Soulmates and Exceptions #Wattys2016

D-Day

     The craziness that usually accompanies taking a laboring first-time mother to the hospital was multiplied by two for Brea. She waited patiently by the door with her bag as her two soulmates raced around the house, trying to find everything. Brea cleared her throat. "Jacks? Spence? I've got my things."

    The two halted, one biting his lip and the other scratching the back of his neck. "Oh..." they both murmured.

     "We've got time, so we don't need to..." she inhaled sharply as the pain of a contraction surged through her abdomen and lower back.

     She leaned against Jackson's shoulder as he rubbed her lower back. "That's it..." he comforted.

     "They're coming closer." Spencer mentioned as he looked up from his watch. "Time to go Momma." He took her bag and held the door open for her.

     Brea straightened herself up and exhaled slowly. "Okay boys, let's go have a baby."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    The hospital had a strict policy of only allowing a woman's soulmate into the delivery room with her. This caused significant problems for the three, whom had kept their unique relationship status to themselves, aside from a few family members, once they moved to their new home.

     "They are BOTH coming with me!" Brea growled angrily, another contraction gripping her body.

     Spencer held onto her, allowing Brea to grab and squeeze him to ride out the pain.

     "Mrs..." The nurse scanned the papers in her hand for a name.

     "Thomas!" Jackson and Spencer informed her.

     "Mrs. Thomas, our policy states that only your match – the baby's FATHER – can be by your side." The admissions nurse explained yet again.

     "What don't you get?" Jackson fumed. "We ARE her matches! WE ARE THE FATHERS!"

     The nurse placed her hands on her hips. "That is impossible sir. If you think, that for one minute I'm going to believe that you both are..."

     Spencer cut her off. "Look!" He pulled Brea's shirt collar down enough to show her two, very distinctive marks.

     "Now can I get a room?" She wailed as yet another contraction hit.

     The nurse straightened her posture, her eyes wide with curiosity. "This way." She led the trio into a labor room. She handed Brea a surgical gown. "Put this on, and I will be right back with the doctor." She turned on her heel, leaving as fast as she could.

     "So much for the reasonable expectation of decent bedside manners." Jackson stated bluntly.

     Brea grunted. "Don't care. Want it out!"

    The nurse rushed back into the room, the doctor following behind her.

      "I'm Dr. Rainville. I'm the OB/GYN on call tonight." She pulled out a pair of examination gloves and began to put them on. "You're almost fully dilated, Mrs. Thomas. You should be ready to have a baby within a half hour." She snapped her gloves off, tossing them into the medical waste basket. "I need to check in on my other patients, but I'll be back shortly." She spoke quietly with the nurse, then left the room.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

     True to her word, Dr. Rainville returned shortly after leaving. Minutes later, the room was filled with the cries of a newborn baby and his parents. Brea briefly held her son before the nurses carried him off to be weighed, measured, and examined. After they finished, Jackson and Spencer took him, while Dr. Rainville finished with Brea.

     "He's beautiful." Jackson murmured.

    "Perfect." Spencer added.

     Brea's heart melted at the sight of the brothers holding their son. "Can I hold him now?"

     Spencer brought the bundled baby over to her. "Here's you go Momma."

     She held the baby close to her. "I can't believe he's here." The tears began to fall.

     The nurse tapped the brothers on the shoulder. "Hormones. It'll be a little crazy for the next couple of weeks." The brothers nodded, glad to have the heads up.

     The medical staff cleared out, leaving the new family to themselves.

    "He's so long...he's all leg, like Jacks!" Brea was awestruck over the new man in her life.

    "That hair! I never knew babies could have so much hair! It's like you and Dad, Spence."

    "So, Brea, have you thought of a name?" Spencer asked.

    "I have." Her eyes never leaving her son's face.

    "Are you going to tell us, or do we need to guess?" Jackson inquired.

     "Johnathan Michael." She looked briefly at Jackson and Spencer. "It wouldn't have been fair to name him after one of you and not the other. Besides, our dads have worked so hard for us, I wanted to honor them and all that they did."

    "He looks like a John-Michael. What do you think Jacks?" Spencer kept his eyes on his wife and son.

    "Absolutely." Jackson stared at his family. "Speaking of John...did you call them Spence?"

     "I did on the way over. Brea was screaming in my ear, so I'm not sure what they said, or when they'll be here."

     "Sorry about that Spence..."

    "It was totally expected."

    Mrs. Thomas?" A nurse entered the room. "We have your 'Mother and Baby' room set up for you. If you gentlemen follow me, we'll get her and the baby moved. Jackson took John-Michael, so the nurse and Spencer could help Brea into the wheelchair. The nurse then took the baby from Jackson and handed him to Brea. "Hospital rules, the baby must be transported with its mother."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    The 'Mother and Baby' rooms were all set up for individual mothers, their soulmates and baby. The bed was off to the right, parallel with the window. Brea watched the sun set, bathing their new hometown – their new start - in a golden glow. A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts.

     Jackson opened the door a crack. "Where's the baby?" Gushed Rose.

     Brea waved from her bed and pointed to the bassinet at her bedside. "He's over here mom."

     "He? You have a son!" Rose was full of excitement.

     John and Michael finally reached the room. "She's fast..." Michael gasped.

     "You're telling me...tried being married to her..."

     "Dad! John!" Spencer greeted the men. "Come and meet your grandson!"

     The two men walked over to Rose, who held the calm child in her arms. "Here they are! This is your Grandpa John, and he's your Grandpa Mike..." Rose showed off her grandson to her husband and friend. "But we don't know your name yet."

     "Johnathan Michael Thomas." Jackson beamed.

     "We're calling him 'John-Michael.'" Spencer also beamed.

     John and Michael each wiped a tear from their eyes. Things were finally looking up for their kids, after all this time.