Just a heads up that this chapter is probably very intense.
Grayson
Three weeks. Just three weeks left until the due date and I couldn't wait. I wanted Ryder to be born so bad. I wanted to hold him and just be a father. I didn't care that I was twenty and still in university.
Graeme thought that I was weird when I talked to him a few days ago and told him how excited I was for Ryder to come. He didn't understand that I wanted to be the father that mine wasn't. I wanted my little boy to know what it was like to have both parents, not neither.
Poppy was out of the house right now, getting some of the cookies she was really craving. I offered to go for her, but she said she really needed the fresh air. I had been leaving the apartment to go to work, so I wasn't coped up as much as her.
Since she was going to be home any moment, I began looking through the fridge to find something for dinner. Maybe poutine.... Poppy seemed to like that.
My cell phone started ringing, so I picked it up and looked at the caller id. I didn't recognize the number, but I answered anyway. "Hello?" I asked.
"Hello, Grayson Prince?" the person on the other line asked.
"Yes, that's me," I said.
"We have you under Poppy McCormick's emergency contact," the person said.
Emergency contact. "Yeah, I am. Why?"
"She was hit by a speeding car and is currently in the emergency room," the voice said.
My heart dropped as soon as she said that. I hung up immediately and grabbed my keys before hurrying out of the apartment and going to my car. While I was driving to the hospital, I dialed Elliot's phone number. "Hello?" Elliot answered.
"Elliot, I need you to come to the hospital please," I said.
"The hospital? Why? Is everything okay?" she asked.
"I....I don't know," I said. "Poppy....she was hit by a car and....and she's in the emergency room and...."
"Grayson," Elliot interrupted. "We'll be there soon, okay? Just hang in there." She hung up.
When I got to the hospital, I hurried inside, my heart beating out of my chest. My Flower....She had to be okay. I couldn't lose her. She was my everything, my whole world.
I went to the front desk. "I'm here to see Poppy McCormick," I said.
"I'm afraid nobody could see her at the moment," the man behind the desk said.
"Please, I need to see her," I said, tears forming in the corner of my eyes.
"Sir, you're going to have to wait here," he said. "They're going to try their best, but nobody can see her at the moment."
"You don't understand," I said. "She's my girlfriend! She's carrying my baby! I need to see her!"
"Sir, I'm going to need you to calm down," he said. "We understand, but nobody is allowed to see her at the moment."
Before I could object anymore, a hand wrapped around my arm and tried pulling me away. "Grayson, come on," Elliot said. "Just sit down in the waiting area."
I pulled my arm out from her grasp. "Elliot, I can't just wait. I have to see her now!"
I was about to head to the emergency room, defying the orders, but strong hands caught me this time and I knew it was Laughlin. He had one hand wrapped around my wrist and the other firmly on my shoulder. Why did I call them here again?
"Let me go!" I said.
I tried escaping from Laughlin's grip, but I had to admit, he was way stronger than me. Every time I struggled, his grip tightened on me. "You need to calm down," he told me.
"Not when I don't know how my girlfriend or baby is doing!" I said.
"Grayson, calm down," Elliot said, standing in front of me. "Freaking out won't do anything, alright? They're trying their best."
I stopped trying to escape from Laughlin and lowered my head, tears flowing freely now. Laughlin released my wrist and shoulder.
"Where's your cell phone?" Elliot asked. I pulled it out of my pocket and gave it to her, though she immediately gave it to her husband. "Call Poppy's parents," she told him. "Her last name is McCormick and I believe her dad's name is Gene. Look for him in the contacts." Laughlin nodded and did so.
Elliot led me to a nearby wall and I slumped to the ground, leaning against the wall and resting my forehead on my knees. Elliot crouched down beside me and rubbed my back. "It's okay," she said softly. "Poppy will be fine. Ryder will be fine."
"How do you know?" I asked, looking up at her. "Poppy was hit by a speeding car. She could die from the injuries. The impact could have killed my son. If they both die, I....I might....I can't....I can't lose them."
Elliot sat down beside me and rested her head on my shoulder. It was times like these that I was thankful my cousin was always there for me. "I don't know exactly how you're feeling," she said, "but I'm worried too. Poppy is one of my best friends. I mean, she was my maid of honor after all. You just have to hope she'll make it."
