“Babe, you’re gonna have to look after Jack. I’m trying to service my bike and he’s getting into all my tools. Babe? Where are you?” I shout through the house, Jack on my hip.
“I’m in here,” Jasmine yells from upstairs.
“Babe, seriously, I can’t look after him,” I call out as I climb the stairs. I stop when I reach our bedroom, and freeze. Standing just inside our en suite, a puddle of water at her feet and smiling, is Jasmine. “Babe, what the fuck, you peed yourself?” I place Jack down on the ground, letting him run off toward the toys he’d left on the floor earlier.
“No, Quill, I did not pee myself. My waters just broke.”
“Your what just broke?”
“My water, you idiot. I’m having this baby, now. Hurry, quick, get my bag and get it in the car. We need to leave now, my contractions are close.”
“Fuck! Fuck!” I shout, panic rising. I begin to pace the bedroom, trying to remember where the hell we put her overnight bag. “Where the fuck is the bag, babe?” I ask, opening cupboards, then kneeling on the floor to check under the bed.
“Baby,” I hear behind me.
“Babe, I can’t find it. Where the hell is it?”
“Babe, come here,” Jasmine says quietly.
“Jasmine,” I say, getting up off the floor. “We need to go, you’re having the baby. We need to go! Now tell me where the fuck your bag is.”
She sighs, then cups my face in her hands, forcing me to look at her. Why the hell is she so calm right now? I feel like I’m gonna have a heart attack.
“Breath, baby, just breath,” she says. I do as she instructs and inhale a deep breath, feeling surprisingly calmer.
“Now, the bag is downstairs, remember? Next to the front door, ready for this exact moment.”
I run my hand roughly through my hair. “Shit, babe, I’m so sorry. What about Jack?”
“I’ve called my mom and she’s meeting us at the hospital, with my dad coming along to look after him.”
Right then she must have a contraction, because she lets go of my face and bends over, resting her hands on the bed as she screams out in pain.
I rub her back. “Breathe, baby, just breathe,” I say, repeating her words from only a few moments ago. And that’s when I see a whole other side of Jasmine, as if she’s turned into a demon.
“If you tell me to breathe one more time, I’m going to chop your dick off. You’re the one who put me in this position in the first place. Now, hurry up and get Jack’s backpack from his room, and help me get in the car before I have this baby right here on the floor, for you to deliver.”
I feel blood drain from my face, and I suddenly feel faint. “You’re right. Okay, bag, Jack, Jasmine, night bag, and car.” That’s it, I can do this. I race out of our room, grab Jack’s backpack from his, and race back. Holding Jack in one arm, I place his backpack on my shoulder, and let Jasmine lean on my other. Slowly we make our way down the stairs. I let go of her for a minute, then tell her to wait on the porch as I place Jack in his car seat, putting his backpack on the floor underneath. I run back up to the porch and take Jasmine’s arm, helping her to the passenger side of the car, and then into her seat. I quickly strap her in, shut the door, and run to the driver’s side.
Starting the car, I hear her say, “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
I frown. Her face is red, her forehead damp with sweat. “No, everything’s here. Isn’t it?”
“My bag, you idiot,” she growls as another contraction hits her hard. She screams and bends over, gripping her stomach. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
I quickly race back to the house, find the bag by the door, lock the house up again, and run back to the car, throwing the bag over my shoulder into the back seat.
Starting the engine, I race over to St. John’s hospital, not stopping for anyone or anything.
“It’s a girl,” the midwife says excitedly, as she cradles our baby in her gloved hands and passes her straight to Jasmine, resting her gently on Jasmine’s chest.
I’m stunned. I still for a minute, not realising how long I’ve been standing there.
“Baby, come here, have a look at her. Isn’t she beautiful?”
I still can’t move, or say anything. It’s a girl, a bloody girl. If I thought I had issues with men trying to make moves on my woman, what the hell am I going to do with my daughter? I’m gonna buy myself a big gun, that’s what I’m gonna do. No fucker’s getting next to my baby girl.
“Baby, come here,” Jasmine says, raising her free arm out to me. I take her hand, and slowly step closer. I look down at what has to be the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen. Her lips are pink, like rose petals, her skin perfect, and her eyes… well, I can’t make them out at this stage, but God she’s a sight. My eyes burn with tears that threaten to fall, and I sniffle. “Oh, baby, are you happy?” Jasmine asks.
“Fuck me, having kids is making me soft as fuck.”
Jasmine laughs out loud, and I lean forward and kiss our new baby girl on her head.
“What are we going to name her?” I ask.
“I’d like to call her Rose Maria. Rose is my favourite flower, and Maria after your mother.”
