Old Friends

Part 5

It seemed like another couple of months went by. They went by so fast almost like they were days. Prince and I were getting more excited for the baby. We were going to the doctor to find out the gender, finally we could pick names. I did as the doctor told me once we got back there and the doctor did an ultrasound on my baby. We heard the heart beat as we always did and saw how much the baby has grown. "Ah there it is..." The doctor said. Clear as day I knew what the baby was. "It's a boy." My doctor said. I looked at Prince and he was looking at the screen. We got a print out of the picture and sure enough we could tell our baby was a he. I smiled holding the picture. "This is going on the fridge." I said to him. I felt so happy I gave him a kiss before we got in the car. Prince was too worried about me getting on his bike, which I understood. Being 7 months along was worrying Prince and as time went on Prince was staying at home to work on music just in case the baby was going to come early. I had headphones on my belly so the baby could listen to music and of course we were listening to Prince's music. I wanted the baby to get familiar with his voice. Now that we were having a boy, I was reading up on names. I wanted something that Prince and I could both agree on. Which wasn't helpful because anytime I told Prince a name he seemed fine with it, but not happy with it. I was reading a magazine when Prince came into the bedroom. It was noon and I hadn't realized it was lunch time. Prince had food for me. "Awe thank you sweetie." I smiled taking the back turning off the music. I put my shirt down sitting up. "How are you two doing?" He sat crosslegged on the bed next to me. "Fine. Just trying to name him is all. I sort of want to name him something that Jake wouldn't think of...you know? It's hard." I took a big bite of my sandwich. "I sort of have a name...it's different I think." I was curious. I watched him swallow hard. "Cadence Gibson...?" It was the first name he ever said. Cadence. Cade. I put my hand on my belly. "Cadence." I smiled. I loved it. "Cadence it is." I took his hand putting it on my stomach. I was so happy. We were going to be a family.

Eventually the day of the birth came and it seemed like everything was going as I had read. Cadence was in a hurry to get here for sure and Prince and my mother were rushing me into the hospital. I was in so much pain it was nearly unbearable. "Mom, I want Prince to be here when the baby's born. I don't care what the doctors say about him not being the father, he's been here through everything." I was eating ice as I was told. The doctors were trying so hard to make sure Prince stayed out and I wasn't having it. "Please doctor, he is the father to my grandchild. Please let him in." My mother was slowly getting more and more furious. I was getting worried as another contraction came. "Mother please! Go get him!" My mother went past the doctor to get Prince from outside. I was breathing through it and nearly broke down crying when I saw Prince. I kissed him holding his hand. "I'm so scared. I can't do this." My mother dabbed my forehead with a towel. "Baby you can do this okay? Remember we practiced this. Just breathe and relax. I love you." I held his hand. "I love you too. Please stay here with me. I'm so scared." The doctor came in and handed Prince his scrubs. It was a relief. I don't remember too much after that thanks to the wonderful epidural but I remember Prince being there. "Okay you're crowning. I need a push." I pushed holding Prince's hand. He was freaking me out in his scrubs. With the mask and everything watching me with his big brownish green eyes. Giving me this sort of serial killer stare. Eventually, Cadence was born. They laid him on my chest after they cleaned him up and I was crying. I was finally meeting the baby I had been growing for so long. Prince came over to see him, too. Thankfully, he looked more like me than his father. I decided then and there that I wanted to change his middle name. "I want his name to be Cadence Rogers Nelson. After his father." Prince seemed shocked hearing his middle name in the mix. He kissed me and my mother snapped a picture of us three.

Our first night with Cadence was nerve racking. Mostly with me because I was so scared to take this baby out of a safe environment. Prince was bringing the bags in and I sat down with my son. "Hi honey. Welcome home." Cadence had his mittens on and he had his pacifier in. I think the only thing he got from his father was his nose and cheekbones. But besides that he was all me. Prince sat down beside us. He hadn't held Cadence yet because I knew he was still processing everything. I leaned back letting him rest on my chest. Cadence still had his hospital hat on. "He's so tiny." Prince said. I smiled. "Do you want to hold him? I'll teach you how." He seemed nervous. "I-I know how to change his diaper but-" "You can do this, papa." I said with a confident smile. I put a pillow on Prince's lap and taught him how to hold the baby. Cadence barely moved but he cuddled up to Prince's chest. I smiled. "Aww." I fixed his little hat. "Cadence this is your papa." "I am holding him right aren't I?" I smiled and kissed his cheek. "You're doing really good. You're doing great, baby." Cadence grabbed a fist full of chest hair and Prince didn't budge. I curled my legs under myself so I could be right there. I took Prince's hand and put it next to Cadence's. Cadence held onto his thumb. I smiled and sniffled. "Awe. I love this. You look so good." Prince laughed nervously. "I was afraid he'd start crying." Prince said. I stroked his hair. "You're doing just fine. Do you think you two could be alone while I pump out his bottle?" Prince seemed hesitant, but he nodded. I kissed him before getting up and going to our bedroom to start pumping. I was listening for any cries or if Prince needed something. After a long grueling hour, I took the bottles and placed them in the fridge. Prince and Cadence were nowhere to be seen? "Baby?" I called for him. "Back here." They were in the laundry room. I went back there and sure enough Prince and Cadence were back there. Cadence sounded upset. I joined them on the floor. "What's wrong, Prince?" I took Cadence as he started to cry. "Where did his pacifier go?" I asked him. He handed it to me as I laid Cadence on my chest. "Shhh sweetie." I rubbed his back. Prince looked worried and scared. "He-He just started crying and I didn't want you to worry so I just took him back here." "It's okay baby you didn't do anything wrong. He wasn't screaming he was just upset. Probably had a bad dream. You know babies dream about being born until they're one?" Prince looked relieved. After a few hours, Prince was making dinner tonight as Cadence and I were having skin time. It was a bonding technique the nurse said. We were having spaghetti and it smelled so good. "Dinners ready." I got up half naked and went to our bedroom to lay a sleeping Cadence down. I turned on some classical music and turned the record player down so it was just loud enough for Cadence to hear it. I threw on Prince's shirt and went outside. I went up to him and kissed him. I tasted the sauce on his lips. "Thank you. Dinner smells so good." Prince kissed me again, grinning. "You better eat it before it gets cold, baby." He handed me an already full plate of spaghetti and a glass of iced tea. I smiled and kissed him again. We sat down to eat and I kept looking at the cracked door. I was worried that Cadence would cry and I wouldn't hear it or he was already awake and wondering where I was and was soon to cry. "Do you want me to check on him?" Prince asked. I adverted my attention towards him. "No no I just...scared to leave him alone is all..." He smiled. "Don't worry. My ma said you'd be like that." He set down his fork. Prince peeked his head in and smiled. "He sleeps like you do." I set down my fork and got up going inside to peek in. "How so?" Cadence was asleep on his back with his baby blanket draped over his chest and he was holding it. "That's how you sleep, except usually it's my arm and not the blanket. You always sleep holding onto something." I smiled leaning my head on his shoulder. "He's perfect." Prince looked down at me. "I can't wait to have children of our own. Or at least one." I looked up at him. "I'd love to have another one. Maybe a girl or another boy. I think Cadence would love to be a big brother." I kissed him. I was so happy to have a family, a loving, hardworking boyfriend, and a son. A beautiful son. I was feeling really good about life.