Exposed: An Anthology

by Brooke Cumberland

  “Here you go. Place this sheet over your lap. That way we don’t flash everyone in the process.” She laughs and helps me cover up.

  I look over to Axel and see the nervous anticipation on his face. He smiles at me and grabs my outstretched hand.

  “Love you,” he mouths to me.

  “Love you too,” I return.

  “All right Ms. West. Let’s get you ready.”

  I smile at Axel one more time when I see the frown on his face over the use of my last name. He was not happy with me when I told him that I wanted to wait for the baby to be born before we got married. He grudgingly agreed when I bribed him with sex.

  It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be married to Axel, just the opposite. I couldn’t wait to be Mrs. Axel Reid, but it just felt right that our baby be there with us. When I sat him down and explained my reasons for wanting to wait, he wasn’t so upset anymore, but that didn’t mean he was happy about it.

  “I’m just going to do some measurements before we take a look and see if this little one wants to make an announcement today, okay?”

  I nod my head, too engrossed with the image of our baby on the large screen in front of us. Axel squeezes my hand, and I hear him let out a shuddered breath.

  “Amazing,” I hear Greg whisper to Dee, who is too busy sniffling in her tissue to answer.

  When the baby’s heartbeat fills the room, we all seem to pause in amazement. It never fails to fill my heart with joy to hear that fast-paced beating.

  “You ready, Mom and Dad?” she asks us with a smile.

  “Yes,” Axel says quickly before I can open my mouth.

  I look up at her and smile. She gives me a wink before turning her attention back to the screen.

  “Well, will you look at that? Someone isn’t shy at all.” She laughs to herself, and we sit there all looking at the moving little image on the screen.

  It doesn’t take long for us to see what she was talking about. Right there, larger than life, is my son just letting it all hang out. Axel lets out a loud whoop and jumps up from his chair. He leans down and gives me a kiss before slapping hands with Greg. I laugh at their antics and wipe the tears from my face.

  Axel comes back to my side and leans over me. Taking my face in his hands and pushing his nose up to mine, he rubs his nose against my own, and the smile that takes over his face makes my heart speed up.

  “We’re having a boy,” he says. “You’re giving me a son.” He places a soft kiss to my lips and briefly closes his eyes. When he opens them, they are so full of love and happiness. “Making my dreams come true, Princess. Making my life worth living. Love you so much, baby.”

  I grab his head, and push my face up to his, and give him a kiss that I hope expresses my feelings.

  “I love you, Axel.”

  The rest of the appointment passes in a blur. Axel continues to hold my hand and shake with his excitement. He is itching to get out of this room so he can scream to the world that he is about to have a son.

  When we finish, the technician hands us some prints and he scoops them up before I can even take them, thanking her while looking down through the images. He is like a kid with a new toy. Completely enamored.

  I go up to pay and Axel steps outside, immediately jumping on the phone. Chances are, the whole state will know when he is done that we are having a boy.

  I finish paying and turn around to find Greg standing behind me.

  “Happy, baby girl?”

  “More than you could even imagine.”

  He smiles and throws his arm around me and gives me a quick hug.

  Axel turns, sees him, and pauses in his conversation. “Hands off, Cage!”

  Greg laughs and drops his arm.

  “Let’s go! The gang is meeting us at Heavy’s to celebrate my boy!” he yells across the parking lot.

  The only thing I can think of is that I put that peacefulness in his tone and together we are finally where we are meant to be.

  Epilogue

  Axel

  5 Months Later

  I have been running around all day trying to make sure everything is in place for tonight. It’s Izzy’s birthday, and between anxiously waiting for our son to decide to come and dealing with the memories that still plague her around this day, it was turning out to be a nightmare.

  So far, the only highlight of today was seeing the blinding smile on her face when she woke up. Other than that…anything that could have gone wrong has.

  The caterer is late, the cake hasn’t shown up, and the birthday girl will be here in an hour.

