The End (GxG) (Sequel to The Middle)

Chapter 67

-LYNN'S P.O.V-

    First day home. A week of hospital and I'm done with that fucking white room. Now I'm home, with our babygirl.
"Let me put Penelope away?"
"Yeah, probably a good idea for the moment."
    She quickly kisses my cheek before racing in the house. What would I do without Jamie? Well... first off, I wouldn't have Alex.
    I climb out if the car and grab Alex from her seat. As I'm almost to the doorstep, Jamie opens the door for us. I'm worried about Jamie, she's been running on barely no sleep just so I can sleep.
    She shakes her head at me and smile. "I'm good babe."
"I have a right to be a worrying wife."
"Whooooo just gave birth to our baby.. so no. You don't. Not right now."
    Her look in her eyes turns stern and a thousand present serious. "Now sit or go lay down with her."
"Sit. Or lay down. My only options?"
"Yes."
"So mean."
"I'm not being mean. I just don't want you or her getting hurt."
"I know, Love. I was kidding."
   She sighs. "Maybe just go to our room and lay down with her? I feel like the bed might be safer than a couch when I let in Penelope."
    I lean down and kiss her cheek before starting my way up the stairs. Alex somehow managed to stay asleep with all my moving. Well. She sleeps through the night and is almost always held the second she even begins to cry.
    Jamie has been up almost all week with her, keeping her calm while I would sleep. And though I have meds for my pains, I don't want to take them because they'll make me sleep and Jamie needs more sleep than anyone right now.
    I lay her on the bed, surrounding her with pillows so she won't move. Jamie comes in with Penelope behind her. We are both hesitant because she is a pitbull and they sometimes vary when certain things happen.
    She is a very well trained dog and has never hurt anything other than the occasional fly... And spiders Jamie screams at.
     Jamie smacks me. "I don't scream."
"Beg to differ, J."
    Jamie sits on the edge of the bed and I sit on one side of the pillow fort I made for Alex. Penelope jumps up. It was like all air was sucked out of the room.
    Penelope sniffed Alex before looking at me. All I could do was smile. Penelope lays down by her and lays her head by Alex's.
    And like the moment of no air passed, both Jamie and I breathe in heavily.
"So I take it you like her?"
      I can see a smile grow on her lips. Am I the only one that thinks all of our animals are overly intelligent or we are just weird enough to know what they mean?
"Nope. Me too, Ly."
     Jamie lays on her stomach. "Lay with me, babymama."
     I laugh to her. She smiles widely and her eyes plead. I crawl over and collapse on her back.
    Her warmth feels so nice to have close again. I slide my hands beneath her and the mattress and she hums out to me like she use to.
"I've missed this."
"Not more than I." Jamie mumbles.
    I smile to it because I know she's falling asleep. I do what I do best.
"Jamie.."
     She sighs. "I can't. Alex.."
"Which is asleep. With Penelope guarding her."
"What about you?" Her voice weary.
"Alex is in the middle of the bed with pillows surrounding her. She is asleep. We can sleep for a bit."
"Hm.."
"Koala.."
"I love you, Alex." She takes a deep breath before giving me mine.
"I love you, Ly."
"I love you too, Koala."
     As soon as my words are spoken, I know she is out. And I feel myself slipping too and quickly. I didn't know it would be so relaxing to just be like this again. So home.
    Almost as permission, Penelope whimpers. And with that I fall asleep to Jamie's heart beating and breathing.

