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Chapter Twenty-Five
Seth 25
* * *
“Welcome to the world, Ryder Anderson Jennings,” I whisper to my newborn son in my arms. He’s so damn tiny at thirty-seven weeks, but he’s a fighter, just like his mother. He’s doing great, eating and breathing on his own. Weighing in at six pounds and one ounce, he’s nineteen inches long. The doctors gave Amelia shots to strengthen his lungs, and the nutrients she was receiving through her IV also helped him grow. The doctors administered it as a precaution in case he delivered early.
We got the call in the middle of the night that Amelia was in labor—this time for real; we’ve had a few close calls, but they were able to stop it over the last few weeks. It was rough for her. She was exhausted, the pushing too much for her lungs, but she fought it. She fought hard and delivered our son into the world. I hate this, the fact that I know she’s fading fast, and that delivering Ryder took a lot out of her.
I haven’t left her side since early this morning. Mara and I have been stuck to her like glue, and my wife… she’s incredible. She was there for Amelia, coaching her, reminding her of the details of Finley’s delivery. Mara’s now sitting next to me, head resting on my shoulder as she sleeps. Amelia is sleeping peacefully. She’ll cough in her sleep, but it subsides and she falls right back to sleep. Me, I can’t seem to shut my eyes. I can’t stop looking at my son. I’ve been holding him for the last two hours, and I’m good to continue to do so.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I know it’s my parents. We dropped Finley off to them in the middle of the night. I texted them to let them know Ryder was here and healthy, along with a picture. They sent their love with the promise to stop by after we’ve had the chance to catch a couple hours of sleep.
A soft knock against the door and it’s pushing open. I hear my dad making a shushing sound, reminding Finley to be quiet because her baby brother might be sleeping.
“Daddy!” she whisper shouts. Her little feet rush to me.
“Shh, everyone is sleeping,” I say in a hushed whisper.
“Is dat my brover?” she asks. She’s wearing a pink T-shirt that says I’m the big sister. My parents must have stopped at the gift shop on the way up.
I hear a sniffle, but I don’t have to look up to know it’s my mom. “Yeah, sweetie. This is your little brother. Ryder.”
“I wuv him.” She leans in and kisses his tiny head.
“Be easy,” Mara whispers, and suddenly her head is no longer on my shoulder.
“Hey,” Amelia says groggily.
“How are you feeling, dear?” my mom asks.
“Okay. Tired,” she admits.
“Childbirth takes a lot out of you. Can we get you anything?” Mom asks.
“No, thank you.”
“Ryder, look who’s awake.” I stand and carry him to the bed. Mara is on her feet and helping me raise the bed for Amelia to sit up. “Go see Mommy,” I say, handing him off to Amelia.
“Hey, handsome,” Amelia coos. Her eyes are glued to our son. My eyes find Mara’s, and she’s watching Amelia with tears in her eyes. Glancing at my parents, they have the same.
“I wuv my bruver,” Finley announces proudly.
“Come here you.” Amelia pats the space beside her.
“Careful, Finley,” Mara warns her.
Slowly, slower than I’ve ever seen my daughter move, she settles in next to her aunt and her baby brother. “Hims needs to wake up.”
Amelia laughs softly. “Babies sleep a lot. He won’t be able to play with you for a few months at least.”
“Oh,” Finley says, dejected, and we all chuckle at her.
“It’s almost time for him to eat,” I tell Amelia. “I was hoping you would wake up in time to feed him.”
“Would you like to hold him?” Amelia asks my mom.
She nods, tears in her eyes. “More than anything.” Mom steps next to the bed and takes Ryder from Amelia. She gets comfortable in a seat next to my dad, and together, they take in their new grandson. Finley climbs off the bed and races to my dad. He doesn’t hesitate to pull her onto his lap. He snuggles her close, and for about the one-millionth time in my life, I’m grateful for my parents. Shannon and Steve Jennings are the most loving, caring parents a kid could ask for. I’m damn lucky to call them mine.
Mom trades Dad. He takes Ryder while she snuggles Finley to her chest. Mom chatters with Finley about making cookies when they get home, giving my girl her full attention. Something Finley needs. I don’t want her to get jealous of Ryder. I mean, I get it. She just got us, and now there’s this new baby taking what she just got used to having. I make a mental note to make sure we have some daddy-daughter time. I never want her to question how much I love her.
