Night Changes [N.H]

Chapter 71

Nothing to worry about, nothing to bother him.

Owen represented everything innocent.

By the time that Niall and my mom came back to pick us up and bring us to the airport, I was all set to be discharged.

I changed Owen into his going home outfit- a onsie that said "crazy mofos" on it, just like the one that Niall had. I had one as well, and Niall promised he would wear his so we would all be matching. 

I almost laughed at myself and all the effort we were putting into our "going home" outfits. We were just going home, right?

It felt good to get up and walk around again. I had been in bed for days recovering, but now I could walk slowly.

Niall and my mom returned as I was just finishing feeding Owen, and Niall kept his promise of wearing his Crazy Mofos shirt. I smiled as he walked through the door.

"You two look great," Niall said when he walked in.

Other than my T-Shirt, I was wearing a pair of sweatpants and my hair was a mess. Just because I had my baby didn't mean that my body went back to normal right away. It would take a while for my stomach to shrink back down, and right now it was just hanging out.

I laughed, but he came over for a kiss.

My mom asked if she could take a picture of us, and Niall handed her the camera.

Niall and I stood against a wall and I held Owen so all of our shirts could be seen. Niall had his arm around me and we were all smiling like our lives depended on it.

We wouldn't be going home together, exactly. Niall was going to Augusta to golf, and even if we wanted to it would be too obvious, so he would be taking a private plane and I would be with my mom on a regular plane.

My doctor had to stay a few extra days to finalize paperwork and organize everything, but she would be back in town soon enough for any other appointments I would need to attend.

Niall bought out the entire first-class section so Owen could scream and eat all he wanted and we wouldn't disturb other passengers.

The flight was nearly fourteen hours, and wasn't exactly relaxing. I don't think anything will ever be relaxing again as long as I live. 

Even just arriving in New York, everything felt so different. Getting off the plane with a baby on my hip made me feel different. 

I had to put on a sweatshirt over my shirt to hide the fact that it said "crazy mofos", and even though it was April, it was still pretty chilly.

"This is your home," I whispered to Owen when we got dropped off at the apartment building. It's not like he would understand me even if he wasn't sleeping. 

I didn't have the stroller with me, only the carrier, and it was starting to hurt my arm. My mom helped me bring in over a month's worth of my luggage as well as her own, and then we went up to my apartment.

As much as I loved traveling and seeing the world, it felt so good to be home after everything that had happened. Having a drawer full of diapers, a closet full of clothes, a room full of toys, and everything I needed right in front of me made me feel so much more secure. 

I fished my key out of my bag and twisted the door handle.

My apartment looked exactly the same as I left it before.

I took a deep breath, and looked across the room at the giant window overlooking Central Park. The same window I sat by when Niall and I had an argument. The same window I stood by with all my friends and family at Owen's baby shower. The same window I looked out of when snow covered all the trees, and now were in full bloom.