by Anthology
"I was!"
"Liar! And what the hell is with all the fucking glitter?"
"Just a project I'm working on."
"There you go again. I can't take it. Just leave me alone!" She starts to roll onto her back when the nurse walks in and reminds her to stay on her left side.
"I'm not leaving you, so get over yourself." I grab her hand with both of mine and pull hers to my lips.
"What did you do to your finger?" Shit. This is definitely not the time to show her what I've done. I talk to the nurse and try to avoid her question.
"Taron, why do you have a fresh tattoo on your finger?"
"Because I wanted a new one."
"Let me see."
"I will when you get out of here." I watch the monitor as her discomfort sets in again. Her pain is getting stronger with each contraction.
"SHOW ME NOW!"
How do you deny the woman delivering your baby anything in the world she wants? You know, the one who looks like she could reach out and rip your throat out with one hand? You don't.
I slide the wrap off and hold up my left hand to show her my new ink.
"Don't overreact. You can decide when you're ready. Until then, I want you to know that I'll wait for you no matter how long it takes.
"You ASS! You're making me cry when a fucking watermelon is about to squeeze out of my vagina hole. Taron, that's not fair. You're not allowed to have my name wrapped around your finger without my permission."
"Baby, if I wait until you're ready, I'll never have you around my finger." This time her hand squeezes even harder than before. The nurse comes in and talks about checking her dilation again. If this were any other situation, I'd think it was hot, but seriously, my girl is hurting while the nurse tries to check her tonsils through her vagina.
"Already a nine. You're moving very fast. The doctor is in the building so he'll be in shortly. Her heart rate looks much better now that you're on your side, so keep lying in that position." The nurse leaves quickly and I take my last chance to remind Ivy that I'm here.
"Baby, I love you. There is no one else I'd want to share this with. You are it for me. I'll prove that to you for the rest of my life if that's what you need. I won’t rush you anymore. You just let me know when you're ready." Tears fill her eyes.
"I won’t trap you."
"Don't you see? I'm already trapped. You trapped me a long time ago. Do you see me trying to break away? I'm exactly where I want to be. We are so much better together than we ever were apart."
Her contraction hits harder this time so I hold her as much as I can and take in how important this moment is for us. Seeing her in pain kills me, but knowing she's choosing to go through this to protect the baby helps.
"I think my water just broke." I pull away and look at her confused face.
"Um... I'll get a nurse." We both laugh at the situation. I have no idea what to do about her water breaking and I can only suspect there is one hell of a mess in that bed. I find the call button and page the nurse. When one shows up, they quickly change the padding on the bed and begin to prep her for delivery.
"Looks like we're about to have a baby in here." Dr. Simon opens the door and begins talking to the nurses following him in. "Let's get everything prepped. I'm going to check her again and see if she's ready."
I watch Ivy as the doctor checks her and I place a kiss her forehead just as she starts to cry out from another contraction. I'm about to lose my shit because I can't do anything to help her. Her cries pierce through me and I'm trying not to yell at the doctor while his hand is inside her.
"She's fully dilated. Let's do some preliminary pushes to get the baby into position." At this point everything feels like it’s moving in fast-forward. Nurses surround her, Ivy's legs get shoved up to her face, machines and carts get wheeled in and I get lost in all of the commotion.
"Here, Dad, you get in on this side and help her hold this leg up when she pushes. Sister, you take the other side. I catch a glimpse of Ivy's swollen...... I'm not even sure what to call it right now.... and don't even recognize it. My girl is going through hell and all I can do is hold her leg. Fuck my life.
"Baby, you are so important to me. I want you to do this without complications because I need you. Our baby needs you." She nods her head and continues to cry out as quietly as she can.
"Okay, it's time to push."
