She's going to do everything right by this boy, and I'm going to do everything I can do to make sure she always feels safe and protected. That's one of the great things about living on an Army base. I know she's safe when I'm at work, and I know she appreciates that security.
"Do you want to change before we go?"
Shaking her head, she reaches for my hand. "Don't let go of me," she says, "not for one single second. You promise me, Jake."
"I promise," I say. "Here, let's put on your flip-flops."
I grab a towel from the linen closet. "I'm going to set this in the car. All right?" I tell her. I open the passenger door, spreading it on the seat, and then I help ease her in. "Just take one breath at a time."
"Okay," she says. I place her hospital bag in the backseat, and then I drive us to the military hospital as fast as legally possible.
She looks over at me as I drive. "I love you," she says.
"I love you more, baby."
"I'm sorry we didn't get to have one final quickie before the baby came."
I grin. "This morning, if I remember correctly, my mouth was between your legs and I was sucking you off until you were literally orgasming all over my face."
Her cheeks redden. "That was the best orgasm ever."
"Yeah, and then you got on all fours and I shoved my cock up your sweet, ripe cunt until you came. Remember?"
"You came too," she teases.
"Of course, I did. Your ass is so fucking round. Your tits are so fucking huge. Your belly? Damn. Everything about you is hot right now. You know that? I can hardly contain myself."
"Are you hard right now?" she teases.
"Don't," I say, pushing her hand away. "Don't you dare start taunting my cock when you're about to have a baby. That's just being a dick tease."
She laughs. "Oh, we should call your mom."
"Let's just get you to the hospital first. Okay?"
She sighs. "Okay, baby. But don't forget as soon as we get there."
I smile, already knowing my surprise will make her happy.
Hours later, she's holding our son in her arms, content like the last two hours of screaming, pushing and shouting bloody murder didn't happen. They did, of course, and I will remember them. But hopefully she'll forget because I know she's going to want to do this all over again one day, probably sooner rather than later.
I'm refilling her water bottle when there's a knock on the door. I set her water on the counter, stepping closer to her. I kiss her forehead, looking down at our son Leroy.
"Who could be here?" she asks. "A nurse? They were just here five minutes ago. I swear they won't leave us alone."
"Let me go check," I say with a smile, knowing exactly who it is. I pull open the door and see my mom. The timing was perfect. She didn't just jump on a plane and rush here when she found out Faith was in labor. No, we had been planning this for months. She was coming this week. The due date was in five days. We were hoping that she'd be here around the time of the birth, but never in our imagination did we think it would be this perfect.
She dashes right past me toward the hospital bed.
"Oh, Faith," she says. “Look at you, you're glowing. And oh, is this my grandson?" My mom is literally bursting with pride and joy, and Faith's eyes are wide.
"Oh my God. Greta, how in the world did you..."
"Oh, Jake planned it. We've been scheming for a while. We figured you’d need help after the baby was born."
Faith laughs. "Oh, look at you, Grandma Greta," she says, offering our bundle of joy to my mother. At that, my eyes start misting because fuck, my wife is incredible, generous and kind.
I somehow married the most wonderful woman in the world. She knew that offering our son to my mom's wide-open arms was the best thing she could do in that moment.
"Look at him," Mom coos. "He looks just like his father."
I admit, my shoulders pull back and my heart fills with pride. I walk toward my mom and my wife, looking down at my son.
It's been a long road to get here, lots of loss for all of us, pain and longing. But now, now we have everything, a family, a future. I lean down and give my wife a kiss.
"I love you so much."
"I love you more," she says. "I love you forever."
MORE FROM HOME, WA
Rough and Tumble
Coming Home to the Mountains Book 1
When you grow up in Home, WA, the road always leads you to… well, home.
I’m Bartlett Rough, and I’ve never left the mountain where I was raised with my six brothers and sisters. Cheesy as it may sound, Home really is where the heart is.