Loving A Marine

20. Enzo

November 30, 2020 (Altas is now 8 weeks old)

Thanksgiving came and went and our house looked like Santa Clause and his elves threw up in it.  The tree was decorated with fake snow, multicolored lights, small and large multicolored Christmas ball ornaments, a silver chain wrapped around the tree and on top was a gold star. Over the fireplace were stockings with our names stitched into them thanks to Bella's mother who had given them to us as a house warming gift. On the shelf were photos of us. There were some form Bella's maternity photoshoot a few weeks before she had Atlas. Sown were of just Declan and I at the aquarium before Bella and I got together. Others were of the four of us when we first got together. Others were of Bella and Bailey. There were some with the entire Monty-Mathews family at thanksgiving five days ago on thanksgiving.

The outside was just as decorated as the inside with blow up snow globes, a snowman and reindeers pulling Santa's sled that were made up of lights. There were also alights hung around the house and window sills and in the multiple pine trees littering the front yard. Snow had begun to fall faintly but it was said that there was a snow storm coming with in the next few weeks.

"How's Atlas?" I asked as Bella walked into the living room where I had been sitting going over a potential client's information. The 8 week old baby had been running a fever since this morning. She had called the pediatrician to see if we could go see him but the damn doctor just told us to give him children's Tylenol and if that didn't work then we could go see him.

"He's sleeping, though he still has a runny nose and slight fever," she replied and I nodded, "how's work?"

"It's going," I replied as she sat beside me, "but I'm not sure I'll be able to do it with a metal leg." She raised a brow. "They are asking for a bodyguard for a celebrity." She nodded and rested her head on my shoulder.

"You'll be a great bodyguard, Enzo." She murmured and I smiled pressing a kiss to her temple, "just because you have a prosthetic leg doesn't mean you won't be able to do your job."

"Let's hope they won't care that I'm one leg less." I stated making her chuckle and shake her head, "Dad most likely already told every potential client that you have a prosthetic leg when clients asked for a bodyguard."

That was true.

"Now, have you eaten yet?" She asked and I nodded.

"I made some pasta while you were upstairs trying to get Atlas down." I replied and she nodded. Mom should be home with Declan soon since she had offered to take him out so that Bella and I could focus on the sick infant. And just as that thought crossed my mind, the front door opened and the excited sound of Declan's voice sounded before mom and Bailey walked into the living room with the little boy.

"Mama!" He exclaimed as he wiggled in my mother's arms and she chuckled setting him down on the floor and he came running towards Bella who smiled as she crouched to pick him up.

"Hi love bug," she greeted him with a kiss to the temple, "were you good for nana and auntie Bailey?" He nodded with a tired yet happy smile. "Come on then, let's go put you down for your nap." She gave my mom and sister each a hug and kiss before she headed upstairs to the boys' shared room to put him down.

"Hi honey," mom said as she and Bailey sat in the couch beside me.

"Hi mom," I greeted her with a smile, "thank you for taking Declan out. I know he's been getting fussy for staying home for the last few days since Atlas got sick."

"No need to thank us," Bailey said.

"We were more than happy to help." Mom added and I nodded, "how's my grand baby?"

"Still sick. We've been giving him baby's Tylenol Kike the doctor told us to do." I replied running my fingers through my hair, "we've been calling the pediatrician's office to see if they'll see us but the doctor just said to give him medicine to reduce the fever."

"Have you told them he's been sick for three days now?" Mom asked and I nodded.

"I'm going to look into another pediatrician to go to because the one we usually take him won't do shit to help us." I said just as Bella walked down the stairs and rejoined us. "Didn't make a fuss?"

"None he was out like a light as soon as I put him into his crib." She said and I nodded.

"And Atlas?" I asked and she smiled.

"His fever went down and he's still sleeping soundly," she answered, "but I'm not gong to be relieved until his back to being the happy baby he was before he got sick."

"Poor baby," Bailey murmured and we couldn't agree more. It was heartbreaking to see him so miserable.

"If his fever doesn't go down by tomorrow take him the ER." Mom said and we nodded, "good, now have you eaten yet?"

****

December 15, 2020 (Atlas is now 10 weeks and 1 day old)

Two weeks later and Atlas was now fever free and back to being the happy and giggly baby he was before he got sick. And in those two weeks, Bella and I got an email from our lawyer claiming that we will be needing to go to his office in order to speak about our case in regards to Atlas's custody.

"Ready?" I asked as Bella walked into the living room carrying Atlas and she nodded before putting him into his car seat/stroller while I put Declan into his winter jacket. I held the jacket for Bella and she smiled as she stepped into it and zipped the zipper before I grabbed my own jacket and did the same before picking Declan up and Bella placed a cover to keep the winter air out.

Once the boys were secured, Bella and I climbed our seats with me pulling out of the driveway towards our lawyer's office.

Half an hour later, I pulled into the familiar building  and parked the car and stepped out with Bella flowing suit as she grabbed Atlas's car seat from its base before turning it into a stroller while I grabbed Declan and the diaper bag before closing and locking the doors.

"Good morning," Bella greeted the secretary at the front and she looked up with a smile.

"Good morning, do you have an appointment?" She asked and we nodded.

"We're here to see Mr. Ezekiel Lawrence." I replied and she nodded typing on her computer before she grabbed the phone and dialed a number.

"You name?" She asked

"Enzo Mathew and Bella Monty." I replied and she nodded as she spoke into the speaker.

"Mr. Lawrence," she spoke, "your clients Mr. Enzo Mathew and Ms Bella Monty are here to see you." She hung up a second later and she looked at us, "Mr. Lawrence will be with you soon." We nodded and sat down at one of the chairs in the waiting room. I took the jacket off of Declan since he was getting irritated with it. Bella took the cover from the car seat and Atlas blinked and gave us a gummy grin.

"I hope this meeting goes well." She murmured as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and I sighed.

"They will. Atlas is mine in the eyes of the law." I said and she nodded resting her head in my shoulder with a sigh, "Dylan can't do anything to take him away."

"I hope—"she began to say when our lawyer entered the waiting room with a greeting,

"Good morning, howl I didn't keep you waiting," he said as we exchanged hand shakes, "let's speak in my office." We followed him into a room that had a dark mahogany desk in the center, behind him was a large floor to ceiling window that overlooked the yard that was covered in light snow. There were shelves covers in books all about law and other things. Some plants were perched in a few shelves around the office.

"So what did you need to speak to us about?" I asked as we sat across from him and he sighed as he rested his hands that were linked together.

"I got a call from the judge," he began and we nodded, "he wants to have a hearing between us and Dylan and his lawyer about the custody."

"When?" Bella asked looking at the baby in his car seat.

"Next week."