there are certain moments when josh really hates being bothered. he practically lives with his phone in his hand, but sometimes he wants to throw the damn thing against a wall.
he feels this way when his phone starts ringing in the middle of the night as he's sleeping soundlessly, half on top of mia with his head on her chest. the sounds of her heartbeat always calms him down just enough to be able to put him to sleep, and when mia runs her fingers through his hair with the right mix of pressure and gentleness, it's only a matter of minutes before josh is out for the count.
his phone buzzes obnoxiously on top of the bedside table. the loud, insistent sound brings josh out of a peaceful dream of nursery rhymes and lullabies.
"shut up," groans the sleepy male, picking his head up from mia's chest. he's not all that upset about being woken up but he's pissed that now his girl is too.
half asleep, mia whimpers and nudges josh away. "answer it," she mumbles. the sheets rustle as she rolls over towards the wall and pulls the thick blanket over her shoulders. josh is normally her main source of warmth when they sleep, so the blanket doesn't really feel as comforting. but she just wants to sleep so for now it works.
josh rubs at his temples, a headache coming his way, and grabs his phone. through his fuzzy vision he sees tyler's name on the screen.
"what's up, dude?" he clears his throat as his voice comes out low and groggy.
"josh! are you up?! wake up!"
he has to hold his phone a few inches away from his ear at the excitement and urgency of tyler's voice. "i'm up, i'm up. what's with the wakeup call?"
tyler sucks in a deep breath, preparing himself before he says, "tommy joseph is up to bat!"
only josh would understand that this is tyler's way of saying jenna is in labor.
"oh my gosh!" by now, josh has forgotten all his grievances of being waken up. he reaches over to mia and shakes her shoulder. "hey, jenna's having the baby."
she makes a sleepy noise that josh can't really understand, but he figures it translates to her excitement.
"text me the hospital you're at," he says to tyler, running his fingers through his messy curls. "we'll meet you there."
"okay, sick!" tyler replies. "see you soon."
josh hangs up and climbs out of his and mia's bed. "m'turning on the lights," he says, giving mia a heads up before flicking the light switch. he does this because he knows she hates the lights being turned on when she's trying to sleep, and he has a better shot of dealing with a happy mia when he warns her before doing it.
she whines in protest.
"i know," he says. "i'm tired too. but our godson is on his way into the world, so we gotta go to the hospital."
sleepily, mia rubs at her eyes and pushes herself into a sitting position. as she's doing so, josh walks over to the side of the bed and holds a hand out to help her up.
"c'mon love," he smiles softly at her and kisses her forehead as she takes his hand and gets out of bed.
mia leans into his chest for a moment, just enjoying how warm he is. this is where she feels most comforted and loved.
josh rubs her back, feeling the warmth radiating from her skin. "this is exciting, huh? going to the hospital to see a baby."
"mhm," she replies. when she steps back, a small yawn passing her lips, the first thing she does is find a pair of pants to wear.
it takes them all of fifteen minutes to get ready. josh makes sure winston the cat has food and water in case they're at the hospital all day and mia goes around to check the lights.
"dibs on holding the baby first," josh says as they're on the way to the hospital. he's driving with one hand on the wheel and the other occupied by mia's smaller hand. she has her head resting on his shoulder and her arms wrapped around his bicep.
"well maybe i wanna hold the baby first," she says back, frowning because there's no way she's letting josh hold their godson first.
with a roll of his eyes he replies, "well that's why i called dibs, babe."
stores and establishments go by as josh drives through the dark city. it's only three in the morning so street lamps and florescent signs are the only thing lighting up the drive.
mia kisses his shoulder. she can smell the remnants of cologne on his sweatshirt. "i don't care. i overrule your dibs."
he scoffs. "you can't do that."
"just did," she hums. "try and stop me."
"i'll stop you at the hospital as you try to hold my godson before i can," says josh. "i'll like, intercept the catch. i'll intercept the baby."
mia blinks slowly. "you'll intercept a new born baby? like in football?"
he snaps his fingers at her, "now you're catching on."
