Steven _BWWM Romance

by Katie Dowe

“I count the hours until you get here,” she whispered.

  “Have you eaten?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “The meals are excellent here, but you know what I feel like?”

  “What?”

  “A nice juicy burger with the whole works and fries so crispy you can bounce a pin off them. And a large cup of ColaCo.”

  He lifted his head and looked down at her in amusement. “Is that the baby talking or you?”

  “Both of us. Your son is demanding it too.” She grinned.

  “How can I say not to my family?”

  “You are not going to give me grief about eating healthy?” she quizzed.

  “No,” he drawled. “I am going to make a meal out of it.”

  “Now I know why I married you.”

  ******

  “We thought the cerulean blue and champagne color goes nicely together,” Grace walked around the nursery so that Alicia could see the progress.

  “Grace, you are actually turning too fast.” Alicia brought up the image on her computer. Grace had video called her to show her what was happening with the nursery. She and the people assigned to decorate the nursery had done a very good job so far. The cot had been Steven’s when he was a baby and the antique changing table that had been re polished and looked as good as new. “His name is over his cot. Darling, I am so happy you and Steven decided to name him after his grandfather. Sebastian Adam Hughes is such a wonderful name.”

  “And quite a mouthful,” Alicia said wryly. “I wanted to honor Steven’s dad and he really appreciates it. I also loved the fact that he had my mom’s picture refinished and framed alongside that of his dad. I really want our son to know where he came from.”

  “What do you think of the alphabet cabinet?” Grace asked her.

  “I think it’s a wonderful addition. I wished I was there! I am just seeing myself sitting on that soft looking sofa and rocking my son to sleep after feeding him! Grace, help! I am becoming maternal!” she said with a squeal.

  “And that is a good thing,” Grace told her with a smile. “I cannot wait for you to get home. Sophia and the rest of the staff are pining.”

  “I miss them too,” she sniffed. “Okay, now it’s official! I am turning into one of those pregnant women who cry at the drop of a hat.”

  “Hormones,” Grace said with a laugh. “It’s natural.”

  *****

  The pains started in the early afternoon of the last day of March and continued into the early morning of April 1st. It was the moans that woke Steven who was sleeping on a cot next to his wife’s bed. He awoke as if from a fog and it took him several seconds to realize what the noise he was hearing was. When he opened his eyes and saw her moving restlessly he knew she was in labor! He sprang off the bed and approached her. “Hey,” he whispered reaching for her hands. “Breathe.”

  She nodded and took several deep breaths.

  “I am getting Henry.”

  “No.” She clung to him. “It just started. I am not properly dilated. I think this is just the beginning.”

  “What can I do?”

  “Climb in next to me and hold me.” Her smile wobbled as she felt the pain again. “Help me through this.”

  He climbed in next to her and held her hand as she rested her head on his chest. “It’s finally happening,” she murmured as she curled her fingers in his t-shirt. “Our son is coming.”

  “About time too,” he said gently as he brushed back her hair. “Are you okay?”

  “You are here so I am, really.” She closed her eyes briefly as she waited on another contraction. “I wished my mom and your dad were here to see him.”

  “So do I.” He hesitated a little bit. “You never talked about your dad.”

  She shook her head. “I was angry for a very long time until my mother sat me down and told me that he played a very important part. He gave her me.” She smiled whimsically as she splayed her fingers on his chest. “She said that I was the best thing that ever happened in the relationship and she was thankful for that. I could never understand how she was not bitter or angry. She went about her business with a smile on her face. She was very spiritual and brought me up to always be hopeful and forgiving.”

  “I wished I had met her to thank her for a job well done in growing you,” he said tenderly.

  “Thanks, baby.” She gasped as a sharp pain zinged through her lower body causing her to gasp.

  “I am getting Henry.”

  “Please! Not yet.”

  “Baby, you are in pain and I cannot stand it.”

  “A couple more minutes,” she pleaded.

  He gave her that and when the early hours of the morning came and the pain got worse, he rang the bell. Henry and two nurses came running in immediately.

  “Ah, Alicia, I see you son is ready.” He had a smile on his face as he instructed the nurses to set up. “I am going to give you something for the pain and then do an examination.”

  Steven saw the slight frown the minute the doctor started the examination. “What’s wrong, Henry?”

  “The baby is crowning, but the wrong way. I am going to have to go in and turn him.” He looked up at Steven. “Are you sure you want to stay?”

  “You would not get rid of me if you held a gun to my head,” he said grimly as he went to hold his wife. “Do your thing.”

  “Bear up, Alicia, this will be over in a few minutes,” Dr. Whittingham told her.

  But it took more than that and Steven thought he was going to die of frustration. He could feel his wife wilting against him and knew she had to be very tired. The epidural had taken away the pain but not the rigor of being in labor for almost twelve hours! Just as he was about to ask what was happening, he heard the first wail of his son!

  “Finally,” one of the nurses said with a smile. “A healthy baby boy with a strong pair of lungs.”

  “He might just become a singer,” Alicia said drowsily as she opened her arms for him.

  “He looks like you,” Steven murmured as he stared at the baby and take in the curly dark hair and large dark brown eyes. “He is so beautiful.”

