by S. J. West
Making love with Caylin that night was an experience even I wasn’t prepared for. In a way, I felt like I was truly making love for the first time in my life too. Her pleasure gave me pleasure, and when we first joined our bodies together, her pain was my pain. I held myself back within her warmth until she was ready for more. Then, I made sure the pleasure she felt was worth that moment of necessary discomfort.
Afterwards as we lay in each other’s arms, I hold her tightly to me and find myself crying from the pure joy of the experience.
“Oh Aiden,” Caylin says, kissing my tears away but not having to say more because the love in her eyes for me says it all.
I bring my wife into my arms and kiss her deeply. For the rest of the night, I make sure she knows just how much I love her and how I intend to show that love to her for the rest of my life.
EPILOGUE
“Are you sure that’s everything?” Malcolm asks me.
I look around the hospital room and don’t see anything else that needs to be taken home.
“Yes, that’s everything,” I tell him as he grabs the last of Caylin’s bags.
“Ok,” Malcolm says, “don’t forget to act surprised when you phase into the living room. I only told you about the party because I didn’t want you to have a heart attack, being a puny human and all now.”
“Ha ha ha,” I say sarcastically, “is that joke ever going to get old for you?”
Malcolm smiles triumphantly. “Nope. So get used to it, puny human. It’s about time I finally had the upper hand. True, you threw in the towel the day you married my niece, but still, victory is sweet.”
Caylin laughs. “Quit picking on him, Uncle Malcolm. You just wait. One day you’ll find a girl who you’ll willingly give your immortality up for.”
“I’m not sure that can happen for me twice in one lifetime,” he says, the smile fading from his face. “Anyway, don’t take too long. Your parents are itching to hold their first grandchild again.”
Caylin kisses the slumbering baby in her arms on the forehead.
“Who wouldn’t want to hold such an angel?” Caylin asks her uncle.
“I like the name you picked,” he tells us. “Kate is a good strong name. Though, being named after the first female spy in America might just be asking for trouble.”
“You’ll be there to protect her if she finds it,” Caylin tells Malcolm. “You were always there for me.”
Malcolm winks at Caylin. “I’ll do my best.”
Malcolm phases to our Colorado home, and I walk over to my wife and child.
As I look at Kate wrapped in the lavender and white crocheted blanket Abby made for her, I marvel at the many blessings in my life.
“How did I get to be so lucky?” I ask aloud.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Caylin says. “What did I do to deserve you and Kate in my life?”
“Born under a lucky star I guess,” I tell her, leaning in over our daughter to kiss my wife on the lips. “Are you ready to see everyone?”
Caylin nods. “I’m just grateful they didn’t all try to cram themselves in here today.”
“Malcolm said your father came up with the idea for the welcome home party. Otherwise, everyone probably would have come here today. The party gave them a distraction and a way to show you how much you and Kate are loved.”
“And you,” Caylin gently reminds me. “There would be no grandbaby without your contribution.”
“After watching you these past few months and being there for her birth, I fear my part was minor compared to what you went through. But, I’ll take the credit for being there for you, which was all I could really do.”
“And you did it well,” Caylin praises.
Caylin looks down at my bandaged right hand.
“Does it hurt much?” She asks sheepishly.
I chuckle. “It’s not the first time I’ve had a few broke bones. Rafe will be at the party. I’ll have him fix me up so you don’t feel any more guilt about it.”
“I am sorry,” she says. “I didn’t realize I was squeezing your hand so tightly.”
“You were giving birth, Caylin. It’s all right. I’m not permanently damaged.”
“Still….I feel guilty.”
“Don’t,” I tell her, kissing her again.
Hearing us, Kate opens her eyes.
“Well hello, my baby girl,” I say, bending down to kiss her forehead.
Kate gurgles and I see something resembling a smile appear on her face.
“She came a little earlier than I originally planned,” Caylin says, smiling down at our daughter, “but now that she’s here, I can’t imagine how we got along without her.”
“Do you think all the women in your family will get pregnant the first time they make love?”
Caylin shrugs. “I’m not sure. My mother did and I did. I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see what happens to Kate. Do you think I should warn her when she gets older?”