"you're weird," she mumbles, shaking her head while letting her eyes slip shut. the light reflecting in the car flashes through her eyelids in colorful splashes.
"thank you baby."
"wasn't really a compliment."
"well i'm gonna take it as one."
when they get to the hospital, after ten minutes of trying to find the birthing wing, tyler is anxiously awaiting in the lobby area.
"the doctor said everything's looking good. y'know, normal. healthy."
mia nods her head. she has one hand linked with josh's. "that's good. how's she feeling?"
"surprisingly happy, actually," says tyler while leading his best friend and his best friend's girl down a hallway. some rooms are quiet and empty while others are bustling with action as doctors help deliver babies.
josh lets out a hearty laugh. "she's not trying to kill you yet?"
"ha ha, you're hilarious," tyler retorts with obvious sarcasm. "the doctor gave her some things to help her relax and her mom brought this weird tea that's supposed to make her calm."
mia gasps happily. "momma black's here?!"
it's important to know that out of all the mothers of her friends, jenna's mom has always been mia's favorite.
"in the flesh," tyler smiles.
they make it to the room and the first thing mia sees is jenna looking incredibly beautiful while laying in a hospital bed. the light sheen of sweat starting to prickle her skin doesn't even look like sweat, but more like golden highlight.
what's her secret? is she an actual witch or something? mia thinks for a second, shaking her head slowly as a smile stretches on her lips.
jenna seems incredibly relieved by josh and mia's presence. "hey guys."
"hi pretty," mia has a shy happiness about her as she walks to the side of the hospital bed, squealing a bit as her and jenna make knowing eye contact. "jen, you're about to have a baby."
"i know," the blonde giggles. "this is crazy huh?"
mia takes jenna's hand, rubbing circles on the top. "just a little. but i'm happy for you. you're gonna be the perfect mom. like, the bestest mom to ever live."
"did you forget i was here too?" mrs. black pipes in from her seat beside her daughter on the side opposite to mia.
the brunette gives a little wave to the older woman. "hey momma."
"i remember when you girls would walk around the house with pillows shoved up your shirts," she says fondly, smiling at mia. "now one of you is actually having a non-pillow baby."
jenna and mia look at each other. neither of them say anything, but the happy looks on both of their faces speak volumes. years of memories shared are traveling through their minds like a camera reel.
a sudden, sharp inhale passes through jenna's lips as a wave of contractions twists her muscles. "o-oh."
tyler quickly scurries to his wife's side, his eye wide. "was that a bad one? do you want me to get a nurse?"
"no, babe," jenna exhales low in her throat and shakes her head. "tommy's just getting eager."
"he is, huh?" hums tyler, rubbing jenna's stretched stomach. "what d'you say, little dude? you ready to come out? everyone wants to meet you. especially mommy and i."
mia's heart swells with happiness and the love she has for her friends. she can see the sheer joy on tyler and jenna's faces as they look at each other. it's the kind of love that's rare to find.
josh squeezes her hand. it's a comforting gesture and mia looks up at him with a smile. it's clear they're both thinking about the same thing.
the door to the hospital room opens and in walks a doctor along with two nurses. the doctor is a kind looking man who's face shows age and experience. thin glasses sit on the bridge of his nose and salt and pepper colors work through his otherwise light brown hair.
"how are you doing mrs. joseph?" he asks while sitting down in a wheely chair placed at the end of the hospital bed. he pulls on a pair of latex gloves with a smack sound and smiles at the blonde woman.
jenna exhales heavily. "ready to get this baby out."
"i'll bet," says the doctor with a laugh. he begins checking to see how far dilated jenna is. "well, mrs. joseph, i'd say your baby is ready as well. are you feeling comfortable?"
jenna goes back and forth with the doctor describing her contractions and such. it's all a bunch of medical terminology that basically means it's time to deliver the baby.