"Grayson?" I heard someone say. I looked up. Great. The devil's spawn decided to show up. "I heard what happened?" How did she hear that? "Is Poppy okay?"
"Like you care," I said.
"That's not fair," Belle said.
"It's not?" I asked. "You're the one who told Mina that Poppy is pregnant. Because of you, rumors went around. A lot of people called her a whore and they said she didn't even love me. You even said that you were surprised that I hadn't broken up with her yet."
Belle crossed her arms. "I am surprised. You were the bad boy in high school. People don't change just like that!"
"They do for other people!" I said. "I changed for her! And even if I didn't, she would still accept me because she knows what I went through! And if you had a problem with us, why not say anything? Why now, after we've been together for over two years?!"
"You know what? I don't have time for this," Belle said. "I came to see if Poppy was okay, not to be yelled at by you."
"Why shouldn't I yell at you?!" I asked. "Do you know all the crap we had to go through because of you?!"
"Grayson, just calm down," Elliot said. "Freaking out on her, no matter how big of a jerk she is, won't change anything."
"A jerk?" Belle asked. "You know what, you have no say in this."
"He's my cousin," Elliot said. "I have a say in anything that involves him."
"Just stay out of it," Belle snapped. "You don't have to be so nosy."
"Yeah, I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to my wife like that," Laughlin said, suddenly standing behind Belle. "Does she have to be here?"
"No, she doesn't," I said as Laughlin handed me my phone.
"I came to see how Poppy is," Belle said. "I still care about her."
"If you care about her, you wouldn't have told Mina that she is pregnant," I said. "You wouldn't have been fine with her calling Poppy a whore!"
Belle scoffed, obviously wanting to stay to see Poppy since she walked over to one of the chairs away from us and sat down.
"Laughlin, can you go see if they'll tell you anything about Poppy and Ryder's condition?" Elliot asked. Laughlin nodded and walked up to the receptionist. He came back in less than a minute, saying they didn't know anything yet.
It wasn't long before Poppy's family arrived, all three of them looking worried. Her parents, Gene and Izzy, went to the receptionist desk as Tony walked over to us. "Is she okay?" he asked me.
"I don't know," I said. "They won't tell us and....I can't lose them."
Tony crouched on the other side of me. "She'll be okay. she's strong like that."
"I don't know if she will...." I said quietly.
Tony brought me into a hug and I hugged him back. I always though of him as an older brother, especially because Graeme hadn't always been one to me. tony was always there for me, especially when I was going through depression.
Gene and Izzy walked over to us, a few tears in Izzy's eyes. "They won't tell us anything," she said. "I have to know how my daughter and grandson are doing."
"What happened anyway?" Tony asked.
I shrugged. "I don't know. I got a call from the hospital and they told me Poppy was hit by a speeding car. They never told me how it happened or how badly injured she is. They're not even telling me how Ryder is doing."
"Grayson Prince?" a doctor called from near the receptionist desk. I got up and walked over. "You're the father of Poppy's baby, right?" I nodded. "Well, he had to do an emergency cesarean. The pressure of getting hit by the car caused Poppy to go into labor but because she's currently unconscious, we had to do the cesarean."
"Wait," I said. "So our baby....He's...."
The doctor smiled. "He was officially born today, May 22nd. He's a healthy baby and miraculously wasn't injured t all. One of the doctors will bring him to you shortly."
I couldn't believe it. Not only was my son fine, but he was actually born. His due date wasn't for another three weeks, but he was born. And in a few moments, I would be able to hold him.
I wiped a few tears away from my eyes. "And....How's Poppy doing?"
The doctor sighed. "I'm afraid I don't know yet. They're trying their hardest in there, though. As soon as I find out how she's doing, I'll let you know. Now, for the baby, do you have anything with you for him?"
"Yeah, actually," I said. "We kept a bag for him in my car just in case." I turned around and gestured for Elliot to come here. She did, looking concerned, but I didn't tell her what was going on. I pulled my car keys out of my pocket. "Can you go to my car and get the black bag out of the backseat?"
"Yeah, sure," she said, walking out of the hospital without any questions.
I looked at the doctor again. "When the doctor brings your son to you, you can keep him with you in the waiting room while you wait for Poppy," he said. "He shouldn't need any medical care since he's doing perfect."
I nodded. "Okay."
