scolded the nurse. He was a mess but he was still the best fucking sight; after his mother of course. That same nurse came and took the baby after only a few min
utes and moved across the room to clean him up. Mouth did not like this woman so I thought it prudent to get her the fuck outta there before she gutted her with the doc’s scalpel.
I walked over and took the baby from the nurse before she was through. She wasn’t too happy but who gives a fuck. I looked down at my son and choked up. It felt like I’d been waiting for him to get here forever. “Hi little prince.” He was so small, and helpless it gave me pause. My world had just changed.
From this day on there will be someone else with a part of me in them walking the earth. Someone that I’m completely responsible for until the day I die. That’s some humbling shit. Anybody fucks with him I’ll kill them myself, unless his mother gets to them first.
I could’ve stood there all night just watching him, but I knew there was an order to these things. If I bonded with Mouth’s kid before she did she’d have my nut sac. I whispered a little something in his ear before passing him to his mother who stared at him in awe as she held him close to her chest.
She looked young and tired and nowhere near old enough to be anyone’s mother. Meanwhile, the kid barely fit in her arms he was so big. Damn, Mouth’s gonna rip my ass a new one once the adrenaline wears off. The kid was a bruiser, definitely takes after his old man.
I stood over the two of them protectively as the voices in the room registered once again. It was only then that I realized I’d blocked everything else out for the last five minutes or so. Mouth watched the nurse like a hawk when she took the baby again so they could tend to his mother and finish cleaning him up.
I finally let ma and the others in once she was decent and pretty much got pushed out of the way when ma and her baby hogging ass got the first look at her grandson. The men didn’t come into the room but stood like sentinels outside the door, getting their fair share of looks.
She was going to be here for at least another half a day so the plan was to have someone on her and the kid at all times which should be easy since they were going to be in the same room, except for the times the kid had to be checked over. The doc hadn’t said anything had been wrong so that shouldn’t be an issue. You bet I checked all of that shit out months ago.
I ran the women out after thirty minutes or so because Mouth was looking tired. Ma had to be air lifted out the damn room and I had to deal with her crying shit before I could get back to my little family. I sat on the chair next to the bed and watched the two of them. She was radiant, her face glowing as she looked down at him.
“He’s beautiful Arianna, you did good.” I cupped the back of his head in my hand and leaned over to kiss her lips. “Beautiful!”
I spent the night in the private room with her and the baby, sitting up each time anyone came close to the door. The men had changed guard outside but I knew everything that was going on out there.
By the time the sun came up I was tired as fuck. I hadn’t slept a wink all night. Junior had woken up during the night and I’d watched my wife feed our son for the first time. I used to think Mouth was her most beautiful when she was under me looking up as I drove into her, but that shit was nothing compared to the sight she made now.
She hadn’t gone back to sleep afterwards and we’d stayed up together, me lying beside her as we both held our boy. Ma descended on us at about nine and took over and I took the opportunity to use the bathroom to shower and change.
They came to take him somewhere to weigh again and check him over before checking them out. Mouth gave me a look but she didn’t need to. I never planned on anyone taking my kid anywhere without me on their ass. I followed the nurse, a different one this time since I’d pulled the doc aside and told her if she wanted the pushy nurse to live she’d get her the fuck away from my wife and kid.
Mikey and Tony who were still beaming like proud uncles flanked me. “You two look like idiots.”
“What?” Tony said around the Stogie in his mouth.
“You fucks don’t smoke.” He shrugged and grinned.
“You know you have to get Mouth a push present right.”
“A what now?” I kept my eyes on my kid through the glass as they worked on him. My boy was fucking beautiful, I can’t wait for them to bring him out and put him in my arms so I can get the fuck out. I don’t trust hospitals one fuck and Mouth was already looking at the nurses squinty eyed, fucking pain in the ass.
“You know, a gift for having the kid, that’s what they call them.”
“How the fuck would you know? You don’t have a kid Tony.”
“The girls be talking and we be listening, just forget all that and get her some shit.”
“Like what jewelry? Does Mouth look like the kind of female to go for that shit?”
“Bro, all females like jewelry even the ones who pretend they don’t. Besides it doesn’t have to be jewelry. She’s your woman you should know what she likes, get her something she would appreciate.”
