Contractual Obligations: Closing The Deal *B2*

Chapter 20

ೋღ♥ღೋChapter 20 ೋღ♥ღೋ

They were so nervous coming home from the hospital. Michael made sure the car seat was just right, and as they wheeled his wife and son to the vehicle, he realized this was it. There was no fall back, it was all on him. This wasn't a dress rehearsal, it was the real deal.

Looking to his wife after they settled into the car, pressure mounted. He needed to figure this out. He needed to take care of them, provide, and be a good husband and father. He ignored the dizzy feeling in his head, his heart pounding in his chest, and gripped the steering wheel. He got as far as the parking lot.

"Are you okay? You look pale."

"I don't feel so good."

"Breathe, baby."

He was tugging at his collar, aching for air to fill his lungs.

As the panic rushed through him, his fists clenched. He white knuckled the steering wheel, holding on for dear life.

"Breathe." Natalie tried to hide the panic in her voice. This wasn't what she planned. She pictured them going home together, and having a picture perfect first day. Instead, she was unbuckling the baby from the car seat, and walking with Michael back into the hospital.

"Excuse me, my husband can't breathe."

"Right this way, sir." A nurse brought a wheelchair over quickly. "Sit down."

"We were in the car, about to go home. I just gave birth. His chest felt tight. He couldn't breathe."

"Okay, follow me. Sir, can you talk to me?"

"I'm here, I'm okay." The room was closing in on him. His heart raced as his head got cloudier.

While Michael thought he might be having a heart attack, it turned out he was having an anxiety attack. As his body finally relaxed and the moment passed, medication helping his heart to slow, the nurse spoke in a soothing voice, explaining what had happened.

"Anxiety attack?"

"They happen."

"But I don't get them."

"Congratulations, you've had your first."

The doctor sent them back on their way, with a prescription in hand for anxiety medication and a note to see his family doctor. Thankfully, Jack slept most of the time, nuzzled into his mother. As they headed back out to the car, Natalie settled in.

"Will you be okay to drive?"

"I'm okay now," he said calmly.

"Promise."

On arriving home, everybody was exhausted from the day, except for baby Jack, who was now waking up. Nappys , feeding...they were both afraid they would do things wrong. They figured it out as they went, and what started as a nerve wracking day ended with them curled up on the sofa, all sleeping together.

They'd figure it out, just like every other family does.

Michael's new job had him flustered as he was learning new information. He picked up on most of it quickly enough. The one part of the job he wasn't looking forward to was the travel. He enjoyed it when he was single, but now that he had a family, the thought of being away without them didn't make him happy Either way, he was grateful for the job.

Some of the stress was alleviated when he got his first paycheck. The reality that he wasn't going to run his own company right now hit him hard, but once he accepted it, he was glad he had this to fall back on. He was lucky the job was here for him. He just had one more thing to do if he wanted to move forward. He needed to visit his father.