Truth or Dare?

Epilogue

"I am sitting! I'm literally sitting down while you're telling me I should be sitting and resting more." I laugh at Marcus. He's the definition of overprotective, I swear.

"I know sweetheart but you only have two weeks left and I want you to rest now that I'm finally home." I roll my eyes and just flick through Netflix. Marcus has been home for a day after being gone for three months. Let's just say it wasn't the easiest three months and I had to do a lot of the craving runs once he left.

Marcus draws my attention by picking up my hands and rolling his finger over the ring on my finger. "Sweetheart, I meant it when I gave you this ring. I will always look after you and protect what is mine. You and my baby boy are mine and I have no intention of easing off on this. I've missed so much of the pregnancy and I want to be here for you."

The next thing I know my legs are being lifted and Marcus is giving me a foot massage that has all sort of sounds coming from my mouth. I'd be embarrassed but my feet are finally getting some love and they hurt so god damn much.

"Mmmm...whatever you say my love." I can just agree for now. It doesn't mean I really do. You can't take anything seriously from the mouth of someone on the verge of ecstasy.

My eyes roll and I play with my engagement ring on my finger. I guess Marcus tried to give the biggest Christmas surprise when I woke up Christmas morning to him in his boxers by the Christmas tree on one knee. I mean it was a huge surprise but I still think I won with my pregnancy news the day before.

Roman had known the whole time and even kept it from Alice. Take my hat off to him there. If she knew I would've known in seconds. My ring is so similar to my grandmothers and it meant so much to me that he remembered me talking about how much I used to love trying hers on when I was a teen. There was a pause before I said yes and questioned his motives. I wasn't going to get married because of our baby but when he continuously reminded me that Roman had the ring BEFORE he left for his job, I couldn't hold in my muffled yes behind my hand as I released the most unladylike sob.

"You have no idea how much I've missed this." He strokes my huge belly and our son kicks his hand like he's aiming for a football and bounces on my bladder." I've been playing recordings of Marcus reading Childrens books and singing nursery rhymes every day to make sure he knew the sound of his daddy's voice. Marcus had recorded them as a surprise and I cried. Surprise. I feel like my life right now is overwhelming emotions 24/7.

I get up in the quickest way possible, which really isn't very quick at all, and waddle as fast as I can to the toilet before I pee all over the sofa and then probably end up crying over that too.

"What's wrong baby?" His worry is so unnecessary and I think the 14 days to due date cannot go quick enough. Marcus being gone has done nothing to help his protective side.

"I need to wee! He's bouncing on my bladder. Please stop over reacting I'm not due fo—" shit! My stomach cramps up and suddenly my waters are breaking and running down my legs.

"Sweetheart?" He's outside the door and if I thought he wouldn't walk in even if he thought I was just peeing then I was very much mistaken! "Is that...? He's coming right?" My smile is cut short by a tightening coming from no where but pulling over my stomach until it makes me close my eyes to focus on my breathing.

Marcus

I stare at the bundle in my arms and take a second to come to terms with how my son is here. He's with us and he waited for me to come home to show his chubby little face. I always thought I was mildly overprotective before but nothing feels as strong as how much I want to care for my boy.

Fliss is trying hard to rest but people seem to be in and out all the time. After she had to calm me down about not rushing to hospital straight away, we started counting the space between her contractions and they were a lot closer then we were expecting. We were here twenty minutes later and our little man came while Fliss was taking her clothes off to go into a gown ten minutes later. Just in time. This little fella was in a hurry and he wasn't waiting for anyone.

Our parents are about to arrive and I know it'll be chaos from here on out. I can imagine the whole family is probably on their way!

I knew it was going to be hard work getting Fliss to rest when I got home but this whole experience feels surreal. I look up as movement catches my eye and I see my beautiful fiancé and the mother of my son staring at me with tears in her eyes.

"Hey, hey.  Are you ok? What's hurting? What can I do?" I hate seeing her cry. It honestly twists my heart like nothing else.

"I'm fine, really. I just already feel like I miss him in my belly. It's so ridiculous but it's the only way I can explain it." I walk over with our baby and place him gently in her arms and she cries even more. The doctor told us to expect emotions to be all over the place and so I sit on the edge of her bed, gentle to not hurt her, and run my hand over the arm holding our baby.

"I'm so proud of you Fliss. You brought our son here and haven't complained about the pain after wards even though I can see you're more than tender. Your exhausted and yet still holding him like you have all the energy in the world. I have no idea how I got so lucky to have you two." I smile and kiss her head and then her cheek and then finely her lips.

Her smile is so infectious that I can't help but grin like a love sick puppy right back at her.

"We still need to think of a name." She laughs and I know it's because I couldn't ever settle on a name even though she threw so many great contenders into the ring.

"Hmm...I just don't know how people choose a name that a tiny human has to be called for the rest of their lives. It's so difficult!" I just don't know what name to choose and it's infuriating but Fliss finds it hilarious and that makes me smile right back at her.

"How about Joe, short for Joseph? Joseph Lucas Daniels. How does that feel?" She looks sheepish like she's had that name planned while I've been gone and she doesn't want me to knock it down. But the more I look at him in my girls arms, the more it seems to suit him.

"Hey baby Joe, I'm your daddy and this wonderful woman here is your amazing Mammy. We're going to love you more than anything or anyone else in this world." A tear rolls down Fliss' face and I wipe it away with my thumb. "I love you baby."

"I love you too." She says it on a whisper but her words hit me the same as the very first time and I feel like the luckiest man on the planet. With my little family around me and knowing I have them in my life just feels like I'm finally home.