by Penelope Sky
“How so?”
“Because you’re a great husband.”
“I haven’t been married long…”
“Doesn’t matter. You took care of her right from the beginning. You’ll do the same with your kid.”
I stared at him, feeling a little better.
“Your mother and I need to get dressed, son. And you should be down there with your wife.”
“You’re right…absolutely right. I just needed—”
“A little pep talk. I understand. I wish my father had been there to give me one when I had you.” He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a hug. He patted me hard on the back. “You’ll do great, Conway. I really believe that. Now go have your baby.”
Muse was in labor for ten hours before anything happened.
I held her hand and let her squeeze mine through every contraction. As the hours passed, the pain increased, and so did the bruising to my hand. Even though I needed my hands for work, I let my wife do whatever she wanted.
She was giving birth to my baby, after all.
Covered in sweat and exhausted, Muse struggled the entire time. It was the most gruesome day she’d ever experienced, and the baby hadn’t even started to descend to her opening.
I wished I could do this for her.
I ran my fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead. “They’ll be here any moment, Muse. It’ll be over soon. When we get home, I’ll take care of the baby so you can rest as much as you want. And you can eat whatever you want.”
“Can I get that in writing?”
I chuckled and kissed her again.
When another contraction hit, it was the worst one she’d ever felt. She screamed so loud that the nurse ran into the room to check on her. After lifting the sheet and examining her dilated entrance, the nurse told us it was time to start pushing. “I’ll grab the doctor. That baby is coming now.”
“Thank god,” Muse said. “Finally…”
“You’ve just got to do some pushing and the baby will be here, Muse. Now push hard. It’ll be over sooner.”
“Alright.” She squeezed my hand and got ready.
The doctor came in, pulled on his gloves, and then it began.
I watched Muse do something impossible, push a living person out of her body. She pushed her body to the limit, screaming, crying, and giving all her energy to the effort. Dripping with sweat and exhausted, she had times when she wanted to stop, but she didn’t. She kept going, determined to get our baby out.
“The baby’s crowning,” the doctor said. “Just a few more pushes.”
When Muse knew she was almost done, she pushed even harder. She gave it her all and pushed until our baby was finally out.
When I heard the baby cry, I finally felt relief. High-pitched and loud, the cries echoed off the walls of the hospital room, but it was also the most beautiful noise I’d ever heard in my life. Muse sat up to see the baby for the first time, to see the life she grew with her body.
The doctor held up the baby, using both hands to hold the small person wiggling around in his arms. “Congratulations. You have a son.”
“Oh my god…” Muse covered her cheeks with her palms as the tears emerged. “We have a boy.”
I stared at the little person in the doctor’s arms, the boy who was screaming at the top of his lungs because he’d been ripped from the warmth of his mother into the cold world. All I wanted to do was protect him, to wrap him in my arms and give him the comfort he craved. I was shocked to see my son for the first time, to realize I would be a father to a son. My father raised me to be a man, and now I would do the same for him.
The nurse cleaned off our son and wrapped him in a warm blanket before she approached us. More than anything, I wanted to take that baby from her arms and cradle him against my chest, the same thing I did to Muse when she was scared. But I knew Muse deserved to be the first one to hold our son, after everything she’d just been through to bring him into this world.
The nurse slipped him into her arms, and immediately, he stopped crying.
I couldn’t believe it.
Muse looked into our son’s face, crying even harder as she saw him up close. “He stopped crying…”
“Because he knows who you are.” I placed my hand underneath her arm, helping her support our boy. He hadn’t opened his eyes yet, taking his time as he got used to this new world he’d just been pushed into. With his little fingers and little toes, it was hard to believe he would grow into a man my size someday. I imagined my parents experiencing this same moment with me, holding me in their arms, not knowing I would grow to over six feet tall.
Muse kissed his forehead, her tears leaving her chin and landing on his face.
That’s when he opened his eyes. His green eyes.
He looked right at me, staring at me like he wasn’t sure what he was seeing.
“He has your eyes…” Muse continued to cry, entranced by our son the way I was.
I looked into those eyes, seeing my own genes staring back at me. I inherited my eyes from my father, as did Vanessa. That tradition seemed to keep going with my son. He possessed the Barsetti green eyes.
That was when this all felt real.
This was my son. And I was his father.
Eight
Vanessa
I was sitting in the waiting room with my parents, waiting for the delivery to be over. I was anxious to meet my niece or nephew, the first member of the next generation. My parents would be grandparents, and the entire family was excited for the new addition.
I only wished Bones were here to share the moment with me.
Because this new baby would be his niece or nephew too.
I didn’t know when he would ask to marry me, and it really didn’t matter when that time came. Even if he never asked me, that would still be fine. I would always see him as the man I’d spend my life with. Even if we were husband and wife, it didn’t do our connection justice. It was even deeper than matrimony.
My phone rang, and Max’s name appeared on the screen.
I was sitting next to my father, and I answered the call instantly as I stepped away to take it. “Hey, is Griffin okay?” Max usually called me to check in, so I shouldn’t assume there was any bad news to share. But I’d been waiting for this stupid mission to end—once and for all.