Another doctor walked over, carrying a baby wrapped in a blue blanket. "Grayson Prince?" she asked and I nodded. "Here is your healthy baby boy."
Words couldn't even describe the emotions I was feeling when I looked at my son. His bright blue eyes reminded me so much of Poppy's even though she had brown eyes. The way they sparkled were so similar.
I felt even more emotional when I was holding him. God, he was so cute. I never thought I would have a kid when I was only twenty, but here I was, holding my son for the first time.
"I have the bag," Elliot said as she walked over. Her eyes then landed on my son. "Holy crap. Is that....? He's okay! Oh my gosh, he's so cute! I thought he wasn't due for another three weeks."
"Apparently, being hit by the car caused Poppy to go into labor," I said. "They had to do a cesarean, but he's perfectly healthy and didn't get hurt at all."
The doctor told me again that he would tell me if he found anything about Poppy before walking away.
"Man, now I can't wait to have my baby," Elliot said, her hand resting on her stomach. "I have thirty-two weeks to go...."
"You never know, your baby might come early," I said. "Or late."
"Come on, let's go see everyone else," Elliot said. "They'll be happy to see him."
I nodded and we waked over to everyone else. "So," I said. "Ryder turned out to be fine. Not a single scratch."
Izzy walked over to me, her eyes watering. "Oh my gosh," she said. "He's so precious. "What's his full name?"
"Ryder Tony Prince," I replied.
That got Tony to smile. "You guys named him after me?"
"Poppy wanted to after everything you've done for us," I said. "And you helped me so much through my depression."
"Can I hold him?" Tony asked.
"Yeah, of course," I said, gently handing Ryder over to Tony. I didn't really want to, but Poppy was his sister and he was struggling with her being in the hospital as much as I was.
"How's Poppy doing?" Gene asked.
"The doctor didn't say," I said. "He doesn't know how she it yet, but he said he'll tell me her condition if he finds out. But right now, I'm just happy my son's okay."
"Isn't Ryder cute?" Elliot asked Laughlin, wrapping her arm around Laughlin's waist since she was shorter than him. "Just think, in thirty-two weeks, we'll have our baby."
"And we'll be deprived from our sleep," Laughlin said. "Remember Elizabeth?"
Elliot groaned. "Don't remind me."
"Who's Elizabeth?" I asked.
"When we were in the eleventh grade, we had to raise one of those realistic dolls for our health class," Elliot said. "Laughlin and I literally got no sleep whatsoever." She then turned to her husband. "Hey, if we have a girl, can we name her Elizabeth?"
"Of course," Laughlin replied, pressing a kiss on Elliot's forehead.
"Hold on," Gene spoke up. "You're the one that called me, right?" Laughlin nodded. "So you're Grayson's cousin's husband?" Gene then looked at Elliot. "And you're Grayson's cousin? you two look awfully young."
"Yeah, we got that when we announced our engagement," Elliot said. "I'm the same age as Poppy and Laughlin is the same age as Grayson. So, nineteen and twenty."
"Well, you two must love each other a whole lot," Gene said with a smile. "I remember when I proposed to my wide when we were twenty and she turned me down."
"I did not," Izzy objected. "I said no when we proposed to me when we were eighteen."
"Ah, that's right," Gene said.
"Mom? Dad?" Tony spoke up. "Can I just say how much I'm loving my nephew? he's so adorable. God job, Grayson. You made an adorable baby."
"Thanks?"
"He looks a lot like you," Tony said. "But his eyes are like Poppy's."
I smiled faintly. "Yeah." I looked down, not wanting to think about the love of my life right now. I was so worried she wouldn't make it. I couldn't lose her. There was no way I could raised Ryder on my own. But more importantly, there was no way I could lose the love of my life.
The doctor that told me about Ryder walked over to us. "I suppose you're all Poppy's family and friends?" he asked. Everyone nodded. "Well, I finally got some news on Poppy. She is a very lucky girl. The main problem was her back because of her recent injury, but the doctors were able to fix it. She's fine."
I swear, I had never been so happy in my life. My Flower was okay. She survived. I didn't lose her.
"Can I see her?" I asked, a large lump in my throat. I was going to break down and cry any second.
The doctor nodded. "She's awake now and can take visitors. Though don't all crowd in there. She needs a bit of space."
