all too well | ethma

Twenty One

Emma

I woke up to Ethan stroking his thumb back and forth on my cheek.

"Hey, sweetie." He whispered. I smiled.

"Is Jack still sleeping?"

"He's fine. I warmed up the extra breast milk you pumped yesterday and I fed him. Changed him too. He went back to sleep, and my mother is in the living room holding him."

I sat up, putting my hand on Ethan's face, and kissing him. "I love you so much. Thank you for doing that."

"Go back to sleep, babe. I just wanted to let you know that I got this under control, and today's my day off, so I want you to catch up on sleep. Also, I love you too."

I kissed him again, leaving a long, warm peck on his lips. "I can't wait to marry you."

Ethan took my hand, kissing my engagement ring. "How's May of next year?" He asked. "There's a beautiful venue near Santa Monica that we can get married at, and I think that's the perfect time for us to get married. We don't have to rush the planning process, and Jack will be old enough to be in the ceremony by then."

"That's perfect." I said. "I love it. I love you."

Ethan gently tackled me into the bed, and he left three soft pecks on my neck. "I love you too, Em."

I pulled him so that he was hugging me, his arms already wrapped tightly around me anyway, and we held each other.

"Can you just nap with me?" I asked.

Ethan chuckled. "My mom said I could go back to sleep if I wanted, and she can watch the baby while we sleep. I'll set my alarm for an hour, and we can nap. That just when I'm gonna get up, but you can sleep longer than that. I got everything taken care of today."

I ran my fingers through his hair, smiling back at him as he looked at me. "Thanks, honey." I said. "You're seriously the best." 

"So are you. You deserve the best, so that's what I'll do my best to give to you, babe."

"God, I've never been more in love." I giggled. Ethan nuzzled his one back into my neck, giving me a few more kisses.

I fell back asleep, warm in Ethan's embrace, and the happiest I'd ever been. I had an amazing fiancé, and a beautiful child that we created together. Both of whom I loved more than anyone. You'll understand someday when you have a kid that they become your whole world. They become everything. I was lucky that Ethan gave me that. He gave me our son. I gave him our son. in my opinion, that's one of the most amazing things that Ethan and I have done together. Have a child.

-

Ethan

I woke up an hour later to a snoring Emma, and I smiled to myself. I was being as quiet and as gentle as I could when I crawled out of our bed so as to not wake up Emma, and I was successful. 

I quietly shut our bedroom door behind me, and I walked into the living room to see the baby still sleeping in my mother's arms.

"Hey." I whispered as I sat down. "Thanks for watching him while Emma and I got more sleep. I can take him from here." I said. My mom smiled as she handed me the baby.

"He's been sleeping this whole time." She said. "I enjoy holding him. Reminds me of you and Grayson when you were babies."

"Jack is definitely a mini me." I agreed, looking down at him. He really did look just like me. It was some of his mannerisms and facial expressions that were more like Emma. For instance, he was sleeping with his mouth wide open. Just like Emma. "But he does kind of look like Em right now. She also sleeps with her mouth open."

"I'm really proud of you, Ethan. I was talking to Emma yesterday, and she was telling me how good of a father you already are, and how you've been working super hard at your job, and your online classes. And I'm simply proud of how you treat Emma so well. You really remind me of your father, E."

"Man, if I can be even half the father he was, Mom, I think I'd still do an amazing job."

"You are, Ethan. You're so good to Emma, and you're so good to Baby Jack. I know your father taught you a lot of lessons over the years, and I see it now that he taught you to take care of your family first. I'm really happy that you're taking after him so much. It warms my heart. I know he's with you everyday."

"He is. I can feel it."

"I know."

I glanced at my mother. "Did we ever tell you Jack's middle name?"

"I'm not sure. Refresh my memory."

I smiled again. "Well, Emma's dad's name was Michael, and her brother's middle name is Michael. My dad's middle name was Michael, so Jack's middle name is Michael. It's special because it's not only Emma's dad's name, but it comes from both of our families and has significance in both mine and Emma's lives."

"Wow. That's so meaningful." She said. "I love you kids."

"We're really grateful that you're staying with us, and helping us out a lot. I mean, that's really awesome of you to do, and we really really appreciate it."

She smiled. "It's the least I can do. Plus it gives me extra time to see my sweet baby grandson."

I looked down at him again, and I couldn't help but smile. "I know. Isn't he just so adorable, and squishy?" I said, referring to his little baby face. He had little cheeks that looked so cute, and like I said, squishy.

"He sure is. Can I take a picture of the two of you?"

"Of course." I said. 

So, my mom got her phone out and took a picture of me smiling as I held Jack. I had her send it to me because it was my new favorite picture, and I couldn't wait to show Emma when she woke up. 

It's my favorite thing in the world that I get to experience this whole thing with the love of my life. I love being a parent alongside Emma. 

And I love even more that we somehow created this tiny little human together. He's got half of my DNA, and half of Emma's. That's somehow so simple, yet mind-blowing. 

This baby boy is by far one of the coolest things that have ever happened to me.