  The nurse took him away after a few minutes to clean him up and another one came forward to take care of Alicia. “Are you able to breastfeed him?” she asked Alicia, who was ready to sleep for a bout ten hours.

  “Of course,” she murmured. “Bring him here.”

  ******

  He watched her sleep. He had watched as she fought to keep her nipple in their son’s mouth before getting the hang of it and had fallen asleep with him in her arms.

  “Would you like to hold your son?” the nurse whispered as she brought him over.

  “You need not ask,” Steven whispered back as he cradled his son in his arms. “Thanks.”

  He rocked him gently. He had been cleaned up and had on a very colorful one piece outfit with a furry bear in the middle of it. His hair had been brushed back from his face and his dark brown eyes looked at his father inquisitively. “It’s your dad, buddy.” Steven put his finger into his son’s clenched fist and smiled as it opened and closed over it. “That’s right, Sebastian. Yes, buddy, that’s your name. Sebastian Adam Hughes, and you look so much like your beautiful mom.”

  *****

  “My dear, take all the time you need,” Simon said expansively. He had called her to offer his congratulations the minute she got back to the manor two days after having her baby. Doctor Whittingham wanted to make sure that both mother and baby were good to go. There was a slight worry about her blood pressure rising, but it was now under control.

  The staff at the manor had welcomed them with open arms and Pierre had prepared a special meal for her. “Miss Alicia, please don’t worry, we will take care of the little one while you get some rest,” Sophia had told her.

  “I will, Simon, and thank you for the lovely package.”

  “I know that you probably have more things than you can possibly use but we wanted to show our appreciation.”

  �
�Thanks again.” She looked as her husband came into the nursery. She had just fed their son and he was dropping off to sleep.

  “Let me take him.”

  Alicia handed the baby to him and watched as he put him down and pulled the cover over him. Steven stood there looking down at the baby for a little bit before coming over.

  “How are you?” he asked her softly as he cradled her in his arms.

  “A little buzzed,” she admitted as she snuggled against him. “I am in love with two men and I feel on top of the world.”

  “I hope those two men are me and our son,” he teased.

  “Hmm.” She pulled away and looked up at him with laughter in her eyes. “Let me think.”

  “Thinking time over.” He kissed her roughly on the mouth. He was so grateful to her that he did not know where to start to tell her. “Thank you,” he said humbly.

  “What for?”

  “My family.” His blue eyes glittered and Alicia had a feeling he was fighting back tears.

  “You are more than welcome, my darling.” She eased back into his arms. “Are we going to spend the night again?”

  “Definitely.”

  *****

  “Now you know what it feels like to have a child come out of your hoochie,” Elaine greeted her as she and Donna came into the nursery Saturday after Alicia came home from the hospital.

  “Kindly curtail your language in front of my son,” Alicia said loftily.

  “How the mighty has fallen!” Donna said with a grin as she came towards the cot. “I know I video called you and saw him when I did and I also saw pictures of you guys in the papers, but up close he is even better looking. He is going to break some hearts, honey!”

  “And of course you know that no woman will ever be good enough for him,” Alicia said with a grin.

  “Girls, I am here to get my grandson so please don’t mind me,” Grace announced as she came into the nursery. “Alicia, a meal has been prepared for you and the girls in the sitting room. I promised your husband that I would make sure you eat something.”

  “He is at his office and is monitoring from all the way there,” she said in exasperation. She bent over to kiss her son’s soft cheek. “He is ready for his nap now, Grace.”

  “I will make sure he gets it.”

  Chapter 12

  “So now that you have been inducted in the motherhood hall of fame. How does it feel?” Donna asked as she reached for a piece of the delicious pie. She had picked up Elaine on her way back from work so that they could come for a visit. They had been unable to visit her in the medical center because it had been too far away.

  “Scary!” Alicia said with a laugh. She had decided to move their meal outside. They were seated outside near the pool which was in the process of being cleaned out in anticipation of the warm weather which was yet to come. It was the fourth day of April but it was in the sixties. Flowers were blooming everywhere and the scent of them rest heavily on the air. The grounds looked lush and green. “You were right, Elaine, seeing my son for the first time and holding him in my arms made everything worth it.”

  “I told you,” Elaine said smugly. She looked around the place. “This is quite a beautiful place to grow up as a kid.”

  “There is even a treehouse on the east side of the place. Steven is going to have it redone. He is quite excited about it.”

  “You got a good man there, honey,” Donna told her. “I mean Elaine and I have very good husbands and they are terrific fathers, but your man is something else.”

  “I never thought I would not want to hurry to go back to work,” Alicia said, shaking her head as she wrapped her jacket around her. They should have probably stayed inside. It was cold!

  “So are you going back?” Elaine queried as she reached for a delicate sandwich. They were tiny but incredible delicious!

  “Of course I am! But the point is I am not in a hurry to go back. I want to bond with Sebastian and let him realize that I am his mama. Simon told me to take all the time I need.”

  “I think he is afraid that your husband will buy out the company if he does not play his cards right,” Donna said dryly. “And besides you are an asset and I am sure they don’t want to lose you.”

