It Goes On - Book l

Daddy's First Heartbreak

Simon's eyes forced open at the sound of his alarm, quickly shutting it off to refrain from waking Kiera who was sleeping soundly beside him, grateful that she had slept an entire night without interruption. He stretched his arms above his head, his right arm draping over her side to graze his fingertips along her exposed skin, rubbing a small circle with his thumb as he was grateful to have reminded himself that she was still there beside him. Before he got up from the bed, he draped the comforter over her to keep her warm, huffing as Kimber moved to jump up onto the bed, knowing that she was only allowed on the bed when Simon wasn't in it, the puppy desperate to nestle against Kiera as she always welcomed "puppy cuddles." 

"When are you going to get it in your head that you can't jump up here on your own, lass?" He whispered down at the puppy, watching her head tilt at his low tone. He couldn't help but chuckle, unable to deny that the puppy was as cute as a button, even though she annoyed him sometimes, but tolerating the typical annoyance because Kiera loved the dog just as much as one of her own children. 

He looked into the puppy's blue eyes, fighting a smirk before he reached down to pick her up, holding her close to his chest before he sat her down on the bed, lifting up the comforter to chuckle as he watched her burrow herself under the cover, curling into a ball against Kiera's back before he concealed her with the comforter. Shaking his head, he stood to his feet to enter the bathroom, freshening himself up before he made his way towards the nursery, turning on the lamp to beam low light as it was still very early in the morning. 

He peered over their cribs, smiling at how soundly they were sleeping, his heart swelling at how Jacob's tongue peered between his lips, looking like he was suckling on the pacifier that he had dropped from his mouth, swaddled in the cowboy print blanket as Evie was swaddled in the blanket Kiera's mom had sewn, which was a blanket with a print of Highland cows with a turquoise background. 

"Don't mind me," He whispered into the darkness, leaving the lamp on. "Just checking on you. You two have a big day today, but I'm going to let you know that it's going to break my heart." 

He grew to dread the appointment time of ten o'clock, knowing that his chest would tighten at the sound of his babies crying after getting their shots for their two-month follow-up. He knew it was for the best of them, but he wanted to call and cancel it to selfishly protect his own emotions knowing that he was going to cry knowing that he couldn't do anything to keep them from feeling the pain and sting. He wanted to absorb all of the pain they would feel throughout their lives - to keep them as innocent and fragile as possible while protecting them from the cruel world that he was sure they'd experience. 

He sighed as he entered the kitchen, taking it upon himself to prep their bottles for when they woke up, ensuring that he freshened up first to give Kiera the time and privacy to do so without having to multitask like she always did. Glancing at the clock above the stove, he knew he had time to make himself and Kiera breakfast before they needed to begin getting ready for the appointment. He knew her appetite hadn't returned normally and refrained from making a big breakfast, making her two scrambled eggs, two pieces of turkey bacon, and two pieces of toast, knowing that she would eat it without feeling hungry or too full. 

Kiera awoke to the smell of warm eggs, opening her eyes to see an empty space next to her, the smell of Simon's deodorant lingering to fill the empty space. Yawning, she forced the comforter from her legs, revealing Kimber still curled next to her, staying behind in the bed to embrace the leftover warmth as Kimber was prone to getting cold, earning the nickname "Wannabe Chihuahua" from Simon as she always trembled like a leaf early in the morning and sometimes digging her way into the pillowcase. 

Out of routine, she peered herself into the nursery to check on her babies before continuing her trek into the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe as she watched Simon check the warmth of the bottles, putting them back into the warmer as they were still too cold. "Looks like someone is taking the title of mom of the year." She poked.