Luna~
"Well, I would say just a few more days. You're a centimeter dilated and I'm thinking he's ready to get out. Any more contractions since a few weeks ago?"
"Super small ones. Nothing huge like before."
"Okay. Any day now he should be here. Everything should go by smoother and a little faster than last time."
"Okay, thank you."
"Just keep relaxing. I know that's probably not your favorite thing to do but it's what you need."
I know she's right and I know Christian's right. "If it's been a week since today and you want to schedule an induction, go ahead. He's right on time and is perfectly healthy."
"Okay."
"I'll see you both soon."
"Thank you," Christian tells her before we head out.
We head to his car and I get in. "Do you need anything while we're out?"
"No."
"Tired?"
I nod, "She woke up at 3:30 crying about something. Then we stayed up for another hour before she went back down."
"Why didn't you come and get me?"
"Because you're an athlete who needs sleep."
"And you're pregnant and need your sleep too."
"It's fine. I'm just gonna sleep while you're gone. Your mom is taking her to the zoo so I'll have the house to myself which means I can sleep."
He puts his arm across the console and I lean on it. Her saying that I only have a few more days of being pregnant is the best thing I've heard. And it's the most convenient time too. Next week is the All-Star game and that whole thing so Christian will already be off and I don't need to worry about him being in a different city that isn't Milwaukee.
We get back home and I grab a bottled water before heading downstairs where it's cold meaning I can wrap myself in a blanket without getting hot. Plus, it's dark so I can sleep.
I grab a blanket from my office closet and throw it on the couch. "You sure you're okay?" Christian asks me.
"Yeah."
"You just look really sad."
"Tired, that's all."
He hugs me, "I'm gonna head out. Call me if you need something."
I nod against him, "I'll be here."
"Mom's still upstairs but they're going to leave soon. I'm taking your car and she's taking mine."
"Okay."
He kisses me, "I love you."
"I love you too. Win for me?"
He chuckles, "I'll see what I can do."
I keep hugging him and he doesn't let go either. "I know you have to leave but I don't want you to."
He holds me tighter, "I won't let go until you do."
"Oh, you shouldn't have said that because now I don't want to."
He laughs again, "You should probably go before I start crying," I tell him.
He kisses the top of my head, "Let me know if you need anything."
"I will." He's so worried about me it's really cute.
I let go of him because I know he has to get going. He heads upstairs after watching me get comfy on the couch. Busy day for me. Sleep, sleep, and more sleep.
I make myself comfortable around the pregnancy pillow before putting the blanket on me. I'm gonna sleep so well for the next few hours.
"A few more days little boy, a few more days."
I wake up to a sharp pain in my abdomen. Okay, we're going to do this now. Cool. I reach for my phone that sat on the side table. It's already 9:30. I have no idea how I slept as long as I did.
"Mama?"
I look over at Sienna as she looks at me. "Hi, honey, what are you still doing up?"
"I wanted to say goodnight."
"C'mon, let's go upstairs. You need to go to bed."
I get up after the pain subsides. I guess we're doing this now. You know what, that's fine with me. I know he's healthy. But I'm waiting until Christian gets home to say anything. I'll be fine. I know how long I have before I need to go in. My body knows.
"Hey, you're up, I was going to come get her and put her down soon," Alecia says as I walk up the stairs.
"I got her."
"Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, but I'm gonna go shower. I don't want you to freak out but I think we're gonna head in after he gets back. Don't tell him if he's back before I get out it's just going to worry him."
She gets up, "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah, just gonna go shower since I know I won't be able to for a couple of days."
"Okay, yell if you need anything."
"I will."
I get her up to her room, "Baby?"
"Your little brother might be here soon. Maybe tonight."
She gasps as I get her tucked into her new bed. "I love you. Daddy loves you too. If daddy and I aren't here in the morning, grandma will be, okay? She'll bring you to us when we have some time, okay? Papa might stop by tomorrow too if daddy and I aren't here."
"Okay." I give her her favorite blanket and stuffed animal before kissing the top of her head. "Okay, I love you. Goodnight, sweetie."
"Night, mama. Love you." I turn on the sound machine and close her door when I head out. She is no longer going to be an only child by the end of tomorrow. He's coming. We need to head in when he gets home.
I go turn the shower on and put out some clothes so I can quickly change after I'm done.