    Alex slept a lot longer than I thought she would. When she first starts to stir and makes the smallest of cries, I'm up. But Jamie is too.
"Koala, you need sleep."
"I'm good."
    I take Alex in my arms and as Jamie gets up I push her against the bed.
"Baaaaaaabe."
"Sleep."
"I can't without you."
"I'm going to make her a bottle and change her. You can sleep."
"You'll come back?"
    I rock Alex and nod. "We'll be back in a few minutes."
    I have never seen her eyes... so.. defeated. She's so stubborn but knows I'm right..
     After a moment she looks down and sighs.
"Koala... Look at me?"
    I get no response. Penelope nuzzles her way under Jamie's face and forces her to look my way. Thanks Penelope.
"You need sleep. When you have a seizure because of a lack of sleep, you'll be blaming yourself and I don't want you to go through that."
"Are you in pain?"
"No...."
"Liar."
"I'm not taking anything right now, J."
"If I nap." I see frustration growing... "For a little bit. The second I wake up, you take something."
     She does need sleep. And I know if I don't make this deal with her then she'll be mad at me. I nod slowly.
     Jamie wraps her arms around Penelope and sighs.
"A real sleep, J."
     I walk out of the room while rocking Alex in my arms. We make our way downstairs and into the kitchen. I've already become the parent that talks to their baby like they can already understand them.
"Might have to put you in your crib until I get you a bottle."
    I open the fridge and see a few bottles already made.
"Or mom could do it."
    Taking a bottle out, I put it in the microwave and start it. Alex has my eyes.. almost.. hers has hints of blue mixed in the grey and clear. She's absolutely beautiful.
     It takes me a moment to think my options through... But finally got her bottle ready and warmed right for her. It's feeding her.....
    Alex doesn't have problems drinking. It's just how much and how fast. She doesn't cry much... well... when Jamie or I are holding her and someone takes her away from us..
    I head back upstairs and into Alex's room. I'm thankful we put a couch in here because of this moment. I sit on the couch and start to feed her.
    Everything about Alex is perfect. She's a very healthy baby. Makes me recall to my dream about when we told her she was going to be an older sister because she doesn't cry as much as Jamie made it seem in my dream.
    Alex is just a little observer. Her eyes always searching for new things. Without Jamie, I wouldn't be on our couch, in her room of our house with our Alex.
    I set myself up to burp her. I always found it funny when one burps their baby because they get spit up on... But once you're here... it's not that funny anymore.
    It was a terrible, nightmare filled hell to bring Alex in the world and it still hurts. It wasn't pleasant but it was worth it to get here... with Alex... who just burped and spit up.
    Sighing, I put Alex on the baby table and start to change her. And she loves to be swaddled. Loves, loves.
    Each time I tuck in the sides to swaddle her, she smiles. It's adorable. She's adorable. And all Jamie and mines.
    After swaddling her, I pick her up and pace the room with her until she sleeps. Dad says she looks like me. She has my eyes.. And a few other things.
    Ignoring my pains, I continue to pace with her. I am in a trance, one where I just want to hold her forever but know that when she falls asleep, I'll put her down. I don't like to put her down for her to sleep but I have to.
    I slowly walk towards our room and set her in the pillow fort again. Jamie stirs a little as Penelope moves and lays next to Alex. What's weird is Alex sort of turns her head to Penelope's touch. But she still sleeps.
"Take painkiller. Now."
"You're suppose to be asleep."
"I am asleep." Her face turns into the mattress.
"That's not sleeping."
    Her hand raises in the air, I grab it. Her thumb runs over her rings and I hear her sigh.
"I don't like it when you do that."
"It's a force of habit, Ly. I know 3 years and a year of marriage with now Alex, I should know you're real.. I still have problems sleeping if I'm not sleeping with you. I'm sorry."
    It pains my heart to hear that... But I know. I know all too well.
"I'll take some meds, J."
"I be pillow?"
"Yeah, babe. Til next feeding."
"Which I'll do and you'll sleep for."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
    Walking over to the minifridge, I grab water and take the medication they gave me for pain. I turn around and Jamie is watching me, waiting but also watching. I don't like taking my meds if I don't have to because she needs sleep more than I.
    I climb on my worrying wife's back and she sighs. Slipping my hands beneath her stomach, she hums to me. I love how warm she is too. Her warmth is peaceful.
    My grasp on wakestate continues to lose. And she knows.
"Ly.."
"No."
"Ly.." She whispers softer.
"Nn.." fuck...
"Ly." Her whisper light and soft... a melody I can't resist anymore.
"I love you, Ly." Her whisper sends me to my way.
"I love you, Alex." And barely enough in me for hers. "I love you too, Koala."
    To my family, right here, right now, I fall asleep. To my wife's slow beating heart. To our baby's pillow fort with her swaddled in. To our pup, Penelope. Our family isn't fully complete yet but soon it will be.