The nurse talks Ivy through her first push and counts it down for her. The doctor is in position to catch the baby and I just stare in awe as my beautiful baby girl is born into this world. Dr. Simon hands me the scissors to cut the cord and I proudly do the honors. He sets Heaven across Ivy's stomach and I get to see my daughter for the first time. She has a full head of dark hair and doesn't hesitate to protest the second she makes her appearance. Her little hands are shaking and she is so pissed off.
I turn to look at Ivy and see that she's as teary-eyed as I am. Words can't really describe the feeling of meeting your daughter for the first time. "Look at her. She's beautiful!" Her little cry starts to sound pitiful and cute at the same time.
"Let's get her cleaned up a little and finish up with mom. Dad, you come with baby and keep her company." I follow this tiny thing that already has me completely wrapped around her pinky finger.
"Hey, baby girl! Don't cry. Daddy’s here!" Her cries stop when she hears the sound of my voice and I set the tip of my finger inside her hand. She starts to cry again so I decide to sing my song to her. She’s already heard it many times and I don't care if people think I'm crazy. I wrote this song for my daughter and it's time she gets a front row seat to hear it.
"Rock and Roll, baby, it's in your genes, to sing like your daddy and look like your mommy. The world is ready for you, my baby girl, and I plan to be there for you every step of the way. I love you, little Heaven, more than you'll ever know............"
The song calms her. I love that my voice has this effect on her; it tells me she knows her father. Holy shit, I'm a father.
Chapter Six
Eaven
THAT WAS THE CRAZIEST thing I've ever witnessed. Ivy is so strong and Taron made me proud. He's really going to be a great dad to my niece.
I stay with Ivy while they finish with her and we watch Taron with the baby just across the room. He's already singing to her and falling in love with his little girl.
"She's so pretty, Ivy. You did great."
"Thanks."
"Will you tell me her name now?"
"Taron decided to name her Heaven... you know, like Eaven, but with an 'H'." Tears fill my eyes instantly and I struggle with a response to her words.
"It's perfect. Thank you!" Watching all of this happen so fast has me emotional and so happy for them. Talon has been texting and asking for updates. He went to get my camera since I didn't have it with me when we left earlier. I step out to get it from him because I want to capture them in their first few minutes as parents.
"Oh Talon, she is so beautiful! You should see how proud Taron is. He loves her already."
"I knew he would. When do I get to meet my niece?"
"I'll see if he can show her off soon. I'm going back in to take pictures."
I walk back in and take pictures of Heaven and Taron, and once the doctor is done with Ivy, I get to take their very first family photo. You can just see the love from both Taron and Ivy when they look at their baby.
Talon enters and the proud dad begins to show off his little princess. I watch Talon's face to see how this affects him. The loss of his own baby in the past has been extremely difficult for him, but he seems genuinely happy for his twin brother.
"You did great, brother, but you’re going to have a hell of a time with these two women in your house."
"I know, but I'm ready." The room fills with our closest friends. Our parents are on their way and the grandmas will soon take over this poor baby, leaving no one else a chance to hold her. I step toward Talon just as Taron hands her to him to hold. Talon cuddles her close and beg
ins to talk to her.
"What's your name, pretty girl?" Talon's voice becomes so soothing. It's hilarious how these big alpha males melt for such a tiny baby girl. Ivy looks over at me and grins as we wait for Taron to officially announce her name.
"Guys, I'd like you to meet Heaven Walker."
"What's her middle name?" Talon asks the question I'm thinking.
"With a name like that, she won’t need one." I speak up quickly and take her from Talon to enjoy her for only a few minutes until she’s stolen from me. Once our moms show up, we decide to leave and let the true spoiling begin.
On our way to the truck, I can't keep from grinning for Ivy.
"She's so cute, Talon!"
"Yeah, she kind of is." He has an all too familiar look on his face just as he bends down to throw me over his shoulder.
"What the hell, Talon?"
"Let's go practice making our babies." I know not to even fight him carrying me. He does this shit to me all the time and I'm not going to lie, it's freaking hot. He flips me onto my ass in the seat of his truck.