"we should probably go," mia says to josh with a small nod.
the pink haired make, who definitely doesn't wanna stick around to see jenna scream and cry, nods back at his wife. "okay."
he turns to tyler and puts a hand on his shoulder. "good luck, brother."
"thanks man," tyler's deep appreciation is shown through a small, thankful smile. "you guys are gonna be in the waiting room, right?"
"all day if we have to," says mia. "we're not going anywhere. not for the world."
the bottom lip of tyler's smile quivers. his eyes glisten and before anyone can say anything, he's throwing his arms around mia and josh.
"i love you guys," he mumbles. "i love you both so much."
"cut it out, bro, you're gonna make me all emotional," josh let's out a shaky laugh.
mia makes sure to hug jenna before her and josh walk out of the room. there's a heavy feeling on her chest but it's in a good way, strangely.
"wanna head down and find some coffee?" asks josh, looking down at his short wife as they walk back towards the waiting room.
the mere thought of coffee gives mia a head rush. without hesitation she nods and says, "sounds good to me."
they walk to the end of the hallway and step into the elevator. with a heavy sigh, josh leans back against the far wall and gently nudges mia into his chest.
"i'm taking a nap," he states while wrapping his arms around mia's shoulder. she fits perfectly against his chest, something he credits to both her height and her cuddly nature.
even though there's only four floors until they reach the common area of the hospital where the gift shop and cafeteria are, mia allows her eyes to close for a moment. she puts her hands in the pockets of josh's hoodie and focuses on the way his abdomen expands and contracts with every breath he takes.
josh kisses the top of her head. "you're so pretty. the prettiest girl i've ever seen."
"stop," the brunette mumbles against josh's chest, although she's smiling when she says it.
"it's true, baby," he gushes. "you're princess mia. the prettiest princess of them all."
mia pokes his stomach. "my goshua, yoshua, shut up."
"you know you love me."
"now that," she leans back. "is true."
josh grins his charming smile, white teeth and all. when the elevator stops at their destination they get out and trudge down the hallway and in hand.
hospital coffee isn't the best, but it's better than nothing. or at least that's what josh tells himself in order to keep down the bitter liquid he has sloshing around in a styrofoam cup.
"stop sulking," mia says while they head in the direction of the gift shop to get something for the baby.
josh does most certainly not stop sulking. his coffee tastes like crap and no amount of sugar packets can change that.
he holds the door to the small shop open for his wife, waiting until she walks in to follow behind her. "my coffee sucks. i think i deserve the right to be upset."
"it's not that big of a deal, j."
"excuse me but it's a huge dea-"
with a quick sigh of annoyance, mia snatches josh's cup and pushes hers into his hands. "here - have mine."
"i refuse to consume your fake coffee crap."
"it's starbucks," she deadpans. "you're being dramatic."
josh, the coffee enthusiast, refuses to consider the likes of starbucks as a viable drink.
"josh," says the brunette. "just try it."
"nuh uh."
"please? for me?"
he stares at her for a good ten seconds, seriously debating whether or not he wants to deny mia. asking something is one thing, adding 'for me' is a whole other story.
"fine," he grumbles, lifting the disposable cup to his lips. before he takes a sip he makes sure to say, "but only to show you my unconditional love."
mia rolls her eyes but doesn't say anything. she just watches at josh sips from the cup, his eyes narrowing for a moment as he surveys the taste.
suddenly he looks embarrassed.
"it's good, isn't it?"
josh won't make eye contact with her.
"yoshua," she presses. "how's it taste?"
"s'pretty good," he mumbles with a sense of shame about him. for someone who remains a loyal customer to small business coffee shops, this feels like a betrayal to himself.
mia nods her head, knowing damn well it's good. "keep it, i'll grab another on our way back."
at this point, josh is enjoying the drink too much to argue. "what's this called?"
"a latte macchiato," she says back while taking leisurely steps through the gift shop. the large amount of blue and pink objects is obscene.
josh picks up a small teddy bear holding a plush heart reading 'it's a boy'. "what about this?"