Christian~
I quickly get home after the game and make my way inside. "Oh, honey you might want to go check on Luna," my mom tells me as I set the keys down.
"Why?"
"Just go do it."
"Is she downstairs?"
"Upstairs."
God, I'm so tired. I quietly open Sienna's door to see if she's sleeping and when I find that she is, I quietly shut the door and make my way into our room. "Babe?"
"Yeah?" I hear quietly coming from the bathroom.
I walk into the bathroom to find her showering. "Are you okay?"
She takes a while to answer me. I can hear her breathing as she takes her time to answer me. "You could say that?"
"What is going on?"
"Uh, contractions are about fifteen minutes apart."
Contractions? Why didn't anybody tell me? "Why are you showering right now? You should've been ready to go so we can leave."
"Christian, calm down. I'm fine. I'm not going to be able to shower for a couple of days after he's here. I am fine. In a little bit of pain but nothing awful."
"We need to leave right now."
"I have shampoo in my hair. We can wait. I will be fine. He's going to be fine."
She's crazy, right? Yes, yes she is. "Well, hurry up."
I head downstairs, "Can you come tell your daughter-in-law to hurry up? Because I'm convinced she doesn't think she needs to hurry."
My mom stands up and heads upstairs with me, "Christian, I promise that your wife is fine and knows what her body can take by now."
"Luna? Are you okay?" my mom asks her as I stand behind her.
"Yeah."
"Have you felt any more contractions?"
"Yeah, a couple of minutes ago. They're like fifteen minutes apart."
"Okay. Do you need or want anything?"
"Can you heat some of that food?"
"Of course, I'll put it in a container so you can take it with you."
She comes back out into our room, "She's fine. She knows what her body is doing and you need to trust her on that. I did it three times and I promise you that I knew. She knows what she needs right now. Go get anything you might need. I got Sienna for the night or the next couple of nights. Calm down. She doesn't need to see you stressed out that's only going to make it worse."
"Okay."
"Christian?"
"Yeah?" I ask going back into the bathroom. She pokes her head around the shower curtain, "Did you really get your mom to come in here and try to yell at me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I'm fine. Can you make sure everything's in the car?"
"It is."
"Please go double-check. I'll be out in like five minutes."
I grab both of our chargers and put those in my pocket before going to check the car. I know everything is in there because we've had it in there after the first time we had to go in.
"Christian, did you want some food too?"
"Wouldn't hurt to bring some."
I head back upstairs and notice the water turned off. Finally. I let myself into the bathroom and lean against the sink. I watch her reach for a towel before stepping out.
"You're very stubborn."
"Thank you for telling me something that I already know."
"You just had to shower?"
"Christian, let it go. I'm fine."
"When did they start?"
"It woke me up around 9:30."
"You slept for that long?"
"I told you I was tired." I hand her the clothes she set out.
"I know, I didn't think that tired though."
She stops what she's doing and reaches for me. "Okay, I'm here. I got you. You did this before, you can do it again."
She tilts her head back, eyes closed, keeping her hands on my arms. "I think I decided to block this part out from last time."
"I don't blame you."
Luna~
"Didn't think I'd see you guys so soon," Dr. Bowen says as I lay in the bed, trying to find a spot where I'm comfortable.
"He didn't want to wait."
"Has your water broke?"
"No, I started getting contractions around 9:30 and they were fifteen minutes apart. Then when we got here they were more like five. Really strong. Really annoying."
"Okay, I'm gonna have a nurse come in and break your water. Anything else?"
"Not that I can think of."
"Okay, I'll be back in an hour or two to come check on you."
She leaves and I look over at Christian. He's so tired. He's had a really long day. "If you want to take a nap you can," I tell him.
"Not until you get your epidural."
"Well, come over here then."
He pushes a chair over on the other side of me and sits down. He offers out his hand I accept it. "She's really excited," I tell him.
"Sienna?"
"Yeah."
"That doesn't surprise me. She's been excited since that day she could understand."
He leans his head on the plastic railing, "Did you win?"
"5-2. RBI single, as well as a double, and I got walked a couple of times."
"I know I had the game on but I was sleeping."
"That's okay. I know you're tired."
He puts his free hand on my bump, "Ready?"
"I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore."
He laughs, "I already know that."
"I just want to hold him and love him."
"Any names you've been thinking of?"
