BLAKEAston and I got to the hospital just in time to see my mother and father packing up. They had been staying in a suite at the hospital, calling it home so the doctors could check up on him regularly before they released him for good.“What’s going on here?” I asked, as we walked into the suite. Both of my parents had bags open on the bed and were talking to each other while packing their things.Dad looked up, a wide smile spreading across his face when he saw who it was. “Blake. Great news, boy. They’re finally letting me go home.”“I thought this was home for now,” I told him, looking around the mostly empty suite. When I was here before, my mom had decorated the place with all the creature comforts of home. She brought art, pillows and blankets, and even random mementos of trips they took together.None of those things were here anymore. “Did the doctors really give you the all clear?”Opening his arms to give me a back-slapping hug, he replied. “Yup. They told us this morning
BlakeA long minute passed before Aston answered me. She stared out the window, thinking through her response before I got to hear it. “I think it took a lot of courage and caring to keep you and Danny out of a long, possibly drawn out custody battle. I know it’s not what you want to hear and I know she could’ve gone about things differently, but in her own way, I think she put herself through hell to do her best to save you.”She was right. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear. It was exactly the explanation my mother had given, but the logic just didn’t sit right with me. “There are plenty of kids who went through the divorce of their parents. Their mothers didn’t walk away to save themselves the trouble of a custody battle.”“True,” Aston said. “But those kids go through a different kind of hell than the one you went through. I don’t think it’s necessarily easier that way at all. There’s the split, the battle in court with all the alienation, fighting and badmouthing that goes along wit
ASTONBlake’s father’s house was not what I was expecting at all. As a property magnate, I would’ve expected him to have a home the size of a hotel. Perhaps a glass and concrete monstrosity.While Wayne’s house wasn’t small, it definitely wasn’t the size of a hotel. It was a comfortable five bedroom family home. I didn’t know if this was where Blake grew up, I hadn’t asked. But it looked like it would’ve been a pretty nice place to grow up in if it was. It was cozy despite its size, and boasted big trees and a large backyard with a patio and a sparkling pool. I wondered if any of the family sized dining tables either inside or outside ever saw any action. Neither Blake nor Danny struck me as the type to pop in for family meals on Sundays.I’d finally come to learn that Blake’s mother’s name was Linda. She seemed to know her way around the house well enough and excused herself shortly after we arrived to unpack. I was left chopping salad in the farm style kitchen.There were beautiful
AstonSlowly but surely, my perception of the world and the people who lived in it was already changing. When Blake first told me about his mom, I thought what she did was terrible. I never thought I would be able to see her side of things.Having met her and trying to imagine giving up my own baby, even if it wasn’t here yet, I realized how excruciating the decision must have been for her. Walking away already seemed impossible to me.“You’ll see one day when you have children of your own. You only want what’s best for them. It doesn’t matter what it costs you, not just in money but in everything, you want to be able to give it to them.”“Hmm,” I agreed vaguely. It felt like I was lying to her by not telling her I was pregnant, but it wasn’t my place to have that conversation with her.Cluing her in would also mean that Blake’s father would find out, or I would put her in the position to have to lie to her husband. Given how new their rekindled romance was, it wouldn’t be right to as
BLAKEI woke up with Aston lying in my arms. I was on my side, lying with my arm draped over her stomach as she slept peacefully on her back. She was the best sight to wake up to.Her auburn air was spread out to the side of the pillow, dark strands contrasting sharply with the stark white bedding. Her long lashes curled up towards the roof as her chest rose and fell with deep breaths. Deciding not to risk waking her from her sound sleep, I burrowed into the bed and just watched her as I finally let my mind drift to the realities we were facing. It was still early. The sun was only just beginning to rise. The room was lit with soft early morning sunlight, almost like an orange glow. In a few short months, these peaceful mornings with her would most likely be a remnant of the past. By all accounts, mornings with babies around were not peaceful.My hand ventured to her lower abdomen, the spot where my baby was growing. Though I knew it was still too early to feel anything, I let my ha
BlakeWe had a clear path to the bathroom. I knew this suite like the back of my hand, so it was no problem to navigate our way as I walked us into the bathroom without breaking the kiss.Aston was so soft in my arms. She felt so damn good. Clinging to me, she twisted her fingers into my hair and tugged at the strands. It was a move I was a sucker for and she knew it.I groaned deeply, devouring her mouth with renewed vigor. When I finally set her down on the counter, her cheeks were flushed and she was breathing deeply. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. You can shower with me.”"“Gee,” I said with a grin, giving her a nip on the collarbone. “Thanks.” Aston laughed and hopped off the counter, turning her back to me as she pulled off her tank top and shimmied out of the shorts. Giving me a coy look over her shoulder, she crooked her finger at me and walked into the shower.A second later, I heard the water starting to run and her lacy panties were flung over the top metal rail of the stone
ASTON“Mommy! Look at that.” An excited toddler pointed to a picture of a newborn baby printed on a canvas in the doctor’s waiting room. “It’s a baby. Is that my little sister?”The mom smiled, ruffling his light blonde hair as she shook her head and pointed to her protruding belly. “No honey. Your sister is still inside Mommy’s tummy, do you remember? You saw her picture last week on the doctor’s machine.”His little face crumpled in thought. “How did she get into Mommy’s tummy again? I want to draw a picture for her. Can I draw Mommy? Now?”The women reached into a gigantic diaper bag open on the floor. With what looked like great effort, she managed to reach a coloring book and some crayons. Plopping down on the floor, the boy kept chatting as he took the book and the crayons from her and proceeded to scribble all over the page.Blake and I exchanged a glance. We were waiting for our appointment along with three other women, two of whom had very active toddlers with them. All of th
AstonA middle aged, greying man walked into the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. He glanced down at the tablet he was carrying. “Aston Brier, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Doctor Evans.”He walked over to the side of the bed and smiled first at me, then at Blake who extended his hand to the doctor. “Blake McAllen.”“It’s nice to meet you too, Blake.” I liked how he immediately started using our first names. The interaction between that woman and the nurse out in the waiting room, as well as the way she had treated me during the preliminary tests, I got the distinct feeling that these people became like your family during the pregnancy.The ease with which the doctor was treating us was adding to that feeling. “Right, let’s get started. I have the results for the blood test you had earlier this morning. You’re definitely pregnant. Congratulations.”“Thanks,” I blushed. Blake’s grip on my hand tightened.The doctor started gently pushing on my abdomen, fixing me with a