I carefully sat down in between Clara and Sky on the couch, letting Sky help me get settled as she draped a blanket over my legs; flashing a grateful smile at my best friend, I accepted a cup of hot chocolate from Nick, who claimed the cushion on the other side of Sky. Paul sat down on the floor by the tree so he could hand presents to Ava, who was eagerly waiting. Leo had the camera ready to take pictures of our first Christmas together as a family.
I watched and laughed with the rest of the family as Ava excitedly opened each present, squealing over her new baby doll and kitchen set from Alpo and Lola. Clara made her a quilt blanket to go with her new bed and Sky bought her a helmet and pads for the new princess bike Santa left for her. Paul and I had decided to get her a mini piano that was pink to match the rest of her bedroom; it even came with a matching bench that Santa had wrapped in Frozen paper. Leo’s present to Ava was a bunch of coloring books that featured her favorite characters and a new big box of crayons.
From “Grandpa Bryan,” Ava received a small collection of books written by my mom before she passed away, each one featuring Ava as the main character going on adventures. The sight of the books made me burst into tears as Dad explained Mom had secretly written the series for Ava a week after I told them I was pregnant, and that her publisher had them printed by the beginning of the year under her instructions.
Even though they couldn’t make it for the holidays, my brothers had mailed out Christmas presents for all of us; the boxes had arrived the week before Christmas, and Clara immediately locked them away in her late husband’s study. Fresh tears flooded down my cheeks as I realized they had all chipped in and built Ava a custom-made wardrobe and bookcase, complete with easy-to-read instructions on how to put the furniture together.
It was a tradition in the Corbett family for the men to build pieces of furniture for their nieces and daughters as a gift at least once in their lives; sometimes, it would be more than once, depending on the occasion. Since none of them had a daughter of their own yet, my brothers decided their first custom building opportunity would be just as special as the little girl intended to receive the gift.
Once all of Ava’s presents were opened and Paul cleared away the wrapping paper, Ava happily began coloring in one of her new books at her mini table Clara had set up next to the couch while the rest of us opened our gifts.
Clara adored the white silver charm bracelet Paul and I got her; the smile on her face as she dangled it around her wrist was priceless. Sky squealed over her professional red camera and Leo looked impressed with the black leathered watch Paul picked out after overhearing his uncle mentioning his had broken from old age, despite taking good care of it. Alpo and Lola were more than happy - and a little relieved, judging by their faces - about the baby bundle we had created; it was a laundry basket designed specifically for placing against a hip, full of diapers, wipes, clothes, bottles, and anything else we could think of that they would need for their first baby.
Dad was on the floor beside the couch organizing his new toolbox and telling Nick about some of his best mechanic stories while Nick unwrapped a model car Paul had customized specifically for him from a local business that sold cars and train sets. Paul had gotten me a paint set and some blank canvases to set up in the parlor overlooking the gardens in the backyard; in return, I had gotten him a new fishing pole and tackle box, so he could teach Ava and the baby how to fish like his father had taught him and his brothers. Clara and Sky stood up once we were finished and turned toward me, their eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Our presents are upstairs," Clara said with a wink as they helped me off the couch. Sky put her hand over my eyes when we reached the top of the stairs, making sure I couldn’t see anything. They slowly guided me to a closed door and Sky removed her hand.
"Go on, open it." Sky said, grinning as I blinked a couple times, trying to readjust to the sudden light.
I turned the knob and stepped into the room, tears immediately welling in my eyes for the third time as I realized what they had done. What was meant to be my bedroom all those months ago was now a nursery, set up for the new baby. The walls were painted a pale yellow, with pale blue curtains hanging over the windows. The crib, dresser, and nightstand were a matching shade of light brown, standing out against the walls.
On the wall behind a rocking chair, which I immediately realized was my mother’s old chair, hung a painted picture of the ocean, something similar to Finding Nemo. I recognized the painting as Sky's work; it was one of her favorite movies to watch as a kid and often one she enjoyed creating whether by paint or by another creative method.
