Our Time Will Come - An After Story

6

Hardin

"Morning gorgeous, morning little man." I let out an almighty yawn as I place my hand on my girls slightly swollen tummy. "Little man? We don't know if it's a girl or boy yet." my beautiful wife giggles. "Oh I do, I just know it's a boy. I've got that feeling." I pull her in for a cuddle. "You're in a good mood for seven AM." she beams. "Well, today's a good day." I remark, showering her with kisses. "Hardin." she blushes. "I better go wake the kids up." she stretches as she climbs out of bed and opens our satin curtains, revealing the breathtaking New York view. How did I get so damn lucky to wake up to this everyday.

Keeping the baby secret has been killed me, it's taken every bit of strength in me to not spill the beans. Its been three weeks since we returned from the cabins in Washington, three weeks since we found out about the baby. I'll never forget the look on Tessa's face when I found her in those restaurant toilets, mascara everywhere and holding our hopes and dreams in the form of a pregnancy test in her small hands.

"So, today's the day we finally tell the kids about the baby?" I place a kiss into her hair. "It sure is." she takes in a deep breath, smiling down at her tiny bump. "Shall we tell them together?" I suggest, pulling Tessa into a cuddle from behind. She nods in agreement. I don't know why I'm so damn anxious about how the kids will react. It's not like they'll be jealous or anything, I mean Auden has begged for a baby brother or sister since he could speak and it broke our hearts more and more every time he asked, because it's the one thing we couldn't give him. I know for a fact that Auden will be Over the moon and I'm pretty sure that Emery already knows. I mean, she is is fifteen so it's not hard to put two and two together, with the morning sickness and her mother being unpredictably hormonal, she has to be Suspicious.

Either way, we have to tell them today, we want them to be the first ones to know. Tessa and I plan to announce the pregnancy to the rest of the family in two weeks time, when we fly to Washington for the weekend. Karen is throwing Tessa and I a party for our tenth wedding anniversary. Yes, you heard right, it's almost been ten years since Tessa made an honest man out of me and i haven't looked back since. I couldn't think of a better day to announce the news of our little bundle of joy than on our tenth wedding anniversary.

We had our first doctors appointment last week, and we are further along in the pregnancy than we thought and I have to say, I'm anxious as hell. Tess is nine weeks pregnant and we have managed to keep the news to ourselves, don't ask how because I have no idea. I guess we just needed a bit of time to get our heads around it. We sort of gave up hope after trying for so long and I hate to admit it but Tessa and I started to drift apart after coming to terms with the fact that it was never going to happen. But seeing our tiny baby on that screen and hearing the magical sound of the heartbeat, it all feels very real.

When I first saw that positive test, I was automatically pessimistic and quite frankly thought it was too good to be true, but when we've encountered miscarriage after miscarriage, who could blame me. I love my Emery and Auden with every piece of my heart, but I guess Tessa and I disguised the pain and heartbreak of losing multiple babies, by keeping busy with the kids. We never actually took time to grieve.

The relief that coursed through my veins when Dr Sheridan told us that we have a healthy baby, with a strong heartbeat is indescribable. I haven't felt adrenaline like that for years. For as long as I can remember, I've found it incredibly hard to express my emotions. Never in a million years would I class myself as the emotional type, but fuck, I haven't stopped crying since our first scan. I feel like  Chandler when he opened a gate and couldn't stop crying at every little thing. Not me making friends references. It's all Tessa's fault.

"I'll go wake them up, you get their breakfast ready." I instruct, placing a peck on her cheek. I consider going into each of their rooms, banging pots and pans together, just to be a dick, but I decide against it. We need them in a good mood for the news. "Emery baby, it's time to get up. Meet your mother and I in the dining room." I say softly. "Jeez dad, why so early? I only start school at nine." she mumbles while rubbing her eyes. I repeat with Auden and surprisingly, he gets up right away.

Shortly after, the kids are sat at the dining room table, still half asleep and wondering what on earth is happening. "Why is mom letting us Have Lucky charms and chocolate milk before school?" Auden quizzes. The kids got a point. "Maybe mommy just wanted you guys to have a treat, cheeky." Tessa softly clips our nine year old on the back of the head. "Nope, you hate Lucky charms, you always say they're full of sugar. What's going on?" Emery suspects.

Tessa's hand reaches for mine and I squeeze it, telling her that she can do this. "Well, your dad and I have gotten you a little something." her voice is small, I can hear the anxiety in her voice. "Is it a new dog?" Emery blurts. "Is it an Xbox?" Auden screeches. "Hardin?" Tessa gestures for me to retrieve the gifts from the bedroom. I return seconds later with the small packages that are wrapped to perfection by Tessa.

I place them on the table in front of the children. "Oh, my, god." Emery's face is a picture as she unwraps the cuddly toy. It's a brown teddy bear, wearing a T-shirt that says 'promoted to big sister', Auden's obviously saying 'Brother'. "You're pregnant?" Our eldest gasps, the biggest smile on her face. "I knew it!" She adds. "I'm going to be a big brother??" the look on Auden's face is priceless. He is clearly overwhelmed and looks like he might cry any minute.

The two look at each other with that look of excitement that I adore so much, like when they were younger on Christmas morning and Santa had been. "Yes, and yes." Tessa beams, letting out a huge sigh after getting the reaction she was hoping for.

"But ew..you two, having another baby??" Emery looks at us like we each have two heads. "What are you trying to say, Mrs?" I can't help but laugh at her reaction and what she's implying. "It's just that you're-"
"Don't you dare say old." I stop her in her tracks and she begins to do that nervous giggle she does. "I'm only thirty eight thank you very much young lady." the smile creeping on Tessa's face is contagious. "And I'm twenty two." I tease. "One hundred and two more like." Auden banters and my eyes widen in response to his smart Witt.

I feel like I can finally exhale now that the kids know. Hell, I feel like a child at Christmas myself. I can't contain my excitement for this baby, but I feel like I'm becoming a father for the first time again and I can't ignore the butterflies at the pit of my stomach. It's Funny how the man who never wanted children, is sat here over the bloody moon that his third child is on the way. It's been nine years since we had a newborn in the house, and I'm absolutely shitting myself at the thought. What if I drop it? What if it doesn't like me? Shut the fuck up subconscious Hardin, everything's going to be fine, you've done this before and you can do it again, I tell myself.