"that's cute," replies mia. her eyes go back to looking at all the small toys and balloons, flower arrangements and blankets. baby things always make her feel like a total girl, causing her to internally coo. she can't wait for it to be her turn, for people to be going to places like this to get things for her baby.
josh notices the distant look on mia's face and sets his coffee down on a shelf. with a gentle, content sigh, he steps behind her and sets his chin on her shoulder. he doesn't say anything at first, but when he does he knows mia needs to hear it.
"i know," he whispers, kissing her cheek. "i want it too. it's okay."
mia blinks. she's reaching for a pair of tiny blue socks, each about half the size of her palm. "look how little these are."
this makes josh smile. "s'cute."
"can you believe these actually fit on babies?" she asks, turning as josh rubs her side affectionately. "they'll fit our baby when we have one."
"they'll fit tommy, too," he says with a smoothness to his voice. it's the stability about josh that gives mia reassurance. "why don't we get him a pair? for when his tiny feet get cold?"
there's a twinge of bittersweet saddens in mia's throat but she swallows it down. "yeah," she says softly. "that's a good idea. the bear and the socks."
josh brushes mia's hair away from her face. "don't be sad, love."
"m'not-"
"sad isn't the right word, i know," he quickly fixes. "but you know what i mean. baby fever hits guys too, y'know. i get it."
mia purses her lips, silently asking for a kiss.
he delivers it happily. "it's gonna be nice having tommy around, to see what a baby's like. cause you know we'll be babysitting a ton."
she nods. "mhm."
"and that way," josh pauses, smiling at his love. "we'll be super prepared for when it's our turn. alright?"
mia could cry right now from the way josh is looking at her. she doesn't know how someone so patient and understanding and empathetic could ever exist, let alone cross her path.
"okay," she says back, smiling this time because josh really does make her that happy. perfect is something unachievable in the traditional sense but sometimes she wonders if josh knows how damn close he gets.
when he sees mia smile, his eyes take a mental picture. "see?" he muses, rubbing her shoulders and giving her a playful shake. "there's that pretty smile. it's dangerous, you know, to be that breathtaking."
"lucky for me i've got a husband with great arms to protect me," she grins.
and cue josh's ego boost. "that you do, princess mia," he muses.
they browse around for a little bit longer before making a purchase. by the time they leave the gift shop and get back to the waiting area of the birthing unit, josh is carrying the teddy bear, a bouquet of flowers, and the blue socks.
______
hours pass by. some of jenna and tyler's friends and family members show up to the hospital and join mia and josh in anxiously waiting.
the chairs aren't the most comfortable things ever, but that doesn't really matter to mia because she ends up cozied on josh's lap anyways. they keep each other awake watching youtube videos on josh's phone and watching episodes of the x files. mia even convinces josh to watch an episode of rupaul's drag race.
which proves to be a great time killer because josh takes up a whole hour asking questions afterwards.
explaining to josh how tucking works makes him blush like a cherry.
around ten in the morning, tyler comes out of the hospital room. on his face is a look that can only be described as exuberant happiness.
mia shakes josh's shoulder, waking him up from a mini nap. as soon as he sees his best friend he sits up straight.
"hey everyone," the clearly tired male says with a faint laugh. he runs his fingers through his messy poof of hair and rubs at his face a bit.
his mom stands up. "did it happen?"
"mhm," tyler grins, the kind of smile that little kids have when they receive their most desired present. "about half an hour ago."
"and?" she presses, eagerly gazing at her son.
there are tears, happy ones, in tyler's eyes. "he's absolutely perfect."
everyone lets out happy cheers and applause. tyler covers his mouth with his hands, his cheeks stretched as he continues to beam. this is the happiest he's ever been.
"can we come see him? is jenna feeling up to having visitors?" mrs. joseph asks, eager to see her newborn grandson.
tyler nods feverishly. "yes, yes, totally! jenna's still y'know, exhausted from everything but she told me to tell you guys thank you. and i wanna say thank you, too. i'll let you know when it's a good time to start visiting. oh, and it's probably okay to have two or three people come in at a time."
he then looks at mia, specifically, and says, "she was asking for you."