I shake my head. “No. It could just be a coincidence. And besides, neither of us is complaining about it.”
“True,” Caylin agreed. “Are you ready?”
“Ready to be ignored because everyone will be hovering around you and Kate?” I ask with a smile. “Absolutely.”
Caylin laughs and phases us home.
“Welcome home!” Our family says to us when we phase in.
“Where are my babies?” I hear Tara ask as she jogs up to us with Lilly not far behind.
“Don’t plan on hogging her all day,” Jess tells Tara. “Her Aunt Jess wants some sweet baby kisses too.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Tara says as Caylin allows her aunt to take baby Kate from her arms. “You’ll get your turn. But me and this little baby need to have a talk first.”
“Heaven help us,” Brand groans. “What kind of talk are you planning to have with a three day old, Tara?”
“Never you mind, grandpa,” Tara says. “This is girl business.”
Brand smiles and just shakes his head in exasperation at Tara as she whispers something to my daughter. Whatever it was it makes Kate gurgle in glee so I don’t worry about it too much.
“Here you go, grandma,” Tara says, handing baby Kate to Lilly.
As Lilly looks at Kate, I see a shimmer of tears glisten in her eyes, “I think she’s even more beautiful today than she was yesterday. Is that possible?”
“In your family?” Tara asks. “I think anything is possible.”
Now safe in grandma’s arms, the women flock together while the men gather around me.
“We’re never going to get a chance to hold her, are we?” Desmond asks me despondently.
“Probably not today,” I say in all truthfulness.
“We’ll just come back tomorrow,” Andre says. “Or do we need to make an appointment?”
“I have an in with the mother,” I joke. “I can probably get you a few minutes with the first descendant.”
“I don’t suppose we could get lucky and have her be the one we’re waiting for?” Daniel asks hopefully.
“Since when have you known our father to ever make something that easy?” Brutus asks Daniel.
“Brutus is right,” Jered says. “I have a feeling our wait will be a long one.”
“I hope he sends us something to keep us busy between now and then,” Desmond says.
“I think you should be careful for what you wish for,” I warn. “Personally, I hope you have a short wait and that it’s uneventful.”
“What’s the fun in that?” Brutus grumbles. “If I have to wait, I want something to keep me busy.”
“I’ve never heard so much belly aching,” Malcolm tells the others. “Why don’t we just enjoy the moment and worry about the future later? Just be happy Aiden manned up and produced a descendant so quickly.”
“True enough,” Andre agrees, slapping me on the back. “Good work, Aiden.”
I just shake my head and find my wife in the crowd of women and children surrounding her a
nd Kate.
“Caylin did the hard work,” I tell them as I gaze at her in wonder. “She’s the one you should be congratulating.”
“Well, I would if those women would let us get near her,” Andre complains.
“You just wait,” Will tells us sounding wise in the ways of the world. “Once Kate starts crying, they’ll start scattering or coming up with excuses to be somewhere else.”
And sure enough, as soon as Kate cried to be fed, Caylin was given her baby back.
“Come with me,” she says, taking my hand and phasing us up to Kate’s nursery.
Caylin sits down in the white rocking chair in the room and holds Kate out for me to take. She then unbuttons her shirt and unlatches the hook of her bra in the front to free her breasts. I hand her back a squirming and crying Kate who immediately latches onto one of her mother’s nipples for milk.
I kneel down in front of them and marvel once again at the blessings in my life. When Kate falls asleep at her mother’s breast, I take her long enough for Caylin to fix her clothes.
After I give Kate back to her, I continue to kneel in front of them.
“Are you happy?” I ask my wife.
Caylin looks up from Kate and smiles at me as if she was expecting me to ask the question.
“Happier than I’ve ever been in my life,” she tells me.
We lean in towards each other and kiss.
In that tender moment with my wife and child, I know that my life…my story has only just begun.
Author’s Note
Thanks for reading Aiden’s Story everyone! I hoped you enjoyed it.
The next book on my schedule is the first installment of The Alternate Earth Series, which is titled Cataclysm. As always, you can track my progress on writing my latest book each Sunday on my website or my Facebook page.
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S.J. West