"It's beautiful," I gasped in awe, slowly spinning around to take in the room. "How did you manage to do all of this? When did you do this?"
"Well, we started to work on it for Ava first, while you and Paul were gone for the day doing whatever during that first month after they brought you home. Paul told us about how you decided on setting up Ava’s room across from you guys, so we thought we would surprise her. It was going to be painted pink and have a princess theme, because we all know that’s her favorite thing," Sky explained.
“That’s why I had Paul move all of Ava’s stuff to the bedroom down the hall a few weeks ago. Her bedroom was already painted pink from when Lola was a child and she and Cindy would stay during the summer.” Clara briefly interrupted.
"Right.” Sky grinned before continuing. “Because we decided to turn this room into a nursery once we found out you were pregnant, and it made more sense to have the baby across the hall from you. Since we didn’t know at the time what you were having, we tried to stick with a neutral theme. We waited until you went to bed before moving in the rest of the furniture and all the accessories, like the stuffed animals and the painting."
"We finished painting last week," Clara said happily, quite proud of their work. "So, it's dry and ready when the baby decides to come."
“Very sneaky, the two of you. Thank you for this. I really do love it,” I hugged them both and looked around the room again, a feeling of elated happiness washing over me.
As quickly as the joy flowed through my veins, a sharp pain shot through my bones and I felt something wet going down my leg. I looked down and saw clear liquid pooling around my feet the same time Clara and Sky noticed it. I met Clara’s shocked gaze as I started to double over in pain. She seemed to understand at once, snapping out of the trance and calling over her shoulder to Sky as she reached for me.
"Get the car ready, Sky. The baby's coming!"
* * * * *
"Paul, grab the hospital bag!" Sky hollered as she ran down the staircase and out the door toward Jade's car. Paul looked up from coloring with Ava, shocked surprise on his face as her words rooted him to the spot.
"Go!" Leo pushed him from behind and Paul snapped back to reality as he took off for the study. He snatched the bag off of the floor and ran outside to put it in the car, his heart pounding in his ears.
Clara appeared with Jade doubled over in the open doorway and Paul nearly wretched the car door off its hinges, not caring about it swinging back to hit him in the arm as he moved to help his wife into the middle seat. Sky buckled Ava into Clara's car as Clara turned the key in the ignition, then clambered into the other vehicle with her best friend.
Paul jumped into the driver seat and sped as fast as he possibly could while being safe to the hospital, thankful a police officer didn't pull him over. They rushed her inside the emergency room center where a nurse helped them get Jade into a wheelchair and wheeled her away, Paul and Sky following closely behind while the rest of the family stayed in the waiting room.
Dr. Grayson and the nurses readied a room within minutes and Paul was able to help Jade onto the bed. Dr. Grayson had both Paul and Sky get dressed for the delivery in blue scrubs and face masks. Paul stood on one side of Jade, Sky on the other. When the doctor ordered Jade to push, she gripped onto Paul's hand so tightly, he thought she was going to break it. Her screams broke his heart because he
knew he couldn't take away the pain she was feeling. The look on her face was enough to terrify him.
Dr. Grayson encouraged her for a final push, with Sky telling her she could do it. Jade let out a scream loud enough to be heard across the world and her body went limp as the doctor held the crying baby in her arms. Paul smiled down at his wife, who looked exhausted, and pushed her hair away from her face before kissing her forehead softly.
"Congratulations," Dr. Grayson said, handing the screaming baby to Jade. "It's a healthy boy."
Paul watched Jade take the newborn from Dr. Grayson and cradled him to her bare chest per the doctor’s instructions. She smiled at the crying baby and softly began to make shushing sounds in order to soothe him, pressing her cheek against his tiny head.
"What are you going to name him?" Sky asked, wiping away tears that were rolling down her cheeks as she shared a look of admiration with Paul.
"Aidan Lucas Centofanti," Jade said, smiling at the baby before turning to face Paul. "He's really here. Our son is finally here."
