Epilogue
Caldwell
Thank goodness we made it through the crucial events of the night as things were starting to wind down. I should’ve taken my…our personal life into consideration with my gallery calendar. I had no business booking a major event for such an amazing and well-known artist like Emerson York. Everyone thought of him as the new Matisse and flocked to his gallery openings. And the fact that he had become a huge deal amongst the Downtown LA art scene with charity events and supporting local artists…what the hell was I thinking?
“Ohhh… Caldwell…I’m feeling a bit strange.” Watching my beautiful Daphne touching her chest and then her beach-ball belly, reminded me of when she had puked in one of my empty flower planters months ago.
“Do you feel like you’re going to be sick?” I asked, moving quickly after her—unlike the last time—as she turned away from me and headed toward my office. Then without warning, she stopped, doubled over and released the gallons of water I had seen her gulping down throughout the evening.
“Good thing you haven’t eaten much tonight.”
“Ummm…Caldwell that didn’t come from my mouth.”
“Oh shit! Your water broke?!” I began shouting for my gallery manager.
“Please don’t make a scene…let me clean it up.”
I couldn’t believe she was more concerned about cleaning and appearances. I was freaking the fuck out! I was more interested in getting her to the hospital before she made performance art the grand finale of the evening.
“Ohhh…I want Aubree…I want you too…mostly I want a slice of pizza with pepperoni and sausage and ohhh…no food now, I want what I can’t have… Caldwell! Hey! Why are you letting me ramble on?” She had a completely shocked look on her face.
Because I was scared shitless and didn’t want her to know. Besides, I had heard enough horror stories to put me on high alert. Every father I had come in contact with had wanted to tell me about their own experiences once they heard that I was going to be joining their club.
Don’t touch her unless she asks.
Then be prepared for her to scream, “Don’t fucking touch me!”
Her name calling is not to be taken personally.
Hitting or throwing things is a possibility.
Pins and needles. Pins and needles.
Maybe I was going to have a pleasant time with Daphne…maybe she was going to be the rare exception. She was asking me to kiss her—that had to be a good sign. Thinking I would give her what she wanted as I texted to everyone silently—not to alarm Daphne—my gallery manager came walking into my office.
“What were you yelling about? I got here as soon as I could…I had to clean up water all over the floor.” I wished I was close enough to cover the words escaping his mouth, but it was too late.
“Oh my gawd! I’m so so so sorry,” Daphne cried, adding that she wanted her sister again.
I had never been more thrilled to be bombarded with messages in my life. “Aubree is headed to the airport. Her boss pulled some strings and is putting her on a private jet. Ashton is agreeing to get her from the plane with our SUV so we have it equipped with the car seat at the hospital.” A sigh of relief escaped my lips knowing how important it was to have Aubree there.
No time to relax though. “I need my focus photos,” Daphne said, panting.
“Madison is going to meet us with them.” I didn’t have the nerve to tell her that they weren’t going to be the ones she had selected. However, what Madison was bringing I was sure would make her happy.
No one would let us down. They never had. When I had insisted that we get married as soon as possible, everyone helped us pull it together. We really appreciated the help since we had to go to Aubree since she had left to get her masters up at a San Francisco college.
As a matter of fact the first item to come into play happened the same day that I proposed to Daphne at Bel Rêves. Alexa gave us time alone until we walked up to her and then she stole my future bride away to a backroom where someone had dropped off a designer wedding gown. And not just any old designer but ones that were highly sought after and they only made a few dresses a year for select brides. So not only did she get a vintage ring, she also got a Luciana Marchesa & Savona Messina dress. I could not possibly forget the designers’ names as I have heard them over and over from Alexa, Daphne, Madison and Aubree.
