One Year Later T he wind grazed by the skin of my head while the beauty of the
Mediterranean Sea swam by us. The boat pierced the crystal waters, parting its shards while the waves yielded to our presence. The cultures were soaked in the salty wetness of the oceans they sat on while we cruised around, experiencing people I’d never imagined in my wildest dreams I could ever touch with my art. Bryan and I spent countless nights making love to one another underneath the stars of a different country sky, listening to the sounds of foreign lands waft over us while we panted each other’s names up to the sky. I painted in the windows by day while looking out over the people of the countries we were visiting, and at night, I was holding galleries Ramon had set up and attending functions where my work was being auctioned off at alarming rates. After wrapping up in Italy, we were now all seated around a table outside on Ramon’s massive boat. We munched on decadent fruits and savory shrimp while he talked to us about where we were headed next, and all I could do was soak up the moments with Bryan at my side. This eight-month tour was more than I ever could’ve expected, and every country we docked at welcomed me with open arms. The people of Spain embraced me wherever I went, and the people of France wouldn’t stop taking pictures. The people of Italy wanted to feed me until Iburst, and the people of Egypt wanted to bless the life that was growing inside me while they begged me for autographs.
The European tour Ramon had scheduled for us was more than I could’ve ever imagined, and it would put us getting home with just enough time for me to rest and relax. After all, I’d be due four weeks after we landed back in the States. “Italy absolutely adored you,” Ramon said. “Are you ready for the numbers?” “Ramon, I already told you. I don’t want any of the numbers until this is done. Right now, I want to paint, travel, and rest.” Bryan’s hand migrated to my protruding stomach in time to feel our little girl kick. The smile that crossed his face was one I would always commit to memory, no matter how much those kicks hurt. She was a powerful one, that was for sure. But every time I winced with her kicks, Bryan would place his lips upon my stomach like he was doing right now and chant the words I’d come to know by heart. “You get your strength from your mother,” he whispered into my skin. “Another kick?” Ramon asked, grinning. “If my bladder comes shooting out between my legs, I hope you know a good doctor,” I said. “I’ve got a doctor in every area we are stopping in. It’s why I called Ramon for the itinerary a couple weeks before we left,” Bryan said. “Yeah, but you could’ve saved impregnating me for later,” I said, groaning. “Did you not like making love in Barcelona?” Ramon asked. Bryan shot him a look, and all I could do was shake my head. We figured out I was pregnant right as we were leaving Italy. We spent two months in Spain, traveling all over the country before ending up in Barcelona for a month. From there, we took Ramon’s massive boat over to the Italian coast, but not before Bryan and I rejoiced over the fact that I was pregnant. It didn’t take long for Ramon to put the pieces together just so he could embarrass the shit out of us both.
“I’ve seen the canvas painting. The two of you are filled with passion. Spain only magnetizes the passion already there. It’s a beautiful place to conceive a child. I am very happy for the two of you and honored to watch this wonderful transformative process happen in one of the greatest artists of our time,” Ramon said. “Ever the flatterer,” I said, sighing. “He’s got a point,” Bryan said. “You do look stunning pregnant.” “I might look stunning, but I feel like a beached whale,” I said. “Then I suppose cruising through the Mediterranean Sea doesn’t help,” Ramon said, grinning. All I could do was throw my head back and laugh before I reached for the tantalizing juice that had been freshly squeezed for me. If there was one thing I enjoyed about this entire trip, it was all the food I could eat. I’d come to appreciate the simple idea of eating food after not being able to keep down much of anything during my battle with cancer. Spicy foods were a hit in the beginning, but as my body was morphing, so were my tastes. Now, all I wanted to do was suck down shrimp, drink juice, and munch on pineapple. “Do you need anything?” Bryan asked. “Yes. I need to know where we’re headed next. Will I have some time to paint? I didn’t have any of that kind of time in Italy, unfortunately,” I said. “All the more reason to come back and visit,” Ramon said. “Already planning another art tour?” I asked. “Wait until you finally let me tell you the numbers,” he said. “You’ll be ready for another one, too. And to answer your question, we’re headed to Greece. We’re docking a couple days early, so you can spend the entire time painting. I won’t book up your time.” “Thank you. I appreciate it,” I said. “So, Bryan. How is your work at the foundation going?” Ramon
asked.