"He's perfect,” Paul beamed, wiping away a tear. “Perfect and beautiful, just like his mother."
“Do you want to hold him?” Jade smiled as Paul nodded and carefully took Aidan from his wife. He quieted down as soon as Paul adjusted his arm, his eyes wide. Skylar snapped a few pictures as Dr. Grayson discussed some instructions with Jade about her rest and Aidan’s feeding schedule for the next couple of days.
“You’ll be able to have visitors as soon as we get you cleaned,” one of the nurses said as Dr. Grayson wrote down the baby’s weight and height on her clipboard, along with some of Jade’s vitals from the machine.
“How big was he?” Sky asked the doctor, moving to get a piece of paper and pen from her bag.
“He weighs 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and measures at 19 inches, 4 centimeters. He’s an extremely healthy baby, which is a good sign,” Dr. Grayson looked up from her clipboard. “Aidan will be just fine as he continues to grow, I assure you. Now, I believe your mother and the rest of the family is waiting in the lobby to meet your bundle of joy. Shall I send them in when the nurses are done, or do you want to wait a little while?”
Paul looked to Jade, who nodded and motioned for Sky to help her adjust the sheet so that everything was covered.
“Send them in, Doc.”
A few minutes later, Clara and Uncle Leo walked into the room, followed by Nick and Alpo. They all gasped at the baby in Paul’s arms, who finally fell asleep. As everyone took turns holding Aidan, Paul walked over to Jade and kissed her forehead. They watched their family in silence for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of love that washed over them as baby Aidan currently slept peacefully in his grandmother’s arms.
CHAPTER 19: ONE MONTH LATER
"Alright, look at Daddy and say cheese, Ava!"
Paul snapped a picture of Ava and her Frozen themed cake, a big grin on her face as she leaned forward so Paul could get the Elsa and Anna figurines in the photo. I smiled and made Aidan clap his hands for his big sister, causing him to laugh. The family was scattered throughout the kitchen as we celebrated Av’s fifth birthday, organized by Clara and Sky while I had been recovering from labor. The walls of the dining room were covered in glittery snowflakes and Olaf decals while white twinkling lights hung loosely from the ceiling, creating a soft illuminating glow. Across the wall behind Ava hung a pink and blue banner that read “Happy Birthday!” with Elsa and Anna smiling on either side.
"Okay, birthday girl. Make a wish!" I said after everyone sang "Happy Birthday." Ava took a deep breath, making her cheeks puffy, and blew the skinny pink and white striped candles out in two attempts, beaming as everyone cheered.
Clara helped Paul cut the cake before serving the dessert with ice cream to those who wanted some of the sugary goodness as I fed Aidan his bottle. There were times, just like this, where I would stare at his tiny face in complete adoration, still finding it hard to believe that our son was only a month old; in the blink of an eye, time flew by, full of 3 am cuddles and tummy time with Disney movies constantly playing in the background.
Aidan had stayed a week at the hospital after birth so Dr. Grayson could monitor his heart and lungs since he came two weeks early. Despite being premature, everything looked good and Dr. Grayson had given me the okay to bring our son home. When the family found out, Clara immediately began a whirlwind process of planning a homecoming party to celebrate. Keeping in mind that I was still recovering physically, she kept the guest list down to only those living at the manor as well as my father and brothers. The entire time, everyone couldn’t believe just how small Aidan appeared, especially compared to Ava and their cousins at their births.
Flash forward a month, he was so healthy and active for an infant, even the nurses were impressed with how well little Aidan was doing at his last checkup a couple of days ago. Now, as we celebrated Ava's special day, he was alert and cooing at everything and everyone, continually melting our family into a puddle of awe one heart at a time.
Sky looked up from setting a plate of cake in front of Ava and smiled from across the table at me. Her eyes lingered at Aidan’s content expression as he suckled on the bottle, his eyelids halfway closed.
"He's doing really well with his feedings. And he’s gotten so big already," she said, shaking her head in impressed disbelief. “It seems like it was just yesterday he was born.”
