How I met your mother - Stellaride AU story

365 days (14)

Present day

Kelly's POV

I finish wrapping the last of Ezra's birthday presents, regretting leaving it to last minute, I check the time on my watch seeing it was 1:40am, it now officially Ezra's first birthday.

I place the last few presents that I wrapped into the large gift bag as I move it over to the sofa ready for Ezra in the morning. I tidy up the plates from dinner earlier and wipe down Ezra's high chair before tidying away some of his toys.

I pick up his teddy, the build a bear teddy with his heartbeat recording inside that me and Stella got made after hearing his heartbeat for the first time at our first appointment. I look down at it and smile as I press the chest of the bear hearing the recording inside. Smiling as I remember that very day, hearing our babies heartbeat for the first time, both of us in floods of tears, tears of happiness. As the heartbeat recording ends the message we added on at the end starts to play "the day your heart started, ours skipped a beat, mommy and daddy love you" I hear Stella's voice as I wipe my cheek feeling a tear drop fall down "forever and always" I hear my voice add on before the recording ends.

I forgot about the teddy until about 2 months ago when I came across the box in my wardrobe, and since then it's been Ezra's favourite teddy.

I head to Ezra's room to pass him the bear knowing he always likes to sleep with it lately, surprised he's gone sleep without it tonight.

I open the door to his room seeing him asleep in his crib, arms outstretched over his head holding onto his comforter blanket.

I quietly walk over to his crib, placing the teddy beside him as he rolls over, his arm wrapping around the teddy setting of the recording again.

When it gets to Stella's voice he cuddles more into the teddy "Mama" he whispers in his sleep as I smile at him leaning on the sides of the crib and stroking his arm.

I straighten his blanket over him as he curls up into the fetal position, cuddling into the bear, I still can't believe he is 1 year old, a whole 365 days since my whole world was turned upside down. 365 days since my heart went from full of love to broken in the blink of an eye.

I watch him smile in his sleep as I smile at him "happy birthday champ" I whisper as I lean over and kiss the side of his head. He stirs a little as i stroke his arm, he stays asleep as I sigh a relief knowing if he wakes up now he'll thinks it's play time.

I step back slowly as I leave his bedroom, closing the door over slightly before heading to my room.

As I lie on my bed I grab one of the photos on the bedside table, a picture from mine and Stella's wedding day as I look at Stella's face, stroking my finger over her smile, god I miss seeing her smile, her laugh, her everything, everything I took for granted until I lost it all.

I place the photo back on the side as I lie down and exhale deeply, I've never had to plan a party for a child before, but I hope what I have planned tomorrow goes well, I hope I done Stella proud, I'm sure she would have loved planning Ezra's first birthday party and made it an epic one.

...

The next morning I wake up to the sound of cries coming from the baby monitor as I wake up hearing Ezra shout for me and what also sounds like bangs against the bars of his cribs.