"You ready?"
"Um.... for?"
"To practice!"
"Yes we can practice, but after what I just saw, I have no desire to have a baby anytime soon."
"That bad, huh?" His laughter lightens the seriousness of our conversation.
"It was a bit shocking, but I know Ivy wouldn't have it any other way."
"One day we'll be ready to have a little girl or boy, but until then, we’ll just have lots of sex." He slides into the driver's seat and before he can start the engine, I turn to him and grab his leg.
"You doin’ alright?"
"I'm okay. I'm happy for them but I'm not really ready yet."
"I'm not, either; we have the rest of our lives. We can just spoil her like we do Avery for now." Talon loves my little sister and she’s always loved him; the bond those two share is adorable. She has him wrapped up and can get him to do anything she wants.
"What should we do about the wedding? Should we push it back?" He starts the engine and begins to drive.
"Hell no! We push forward and do this!"
"I still need a dress. Ivy and I didn't even get into the store before she went into labor and I really want to do this with her."
"Okay. So go narrow it down and we'll get her opinion when she's out of the hospital."
"That'll only give me a couple of days, but I think it'll work."
"We need to get with Taron soon, too; he may need help with the nursery."
"Yeah, we can figure something out for the nursery."
"No need to. That's what everyone has been working on today. Taron was a maniac trying to get it all done when I walked in, but that's when he got the call about Ivy so we left right away. I'm just not sure how much he has left to finish."
"He was working on the nursery?"
"Yeah."
"How sweet. He’s really stepped up for Ivy and baby Heaven."
"Yeah, he kinda loves her." Talon puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer to him.
"I kinda noticed."
"Who would've thought those two would make it?"
"I'm just really surprised Taron tattooed her name around his finger. That's extreme, but then again those two are extreme personalities."
"He what?" Talon's face is full of shock.
"I asked him a long time ago if he'd ever have a girl's name in ink and his response was 'HELL NO!' I was teasing him and said I would get my girl's name tattooed around my finger when I found the right one. He teased me for years about that shit."
"Ivy wasn't happy about it at all. I stepped out to let them talk, but it didn’t take much to tell she wasn't pleased."
"Girls usually go nuts for that shit."
"Yeah, well Ivy isn’t your usual girl. She's not going to fall at his feet."
"Knowing my brother, that right there is what'll keep them going forever." I watch as we pull into a small shopping area and he parks in front of a small cafe.
"You hungry?" This definitely doesn't look like a place he would normally choose; he must be after something specific.
"Yeah and we're going to pick our cakes!"
"You really are planning our wedding aren't you?"
"I like doing this stuff with you. I mean, why the hell would I miss out on shopping trips like this morning?"
"And cake?"
"I like cake and I can practice smearing the frosting on your lips."
"We are not having sex in there so get it out of your head right now."
"We'll see," he says as he steps out of the truck. We walk hand in hand into the small cafe. He opens the door for me, as usual, and we enter the sweetest smelling shop I have ever been in.
"Why haven't I been here before? The smell is incredible."
"Hello, Miss Bennett and Mr. Walker. We have you set up over here." I look over at Talon with surprise. I don't know why anything he does ever shocks me. Because he’s always working so hard doing promotions and business for the band, he’s a very hard worker and can multitask unlike any other guy I know.
We’re led to a small, private area set with a table arrangement and very nice tableware. "Please sit here and we'll begin to bring you samples."
"You amaze me everyday." I kiss him as soon as he sits next to me.
"What? It's just cake."
"Thank you for doing this. How did you get this set up?"
"I planned to steal you back from Ivy this afternoon but that plan didn't work. I called them and they pushed it back until we could get here."
"How did they recognize us?"
"Lucky guess? I have no idea how they knew it was us walking in."
"Mr. Walker, we have twenty different samples for you to try today. I'll bring you five at a time and let you make notes. At the end of your tasting, we'll hopefully have the perfect cakes for your big day."
