“Life continues and if we’re fortunate enough, so do we.” ~ Johnny Outlaw
On May 15th, James Dean Hughes Dalton is born, weighing in at seven pounds, seven ounces. He has blue eyes and a little tuft of blond hair right on top. He is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. “He looks just like you,” I tell Dalton.
Dalton is speechless as he holds our baby. “How can the world shift on its axis in the blink of an eye?”
I know exactly what he means. That happened the first time I ever laid eyes on my future husband. “It happens,” I reply with a tired smile. “It happened with us.”
“Yes, it did.” He kisses the baby on the head and says, “We’re parents, Holliday.”
“We are.” My eyelids dip closed. “I’m gonna rest. Will you lie here with me?”
He nods, kicking off his shoes and gently climbing into bed with me. The baby is tucked safely in his arms and I rest my head on his shoulder.
Watching this little guy in his arms gives me peace like I’ve never felt before. My body is exhausted, but my heart beats strong, security encompassing us. The baby yawns and I watch in awe. “We made him,” I whisper.
“We did good,” he chuckles lightly, not disturbing the baby. “You did very good. Are you okay?”
“Better than ever.” I turn and kiss his cheek and then kiss my baby’s nose before closing my eyes and falling asleep.
When I wake up two hours later, Dalton is asleep. The baby is not, and I smile, touching his cheek.
Our first visitors come into the room after a soft knock on the door. Rochelle walks in with CJ and Neil. They stay for awhile until the boys start going stir crazy after being told not to be loud around the baby. They bring us gifts—homemade pictures the boys drew and Rochelle made us a baby blanket. She hands us an extra gift. “It’s from Dex. He’s dealing with some family stuff and couldn’t come today, but said he’ll stop by the house soon.”
“That was very nice of him to send this,” I say, taking the box. When I open it, I start laughing. “Guess what it is, Dalton.”
He looks up from the chair by the window, baby in his arms, and says, “He’s not gonna be a fuc—” he stops, and clears his throat, correcting himself. “Drummer if that’s what he sent over.”
Rochelle and I giggle as the boys stare at James, touching his tiny toes. I say, “He did send over drumsticks, but look.” I hold up a tiny leather jacket. “It’s a must-have for a future rock star.”
I see Dalton’s smile, but he forces it down. “Maybe my son will be a doctor.”
Rochelle and I stare at him, surprised by this announcement. Then Dalton says, “Just kidding. He’s gonna be the greatest guitarist that ever lived. He’ll be a legend in my lifetime.”
Snickering, I add, “I have no doubt.”
Rochelle says, “Dex gave Neil and CJ their first set of drumsticks. He’s given them a few lessons too.”
“Really?” I ask, amazed.
She nods and admires the jacket. “This is the cutest thing ever.”
The visitors continue with Tommy and my mom. Dalton’s parents arrive late, but in good spirits and with tears in their eyes. Tracy and Adam come the next day, wanting to give us a break from all the early visitors and sneak some food in for us.
After we’ve eaten, Tracy continues to hold the baby, rocking him in her arms. “The media is swarming the place. Everyone wants to meet the offspring of the beautiful Holliday Hughes, successful entrepreneur, and the infamous Johnny Outlaw,” Tracy says with a laugh. “I can’t take my eyes off him. He’s so cute, Hols.”
“He takes after his dad.”
Dalton smiles. “Again, for all of our sakes, let’s hope he takes after his mother.”
Rubbing his back, I say, “Awww, Babe, you’re a great man. You’ll be an even better father.”
Leaning back, he kisses me, but then turns serious. “Be honest. How bad is it outside?”
Adam says, “Bad. No lie. There are at least fifty or more photographers. The hospital has roped the area off and hired security.”
Tracy hands the baby back to me and asks, “Are you going to do a formal introduction and let them get the pic or maybe a magazine spread? We’ve gotten a ton of calls at Limelight.”
Dalton speaks before I do, “I won’t sell my son to them. No way.” He looks at me. “What do you think?”
“I agree.”
Tracy says, “Rory called me. He’s worried what the first photo will go for if you don’t do a spread.”
“I’m worried,” I add, admiring my son. “I’m worried about safety too. Will this ever end? If it’s not one thing, it’s another. I just want to go home and cuddle with my family.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll get us out of here and get you both home safely,” Dalton says, and kisses James’ head.
Avoiding the paps outside the hospital has become a game that makes us laugh while we plot. But when it comes time to actually leave, the fun is sucked out of the room. Situations such as these can be dangerous, even more so with a baby on board. This is LA though, so we use the secret exit in the garage. We trust Tommy in his Expedition to get us out. Dalton has his arm over the baby’s car seat that he spent twenty minutes securing. After he helps me into the backseat, he pulls my seatbelt over and buckles me in as well. “This is a whole new side to you, Mr. Safety,” I tease.
“Not taking any chances.”
I kiss him on the cheek. “You’re so sweet.”