“Fuck no, I’m not getting her murdering ass no bow and arrow.” The two idiots rolled their eyes at me and moved the fuck on. Thank fuck, I was enjoying Junior before they came with their shit.
Fuck, what am I supposed to get her? Ma might know, yeah. Nah, I have to figure this one on my own. If I go running to ma for advice the mouthy one might find out and ride my ass.
The nurse brought my boy back out and handed him to me with a nervous smile. She kept throwing looks at the two Corleone impostors at my side. Shit, Mouth and her mob shit is stuck in my damn head. I walked back to the room like I was holding a grenade in my hand, scared as fuck of dropping him.
He opened his eyes and looked up at me with his mother’s eyes and fucking owned my ass. In that moment I was sure that I’d made the right choice to get out. I wanted this little boy to have the world without having to constantly look over his shoulder for the next motherfucker that was trying to take what’s his.
I made it back to the room and ma acted like I’d stole some shit belonging to her. “What took you so long? We’ve been ready to go for hours.” I don’t see how since I’d only been gone fifteen minutes tops, but I’m not arguing with her glassy eyed ass. What’s with women and babies that makes them even more nuts than usual?
I’m sure the hospital staff was glad to see the back of us as we left. Her old man had brought in a few of his men and I had the baby’s new team there as well to follow us home. The twins had trained them, but the next few days will tell how good they are at their jobs. It had only taken Alec and Zane damn near a year to get the hang of watching over his mother.
The little shit don’t sleep for fuck. I haven’t slept four hours straight since we brought him home. He has a whole room to himself but I don’t think he’s spent more than ten minutes in there. Mouth put him down in there the first night, came back to bed and jumped right back out to go get him. Fucker will probably sleep in my room until it’s time for him to go off to college the way Mouth’s acting.
Since that night he sleeps in a bassinet next to the bed where we can watch over him. I asked her why the hell she put so much surveillance in his room if she wasn’t planning on leaving him there and her answer fucked me up. “I don’t want him to die in his sleep Shane.” What the fuck? Who the fuck’s been filling her head with that morbid shit? I was ready to shoot the asshole.
“What the hell are you talking about Mouth?”
“You’ve never heard of crib death?”
“Fuck is that?” She rolled her eyes and explained and I haven’t really slept since. I guess I’ll watch him sleep until he’s about five.
“Mob boy, what’s this?” I threw the key on the bed next to her and dropped down beside her and the baby. Damn, how the fuck do men not implode after this shit? I don’t even know what to do with myself since the kid was born. I don’t want to leave the two of them alone for longer than it takes to shower.
“It’s your gift for having the kid.” The shit had taken longer than I’d expected and I had to threaten some people to get it done. My boy turned his head when he heard daddy’s
voice. Fucking kid is worst than his mama; has me tied up in knots and he can’t even talk yet. I lifted my finger to tickle his little chin and my heart rolled over in my chest when he looked at me with his mother’s eyes.
“Huh?” I knew I shouldn’t have listened to those fucks; she was looking all kinds of confused.
“The push thing, what the fuck?” Now I was getting pissed because she’s looking at me like I’m bent.
“Okay, but what is it?” She shook the key at me.
“A yacht. The fuck is so funny?”
“You know normal people get like a bracelet or a necklace.”
“You’re not normal baby so this is just right. Gimme the kid.” I rolled onto the bed and opened my arms for him. We’ve been fighting for the past two weeks over who got to hold him. She doesn’t let the kid go. I once found her asleep with him on her chest.
She gave him up with minimal fuss like she hadn’t been here with him all day while I was out taking care of shit. We looked like the perfect American couple with our newborn. The room was filled with her mom’s favorite flower and the roses that were still coming every day. The evening light shone through the French windows that surrounded the room and fell across the king sized bed where we sat playing with our son.
“You told me once you wanted to travel, I figured this is the best way to do that shit, the less people around the better.” Yep, because your crazy ass thinks everyone is a danger to our son and the world being what it is we’ll never get through the damn airport with you and your shit.
She gave me a rundown of their day and showed me the hundred and one pictures she took of him. It’s a good thing we’re out. This kid’s whole life has been chronicled since birth. I did my husbandly and fatherly duty and oohed and aahed over everything like they didn’t look the same as yesterday’s.
The Family : The Spitfire Book 4 Page 13