Second Time Around

Chapter Sixty-Nine

For the next few days, Kelly was inundated with visitors, from Tony's parents to some of her clients, but she didn't mind. She remembered what Tony had told Shane when he was recovering from his appendectomy and tried to move as normally as possible whenever she could. As a result, by the day after Anthony's birth, she was getting around almost perfectly.

Her hospital room overflowed with flowers and balloons, cards and gifts, and when it was time to go home, it took Tony and Amy two trips to bring everything down.

Kelly cradled Anthony as she settled in the wheelchair and smiled up at Tony. "That's what happens with you have a baby with a popular teacher and legendary coach," she said. "You get a lot of stuff."

Tony bent to kiss the top of her head. "Not everything came from my kids, you know. I see a few unfamiliar names on those cards."

"My clients like me, what can I say?"

"They've got good taste." Tony winked as he wheeled her out of her room and down the hallway toward the elevators. The nurses all came to say goodbye and congratulate them once more, and then they were going down and outside into the warm June sunshine.

Anthony slept the entire way home, and Kelly sighed as she settled him in his bassinet in the family room, then flopped carefully onto the sofa. "Wow... it's been a long time since I've had a sleeping baby to worry about."

Tony flopped down next to her. "Tell me about it. My youngest is sixteen."

"No, your youngest is your son, remember. And he's a whole four days old." She smiled over at him. "Daddy."

"My son." He winked. "I like how that sounds."

Nodding toward the framed photos of him with newborn Amy and newborn Deirdre, she said, "We have another one to put up. Nurse McKenzie took an awesome one of you and Anthony that I want to hang."

He glanced at the photos in question. "I was a hell of a lot younger in those days. Look how dark my hair is. Not one gray to be found."

"Ah, I like the gray. Or, silver, as I prefer to call it." She reached over to thread her fingers through the soft hair over his right ear. "You, Mr. Marino, are one hot dad. A DILF, if ever there was one."

He grinned and winked again. "A DILF."

"Sure. If I'm a MILF, it stands to reason, you'd be a DILF. Although," she sighed softly, running her fingers through her own hair this time, "I'm not feeling so MILF-ish right now."

"You had a baby four days ago, honey." His hand came to rest on her thigh. "You'll be back in perfect MILF fashion in no time."

"Well, I'm on the bench for the next eight weeks."

"And you're going to rest as much as possible." He shifted, easing onto his elbow to face her. "I'm done with school in ten days and football camps don't start until the end of July. You, my love, are going to take it easy and let us take care of you."

"Do the kids know about this?"

"Actually, yes. I made sure they all knew. Amy and Dee are working, but they'll do their part."

"Alyssa wanted to get a job, but I told her not until next year. Sixteen is young enough." Anthony cooed and she paused, waiting to see if he was going to start to fuss. But he just wriggled around, then went quiet once more. "It's hard to believe it's almost been a year since that faceplant."

"I never would have thought a girl falling off the bleachers would change my life." He glanced toward the bassinet. "Damn, I'm glad I didn't blow off that Back to School Night."