"I know. Dr. Grayson says that it's good that his weight is increasing, especially since he came two weeks early. She's quite impressed with how healthy he is… honestly, I’m relieved that he’s doing fine.”
“I know how scared you were,” Sky nodded. “I could see it in your eyes that first week, every time you came back from the hospital. Then again, it’s a mother’s job to worry about her children… that’s what our moms taught us!”
“Exactly!” I laughed with her. “Oh, I asked about the feeding like we had discussed, and she said that it’s okay to give him a bottle after I breastfeed him if he’s still hungry, just in case he’s not getting enough… which is also normal, because it’s been so long since I breastfed Ava. And the nurses at the hospital were commenting on how well he’s doing with not only the breastfeeding, but with the bottle at his checkup yesterday."
A loud burp interrupted us, followed by surprised cooing that caused the room to break into laughter after a pause; I smiled down at Aidan, who was staring at me with his big amber eyes.
He looks so much like his dad, I thought to myself, recalling a similar baby photo Clara had of Paul in one of his scrapbooks.
“You know, I never thought I would end up here,” Paul plopped into the chair next to me and ran a hand through his hair, his eyes shining as he scanned the room, taking in our family laughing and talking. “Married to my best friend, two kids who amaze me every day…. After you ran away from me that night, I never dreamed it was possible to have this.”
“I didn’t either, to be honest,” I said as Aidan finished his bottle and I shifted him to start the burping process, careful to not hit his back too hard. “Are you happy with how things turned out though? Despite the roller coaster we put each other through?”
“More than satisfied with the outcome,” he flashed a wolfish grin and leaned over to kiss my cheek. “What about you?”
“Over the moon.” I laughed as Aidan let out a burp that caused him to jump, his tiny arms flailing in surprise as his eyes grew wide as saucers. Laughing, Paul turned toward Alpo, who was calling his name from across the room, naturally slipping into a new conversation.
“Jade, do you want some cake?” Clara asked, holding a plate in her hand.
“Sure, I’d love some, Mom.” I said, wiping Aidan’s face off with a soft burping cloth Sky handed over to me.
“I’ll trade you,” she joked, setting the plate down on the table in front of me and holding her hands out for the baby.
“As long as you’re offering cake…” I winked at her as Sky and Lola both laughed from the other side o
f the table.
“Hey, Grandpa gets a turn of baby snuggles too!” Dad called out from the doorway, a pink gift bag in one hand and a blue box in the other. My brothers stood behind him, their families in tow as well.
“You guys made it!” I gasped, standing up to greet them. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
“We would’ve been here sooner, but we got stuck by a train coming into town.” Dad said sheepishly as he kissed my cheek and handed Ava’s present over.
“I told him not to take the west side into the city!” Nathan shouted from the back of the group, causing everyone to laugh.
“Oh, be quiet.” Dad snapped playfully, putting his youngest son into a headlock as he tried walking past him.
Gio and Theo shook their heads at the banter before introducing their wives and children to the rest of the family; Gio’s wife, Raelle, was a curvy redhead with pale ivory skin and emerald green eyes that were passed down to their two sons, who had inherited Gio’s dark hair and dimples. Theo’s wife, Natalie, was the opposite - a stunning slender black woman with a light complexion and bright blue eyes, both of their looks mirrored in their three boys in a perfect mixture.
“Where’s your partner?” Sky asked Nathan curiously as she made her way through hugs from my brothers.
“Oliver is visiting his mother for a few days,” Nathan said with a sad smile. “She had a horrible fall last week and had to have surgery on her ankle, so he went to help his dad out with taking care of her and running errands.”
“I’m sorry to hear about her fall.” Clara spoke up from her seat. “I’ll send her flowers tomorrow, maybe cheer her up a little bit.”
“I know she’ll appreciate it. Oliver will, too.” Nathan replied before his attention was pulled away by one of our nephews tugging on his shirt.
A Heart of Gang (The Centofanti Gang Book 1) Page 15
