Never Grow Up - Taylor Swift
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Lil Baby Ash:
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"Babe, can you come in here?" Evelyn's voice echoes from the bathroom. Pulling my head away from Asher I walked towards the bathroom to find her sitting on the toilet, a pained look on her face.
"What's wrong?" I ask curiously standing in the doorway.
"You have to hold my hand." She states as I try not to laugh. "I'm not kidding, it hurts to pee. Like really badly." She says as a chuckle escapes my lips and I walk towards her, grabbing a hold of the hand she had reaching out towards me.
She squeezes my hand tightly, "Holy mother of God!" She slightly yells. After another couple of profound words she lets go of my hand and shoo's me away.
She slowly walks out of the bathroom, as I help her back on the bed, "You realize, we're bonded for life now. Just because of that moment." She says, a cheeky grin on her face.
"Not because we're married and just had a baby?"
"Nope. It's because you held my hand while I peed. You're a keeper." She pats the top of my head a couple of times.
I sit on the edge of the bed, grabbing ahold of the bar and wheeling the wood and plastic bassinet towards us. Sticking my hand into the clear part I gently ran my finger along Asher's soft cheek. His tiny hands reached up as he stretches and lets out a little yawn, before he relaxes, wrapping one of his tiny hands around my index finger and a grin spreads across my face.
I felt the bed dip, slightly, beneath me before Evelyn's chin rested on my shoulder, looking down at him sleeping. "He's perfect." She whispers, kissing the edge of my shoulder, intertwining her fingers with mine. Her ring reflecting from the sun coming through the window. I've never felt happier to be up at seven in the morning.
"Look at his chubby little cheeks." Evelyn says as I chuckle.
"He got that from me. I was a fat baby." Which makes sense considering I'm 6'2, 205 lbs.
"I was small, people thought I was premature for the first couple of weeks. They'd ask my mom why I wasn't in the hospital." She says, leaning forward to fix his blanket, she winces slightly before resting her chin back on my shoulder.
"Are you okay?" I ask, resting my head on top of hers.
"Yeah." She says, letting out a deep breath.
"How big would you say our baby is now?" I ask as she chuckles.
"Still the size of a pumpkin."
"That's the last time I'm gonna be asking that for awhile." I say as she slightly frowns.
"I mean... you could still ask, if you wanted." She says smiling cheekily.
"If that's what you want-"
I'm interrupted by a soft knock on the door, "You can come in." I say before the door swings open and in walks Chris, Jake, and Evan.
"How was practice?" I ask knowing damn well what it was like.
"Literal Hell. As usual." Jake says quietly.
Evan walks up, handing me a blue envelope. "It's from the team." He says as I nod my head.
Sliding my finger across it, it rips open as I pull out a white card with the Miami Mavericks logo on it. Opening it up there's a big "Congratulations!" along with signatures from everyone on the team, the team manager, the sports therapists, Tom- my favorite janitor, Coach's assistant, our two assistant coaches, and Coach himself.
"It was Coach's idea, apparently." Chris says quietly, staring down at Asher.
"That's odd." I place my hand back in the bassinet when Asher starts to stir. He wraps his tiny hand around my finger again and immediately settles.
"When do you get to go home?" Evan asks, leaning against the window sill.
"The nurse went to go get the discharge papers like an hour ago so, anytime now." Evelyn says, sighing with her eyes closed.
"Hopefully soon."
✳︎
Making sure the buckle was fastened, correctly and safely, across Asher's chest for the 7th time, I finally, gently, shut the car door before making my way around to the driver side.
Hopping in, I look behind me, "He's okay, Greyson." Evelyn says, resting her hand on my arm.
"How did you even see me? Your eyes are closed."
"I have those special mom powers now. I just know everything." She says, a smile spreading across her lips as she opens one eye. "Now, shut up and drive. I want to go home." Without any other words I put the car in drive and peel out of the parking lot.
The drive is silent, the baby is asleep and Evelyn pretty much is, or so I thought before she speaks up, "Can we stop by Chipotle." A soft chuckle escapes my lips, both my hands gripping the wheel. "I want a quesadilla."
"Yeah baby, that's fine." I say, turning my turn signal on. She reaches over and grabs my right hand, placing it on her thigh.
"You don't need to drive with both hands on the wheel just because there is a newborn baby in the backseat now. You're stressing me out a little." She says chuckling under her breath.
"Sorry, I'm nervous."
"Don't be. You're a perfectly safe driver, I'm not worried." She says as my hand relaxes against the inside of her thigh. Even through my sweatpants that she's wearing I can feel the warmth of her skin.
After stopping at Chipotle and driving through some heavy traffic we finally made it home. After 3 days of getting barely any sleep and stuck in a stuffy hospital room. I would finally get to sleep in my own bed, with Evelyn beside me, and Asher in a bassinet next to the bed.
The garage door closes as we make our way into the house. Walking through the mud room and into the kitchen my ears are greeted by the faint, muffled sound of kids splashing in the pool and a puppy barking at them.
I set the car seat on the island counter top. "I'm going to go change," Evelyn says as she peaks over into the car seat, "I'll take him, he probably needs changed anyways." She says unfastening the buckle before carefully taking him out as he starts to wake up, crying. She pats his back as she heads up the stairs.
Walking through the glass doors Aiden looks up from his computer, "Hey man." He says, sliding his sunglasses on top of his head.
"Hey." I make my way over to him, pulling out a seat at the table under the gazebo.
"How's it feel?" He asks, closing his laptop.
"Honestly? Not real."
He chuckles, taking a sip of his beer, "It'll feel real when your woken up by crying at 2 in the morning." He says as I fold my arms, leaning them on the metal table in front of me.