I shake my head, "I haven't thought of any."
"We'll think of something."
I watch as Christian holds our little boy against his chest. He's the sweetest thing. I wasn't in labor for long which was a blessing. Only about four hours so much faster than Sienna.
Christian looks up at me with tears in his eyes, "Thank you," he tells me.
He knows that I'm emotional right now so I don't know why he keeps saying these cute things. "Why are you thanking me?"
"Because he's perfect. Sienna's perfect. We have the most perfect kids and there's no one else I can thank except for you."
"Come over here." I move over to one side of the bed and wait for him to come sit down by me. He sits down by me and I lean my head on his arm as he holds our baby boy. He has so much hair, just like Sienna did.
Our baby boy looks up at us and I smile. "We make some cute kids."
"They're pretty cute," I tell him, putting my hand over his.
"Mama! I miss you," Sienna says as her and Alecia walk into the room. Trin and my dad have been here for the past hour meeting the newest addition.
"Baby?"
"Your little brother is here," Christian tells her as he sits next to me. She goes over to him and he picks her up and sets her in his lap. I maneuver our little boy so she can see him.
She gasps, "Baby so cute."
"Do we have a name?" Alecia asks.
I look over at Christian so he can agree with what we talked about. He nods and I glance around at everyone. "Paxton Grant. He was six pounds, eleven ounces, and twenty inches long."
"Pax?" Sienna says, looking up at me. Pax works too.
"Yeah."
"I love it," Trin says but continues, "Mom would be proud."
I just nod, knowing I'm not going to keep it together if I say anything more. I know she would be.
"I'm gonna head out," Christian tells me as I lay in our bed while I feed Paxton.
"Okay, I'll see you later."
"Mom just put her down for a nap so you can nap if you want to also."
"Okay, I will." He leans down and kisses me, "I love you."
"I love you too."
I watch him leave and close the door behind me. "Just you and me, Pax."
I feel complete with him. He completes us as a family. Four of us. Evenly split. It's perfect. Everything is perfect. Sienna loves him just as I suspected she would. Alecia has been a saving grace for the past week. I don't think I'd be able to do this without her help. The number of dinners she has made and has been spending time with Sienna when I can't because I'm either feeding Paxton or just, in general, healing from having another kid.
Christian has been great, like always, but I did just have a baby in the middle of the season, so he can't help out as much as he wants to. But even him just coming home at night a doing a couple of things for me is helping out.
It's been weird adjusting to having two kids. Sienna wants to help out as much as possible, which I absolutely adore.
We'll get through this season and the following seasons just fine if that means I have to step down and not travel with the team anymore. If I can do all of my work from Milwaukee, that'd be great. I could still travel to Chicago and Minneapolis since they're close and the kids can come with us. We'll figure this out.
Although, I do miss working. I mean, I've been on maternity leave since I was 32 weeks. Plus after having him, I get twelve more weeks. There's no point in me finishing the season even if they were to make it to the postseason. I'll just watch from the sidelines and watch Christian play his final years as a Brewer. It's crazy to think in a couple of years, we won't be in Milwaukee much. I'm sure we'll visit because there's no chance I get my family out to Malibu. Although, I don't think living in Scottsdale wouldn't be bad either. We'll end up in one of those cities and visit back to Milwaukee frequently more baseball games and holidays. There's no way I can leave my city for good. Milwaukee's home. And I love home.
The more I look at Paxton, the more he looks like Christian. Remember when I thought Sienna looked like Christian? Yeah, she doesn't. She's a carbon copy of me and he's a carbon copy of Christian. There is no denying that we make beautiful children. They're both perfect and beautiful and they complete me.
They complete me as a person. As a mother. As a reporter. Everything. Life changed a lot compared to six years ago. Six years ago, I wouldn't have thought about being in Milwaukee ever again. Six years ago, children weren't on the radar just yet. Six years ago, marriage wasn't on the table. Six years ago, I was still working at a news station, starting out. Something I once hated but now, I'm living out my dream and I couldn't be more thankful. Thankful for Christian. Thankful for every bad thing that happened because every bad beginning has a good ending. Growing as a person, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Thankful for family and friends. Everything. I wouldn't be the person I am without everything that has happened.
A/N: I'm definitely wrapping this one up. I'm gonna do a couple of time jumps in the next few updates!🤍