“Yes. He’s totally fine. But we did have a bit of a hiccup in our planning. The target isn’t where we thought he was going to be, so we had to go with a new plan. So he’ll be gone an extra day.”
I had to wait a whole extra day for him to come back? “But he’s fine, right? Nothing has happened to him?”
“Vanessa, he’s fine,” he said with a sigh, as if Bones had warned him I would behave this way. “I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn’t worry when he didn’t return home on time.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at the checkered tile of the waiting room. “Thanks for letting me know. My stomach is tied up in knots, and there’s stitch in my chest every time I breathe.”
“I get it. Cynthia goes through this too.”
“I’m so glad this is the last one. I can’t keep doing this.”
“He mentioned this was difficult for you.”
I didn’t care if everyone thought I was overreacting. Normally, I was a logical person and had a good attitude about a lot of things. But when Bones was gone and there was nothing I could do to help him, it gave me the worst bout of anxiety. I turned into an overprotective, obsessive girlfriend.
“All I’ll say is, Bones is my best guy. I’ve never seen him come across something he couldn’t handle. To be honest, it’s far more likely that something would happen to you instead of something happening to him.”
That shouldn’t make me feel better, but it did. “Thanks.”
“Just relax, Vanessa. He’s given up everything for you. There’s nothing that’s gonna stop him from coming back to you.”
“I know, Max.”
“So, your
brother is having a baby, right?”
“As we speak. I’m in the waiting room.”
“Well, congratulations. And enjoy this wonderful time. Don’t worry about Bones.”
“I’ll try…”
“Talk to you later, Vanessa.”
“Okay. Bye.” I hung up and held the phone in my hand. I didn’t turn back to my parents because I was still on the verge of tears. Even though Bones was okay, the idea of waiting an extra day for him to come home killed me. I couldn’t wait for the moment when he walked into the house with that bag over his shoulder. It would be over for good—and we would never have to worry about it again.
“Tesoro, everything alright?”
I turned around to see the concerned expression on my father’s face. “Yeah. Max just called and said Griffin would be gone an extra day. Had to move something around. Didn’t really explain why.”
Even though today was an exciting day for my father, his face immediately mirrored my own. The sadness crept into his expression, and he moved his hands into his pockets with slumped shoulders. “I’m sorry, tesoro.”
“I know I shouldn’t worry, but it’s not hard not to.”
“I understand the feeling more than you know.” He released a sigh, the corner of his mouth rising in a sarcastic smile. “It’s what I’ve been doing on an almost daily basis since I had the two of you. I constantly worry about everything. Now you know how it feels.”
“If this is how it feels, I’m very sorry,” I said with a weak chuckle.
“Apology accepted.” He moved his hand to my shoulder and gave me a gentle pat. “Don’t worry about it, tesoro. I’ve seen that man in action, and there’s nothing to worry about. He’s not only fast and powerful, but he’s smart. If he can’t fight his way out of a situation, he’ll think his way out of it.”
Except for the time when the men came to his apartment and almost blew his brains out. If I hadn’t been there, he would have died. What if that situation happened again? What if I wasn’t there to help him? “I know you’re probably right…but my heart isn’t going to slow down until he comes back. He promised me this would be the last time. I know he keeps his promises.”
“He will, tesoro. He’ll come back.”
“I just have this feeling in the back of my mind that something’s wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“Griffin is always so meticulous with everything. If a plan doesn’t work, he takes his time figuring out what to do next. He doesn’t just change course without thinking it through. He’s not careless.”
“You may be overthinking it. Maybe he saw a good opportunity to do something else.”
“And what if he didn’t…?”
He moved his arm around my shoulders and lowered his voice. “This is my advice. Don’t worry about something until there’s something to worry about. If Max says he’s fine, then let it go. If you get a phone call that says otherwise, then start to panic.”
It was another life lesson my father taught. “Alright.”
He rubbed my back before he released me. “Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?”
“I don’t know…what did you want when you had Conway?”
“A boy,” he said immediately.
I raised an eyebrow, offended by the answer. “You said that pretty fast.”
He grinned and placed his hands in his pockets. “I wanted a boy because I was so protective of your mother. Imagine having a young, beautiful version of her running around. It was a scary thought. But then you came…and you were stronger and smarter than your brother. I raised you to be tough and fearless, and that’s what I got. I never had to worry about you, tesoro. I thought having a daughter would kill me, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me. You have good instincts…and make good decisions.”
My father’s approval meant the world to me. His words made me feel warm inside, made my confidence grow even more. I always wanted to be strong like my mother and wise like my father. It seemed like I’d accomplished those things.
We moved back to the chairs, and I sat beside my mom.
“Everything alright?” she asked, her hand moving to my thigh.
“Yeah, just worried about Griffin,” I said.
“You don’t need to worry about him,” Mama said. “He’s a capable young man.”
“Yeah, that’s what Father said.”