Right then and there, I never thought I could possibly love this woman any more than I already do. Leaning down I kiss Jasmine on her lips, and whisper, “I love you, baby. You’re so beautiful.”
She smiles against my lips. “Thank you, baby, but I doubt I look beautiful.”
I tuck some loose hair that’s fallen from her ponytail behind her ear. “You’re always beautiful to me, baby.” Then I kiss her, like my life depends on it.
I pull back and Jasmine asks, “Do you want to hold her?”
I smile and take her out of Jasmine’s arms, carefully making sure I don’t mishandle her in any way. A knock sounds at the door, and the nurse opens it, allowing Jasmine’s parents to walk through, Jack in their arms. Jasmine’s parents decided to come down for Jasmine’s last trimester, so they could help us with Jack when Jasmine went into labor. And I’m so glad they did. They’ve been staying at Luisa’s parents’ house, who moved down to New York to be closer to Luisa and Hawke and the twins. We’ve been trying to convince Jasmine’s parents to move down, but Jasmine’s old man needs a little more persuasion. He loves his ranch, and I don’t blame him one bit but I know Jasmine would love them to be close by, so I’m working on it.
Jack puts his hands out as soon as he sees Jasmine. Ana lets him go, and he quickly rushes to his mom’s side, trying to climb the bed. Jackson helps him up, and he’s quickly hugging his mom, then asking for baby.
“Here, little man,” I say, bending down to show Jack his baby sister, Rose. “Her name is Rose, Jack.”
“R… ose,” he repeats.
“That’s right. You wanna give her a kiss?” He does exactly that, placing his lips on Rose’s head and pressing gently. Jack’s green eyes look at me, and he smiles. He has the same eyes as his mom, green like poison ivy, and black hair, just like me.
“Sorry, everyone, but Jasmine needs to feed baby Rose here. Would you mind coming back in a few minutes?” I hand Rose back to Jasmine, and kiss her head.
“We’ll leave you to it, son,” Jackson says patting my shoulder. He walks over to Jasmine, and kisses her on the head before he kisses Rose. “We’ll be back soon to see you. I’ll take Jack with me to get him something to eat.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
Ana then walks forward, kissing Jasmine on the cheek. “You did good, Jasmine, she’s gorgeous.” She runs her knuckles softly down Rose’s cheek.
“Thanks, Mom, I’ll see you soon.”
They walk out of the room with Jack, and I watch in awe as Jasmine opens up her hospital gown and pulls her breast out to let baby Rose feed. “Baby, I’m just gonna step out the hall and call my mom to let her know. She’ll be thrilled.”
Looking up from Rose, she nods her head. “Sure, baby, you go.”
I kiss her lips lightly before stepping out. A girl, a fucking girl. I grin to myself, and make that call to my mom.
Hanging up from my mom a few minutes later, I smile to myself. My mom was so excited over the phone. I’m so glad to hear her happy again. It’s been hard since my father died, and she’s been struggling. I’ve helped her as much as I can, but I flew her sister Helen down from Cuba to stay with her for a while. I’m about to step back into Jasmine’s room, when Hawke and Luisa show up, huge grins on their faces.
“Congratulations, brother,” Hawke says, bringing me in for a hug. Pulling back I smile at him, then kiss Luisa on the cheek. She has a twin in each arm. Sienna and Lila are now eighteen months’ old, we’d found out after Luisa got shot she was pregnant, and having twins at that. Hawke surprised her with a proposal/wedding the day she got home from hospital, so now they’re married, with twin girls. Lila is blonde with blue eyes, just like her father, and Sienna is brunette, but also has her father’s eyes. Hawke thinks it’s because he has strong sperm, and I let him believe it.
“So, what is it, brother?”
I grin. “It’s a girl, man?” I say, and Luisa squeals.
“A girl,” Hawke states, bringing my attention back to him. He has a grin on his face, and an expression that says, “I feel for you, brother.”
I inhale deeply and drop my head. I look back up at his face after a moment to see sympathy written all over it. “Yup, a girl. We called her Rose.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet! You have two flowers in your life.”
Hawke looks at Lu, frowning at her. “Two flowers?”
“Yes, you silly man—Jasmine and Rose!”
“Oh,” Hawke replies, laughing.
“Quill, can I go in and see her?” Lu asks.
“Sure, she should be done feeding Rose, so just head on in—room twenty-two.
“Thanks, Quill,” she says smiling. “Here, you take Sienna.” Luisa hands Sienna off to Hawke, but once she’s settled in Hawkes arms, she’s squealing to come to me, her arms held out in my direction. She looks so cute, her hair in pigtails with pink bows and a cute pink dress on. Her large blue eyes shine bright when I hold my arms out to her.
“Come to Uncle Quill, baby girl.”
She giggles when I lift her in the air and bring her back to me.