"oh," mia blinks, surprised that out of everyone, jenna wants her to be the first one to come in.
her and josh stand up, stretching a bit, and follow a still-smiling tyler.
"you guys are gonna love him so much," tyler says. "the second i saw him i fell in love. i didn't even know it was possible to love something so small this much."
josh slips his hand into mia's. "does he look like you? or did he get lucky and get most of jenna's genes?"
"jerk," laughs tyler. "right now it's hard to tell, but i know tommy's gonna be the handsomest dude on the block."
when they walk into the room, mia squeezes josh's hand because the sight is so overwhelming.
laying asleep on jenna's chest is the baby. he's angelic and like tyler said, absolutely perfect.
"jenna," gasps mia, covering one hand with her mouth. "oh my god, he's beautiful."
even though jenna has just spent hours in labor, she still looks like the goddess she is. with a tired, small smile, she looks up at her best friend.
josh glances at mia and waits till she meets his eyes to mouth 'dibs'.
"guess who's here, dude?" tyler whispers, walking over to the side of jenna's bed. gently, he strokes the baby's forehead with his pinky. "it's your super cool godparents. uncle josh and aunt mia."
"can i hold 'em?" josh asks shyly, his bottom lip slipped between his teeth.
jenna nods, shifting so she can carefully transfer the sleeping newborn. "yeah, of course. you can sit down right over there if you want."
as josh stares at the baby, still biting his lip, he suddenly becomes aware of how careful he has to be.
he takes his time picking up tommy from jenna's arms. a quiet, relieved sigh passed his lips as he realizes he hasn't fucked up yet. the baby is still just chilling, his eyes closed and one of his little fists by his cheek.
josh sits down in a nearby chair. he rests tommy in the crook of his elbow and takes a good look at him.
"wow," whispers the male. his eyes are wide with amazement at how utterly clean and pure the baby in his arms is. he has the slightly sweet smell of a new born, a smell that brings feelings of love and adoration.
"babe," josh says, his voice quiet as he continues to stare in awe. "c'mere. see how tiny he is."
warmth spreading through her chest, mia sits down beside josh. she rests her head on his shoulder and gazes fondly at the sleeping newborn. "he's adorable."
josh grazes his fingertip with featherlight gentleness along the baby's puffy, smooth cheek. "he's a lil peanut is what he is."
"six pounds, eleven ounces," tyler says while smiling proudly. "thomas joshua joseph."
josh smiles, gushing, "that's so teeny." the second part of what tyler just said hits him suddenly like a pound of bricks and his eyes widen.
"thomas j-joshua?" he repeats with uncertainty, his mouth falling open in disbelief. he blinks slowly with pools of emotions curving in his stomach and then his eyes become glossy.
tyler nods his head. there are tears in his eyes, too. happy ones. "yep."
"after...me?"
"i wanted him to have the middle name of the greatest man i've ever met," says tyler. "the name of my best friend. maybe if he grows up to be half the man you are, i'd have done something right."
josh sniffles, allowing a tear to roll down his cheek. "o-oh my go-odness."
there's not a dry eye in the room between the four of them. josh turns his head and wipes his wet cheek on his shoulder. his emotions are a mess of uncontrollable happiness and overwhelming love.
"what d'you think about that, buddy?" josh lets out a shaky laugh, looking down at the sleeping infant. "huh? you've got some pretty big shoes to fill. looks like you've got your work cut out for you, tj."
"tj," says tyler. "i like that."
mia trails a finger up and down the back of tommy's hand. "look at that, you've already got a nickname."
josh looks at her, a grin on his face so big that he would make the cheshire cat envious.
it's a good life to live, he thinks to himself while glancing around at the three people who are high up on his list of those he loves.
and now, in his arms, there's a beautiful new baby boy, who has his name, to add to that list.