"Grayson first," Gene said. "Tony, you go as well since you're carrying Ryder."
Tony and I followed the doctor to Poppy's hospital room. When I saw her, I couldn't keep the tears in any longer. She had cuts all over her body, as well as bruises. She looked up at me and I rushed over to her, wrapping my arms around her. "I thought I was going to lose you," I sobbed into her shoulder. I pulled away and cupped her face with my hands. "Are you okay?" She nodded, tears staining the corner of her eyes. I pressed my lips to her forehead before hugging her again.
"It all happened so fast," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was just crossing the street and....and a car came out of nowhere. It hurt so much. I thought....I thought."
I pulled away to look at her. "Hey," I said softly. "You're okay. You're both okay. Ryder didn't get hurt at all, miraculously."
"He's okay," Poppy asked.
"He's better than okay," Tony spoke up, walking over to the bed. He bent a bit lower, giving Poppy a view of our son.
"Oh my gosh," Poppy said in a whisper. "It that....That's...."
"It's our baby," I said.
Tony handed Ryder over to Poppy, who looked overjoyed. "He's so cute," Poppy said. "How....The due date isn't for three weeks."
"The pressure caused you to go into labor," I said. "They had to do a cesarean. He's a healthy baby, Flower."
More tears began forming in the corner of her eyes, which was about to make me cry. Here, right in front of me, was my beautiful girlfriend and my son. Both survived being hit by a car. I had both in my life and I couldn't be happier.
"I'll get Mom and Dad," Tony said, kissing his sister's cheek before leaving the room.
"I can't believe I'm holding our son," Poppy said. "The pain was all worth it just by looking at him. Did you tell everyone his name?"
"Yeah," I said. "Tony's happy we made Ryder's middle name after him."
"I think I'm going to cry," Poppy said, so I wiped the tears from her eyes. "I can't believe he's here. We could have lost him, but we didn't."
I smiled, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. "I was so afraid I would lose the both of you," I told her. "But you're both okay. That's all I could ask for."
Poppy's parents walked in the room, both looking very relieved. I moved out of the way so they could give their daughter a hug. "We were so worried," Izzy said. "When we got a call saying you were in the hospital, we didn't know what to think."
"I'm okay," Poppy said. "Better than okay now." She was looking down at Ryder the whole time.
"He's so precious, isn't he?" Izzy asked.
"Yeah," Poppy said softly as Ryder held her finger with his tiny hands. "He looks just like his dad."
"He does," Izzy agreed.
After a few more minutes of visiting and taking turns holding Ryder, Izzy and Gene left so that Elliot, Laughlin, and, unfortunately, Belle could come in. I was holding Ryder at the time and I still couldn't get over how cute he was.
The three of them walked in and Elliot immediately hugged Poppy."I'm so happy you're okay!" she said. "Grayson called us and he was freaking out so we had to get here as fast as we can."
"Good thing, too," Laughlin said. "He was going crazy and wouldn't calm down."
I glared at him. "What would you do if Elliot was hit by a car and you didn't know how her or your baby was doing?"
"....No comment," Laughlin said.
Poppy saw Belle just then. "Hi," Belle said. Poppy didn't reply as she looked down. "How are you?"
"I really don't want to talk," Poppy said.
"I take it you're so mad," Belle said.
"Not mad," Poppy said. "Just tired of the way you treat me."
"I'm really sorry," Belle said. "I didn't mean it."
"You caused so much between me and Grayson," Poppy said. "People were calling me a whore and they told Grayson that I didn't love him. I told you, I can't forgive you right now."
Belle nodded. "Right. I understand. Well, I'll see you later." She left the hospital room, looking a bit sad, but it was her fault. She caused it.
Laughlin and Elliot stayed a bit longer before leaving since Laughlin didn't trust Munro to be watching Nick, even though Munro was thirteen.
Poppy was holding Ryder again, looking at him so lovingly. "I can't believe he's here," she said.
"Yeah, me too," I said. I was so happy that both my girlfriend and my son was okay. And now, Ryder was here in the world.
I was definitely ready for our life with Ryder to begin.
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Well, this was an intense chapter, and a long one, too.
But OH MY GOSH. RYDER IS BORN, GUYS! Poppy and Grayson are officially parents. I can't wait to start writing chapters with the three of them. (: