Normal //Ryan Metzger

35: by my side

"Welcome home," I said whispering as Ryan opened the apartment door.
Ryan smiled as he took the hospital bags to our room as Emily snapped a photo of me holding our son. Adam, Jack, and Jess followed into the apartment.
"So did you guys pick a name?" Jack asked, slowly putting out a chair around the table kitchen table, scared to wake the sleeping baby.
"We've got one in mind but we want your guys' opinion on it," Ryan smiled, coming back into the room. He kissed the top of my forehead.
"I still think it should be Jack," he said laughing, but covered his mouth to muffle the sound as the baby wiggled in my arms.
"We will name our dog after you," Ryan laughed, pulling a chair beside me and sitting down. "How about that?"
We all laughed as Jack put his hands up in victory.
  "Well," Jess said, wrapping her arms around Jack's. "What is it? I can't keep calling him baby Metzger."
      "Winter," Ryan said with a smile. "Winter Joshua Metzger."
Adam got up from his seat and gave the baby a long stare as he looked as if he was debating something.
"He's a Winter," He said, moving away from his stare. We all looked at him with confusion. "What?"
"How did you-?" I said, trying to process what he just did.
"Look at him and repeat 'Winter Metzger'?" He laughed, takin his seat beside Emily. "Now that suits him."
"There you go," Ryan laughed, patting my back. "Everyone, this is Winter Metzger."
  I smiled, looking down at the baby.
"Ryan, he is a carbon copy of you," Emily said, leaning over the table to get a glance of him.
"God help him," Ryan said and everyone laughed. I lightly slapped his arm to shut him up.
"Oh, quit," I said laughing. "He's lucky."
"So am I," Ryan laughed and kissed me on the side of my temple.
"See, this is the nice part of having a baby. Just wait until he reaches about six months and is screaming at you for his food," Jess said laughing.
"That's when it'll be a sleepover at Aunt Jess and Uncle Jack's huh?" Ryan laughed.
"No, when he's older he will come over to our house and we will get him jacked on sugar then return him so he is a heathen," Jack laughed, elbowing Jess slightly for her approval to his plan.
"Remind me to never let Jack and Jess watch toddler Winter," I laughed, holding his closer to me. "Wait, guys, look."
They all crowded around me where I was sitting as Winter opened his eyes slightly, waking up to the brightness of the apartment.
"Well good morning," Adam said in a high pitched voice. "How's the fourth member of AJR doing today."
"So now I guess it's AJWR," I laughed at Adam.
"We need to get this little guy some piano lessons as soon as possible. Maybe some trumpet lessons from JJ."
"Let's get him to solid foods first," I laughed. "Besides, half of the stuff I got from my family for him were musical instrument toys."
"Perfect," Ryan laughed, moving Winter's hair on his soft head. "He'll make a great asset to our records."
"Well, we will let you guys get him settled in," Emily said smiling. "You guys should get some sleep before tonight. No nurses, no specialties, y'all are on your own."
"Eh, we've got our moms on speed dial if we need anything," Ryan laughed, giving Emily a hug. "We know she'd be over in a heartbeat. You saw her at the hospital."
"Poor thing was glued to mamaw," Emily laughed. "I don't think this little dude minded it though."
Ryan took Winter from me, holding him close to his chest as Winter adjusted to being on a new surface.
"He's about to be glued to dad all night," Ryan smiled, trying his hardest to look down at his son.
"We should head out too," Jess said smiling. "Let you guys relax before the next eighteen years of your lives."
"God help us," I laughed as she reached down to give me a hug. Within a matter of minutes, the apartment was empty besides Ryan, Winter, and I.
Ryan bounced up and down lightly to get Winter's fussiness down a little. Josh fought it at first, but quickly fell right back asleep in his dad's arms.
"See?" Ryan said with a 'look at me in the shit' look. "Baby whisperer right here."
I laughed at stared at the two as he bounced up and down, taking in the sight. I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face even if I tried.
"What?" He asked in a whisper, smiling as he continued to kiss the top of his son's head.
"I'm just," I started, trying to find the right words. "So amazed right now at where we are."
"And to think," Ryan said leaning down and planting a kiss on the top of my head. "This all started at a frat party."
"A story to tell his kids," I smiled, looking at our baby he was holding.
"What? Tell them how I whooped their grandma's ass at cup pong? Or the part where we got caught by that cop," He laughed.
"Everything," I smiled. "But maybe not the cup pong part."
"Oh you're just jealous," He laughed as he adjusted Winter in his hands. He started to talk to him with a high pitched voice. "Huh? Isn't mom jealous I beat her at a bar game?"
"Let's not teach our son on his third day of living what a bar game is," I smiled and struggled to get up, there still being a dull pain from the surgery. "Let's go put him down for a nap and relax."
"But I don't want to put him down," he said, holding Joshua closer to him. "He's just-"
"I know," I said cupping Ryan's cheek in my palm. "Just like his father."
He smiled and we walked to the room that used to be Jack's. Ryan placed him down on the crib mattress like he was a bomb that was about to explode. I swear, it took him five minutes to place him down.
"Thank you," Ryan whispered, hugging me from behind as we looked down at our kid.
"For what?" I asked, holding onto his arms as they were wrapped around me carefully.
"For giving me this life," He told me. "For being my best friend through it all."
"Ryan," I smiled, looking up at him. "I should be thanking you."
"Why?" He asked, confused.
"Because you taught me that I was deserving of love," I said quietly. "And that you are the person I was destined to love. I can't imagine my life without Ryan Metzger by my side."
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