  I am officially losing my shit.

  This day has to be perfect. Dee took Izzy early this morning to spend the day at the salon next to the office. I avoid that place. I don’t care how many times Izzy tells me that weird little man is harmless—I’m not buying it. The other day he pinched my ass, which Izzy thought was hilarious. I couldn’t even be mad about it when she was standing there laughing. Her large belly was bouncing with each breath. It was almost worth asking him to do it again if it got that kind of reaction from my girl.

  The last few months have flown by. We have spent every second getting the nursery ready and finally filling my house with more furniture than one person should ever own in one lifetime. It keeps a smile on her face and it makes her happy. I would bend over backwards if it means that smile stays on her face.

  These last few days have been harder on her. Not only has she been dealing with an overdue baby, but the Georgia heat is making her miserable. We all do what we can to make things easier, but I can tell it is getting harder on her.

  Yesterday was a bad day. She spent the day in bed crying and wouldn’t let me leave her side. She would say things about our angel baby missing out on his little brother. It killed me to hear her talk like that, but I would be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind too. We have worked hard to overcome our loss, even going to therapy a few times to talk about things that were still painful. We are closer than ever, but that doesn’t mean that things don’t still sit heavy on our hearts.

  “Yo! Reid, got the cake. That bitch at the bakery tried to tell me that you didn’t tell her you needed it this afternoon. Got it, but damn that shit wasn’t pretty.” Coop comes through the door with the stupid fucking cake I have been screaming at the bakery over for the last two days. Idiots.

  “Dee just called. She said Sway was finally done rubbing all over Izzy’s belly and has just started her hair. Should be another two hours now. Good news is, we can figure out where those fucking caterers are,” Greg says, coming into the kitchen from the deck.

  I’m about to pull my fucking hair out.

  It isn’t even a big party. All the guys are coming, and last time I checked, even Maddox is bringing a date. Emmy has been here since Izzy left, helping me set up the streamers and balloons. Dee’s current boy toy, and newest ‘piss off Beck’ ploy—is here helping also. I don’t know him very well, but Izzy says that he is nice enough. I wish those two would stop their fucking games and just admit that they want to be together. I’ve talked to Beck a few times about it, but he would just change the subject and say that it wasn’t his idea. I think I understand where Dee is coming from, but I am sick of playing monkey in the middle.

  “Where’s Locke?” I ask. Doesn’t matter who answers me at this point.

  “He went to pick up Daisy,” Emmy says softly next to my side. “Or maybe it was Candy.” She smirks and walks away.

  I shake my head, thinking, once again, it would be nice if someone stopped making me feel like I am stuck in the middle.

  Walking back into our living room, I push aside the balloons that seem to be floating in every direction and stand in front of the fireplace. Hanging dead center is the picture I gave Izzy for Christmas. Immediately, a sense of calm rushes through my body. I take a deep breath and remember what the point of this massive headache is.

  My girl.

  My girl and returning her birthday to a day of happines
s and not one of heartbreak.

  With a new determination, I turn and walk back to out to the porch, where we are finishing up with the decorations.

  There are pink and white balloons flying from every available banister. The path down to our dock is lined with torches, and there are lights streaming from the branches of the trees that line our yard. It looks like it is raining white lights.

  Emmy spent hours littering the yard with pink and red rose pedals. Coop and Beck had a good laugh over the roses. Laugh all they want, but when they find their women, they will be pulling out all the stops to make sure that life is perfect, too.

  We set up tables across the yard and to the side for all the food. My backyard has been transformed into a princess’s dream. I can’t wait to see her face when she takes it all in.

  “Greg!” I snap, yelling into the house for him. “Any word on those motherfuckers with the food?” This is what I get for hiring out a big company to cook some fancy shit. Should have stuck with Heavy’s. It is all she craves these days anyway.

  Fuck, Heavy’s!