“Man, you’re gonna do just fine with Rose,” Hawke says, and I cock my eyebrow at him.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Man, look, I’ll tell it to you straight. You’re fucked just as much as me, so we need a plan, and we need a plan fast.”
Frowning, I ask, “What the hell are you talking about, Hawke? And you’re lucky Lu wasn’t here to hear you swearing in front of Sienna.”
“You know what I mean, brother. Girls, man. We need a plan. I mean check out their mothers—Luisa’s gorgeous, and I don’t need to tell you how hot your wife is.”
“Watch it Hawke,” I spit. “All I’m saying, brother, is that with my two, and now Rose, we need a plan to keep boys away. Because if being brought up in a club full of horny bikers is anything to compare to, then we gotta have a plan. I say we pack up and move, man.” I laugh out loud and kiss Sienna—who’s pulling my hair—on her cheek. “You’re exaggerating, they’ll be fine. No one will want to mess with the Prez’s daughter, and the VP’s twins, no way in hell, and if they do, then we’ll deal with it then. You make me laugh, Hawke. Now let’s go in and check on my two favorite women. turn around to head to Jasmine’s room, and Hawke laughs behind me. “Whatever you say, brother. Just come and talk to me again about this when they’re sixteen, then don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I turn to face him and reply, but it dawns on me all of a sudden—my daughter is going to grow up. I stop in my tracks, picturing Rose at sixteen. If she’s going to be anything like her momma, I am totally fucked.
“What’s wrong, man?” Hawke asks, walking past me and taking Sienna out of my hands. “You’ve gone all pale, something the matter?” He smiles then, like he knows exactly how I’m feeling, and walks toward Jasmine’s room. I on the other hand, stand here for a while, trying to figure out what the fuck I’m gonna do.
I’ll lock her up till she’s thirty, that’s what. And with that decision made, I inhale, and open Jasmine’s door, seeing Luisa holding Rose and facing me. “Oh, Quill, she’s gorgeous, she’s going to be a heartbreaker.” And that’s when panic fills me again. I look at Hawke, who’s smiling wide. Fucker, I’ll show him. I may have one daughter, but the fucker has two.
6 months later
We walk Luisa and Hawke and the twins out to their car, and say goodbye. They came over for dinner tonight, and it was so nice to have some company. We were able to enjoy our dinner as Rose was asleep, and Jack and the twins played together while the adults enjoyed my famous spaghetti and meatballs.
Hearing Rose cry through the monitor I’m holding, I sigh, and say to Quill, “I’ll go and feed her.” I kiss him on the cheek then turn to leave, but Quill pulls me back by my hand. “Where do you think you’re going?”
I frown. “What do you mean? I’m going in to feed Rose.”
“No, baby, you’re going to go upstairs, take a bath, and let me feed Rose.”
“But you did it last night.”
Quill cups my face, and the look of lust I see in his eyes has my breath hitching in the back of my throat. His two-day-old scruff makes him look all man, and delicious. He recently had his black hair cut, and it’s styled in that hot way that looks like he’s been running his hands through it all day. He removed his cut when he got home from the club, showered, and changed into a blue long-sleeve Henley, with dark blue jeans that sit perfectly on his hips.
“Baby, what are you thinking about?” Quill asks as he runs his thumb over my bottom lip. I feel my face heat, and Quill laughs. “Oh, that. Well, baby”—he leans in, running his tongue around my lips—“I plan to give you what you want, it’s been too long.”
I pull back and stare into his eyes. “Too long? It’s only been a week.”
Quill pulls me into him, and I feel his hard cock rub against my belly. “A week too long, baby. And each time we’ve been in a rush. So tonight, I’m gonna go feed Rose. I’ve already run you a bath, and you’re gonna enjoy it, and then I’m going to come up and join you once I’m done checking on Jack in bed and feeding Rose.”
“What do you mean you already ran the bath for me? When?”
“While you were cleaning up. I knew Luisa and Hawke would be leaving, so I went upstairs when I said I’d check on the kids, and filled it for you.”
I wrap my arms around Quill’s neck. “How did I get so lucky to find you?”
He leans in and kisses me. It’s the kiss, the kiss, which literally takes my breath away. He pulls back and smiles, and I’m in a love-struck daze.
“I found you, babe, we were always meant to be. Fate brought you to me that day, and I’m so fucking lucky it did, because I have everything that I’ve ever wanted. No, scratch that,” he says, looking away for a moment, then back at me with a look of such love in his eyes. “Everything that I never knew I wanted—a future, and a family that I never had. I love you so much, and I will continue to love you till my last breath.”
Tears blur my vision, and I look deep into his eyes. “I love you too, Quill. Always and Forever.”
The End