The Hook-up

Chapter 152

After visiting with family and friends that evening Lauren reached for the remote to turn on the TV as Bruno sat next to Ezra looking at him sleep. "I thought that watching baby G was one thing, but watching them is something else...." He said to her.

"Bruno...come sit with me for a little...." Lauren asked him. She watched him turn around. He looked as tired as she felt, and they weren't even a day old. "I'm tired." She smiled at him.

"I know. I am too." He answered matching her smile. He looked at her as her eyes started to close. "Go to sleep, boo. It's okay." He said taking a hold of her hand.

"But I don't want to miss anything...." She said opening her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure they're going to sleep for the next three months, babe. Sleep, eat and poop. That's all they're going to do." He said to her trying to make her laugh.

"But..." she said trying not to crack a smile at his joke.

"Come on. It was funny." He said touching her hand. "Plus Renee said they were going to take the babies in a little bit so you can sleep."

"Oh, right." She said to Bruno. "And you're going to go home, too, right?" she asked.

"I might go to the studio." He said shrugging his shoulders.

"Bruno....if you don't go tonight I don't think it will be the end of the world." She said; "You've been up longer than I have."

"I need to finish. They're starting to get antsy." He told her.

"But I thought they were okay with everything?" she asked him.

"They are, but it's been almost a year since I've done anything remotely close to music and they don't want me to be forgotten. Like people do new records so fast now..."

"But, Bruno...you said from the start that this has to be perfect and not to rush it." She reminded him.

""Things change." He said shrugging his shoulders.

"I can tell it upsets you..." she said to him with a concerned and caring tone.

"I don't know if it upsets me, but with everything that is happening now. I really wanted to finish before they got here and now I have to do both. Be a dad and a musician. I wanted to finish before they got here so it could be just us until next year. And now they're telling me to have it all done by November or else." He said with all the details she hadn't heard before. She held onto his hand realizing what type of stress he was going through.

"Brunz...you can tell me about these things." She said with the same concerned tone.

"But you're stressed enough right now without me piling on all my stuff." He said with little emotion.

"We're married, Bruno. I think I'm your go to girl to complain about things now." She smiled trying to get him to laugh a little. "And I get to tell you when you need to sleep and you need to go to sleep. Go home after they take the babies and sleep." She paused trying to think about what he was going to do when he left. "Oh nevermind. You're going to go anyway." She said giving up on the conversation leaning her head back to close her eyes. "At least don't stay all night until the morning." She said with her eyes half open.

She felt his head hit her chest with his lips reaching her neck to kiss her. "I won't stay up too late, mama." He said to her still buried in her hair and neck. As he laid there for a few seconds, seriously almost falling asleep, they heard someone clear their throat and start to talk.

"Are you ready for a nap, Lauren?" Renee asked.

"Oh...right..." Lauren said pulling Bruno's hair playfully.

"You two are cute and your babies are even cuter." Renee told them.

"Thank you." Bruno said standing up to kiss the babies good night. Lauren looked at Bruno seeing the sincerity in everything he did. She wasn't sure if he was completely confident in where he was right now, but she saw glimpses of what could be a very caring, confident and devoted father. If only she could find that in herself, to be a caring, confident and devoted mother. Bruno turned to her after saying good night to the babies to look at Lauren. "You're an amazing mother, Lauren." He whispered to her reaching for his phone, hat, keys and parking pass.

"Thank you." She answered. "Good night, mama." He said to her kissing her lightly.

"Good night, Bruno." She said softly almost asleep. Bruno turned off the overhead light for her and kissed her one last time realizing she had already fallen asleep.

Bruno wandered through the maze of the hospital to get to the car. He leaned his head against the elevator trying not to fall asleep trying to decide whether he was going to listen to Lauren and go to bed or go to the studio. As he battled with the decision he felt his phone vibrate. Without hesitation he reached for his pocket. "Hello?"

"Congratulations, Brunito! I'm so excited for you!" he heard a perky familiar voice on the other end.