Mara reaches for her camera and starts taking pictures. I sit back and take it all in. My family. My heart feels full while it’s breaking at the same time. When Ryder starts to fuss, I know it’s past time for him to eat. By the looks of it, Amelia is ready to crash, so we need to get this moving for both of them.
“All right, buddy, time for a bottle.” I take him from my dad, snuggle him, and hand him off to Amelia. Mara places a nipple on one of the premade bottles and hands it to Amelia with a small receiving blanket.
“We’re going to go. We’ve got cookies to make,” Dad says, and Finley cheers. “Give Mommy and Daddy a kiss.”
We give hugs and kisses, and they’re gone. A few minutes later, Amelia’s parents are knocking on the door. They both look frail, and I know their health is fading, and Amelia’s disease is taking a toll on them. The stress and worry over your daughter and grandchild must take a lot out of you.
“Hey.” Amelia lights up when she sees her parents. Her mom breaks down sobbing when she sees them.
“Harold, Ethel, it’s good to see you,” I greet them.
“He’s beautiful,” her mom says between sobs, never taking her eyes off Ryder.
“You want to hold him?” Amelia asks her mom.
“Oh, he’s eating.”
“It’s fine. It’s time to burp him anyway,” Amelia assures her.
Mara is there. She takes Ryder from Amelia, places him on her shoulder, and whispers to him, rubbing his back. He burps, and she smiles, kissing his tiny hat-covered head. Ethel takes a seat, Harold sitting next to her, and Mara hands him off to her.
“Here’s his bottle,” Mara tells her.
“We’re going to step out. You need anything?” I ask Amelia. She shakes her head. “Ethel, Harold?”
“No, thank you,” Harold answers, never taking his eyes off his wife and his grandson.
Mara follows me and we give them some time. “You hungry?” I ask my wife.
“No, but I’ll go with you.”
“I’m not really either. The doctor came in and said that Ryder is doing great. He’s going to be released tomorrow.”
“That’s excellent news.”
“Yeah, except they’re not releasing Amelia. The delivery took a lot out of her. She’s weak and needs constant oxygen. I know she’s going to fight it.”
“She’s tired.”
“I know.” I pull her into me and hold her close. Everything boiling inside me seems to calm when Mara is in my arms. “She’s going to force them to let her go home.”
“Her room is ready.”
I nod, unable to form words for the emotion clogging my throat.
“She wants as much time with him as she can get.”
“Yeah. It’s getting close, Mara.”
“I-I know.” She stumbles over her words. “I’ve been trying to pretend that’s not the case, but the delivery took all she had
. She’s a fighter,” Mara states. I don’t reply because she knows that I know. We’ve both been there through it all, day in and day out, the appointments, all of it. We’ve watched Amelia decline, but still when she holds our son, it’s… her dream’s coming true before our eyes.
“The girls and I still need to take her to get that tattoo.”
“I got a guy. Does great work. I trust him to be in our home with our kids. I’m certain he’ll come to us. I was going to call him earlier, but time just got away from me.”
“I’m glad. That’s going to be so much easier on her.”
“Yeah. He lives a few hours away. We all got some ink from him on a job we were on a few years back. Great guy, he and his brother own the business. They’re legit.”
“You’re a good man, Seth Jennings.”
“Just trying to make it easier on her. She wants this, and I’ll be damned if I don’t do everything I can to make it happen. After she’s given me…. Yeah, I’m going to make it happen.”
Three hours later, I’m back in the waiting room. Mara went home to shower and visit with Finley at my parents’ place. She’s coming back to spend the night. Kendall and Ridge are visiting, so I stepped out to call Blaise Richards. It rings twice before he picks up.
“Blaise.”
“Hey, man, it’s Seth Jennings.”
“Seth, how the hell are you, man? It’s been too damn long,” Blaise says.
“Taking it day by day. Listen, I have a huge favor and will make it worth your while.”
“Shoot.”
“A good friend of ours, the guys and I, she’s d-dying.” I choke on the word. “She made a bucket list of sorts and getting a tattoo was on the list. She can’t travel, and well, I was hoping you or Asher or hell, both of you could come up and do it. My wife, and the guys’ wives, are all getting one too. The ladies want the same thing.”
“Damn,” he murmurs. “That’s some heavy shit, Jennings.”
“Yeah, it’s a little heavier. She just had a baby. My baby.”