Aubree was probably the most instrumental part of our actual wedding since her location was key. What she did for us—along with her restaurateur boss Spencer Donovan—was amazing and I can never thank her enough. She was working part time in a restaurant, Bound Bistro, as a private event assistant and when they got a cancellation, we got in. Not an easy task since the place was booked two years in advance for the outdoor deck that had a spectacular view of the Bay Bridge. I really didn’t care about that—the only sight I needed or cared to see was Daphne walking my way, to become my wife. We were concerned about the weather but she assured us that they had that covered literally with large umbrellas, glass panels to surround the deck and outdoor heaters.
Giving her the go ahead, we grabbed the opportunity and she finished up with the details of food, drink, and a wedding cake with our few requests. All we had to do was let a few people know and welcome them to join us up north. To my delight, Ashton talked our mother into flying up for the wedding with him. Daphne and I opted to drive up so we could take our time driving back home down along the California Coastline. Madison decided to come along with us—in our new family-safe SUV—and the two talked non-stop about everything. I heard more than I wanted about weddings, babies and Daphne’s future book. I was exhausted just listening to them, but I perked right up when we arrived—ready to tie the knot…make them—Daphne and the baby—mine officially.
I was feeling the same rush of adrenalin—that I had experienced once I was instructed to kiss my stunning wife—as I packed Daphne into my inappropriate sports car to race safely to the hospital. Never had a sterile hospital environment looked so appealing to me once I had Daphne walking into the maternity ward and settled into a birthing bed. Total relief fell over me as nurses began to check her over, hooked her up to monitors, and she accepted an IV drip filled with drugs to relieve her pain. She was pretty funny wanting to cuddle and asked if I wanted to make out before she started snoring. Aubree and Madison couldn’t wait to tease her on a future girls-only night.
She was perfectly nice to me until I mentioned that she needed to have another baby soon and added that it looked so easy.
“Fuck you! You try shitting a bowling ball out of your dick!”
Maybe I should’ve kept my mouth shut, but I couldn’t help myself. She did have painful moments—no doubt about it—but after two good pushes our baby boy shot right out. The doctor looked just as surprised and I hoped that he had a good grip.
Talk about surprises, less than twenty-four hours after little Leo Owen Tate made his debut appearance in the world, we were shoved out on the curb. Instant parents basically on our own back at the scene of the crime—where we met, where we made our child…where we fell in love. Every book and article about parenting that I had skimmed to prepare didn’t seem realistic…they were idealistic at best. But I loved everything about our little family—I didn’t even mind doing diaper changes. My favorite part of our new life together as a family was our midnight feeding rituals when I walked Leo up and down the halls, explaining each element of the house. He either found it soothing or boring as it seemed to put him right to sleep. Then again, he could’ve already been a little drunk from the boob milk he had been fed prior to our strolls.
Watching Daphne with Leo in her arms, nursing him, cuddling him, singing to him a bit out of tune, my heart reacted the same way it had when I first deceived her brilliantly. Again, I would not change a thing because it may have prevented me from living an amazing life with her. Having her curled up next to me, listening to her rambling and then kissing her senseless—those were things I relished and lived for. And I was so proud of her accomplishing her dream of compiling data and photographs to complete her book. Madison had brought proofs to the hospital and it looked like it was going to be amazing. I just hoped that she would still critique my gallery openings, good or bad and I promised to never call her a negative name, again.
“Caldwell, he looks like he’s ready for his cradle and I’m ready for a cuddle.” I loved the sexy grin on her face even if it was doing painful things to other parts of my body. I was counting down the weeks until I could completely pleasure her and stop with the cold showers—they only work temporarily. But, there was no way I was going to stay away from her so I would learn to live with the pain or train my mind to think of budgets, future shows…whatever it took.
Settling our little boy in a handcrafted wooden cradle—that his Uncle Ashton made for him—not far from our bed, I snuggled up to my beautiful wife.
“You know I love you more each day.”
“I know and I feel the same about you…I love your smile…your hot body…the feel of your…”
Crushing my lips to hers, it was time to silence her in the most enjoyable way.
The End