  I cut him off before he can even open his mouth. “Call those assholes and tell them since they couldn’t show up on time to forget about it. Coop, get your ass in the truck and drive to Heavy’s. Buy the place out. Everything you can think of and get it here.” I throw my wallet at him and turn back to Greg’s smiling face. “What the fuck are you smiling at?”

  He holds his hands up and walks off laughing.

  “You need to calm down. I haven’t heard you this uptight since last fall,” Emmy says, sneaking up to my side again. I swear that chick floats. She is always popping up out of nowhere.

  “I am calm.” I’m not calm. I’m losing my fucking mind.

  My girl is sad, trying hard to keep it hidden, and I can’t fix it. My son refuses to come out, and if one more thing goes wrong today, I’m going to say fuck it and kidnap my woman and drag her up to the bedroom. At least I know I can keep her happy there.

  “You aren’t calm, but you will be,” she says before she vanishes again.

  I look around for her before I stomp back in the house and grab a beer.

  By the time Dee calls to tell us that they are leaving the salon, things have finally calmed down. Coop gets back with so much food that it looks like he has, in fact, ordered everything Heavy’s has to offer. Locke has finally arrived and gotten the rest of the sound system running. Emmy is running around, making sure all the tables have flower arrangements and that all the bubble machines are still hidden from sight but functioning. Coop is somewhere with his date and Beck is bringing out all the coolers with drinks and dragging them down to the yard.

  You can’t see the lights yet but the torches are lit and the rose pedals against the green grass make it look like there is a blanket of pink and red. The balloons are rocking back and forth in the slight breeze. It is perfect.

  Nothing else could go wrong today.

  “They’re pulling up the driveway!” I hear Greg yell through the house.

  We pulled all the cars behind the garage and down a little ways on the property. She won’t see them from where she would park. If she comes through the garage, she won’t notice the balloons invading the living room either.

  “Be right back,” I say, handing my beer to Locke before walking into the house.

  I wipe my sweaty palms on my shorts and walk into the kitchen to get my girl. She comes walking out of the garage looking like the angel I’ve always thought she was. She’s wearing a long white dress that hugs her tits and large belly. It flows around the rest of her body, making it look like she is walking on air. Her skin is still glowing from all the time we spent down at the lake this summer. Sway did whatever it is that Sway does on her hair and it is hanging long, thick with curl.

  “You look beautiful.”

  “You don’t look that bad yourself, baby,” she says, walking into my arms and giving me a kiss. I can feel my son rolling against my stomach.

  “Feeling okay, Princess?”

  “I’m feeling great. Sway pampered me good. He even made one of the shampoo boys massage my feet!”

  I bite back the displeasure I feel about another man with his hands on my woman. She needs today to be perfect and my being a possessive ass won’t help.

  “Can Dee stay for dinner? I told her we were going to grill out and she said she would love to spend some more time with me.”

  “Sure, baby.” I give Dee a hug and start walking Izzy out to the deck.

  I hear her gasp from behind me when her eyes take in everything in front of her. Our friends all yell, “Surprise!” and I feel her jump through our joined hands. Her hand squeezes mine tightly and I go to turn around. She looks shocked but not about her surroundings.

  “Um…Axel?” I hear Dee call back from inside the house. She is standing behind Izzy and looking down at the ground with an odd expression across her face.

  “Yeah?”

  “Oh boy,” she says, looking up to meet my eyes, and I note the apprehension.

  Izzy squeezes my hand, harder this time, and whispers my name. “Axel?” It comes out so light I almost miss it.

  Shit, she must hate it.

  “Baby?” she tries again.

  I turn to look into her eyes and frown when I see sweat beginning to gather around her temples and worry lines across her forehead. “Izzy, what’s wrong?”

  “HOLY SHIT HER WATER BROKE!” I hear Greg yell from behind me.

  I look down, and sure enough, there is a small puddle of water between her feet. Her handle on my hand hasn’t lightened up, and I know that my girl is in pain.