He angles toward me and kisses me on the lips. I missed these kisses that felt like they could turn into more. Tommy threatens, “No making out in the car. I’ll pull it right over if you start that up.”
Dalton jokes by grabbing me quickly and kissing me harder, making a scene in the backseat.
“Stop it, Outlaw, or I’ll dump your asses off at the closest hotel.”
“Don’t swear,” Dalton and I say in unison, then burst out laughing.
I add, “The baby can hear.” In the rearview mirror, I see Tommy roll his eyes.
Dalton is smiling and I laugh again. It feels good to be silly together.
Later that afternoon, after my shower, I walk to the kitchen, but stop in my tracks in the living room when I find Dalton asleep on the couch with James cradled in his arms. James wiggles as he wakes. Dalton didn’t get much rest at the hospital, so I’m glad to see him getting some now. But to see him with James, so protective and caring… makes me want to make another baby with him right now.
James closes his eyes again and falls asleep. I run for the camera wanting to capture every moment of this kids’ life.
Between our parents visiting and friends coming over to meet our son, a month goes by before we are alone, just the three of us. I cherish every second of it.
The band has started meeting over at Dex’s studio and laying tracks for the new album. Dalton is gone about five or six hours a day and is home in time to have dinner with me and spend time with James. Sitting on the couch late one night while holding James after a feeding, I say, “He’s a night owl.”
“He just doesn’t want to miss any of the fun.”
“It’s that nighttime fun that I’m missing.”
Fingers find me, slipping into my hair. “Tell me about it. I’m counting down.”
“I have an appointment tomorrow. Trust me, I’m counting down too. I’ll talk to the doctor about it.” A yawn escapes and I lean my head back and close my eyes. “I’m so tired tonight.”
“Get some rest. I’ll hold him and put him down.”
“Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse.” Dalton bends over and takes the baby. And there’s just something about seeing him hold this tiny little person we created that melts my heart every time. “Are you staying up late?”
“No,” he replies, tapping James on the nose. When he looks up, he smiles. “We’ll be up soon.”
I kiss them both and start up the stairs. I stop at the top just out of sight when I hear him say, “Your mommy is gonna love what I have planned.”
My heart grows from all the love I feel. On top of the world, I go to bed.
“I was given the go ahead,” I blurt out.
Dalton looks at me completely clueless as to what I’m talking about… until he knows exactly what I’m talking about. He sets his soda can down and hops off the kitchen counter where we’re preparing dinner. “You were?” He grabs me by the waist and sways my hips. “What are we waiting for then?”
“Nothing. No waiting.”
He takes my hand and starts leading me upstairs, but I stop on a lower step than him. When he feels my hesitation, he stops and turns back. “What?”
“I’m nervous. Why am I nervous?”
No less than the most charming expression crosses his face, an excitement seen in his eyes. With his hands on either side of the railings, he asks, “Why are you nervous, Baby?”
“It’s been a while. A few weeks before we had James and now just over a month has gone by after. I’m just nervous.”
Coming back down the steps, he passes me until he’s two below and eye-level. Touching my cheeks, he says, “We’ll go slow. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I know you won’t.”
He kisses me, takes my hand again, and we walk up side-by-side. He shuts the door behind him and I make sure the monitor is on. James is down for a nap, so we don’t have long.
Music comes over the speakers on our nightstands. It’s soft and romantic, making me giggle. “I love it that you’re setting the scene, but is it really us?”
“It can be,” he replies so easily. Holding his hand out for me, he stands in the middle of the bedroom. “May I have this dance?”
Slowly, I go to him and take his hand. He pulls me in quickly, our chests suddenly together. With one hand on my hip and the other holding my hand, he begins dancing and I follow his lead. I rest my head on his chest, loving being this close to him.
His mouth finds my neck and the sweet seduction begins. I give in wholeheartedly wanting him, wanting to feel him again. As he hardens against my middle, we continue an unhurried dance that leads me to the bed. Removing his clothes, he stands before me exposed and confident, sexy, and utterly beautiful.
I lie on the bed, getting comfortable when he leans forward and takes my shirt up. My yoga pants are quickly drawn down, leaving me bare before him. Dalton kisses my belly, and looks up. “I love you infinity.”
“I love you infinity.”
Our love is steadfast and kind, our bodies move with a familiarity that only home provides. As we lie there afterwards, I say, “You’ll always be my home.”
“You were always mine.”
We hear a tiny cry come over the monitor and look at each other. “Best sound ever.”
“Holliday, before you go, I want you to know how grateful I am to you.”
“We did this together.”
“I’m not just talking about the baby. Though I’m in awe of you when it comes to him. I’m talking about this life you’ve given me, everything you’ve given me. You’ve given me a purpose.”
Rolling toward him, I say, “You’ve given me more than you realize. You gave me a life worth fighting for. You gave me your heart. You gave me your child. You make me feel a love I didn’t know was possible.” I kiss him on the lips. “I love you infinity, Dalton.”
