DREA (GxG)

Bonus Chapter - {I do}

Knock knock!

The room was still shrouded in darkness when my eyes fluttered open. As my consciousness came back to me, so did a million thoughts of Squishy. Is he still alive? Did some random invisible baby thief come and snatch him in the middle of the night? I flipped around to face the door and saw Steph coming through with him cradled in her arms.

"Good morning." She said wearing a smile. "I have a delivery for the bride from the other bride?"

"Good morning, Steph." I reached out to take him from her, my movements gentle so as to not wake him from his sleep just yet. The minute I had him cradled, I had my palm firm against his chest too. Just to make sure. His quick heartbeat made me smile and I relaxed against the pillow again.

Steph simply smiled at my behaviour but she didn't ridicule me and I figured it was because she understood my paranoia.

"Shall I open these?" She asked as she spun towards the blinds.

"Yes, thank you." I unwrapped Squishy's blanket and as I did, a letter jumped out at me. I smiled and rested it aside, excited to read it but wanting to get this baby fed first. I gently rubbed his tummy to wake him up then kissed his face a few times. I felt him stretch in my arms and yawn in the most adorable way. "Good morning, my love!"

His eyes opened to look at me and he perched his lips as if to respond. I caressed his head as my gaze shifted to the clock on the bedside table, the time 7:16 a.m. displayed on it in red. Next to it was a neatly folded letter and I reached for it, offering it to Steph. "Can you get this to Drea, please?"

"Of course." She Came over to take it from my hand before turning towards the door again. "I'll leave you to it."

"I'll be down in a few minutes."

"We'll see you soon then."

The door closed with a click and as it did, I took out a boob for Squishy. He had begun to squirm in my hand, letting his hunger be known. His little squeaks had somewhat gotten stronger, more depth, but they were still very cute. He latched on immediately, and as he fed, I caressed his head. It was our special way of bonding and his absolute favourite thing to have me do, even after five months. His hair was still very dark but it was not as straight as it was when he was born. It was starting to wave and that knowledge made me just a tad curious if his hair would turn out as curly as my own. His eyes were also not as dark as they once were, transitioning from what was seemingly a shade of dark bluish grey to a dark brown that is now lightening to an hazel color.

It scares me how much he looks like me now and not at all like Daniel. Sometimes, I think he even looks like Drea. Especially in the way he smiles and laughs. Not to mention how attached he is to her but I know that's all in my head.

He embraced my touch as he suckled, his eyes opened and locked onto mine. "Mama wrote a letter for us," I said in a low voice. "Do you think we should read it?"

I got no response, just his unwavering gaze as he stared up into my face. I reached for the letter that arrived with him and carefully extricated it from its envelope. It was two pages of words and they were written in a fancy cursive on the center of each sheet. I read it out loud for Squishy to hear too.

Dear Julia,

I struggle to find the right words to convey the depth of my gratitude on this momentous day, as we stand on the threshold of becoming Mrs. and Mrs. Jones. Our journey was riddled with its fair share of hurdles. We sped, got traffic tickets, ran out of gas even crashed. It has been nothing short of an adventure. But you know what, Julia? Through it all, we not only persevered but also learned how to navigate the road of life together, and that, my love, feels like the most beautiful accomplishment.