“It’s going well. I’m taking a few weeks off completely to enjoy some of this time with Hailey, but even when I’m working, we’re still in the stages of making connections and garnering project plans.” “Which is perfect work for traveling around the world,” Ramon said. “Exactly. Ellen was very supportive of me coming on this trip with Hailey from beginning to end.” “Now, what happens to your construction business?” Ramon asked. “Yes, my business. Well, for right now we’re partnering with the foundation. I promoted one of my foremen to oversee things while I wasn’t there, and I think he’s going to do a wonderful job.” “Foreman Duke?” I asked. “Foreman Duke,” he said, grinning. “I take it this Duke is a good man?” Ramon asked. “The best,” Bryan and I said together. “Well, that is wonderful. I shall send up congratulations on behalf of his promotion. But, on to other topics. The two of you know it’s a beautiful baby girl, yes? Any names yet?” Ramon asked. “We’re bouncing around a few, but we haven’t landed on one yet,” I said. “Will there be any more children in the future?” he asked. “Can we get me through this hellhole first before planning my next one?” I asked. Bryan chuckled and kissed the side of my face while Ramon simply reclined back and grinned. “The two of you are an inspiration. Us commoners can only wish to aspire to be what you two are,” Ramon said. “Well, how are things with Jennifer?” I asked. “The two of you are still together, right?” “Oh, I could never give up a spicy woman like her,” he said. “She breathes new life into me whenever I see her. Strong. Independent. Knows what she wants. A hell of a fighter and such a beautiful pair of legs.” “All right, all right. I take it things are going well,” Bryan said, chuckling. “Very well,” Ramon said, “and I have Hailey to thank for introducing us.” “Don’t thank me. She’s the one who asked to be introduced to you that night.” “And suddenly, it all makes sense,” Ramon said, smiling. “That sounds more like my Jennifer.” “Bryan?” I asked. “Yes?” “Do you ever wonder if we’ll make the same mistakes our parents did with us?” “And I believe that’s my cue,” Ramon said. “We’re still about six hours from the coast of Greece. Enjoy your time, and there’s a room below deck if the two of you get tired.” “Thanks, Ramon,” Bryan said. “For everything.” “Only the best for the best,” he said. “Now,” Bryan said as he turned to me, “what’s rattling around in that head of yours.” “I’m just scared, I guess. People always say we turn into our parents eventually. What if we make some of the same mistakes?” I asked. “Well, then let’s talk about how we can avoid those mistakes,” he said. “First off, if our child wants to indulge in art, then let them. It’s a wonderful creative outlet.” “But if she likes music, we should let her do music,” I said. “However she wants to release herself creatively, we’ll simply step back and smile.” “And no pressuring her to take a certain path. I don’t want to pressure her to be an artist any more than I want you to pressure her to get involved with the homeless community.”
“It is a good cause,” he said. “But it’s a cause you found on your own. She deserves that same respect,” I said. “Fair enough. But I would like to start family traditions where we go down to the homeless shelters and help out during the holidays. Or maybe one weekend a month or something. Being in the community outreach profession, I wished my parents would’ve done something like that with me instead of only donating money while we stayed home with the nanny.” “That’s fine. I actually like that,” I said, smiling. “Well, on the other side. What if she likes something we know absolutely nothing about?” he asked. “Like accounting or something like that?” “Yeah.” “Then we’ll just buy her the best calculators and bookkeeping study materials on the market,” I said, smiling. “How do you want to help her reach her full potential, though?” Bryan asked. “I mean, in their own twisted way, that’s what our parents tried to do. And epically failed at it.” “I think it starts by convincing her she can do anything. We tell her she’s smart and intelligent, and that she can truly be whatever she wants to be. We teach her that doing something to the best of her ability is what draws people in, not a specific profession but a passion,” I said. “See?” he asked. “And you were worried we’d make our parents’ mistakes.” “I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.” I allowed my hand to rest on my stomach while Bryan slipped his arm around me. He pulled me close to him on the bench. The wind whipped through our hair, and we sat and watched the ocean pass us by, an expanse of water jutting out in every direction that boasted of life and vegetation beyond our wildest dreams.
And we were sailing through it, like visitors exploring a newfound land. “What if the doctors are wrong?” Bryan asked. “Huh?” “About the gender of the baby. It happens, you know. They’re telling us it’s a girl, but I know you want to keep the nursery neutrallycolored because you’re scared of the same thing,” he said. “Like you said, it does happen.” “But we aren’t tossing around baby boy names,” he said. “Because we don’t have to,” I said. “Why not?” I turned my head to look at the most beautiful man I’d ever known. His eyes were curious, and his grip was tight. Our child was kicking the ever-loving shit out of my bladder while I swam in his intense gaze, and all I could do was raise myself up and plant a loving kiss on his lips. “Because if it’s a boy, we’re naming him John,” I said. It was a no-brainer. We had a ton of different girl’s names we were tossing around, but if it was a boy, I wanted to name him after the man who’d brought us together, the man I’d saved from the corner who’d ultimately saved my life and had wanted to make his brother proud by following his own passions and dreams—just like Bryan had done with his life. I wanted to name him after the man who’d spent the last sober months of his life doing nothing but bringing beauty into a world that had constantly tried to swallow him whole. That was the kind of strength and legacy I wanted to imbue our child with, and naming a baby boy after someone who modeled that exact aspect was a wonderful place to start, in my opinion. I sat back down in my seat, but then, my entire body was resting on the bench. Bryan’s lips were peppering my neck with kisses while his hand slid up the inside of my legs, and I could feel his fingertips sliding my panties to the side while my breaths came in short pants. “I love you so much, Hailey McBride.”
His fingertips grazed my sensitive bud, and immediately, I captured his lips with mine while my legs parted to accommodate his body. “And I love you, Bryan McBride. Heart and body. All of me is