Soulmate

Chapter 16

     Keith laughed at me as I struggled to get out of bed.  I laid back and gave up.  He walked over and helped me up.  I hurriedly waddled into the bathroom to pee.  I stood up and went back into the bedroom and watched Keith get dressed for training.  Meg forbid Jade and I from training for the past month.  It was driving me crazy just sitting around.  The baby was due any day.

     Jade and I said goodbye to the three as they went to the woods.  We sat in the living room and watched a Life on Earth marathon while eating gallon buckets of ice cream.  We were in the middle of season two when Jade started screaming.  I turned around to ask her what was wrong when I felt a sharp pain in my stomach.  I grabbed my phone off the table and called Keith. 

     "Pick up, c'mon, pick up." I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard his voice.  "Keith, these babies, are coming now."

     "Be right there." In a couple of minutes, he and Kyle had rushed into the living room with Meg following them.  Keith picked me up and I held onto his neck as he flew to the hospital.  He rushed inside and what happened next is just a blur. 

     The next thing I knew was holding my baby girl.  She was wrapped in a pink blanket and I couldn't help but smile as this precious bundle of joy I had brought into the world.  Keith slid onto the bed next to me and wrapped his arms around me. 

     This is the moment.  The moment that made it worth giving up on a normal life.  The moment that made me miss my first high school party or even graduating high school.  From getting a college diploma and having a real job.  This is the moment that makes it all worth it.  I close my eyes and lean my head back.  I hear the baby start to cry and I realize that we never chose a name for her. 

     My eyes fly open.  "Keith, what do we name her?"

     He thought for a moment. "You choose."

     I thought about it, then it suddenly clicked.  "Harley."

     "It's beautiful."  he squeezed my shoulder.

     I smiled and reluctantly handed her over to the doctor.  Keith wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I leaned my head against his chest.  I fell asleep with sweet dreams.

     "Harley, please, stop crying." I heard Keith beg our week old little girl.  I heaved myself out of bed to see what was wrong.  I picked Harley up out of her crib and bounced up and down, shushing her.  She eventually stopped crying.  I cradled her and held the bottle up to her mouth.

     "Where do you think you're going?" I asked Keith as I caught him trying to sneak back into our bedroom. 

     "Nowhere." he said innocently.  Nobody had gotten very much sleep for the past week.  Harley and Caleb cried during the night but nobody could stay mad at the adorable little bundles.  Instead we were taking it out on each other. 

     Jade came up from the basement.  Caleb was cradled in her arms.  She came over and stood next to me. 

     "Kennet, why can't I go and take a nap?  You two obviously have this under control." Keith begged me.

     "If I can't take a nap, you can't." I said with a smirk.

     "Ugh." he flopped down on the couch.  I sat next to him.

     "Here, hold her." I gently handed her over to him.  He smiled as she drank her formula.  I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. 

     "Uh, no." Keith's voice woke me up.  He was holding our little girl and his back was turned to Meg. 

     "Meg, where have you been." I asked as I got up and stood in front of her.

     "I was on a date." she said

     "Dates don't typically last all night."

     "I stayed at a hotel so I could actually get some sleep."

     "That's not insulting at all."

     "Don't use sarcasm on me.  I can still make your training like hell."

     "Last time I checked, you said Jade and I can't train until the children learn how to crawl."

     "Okay, you win this one, but there is defeat in your future."  Meg sauntered off.  I took Harley from Keith. 

     "Since when could such a sweet little girl cause so much trouble?" I asked her.  She was sleeping.    

     "What's her middle name?" Keith asked me.

     "Quinn."

     "Why?"

     "On an episode of Life on Earth, these people were watching a movie and there was a girl named Harley Quinn.  I've loved the name ever since then.  I think the movie was called Batman or something."

     "Batman? Humans are so weird." I nodded in agreement. 

     "Have fun training.  Meg's mad at me so she'll probably take it out on you."  I smiled evilly and went into my bedroom.  I set Harley in her crib and laid down on my own bed.  For the first time in a week, I took a well deserved nap.