We eat a bite of each piece of cake they bring out while the waitress pours champagne into our glasses. Knowing we have twenty cakes to sample, as well as different champagnes, I see some major discomfort in the very near future. He only spreads frosting on my lips twice to 'try' how the cake will really taste on our wedding day. Eating cake his way is much better than the traditional way.
We narrow it down to the two we want and choose our favorite pink champagne for the reception. We order a decorated bride/groom cake that looks like a drum set and promise to send the Rebel Walking logo to print on the base drum for decor. This cake will be massive and very original. It's perfect for us.
I feel as though I’m rolling myself out the door when we’re finished. After all that cake and champagne, I’m miserable.
"Where to now?"
"We need to go help Luke. He’s trying to help finish the nursery with Lilly."
"Luke sure has been spending a lot of time with Lilly lately."
"Yeah, I don't think there’s anything going on with them because Taron and I both warned his ass about her."
"Why can't you just leave him alone about her? I think they might make a cute couple."
"Because I know where he's been."
"You don't think she knows?"
"She doesn't know all of it. He gets around, Ev."
"So? Taron did, too. I let my best friend fall for him." I give him my serious look because I want him to know just how important this is to me. "Leave them alone and see what happens."
"I can do that, but he better keep his dick to himself."
"You're impossible."
"Just protective. She's been around us forever and she pretty much has three Walker brothers that would kick someone's ass if she's ever hurt."
"I get it."
We arrive at Taron and Ivy's place and I purposely talk loudly to make sure we aren't interrupting anything. There’s only one car and a motorcycle in the driveway.
"Luke. Lilly. You guys here?"
"Back here."
I walk in and see the most adorable nursery for Heaven. Lilly has an
awkward look on her face, so I jump in to bring attention to myself instead of the silence between the two of them. Luke moves in to properly greet me. He has always hugged me, and when I say hug, I mean he does it right. Not a slight touching, awkward hug. Wrapping his big, bulky arms around me, he squeezes me tight. He hasn't always been built like this and has really changed in the past year. It must be the Walker influence that’s making my cousin swell up in all the right places.
"This is amazing! You guys did a fantastic job!"
"We just finished up the little details. Taron had it all planned out." Lilly moves in for a hug as well. I ignore Talon staring at Luke as we start looking at everything in the room.
"You guys didn't stay at the hospital long." Luke starts to move into our conversation more while trying to ignore Talon’s stares.
"Nah. We’re trying to finish the wedding plans and it was pointless to hang around when the grandparents showed up. We're going back to the hospital in a little bit."
"Yeah, that's what we were thinking, too. We wanted to finish the room for them and get the mess picked up before they come home."
"Does Ivy know about the nursery?"
"No, Taron wants to surprise her."
"Damn, he's just perfect right now." If I hadn't seen most of it for myself, I wouldn't believe Taron's transformation over the past year. "You should've told me, I would've helped you with the room."
"We didn't have much left." Why do I get the feeling they both wanted to do this together with no interruptions? I'm going to have to quiz one of them very soon.
"Okay. What can I do to help you finish up?"
"We're just throwing the last of the bedding on and the curtain rod up and we'll be done." I move to help put the sheet on the mattress and use the opportunity to ask Lilly questions as soon as the guys step out of the room.
"So.... What's the deal with you and my cousin?"
"We're just having fun."
"I hope you do get to have some fun. He's a great guy underneath that whole bad boy exterior."
"I know he is. I think we...." She's interrupted by the sound of footsteps in the hall.
"Girls, we brought you the power tools you need to put up the curtain rod." I know exactly what Luke is doing and I'm not about to let him ogle Lilly with Talon right here waiting to attack him. I grab the screws and hardware from Luke and begin to climb the stepladder. Lilly assists by handing me what I need as I put up a very solid rod. We finish by draping the sheer, dark pink material up and over it. I look over and see Talon watching Luke who's watching Lilly.