  “I have been working from here and emailing Allen back and forth. He has really stepped up. I should probably demand a raise for him. He is afraid to come here in case Steven accuses him of disturbing me.” She laughed as she told them of the incident at the hospital.

  “I told you: that man of yours is a treasure,” Donna said.

  *****

  Allen cut off a delighted squeal as soon as she came into the office. Sebastian was almost two months old and was growing so big! She had spoken to her husband about coming to the office to take care of something and had promised that she would not be staying for very long. Grace had wanted her to leave him, but she told her that she wanted the people at work to see him. She had been greeted by the security at the door who had rushed out to help her with her diaper bag and the car seat and had told her that he was positively adorable. All the way through reception and the other offices she had had to stop as they peered and exclaimed at how handsome he was!

  “Let me take him!” Allen plucked Sebastian out without waiting for her to respond. “Oh, my Lord! He is gorgeous! I bet if you knew that you would produce such a gorgeous child you would not have waited until you were almost past child bearing age to do so!” He retreated quickly at the look on his boss’ face. “You are glowing, honey! Motherhood agrees with you.”

  “Hold his head,” she said sharply.

  “Honey, I have tons of nieces and nephews,” he declared loftily, supporting Sebastian’s head and cradling him. “My sisters are not like you, they believe in hatching children every few years. Oh, look at him! He is too much!”

  “Isn’t he?” Alicia forget that she was going to blast him and came over to tuck the blanket around her son. “He sleeps throughout the night. Thank God for that.”

  “Did I hear right that a baby is in the building?” Simon’s voice sounded inside the doorway.

  “Simon, how are you?”

  “I am very well thank you.” He walked over and looked down at the child. “What a beautiful baby.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Are you back?”

  “Just for a few hours. I wanted to go over the contract with Sports Unlimited and have a meeting with the sales team and you of course. I hope you don’t mind my bringing my son.”

  “Of course not, my dear! I am just glad you are here.” His light grey eyes turned to Allen. “Your assistant has proven himself to be quite capable in your absence.”

  “I also need to talk to you about that as well.”

  “Okay, my dear, just let me know when you need me.” He looked down at Sebastian again. “Beautiful child.”

  “It’s official!” Allen said in a stage whisper. “Sebastian is the baby of the year.”

  *****

  “I thought you said you would be a few hours?”

  “I know, but I got caught up with meetings and trying to clear some things up. I am leaving in a few hours. Your son is on his best behavior and of course with all the women vying to hold him, he is certifiably spoiled,” Alicia said as she peered at something on her laptop.

  “Where is he now?”

  “I think one of the receptionists went to give him a tour of the place. He is going to be quite exhausted when he gets home.”

  “Baby, I don’t want you guys traveling late in the afternoon,.” Steven said.

  “I promise to leave at a reasonable hour.” She looked up as Allen came in. “See you later.”

  “It’s good to have you in your office again,” he murmured as he stared at her. “You were really missed. When are you planning on coming back?”

  “I was thinking in August, but I have to discuss it with Steven first.”

  “Look at you being all domestic and all! I never thought I would live to see the day.”
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  “Neither did I,” Alicia said with a smile. They both looked up as Eleanor, the accountant, came in with Sebastian. “I think he is down for the count. We are planning on stealing him.”

  “You will have to go through me and his dad and his grandmother.” She stretched her hands out for her son who was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. “Oh, there you go, sweetie, go to sleep.”

  She looked up. “Allen, tell Simon I will be in a few minutes.”

  *****

  “This is where Grandma Ellen is buried, sweetie.” Alicia lifted her son up so he could see the headstone. “She would have loved you so much.”

  Steven came over and put his arm around her shoulders feeling the sadness invading her. It was a lovely summer afternoon and she had told him that she wanted to come and put flowers on her grave. The Sunday afternoon was not too hot and they liked the feel of the sun on their skins. Afterwards they were planning to go for a walk in the park.

  “You okay?” He took Sebastian from her and allowed her to go to place the flowers on her mother’s grave.

  “Just a bit sad.” She touched the headstone and let her touch lingered. “She would have spoiled him rotten.” She brushed off her hands and came towards her husband and son. “Okay. I have the sudden urge for a huge ice cream cone, preferably chocolate chip.” She hugged them both. “What do you say?” She kissed first her husband and then her son.

  “What do you say, buddy?” Steven asked as he looked at his son who was staring up at him quietly. “Shall we give Mommy what she wants?”

  “He said yes,” Alicia said with a grin. She went on her toes and kissed her husband’s lips. “I love you, baby.”

  His hand tightened around her waist. “I love you more.”

  *****

  “Oh my Lord, Steven, this is magnificent!” Alicia hardly waited until the car that brought them from the airport came to a stop before jumping out. Steven tipped the driver with a smile as he took out their bags. A rented car was being delivered to them tomorrow morning, but for now he just wanted to spend some time with his wife. He had chosen a cottage in Cork, Ireland and did not regret it. He had had to do a lot of persuading and pleading for her to agree to leave their son for the week. When they got back home she would be going back to work.