The Cortez Chronicles: Volume One

Story One: Night of Fire and Stars: Prologue

PROLOGUE

It was the shrill cry of a hungry baby that had pulled the large man from his bed, the mattress shifting beneath the weight of him moving into a seated position as he threw the covers off himself and dropped his feet to the floor with only a murmur to his wife that it was his turn. She had gratefully, if not a little incoherently, mumbled her acceptance of this before quickly falling back to sleep.

That had been forty-five minutes ago, time in which a bottle had been made, warmed and given to the wailing baby girl Alex had pulled from her crib, coiling her tiny frame into the crook of his arm as he plopped the bottle into the small 'o' of her lips. Now daddy and daughter sat together in the corner of the nursery, his mountainous frame clad in nothing but a pair of boxers and the comforting mixture of a rocking chair creaking and a baby sucking on the side of her fist filling the air.

"You've got your times mixed up baby girl." He murmured to her in ought but a whisper. "That bottle was supposed to put you back to sleep."

There was a long pause in both his words and the creak of the rocking chair as his free arm lifted so that Alex could swipe his hand over his face, fingertips ducked in to rub his eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose. Soft fussing caused his hand to fall away and his feet to pick back up on rocking the chair back and forth hoping to sooth the upset infant in his arms. For five months now they had danced through this nightly routine; feeding, diaper change, softly murmured words to sooth and calm. He loved his daughter but Good Gracious he was exhausted.

They tell you it's going to be exhausting, that you will spend months, maybe years of interrupted sleep to raise your child, but no amount of warning is ever enough to fully prepare you for what is awaiting you. Yet, despite the droop of his eyelids and the way his body screamed to return to sleep, Alex kept rocking himself back and forth in the chair, letting the sound of it lull both himself and Olivia. Though he wasn't much of a singer, his deep rumble sang out a tender lullaby as he gazed down into a pair of bright blue eyes that were far too clear and awake for his liking.

"Hush little Livvie don't say a word, daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mocking bird don't sing, daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring." Blue eyes remained staring up into his face at the raspy sung lyrics.

"Would you like that?" He questioned, his index finger and thumb gently played with her hand, pressing her fingers apart so the pad of his thumb could brush against her palm. His lips formed a loving smile as tiny fingers curled around his knuckle with a strength he found encouraging.

"What do you think little bobcat? Will you be a diamond girl, or more of an animal lover? Your mommy likes to say she doesn't like shiny things... but just between you and me she's as bad as a crow when it comes to sparkles and her talons are about as long." His deep chuckle rumbled as his daughter cooed her response.

"Are you telling our daughter lies about me?"

Alexander glanced up to the doorway, spotting his wife leaning there against the jam. Even with the shadows cast upon her features from the star nightlight shining on the changing table he was able to see the somewhat tense expression lining her face that was not caused by her teasing words.

"Sharing secrets is how I'll get her to like me more than you." He jested lightly, dark brown eyes grazing over her weary face.

Erin smiled a little at his response, blue eyes that matched their daughter's rolling before she was pushing off the door jam and heading his way. She wore only one of his old t-shirts, a dark navy blue from his university days. He barely wore it any more because of where stitching had let go at the seems and how thread bare it was in places, but Erin loved it. While Alexander stood 6'5 and weighed about two hundred and twenty pounds of solid muscle, Erin was a slender 5'6 and thus she swam in his shirts. In her books this made his old, warn out t-shirt perfect for bedtime wear. Not that he would ever complain, the sight was enough to make his heart swell with affection and his gut tighten with desire.