From Here On Out

43

Daveed woke up on the hospital couch after their first night of officially being a family. Dylan was still under close NICU care, but Daveed was able to urge a nurse into pushing his incubator into the room for the morning. The nurse had given him a grocery list of warning signs to look for and taught him how to maneuver the various tubes and wires to hold him, so he felt more than slightly prepared.

Emmy was still getting the sleep she desperately needed. He was keeping himself entertained by playing a game with his fingers and the incubator holes. Every time he put his finger in he could swear he saw a twinkle in Dylan's eyes, so he kept going. It wasn't long, however, before the newborn baby fell asleep once more.

While the two most important people in his life slept, he took the time to snap a picture. He hadn't told either sets of parents that they'd even gone to the hospital so this picture would come at great shock to them, leaving him with lots of explaining to do. Right after sending the picture, he threw the buzzing phone back on the couch.

He stood over the incubator and thought back to how he was instructed to hold his son. Before he started, he removed his shirt, half with concern to germs and half because he hadn't done chest to chest yet. He opened the box, and, as gently as he could lifted the tiny baby.

Daveed quietly gasped as he brought Dylan up to his chest. It was such a surreal feeling holding the baby that he'd made with the love of his life.

Emmy started to come out of her sleep and watched Daveed stand before her with their son. She didn't say anything and just watched him love Dylan. She was smitten by how good of a father he already was. "Good morning," she spoke softly yet loud enough for him to hear.

He turned around with a wide grin on his face. "Good morning, Em," he smiled down at her, "Look, smuggled him out of the NICU."

Emmy giggled and shook her head, "However you got him... this was a pretty good way to wake up," she grinned as well.

"Nurse probably gonna steal him back in a minute," he laughed, "Especially since I got him out of jail too. Ain't that right Dylan?" he talked to his son.

"Well, if we still have time, can I hold him?" Emmy asked, slowly pushing her recovering body up to a sitted position.

"Easy... there you go," Daveed coached as he walked closer to her, "Here you go momma," he laid the baby back on her chest.

"Hi baby," Emmy spoke with her new baby-voice, "Did you have a good night? Yes you did, Yes you did!"

Daveed laughed at her cuteness. He watched her hands cover most of the baby's back and watched the look of admiration on her face when she looked down at him. The love was tangible and radiated from her bed.

As predicted, not even a half hour after Emmy took hold of her son, a nurse knocked on the door. She took Dylan out of Emmy's arms and it felt like a piece of her heart was taken out. Her mind knew he couldn't stay with them just yet, but it still ached to see him be wheeled out.

The hormones and emotions that brought the earlier sadness returned, and a wave of them washed over as the nurse closed the door behind them. Daveed watched her drop in demeanor once the door closed shut. The visible happiness of before faded into a drier expression. He climbed on the side of the bed carefully, making sure not to hurt her. He ran his fingers through her hair and they held each other's eyes. "We're parents," he smiled at her.

"Minus the baby," his partner sighed. She kept a mellow expression, wishing she could've had just five more minutes.

Daveed tried to think of how to make her feel better. He wished this could've been different for her, wished that she could have her son, and he still wished she didn't have to birth him alone. The both of them still held so many feelings they'd need to work through.

Daveed held the hand on her side as he continued to try to piece together a plan. "Hold on," he said after a moment. He sat up in the bed and thought of if his plan could really work. "So... if you have to be in bed and he has to..." he thought aloud until it clicked, "Be right back" he exclaimed.

Daveed took off in a run out of the room. At full speed, he raced to the nurses stand granting him multiple strange looks. "Hey," he breathed, trying to catch his breath, "What are the rules against pushing teen moms recovering from appendectomies to the NICU to see their very premature baby?"

The nurse stared at him warily as he explained his question of whether or not they could just roll Emmy to the NICU with Dylan. He assured them that it didn't have to be long, and thankfully, his charm that bought them time earlier, bought him another "Sure."

He raced back to Emmy, "We're going to see Dylan," he exclaimed loudly as he entered the doorway.

Emmy perched up on her elbows, "What?" she asked confusedly, watching the nurses that showed up behind him.

"They agreed to roll you to him. You've been through enough and deserve to see your baby. That, and, I think I scared them running to the stand like that," Daveed said, laughing at the last part.

Emmy's smile came back, "We're going now? Like right now?" she slowly sat up more in the bed.

"Yep," Daveed matched her smile, "We're taking your whole bed, you don't have to move a muscle"

The nurses moved towards the back of Emmy's bed. They kicked down the wheels and started to push her towards the doorway. Daveed followed them out the door and walked alongside the rolling bed. Emmy's hand hung on the side and he knew that was cue to grab it. She turned her head to look at him, "Thank you," she murmured to her fiancé.

She was wheeled to a corner of the NICU and Dylan was wheeled to them. They weren't allowed to get him out again, but seeing him was all the two of them needed to push every other sad emotion out.

"They say you're doing good, Dyl," Daveed smiled at the baby boy, "You're strong like your daddy," he said before adding, "And mommy," this time winking at Emmy.

Emmy laughed through a smirk. Just like that, Daveed could see the happiness coming back to her. "Look he's waving," she pointed at her son's hand that was slightly held in the air.

The parents smiled giddily at the tiny baby. After smiling at the baby they shared a smile. "We made that," Emmy grinned and pointed at the incubator.

"We did," Daveed nodded, sitting down on the side of the bed, "Can I tell you something Emmy?"

Her eyebrows raised in confusion, "Yeah, what is it?"

"Ok," Daveed inhaled before starting, "First of all, you're incredible. Like, real talk. Second, I know you wanted to wait to get married and all, but I thought I was gonna lose you yesterday so I'm gonna go ahead and say this now."

The confusion remained on Emmy's face as she waited in anticipation for what he'd say next."

"Think of this like pre-vows, alright," Daveed chuckled before reaching in his pockets and pulling out a glove. He'd scribbled sharpie on it and started to speak again, "Sometimes being an asshole turns out good." Emmy glared at him, fully convinced he'd just lost it from lack of shower or something.

"Hold on, wait, hear me out. Because sometimes your stupidity starts a butterfly effect that brings you exactly where you're supposed to be. Emmy, I'm so grateful that all of my steps, and all your steps, led us to being here today. You really are the strongest person I know. And I really do fall more in love everyday. You are a magic like no other and I'm so damn happy to be in your spell. I hope everyday with you, and our perfect baby boy, is magical. I love our family and I can't wait to build our future, together, from here on out."

The confusion was now replaced by happy weeps coming from Emmy's eyes. "Daveed," she smiled softly and tilted her head. "I love you," she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down for a kiss, "And I love our family, so much," she said as she pulled away.

"I love you too," Daveed blushed.

Emmy looked at Daveed then back to Dylan. "Us three for the rest of our lives. Now till forever," she said with a smile so wide her dimples showed.

"Now till forever," Daveed echoed. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze, ready to live everyday, from there on out, madly in love with the unpredictable life they had carved out together.