  She gives a small, strained nod and waits a few seconds for the contraction to ease up before opening her eyes and looking into my own.

  “He’s coming,” she whispers with a brilliant smile.

  Everything moves fast from there. I quickly usher her out to the car. We had stopped using the truck months ago when it became too uncomfortable for her to get in and out. Dee and Greg run to his truck and the rest of the gang files out. Emmy yells that she will stay behind, make sure everything is turned off, and meet us at the hospital. I don’t care. Let the house burn down. My son is on his way.

  We make it to the hospital in good time, but by the time we arrive, Izzy is in more pain than before. Her contractions are coming quick and she keeps screaming out in pain. It kills me to hear her hurting and know there is nothing I can do about it. I start telling her how much I love her and try to reassure her with my words until she looks over at me with fire in her eyes and tells me to shut the fuck up. As soon as the words leave her mouth, she is apologizing. My poor girl. If I could do this for her, I would in a heartbeat.

  I pull up to the front of the hospital and, without even shutting off the car, sprint over to her side and carry her inside.

  Someone will move the car. If they don’t, then they can tow it. There is no way I’m leaving my girl.

  They get us checked in and into a room quickly. Izzy is hooked up to a million different monitors and machines. I’m told that they all monitor her and our son, but I am too busy worrying about her to even pay attention to the nurses. They seem to think we have all the time in the world. Why isn’t anyone doing something? Anything!

  We have been here for about an hour when she lets out the loudest tortured cry. The sound stops my heart, and I look around frantically for help. The nurses all spring into action and start shoving the bed around, turning on different machines and barking orders at me.

  I hold Izzy’s hand and try to help her, but looking at her beautiful face breaking down in agony is almost too much.

  “You’re doing great, Princess. He’ll be here soon.”

  She tries to give me a smile but it’s cut off when she lets out another scream.

  “You’re fully dilated, ma’am. Let’s have a birthday.”

  Izzy starts pushing at the doctor’s commands and I start slowly dying inside. My girl… I can’t handle her being in this much
pain. My mental distress for her continues, but I try to hide it and be the support she needs. I rub her forehead with the wet cloth one nurse thrusted into my hands. I curl my arm around her back and help her lean into her pushes, holding hold her leg open with my other arm.

  Thirty minutes later, at the end of a long push, I hear the most magical sound I have ever heard. My son is taking his first breath and letting out a loud, healthy cry.

  “Would you like to cut the cord, Daddy?” the doctor asks.

  I nod my head lamely and take the scissors. The nurses take him off to the side after I finish.

  I look down at Izzy and kiss her forehead. She meets my gaze and, with tears in her eyes, says, “Hey, Daddy.” That is all it takes for me to drop a few tears of my own.

  “Thank you, Princess. You’ve made me the luckiest man in the universe.”

  We both watch in awe as the nurses weigh and measure our son and bundle him up tight in a blue blanket. His head is covered with a tiny blue hat. They place him into Izzy’s arms. Seeing her there with our son makes my skin break out in chills and my heart speeds up.

  “Perfect,” she whispers. I look down into her face and think that she is not wrong.

  He has a tiny round and chubby face. His lips are small and form a perfect bow. He makes little mewing sounds and puckers his lips, showing off a dimple in his right cheek. I lift the cap up and see a full head of jet-black hair.

  “He looks just like you, Axel.” And he does.

  We sit there until the doctor is done cleaning her up and the nurses start leaving to go make another couple as happy as we are.

  This moment right here makes every day we were apart worth it.

  Complete. I feel complete.

  Leaning down, kissing my son softly on his small head, and breathing in his baby scent has me choking on my emotions again.

  “We’ve been waiting on you. Just as perfect as we knew you would be. Love you, little man.” I kiss him once more before moving my lips to Izzy’s. I kiss her twice before kissing away each tear that has escaped her eyes. “Love you so much, Princess.”