When the monitor lights up again, I whisper, “Meet you downstairs?”
“I’ll be down in a few. I need to make some phone calls.”
“Okay.”
Though I’m curious to the phone calls he needs to make, I give him the privacy he seems to want.
When he comes downstairs, he comes into the kitchen and says, “Want to go out to Ojai this weekend?”
Standing in front of the stove, my eyes light up as I stir the noodles. “I’ve been wanting to go out there. It will be nice to take James out there too. It’s so quiet and peaceful.”
Taking notice of Dalton’s silence, I look over my shoulder at him. He asks, “Do you want to have a dinner party?”
Surprised by this, I ask, “A dinner party? Wow, you’re jumping into this settling down thing both feet first.”
That makes him laugh. Leaning on the counter he says, “I’ll handle it all. I know you’re busy with the baby and trying to squeeze in work.”
“You don’t have to do that. You’re busy too.”
“I want to. I want to for you.”
Bending down, I pick James up out of his bouncy seat and walk around the counter to Dalton. He takes him from me and snuggles him. “What’s going on?”
“I just want to do something special for you and thought this might be a good thing.”
“You’re very sweet. If you’re sure?”
“I’m positive.”
Remembering his phones calls and what I overheard him say, I drop it realizing this is what he was planning. “So is it more dressy or you want to keep it casual?”
“Let’s do dressy. We have a lot to celebrate.”
“Yes, we do.” I finish cooking dinner while he holds James. “Maybe I’ll see if Rochelle wants to go shopping.”
“That’s a good idea,” he replies while rubbing his nose against the baby’s.
“Can you stop being so stinkin’ adorable? You’re very distracting.”
He sends a smirk my way before continuing to love on James.
The next day Rochelle meets me at a boutique down on Melrose. I run my fingers over a rack of clothes and moan, “I’m not feeling my best with this flabby belly.”
She wraps her arm around me and says, “You look fantastic. You’re active and eat healthy, so don’t worry. It will melt away.” Leaning down, she smiles as she coos. “Baby James, he’s just gorgeous. So handsome. I see both of you in his features, but I don’t see Sebastian at all.”
“You’re so bad.” I nudge her in the side. “Did Dalton talk to you about the dinner party?”
“He did. He said he wants you in a dress.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “He did? He just told me it’s a fancy dinner and he’s talking to you about what he wants me to wear?”
“I think he wants to make it special for you.”
Glancing down at James who is asleep, I say, “I’m very fortunate. My life is a dream come true.”
“That you appreciate it is what’s important.”
“I do. I wake up every day with a grateful heart. So about this dress…”
“Well, I got here early and scoped the place out. I saw this incredible dress over here. I think it will look so beautiful on you.” She leads me over and shows me a dress that comes in two colors—emerald green or blue.
“He always loved me in this color,” I remark, holding the green dress out.
“Try it on. It’s perfect for a dinner party.”
She takes the stroller and I walk toward the dressing rooms, but I see a dress that grabs my attention on the way. The salesperson assists me in finding my size and I go into the dressing room. I slip on the green dress. It’s lovely and hides all the parts I’m not comfortable showing just yet.
I walk out and show Rochelle. She says, “You look great. That’s a definite.”
“I have one more.” I run back into the dressing room and try on the red dress. It fits my new curves and highlights the positives. I kind of love it, but I need a second opinion. “What do you think of this one? Honestly.”
“Oh Holli, you look incredible. It’s perfect for the Grammys and for the dinner party. You have to get that one.”
“Well it’s kismet that the first two dresses are winners. That almost never happens.”
“Yes, kismet indeed.”
What I didn’t know was that kismet was coming into play in a much bigger way. We arrive at our property in Ojai around four in the afternoon. There are trucks and cars on our property filling the road leading to the house. “What’s going on,” I ask, looking for hints that will clue me in.
Dalton parks the car and starts, “I have to confess something to you.”
I usually get a sinking feeling when a confession is involved, but it’s been so good between us for so long now that I have faith that whatever he needs to confess, we’ll be able to take it in stride together.
“It’s not a dinner party.” He gets out and comes around to open my door, leaving me to guess why he lied about a dinner. After helping me out, he reaches into the back and pulls James’ car seat out, being careful not to wake him.
“What is it then?”
He acts coy. “Remember when I dared you to marry me again?”
I know what he’s going to say before he says it. “Dalton, what did you do?”
“You said you always choose the dare. I’m daring you to marry me tonight.” He starts for the house. “Our parents are here already. They’re going to take care of James for us. Tonight is about you. Me. James. Our friends. Our family. And infinity.”
Standing next to the car, I put my hands on my hips. “You’re really daring me to marry you again?”
“Double dog daring you. At sunset.” He bites his bottom lip as he walks away from me.
I’m weak to him. Always. “I’ll take that dare.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. See you at the altar, Sexy.”
“See you at the altar.” I fall back against the car and enjoy the view as he walks away. Kismet indeed.