"I don't doubt it."
"Babe, what time is it?" Gracie asks, walking over to us, Claire cradled in her arms, wrapped in a towel with red, teary eyes.
He glances down at his watch, "Nap time."
"Thought so. Time to get out." She says turning towards the pool.
"Awww. Mom!" Liam whines, "Just five more minutes?"
"No. Come on, let's go." She says, activating her mom voice, as Aiden likes to call it.
The kids reluctantly get out, wrapping towels around their shoulders. "Go sit with your dad." She tells Liam as she grabs Amelia's hand, and shifts Claire so she's resting on her hip, leading them inside.
"Daddy, can I color?" Liam asks as Aiden nods his head.
"Yeah buddy. Go ask Mom where it's at." He nods towards the glass doors as he stands up, grabbing his MacBook.
I follow him as we head inside.
After Gracie gets the kids put down for nap time she comes back down the stairs, "Where's Ev?"
"I'm in here." Evelyn's voice echoes from the living room.
We all walk in to see her laying on the couch, Asher asleep on her chest, and scrolling through Netflix. "Wanna watch a movie?" She looks over at all of us as we make our way to the couch.
"Sure." Gracie says, sitting on the opposite side of the giant L-shaped sectional. Aiden sits beside her as I make my way over to Evelyn. Carefully picking her legs up and setting them on top of my lap.
Her fingers were gently running up and down Asher's back. He was dressed in a light blue onesie, with the little hand covers so he didn't scratch himself.
"What are we feeling?" She asks softly as I shrug my shoulder.
"You guys can pick." Aiden says as Gracie leans into him.
"Where can we watch How to Lose A Guy in 10 days?" Evelyn asks as Gracie lightly gasps.
"I love that movie." She says as Evelyn chuckles.
"It's a favorite rom-com, that's for sure."
"I think you can rent it on Amazon." Gracie says as Liam comes walking in, rubbing his eyes. He climbs onto the couch before climbing across both Aiden and Gracie's lap, shutting his eyes as Gracie runs her finger through his hair. "Look at us and our baby boys."
She says as Evelyn and I both smile, "Wouldn't have it any other way." She says before the movie starts playing. I grab the blanket that was thrown on top of the couch behind me, putting it across Evelyn and I's legs.
I couldn't even tell you what happened during the movie because I was focused on Ev and Asher the whole time.
✳︎
"I missed my bed." Evelyn says, sprawling out on her side of the bed. Her left leg landing on top of my right.
I chuckle, "What time is it?" I ask, yawning.
Asher was currently in a diaper only, laying on my bare chest. Doctor York recommended 60 minutes of uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact daily. Evelyn can do it but Doc said that dad's are more recommended because, dad's mature immune system passes antibodies through his skin to baby and also increases the baby's skin hydration.
"It's only 9:30." She answers, turning on her side, snuggling into me. I wrap my arm around her as she sighs contently, draping her arm across my waist. "Liam told me that I should leave you and marry him instead." She says as I chuckle loudly.
"Traitor."
"I can't help that I'm a lovable person." She says quietly, a small giggle escaping her lips.
"Eh." I make a so-so motion with my hand as she swats my arm.
"Liar." She says as a small laugh escapes my lips. I kiss the top of her head as she looks over at Asher. He sucks on his pacifier as he breaths steadily, his eyes shut. He's laying on his stomach with his face turned towards Evelyn. Tiny hands on either side of his head, his little legs bent, almost like a frog. My hand rests on his back, his soft skin under my rough, callused palms. "Are you ready for the new season to start?"
I let out a breath, "Yes and no."
"Why's that?" She asks looking up at me.
"I'm not ready to be gone on the road, without you guys. But, I'm ready to be back in the game. I'm ready for the adrenaline rush you get when you step out on the ice in front of the thousands of people. To be face to face with the opposing team after a couple months without." I say as she thinks for a minute.
"I was thinking about that actually." She says, slightly sitting up as my brows furrow. "Obviously we can't go to every away game, but we could come to the ones that aren't as far away, at least until he gets older."
"Really?" I ask, a smile forming on my face.
"Yeah. I don't like missing games." She says, laying back down on shoulder.
"I don't like you missing games either." I say as a yawn escapes her lips.
"It's been over an hour by the way." She says running her finger lightly down Asher's cheek. I look down at him sighing, "He looks so peaceful though."
"I don't care, we're just both exhausted so I don't want you to fall asleep with him still laying there."
"I know." I say, removing my arm under Evelyn and resting my hand on the back of his head. Before I stand up and place him in the bassinet on Evelyn's side of the bed. I put the velcro swaddle around him before slipping the pacifier back in his mouth that fell out.
"Did you put Mia in her crate?" Evelyn asks, adjusting. her head on the pillow.
"Aiden did." I answer and she nods her head, her eyes falling heavy. I slip off my sweatpants before climbing under the covers. Evelyn scoots back before her back hits my chest as I bury my face in her hair, taking in her coconut scented shampoo and conditioner, draping my arm over her stomach, I feel her hand rest on top of mine before I feel myself drifting off to sleep.
Word Count: 2,2426
The next chapter will be set about a month from now. I decided to go ahead and skip since we're already on chapter 24. It'll be the first game of the season, as we've gone 24 chapters without hockey lol.
So, I'm sure you all saw the chapter announcing "Enforcing the Enforcer." I've actually decided to wait for that book.
I've been writing a book that's not apart of this series and I have so many ideas for other books clouding my ideas and thoughts for Chris & Sailor's book that I can't come up with anything.
I want their book to be good and have my full focus so, until I know that I can give it at least 90%, I will not be starting to post it.