“And you should listen to him.” Mama pulled her hand away and looked at the TV in the waiting room. “He knows a thing or two.” She glanced at her watch then sighed. “She’s been in labor a long time…hope everything is alright.”
“Everything is fine,” Father said. “Sapphire is a Barsetti. She’s got this.”
I smiled, loving the way my father accepted Sapphire so easily. She’d become a member of our family before she took the Barsetti name. I wished he’d been as accepting toward Griffin, but I’d made my peace with the past.
The nurse finally came into the waiting room.
All the Barsettis stood up, taking up half the waiting room with our numbers alone.
My father moved forward. “Everything went alright? Is Sapphire okay?”
“She’s more than okay,” the nurse said. “She gave birth to a son about twenty minutes ago. They’ve been spending some time with him, but they would like to see the rest of you. Just a few people at a time.”
“A boy?” my father blurted.
Mama moved into Father and hugged him tightly, her face against his chest. “We have a grandson…”
My father hugged her back, his chin resting on her head. “We do, Button. Can’t wait to see him.”
I watched my parents, my eyes getting slightly teary. My parents still loved each other after all these years, and I knew Bones and I would be that way too. He hadn’t wanted children until I told him it was a requirement if he wanted to be with me, but I had no doubt he would be a good father…just like my father. “I have a nephew.”
Father kissed Mama on the forehead before he released her. “Let’s meet him.”
Uncle Cane and Aunt Adelina remained behind with Carter and Carmen so we could go inside first. We walked into the hospital room, seeing Sapphire sit up in her bed with the baby in her arms. She didn’t look like she’d just given birth. There wasn’t any sweat on her forehead, and her hair was done. And she smiled brighter than the sun as she looked down at her son.
“Oh my god…” I approached the bed, unable to believe that the new Barsetti was really there. I moved into my brother’s side and hugged him hard, sharing a rare moment of affection with the man I usually teased.
He hugged me back. “Sis, I’d like you meet your nephew.”
I stared at the little baby in her arms, seeing the slightly tanned skin and the beautiful features of a baby boy. When he opened his eyes, I saw the startling green color I possessed. “He has your eyes.”
Mama and Father moved to the other side of the bed to get a good look. Mama immediately sniffled as the tears watered in her gaze. She covered her mouth with her hand, stifling the emotion that took over her body.
Father kept his arm around her, maintaining a stoic expression but visibly touched by the newest member of the family. “He’s so beautiful, Sapphire. He has Barsetti eyes.”
Sapphire turned her torso so she could hand the baby off to my father. “Here. Meet your grandson.”
“I’d love to. But I think his grandma should go first.” Father stepped aside so Mama could scoop her arms underneath him and pull him to her chest. She held him close, and when she felt him in her arms, she started to cry harder.
My mother hardly ever cried, and right now, those tears seemed to be of joy. “He’s perfect…”
The baby was quiet as he stared up at my mother, seeing his grandmother for the first time.
Father kept his arm around her waist, looking into the face of his first grandson. “Do we have a name?”
“Yes,” Conway said. “Reid. Reid Barsetti.”
“Re
id…” Mama continued to stare at her grandson. “It’s nice to meet you, Reid.”
“I like it,” Father whispered.
Mama handed Reid over to Father so he could hold him next. Once Father had Reid in his arms, he softened even more. He smiled as he looked at his grandson, displaying emotion just the way he did when he spoke to me. “I love him already.”
Conway kept his arm around my shoulders, showing me more affection than usual because he was in a good mood. “Sapphire was amazing. She was in labor for so long, but she got our son out. She was a badass.”
Sapphire shook her head. “Stop it…I was so scared.”
“I was scared too,” Mama said. “Childbirth isn’t easy.”
“And now we have an amazing son,” Conway said proudly. “He’s perfect. Healthy. Beautiful.” He took a deep breath and sighed, his joy palpable.
“I’m happy for you, Conway,” I said. “It’s the happiest day of your life.”
“Yeah, it is.” He looked down at his wife. “No offense, honey.”
She smiled. “None taken.”
My father walked around the bed and handed Reid to me. “Here’s your aunt.”
I scooped him into my arms and looked into the face I would love for the rest of my life. My nephew was perfect. With a beautiful face and gorgeous eyes, he was an adorable baby. “He’s so cute.” He stared at me like he was just as fascinated with me as I was with him. “I can’t wait to spoil you and piss off your father.”
“Be careful,” Conway warned. “Because when you have kids, I’ll get my revenge.”
The thought of kids made me think of Bones, who couldn’t be here to share this moment. “Griffin had to work…”
Conway patted my back. “That’s okay. The two of you will come by the house when he’s back, and you can spend the whole day with him. I’m sure Reid would love to meet his uncle.”
I smiled at the way my brother included the man I loved, even though he wasn’t my husband. “Thanks.”
We spent the next while passing Reid around, taking turns holding him. When an hour passed, Father looked at the clock. “We would love to stay, but I know your uncle is anxious to meet the new Barsetti too. We’ll be in the waiting room. How long will you guys be staying?”