Attainment

think Mum and baby need a rest. It’s been a long day. You are all more than welcome to go back to the hotel and stay. Abigail will make sure you are well looked after.”

 I gently pry Brayden from Rick’s arms and hold him close, protecting him from any further man-handling. He yawns and starts searching for his food source.

“He’s due for a feed anyway,” Alexis announces.

“And his first bath,” a midwife adds, as she enters the room. “Visiting hours are about to close.”

Straightaway, I like this midwife. This midwife deserves a raise, or a promotion, or an employee of the month award. In fact, I make a mental note to look into offering a personal recommendation for that particular reward.

“You heard her,” I speak up. “Out!”

“But Mum, I want to stay,” Charlotte whines.

“I know Charli-bear, but you can’t. Dad will bring you back tomorrow, won’t you Rick?” Alexis asks with a pleading look on her face.

“Actually,” the midwife speaks up. “If Dr. Rainer is happy with your recovery, there’s a good chance you’ll be allowed to go home tomorrow.”

“Really, so soon? Oh that would be wonderful,” Alexis beams, an enormous smile plastering her face.

Strapping a blood pressure cuff to Alexis’ arm, the midwife continues. “I’m not sure that applies to Brayden though.”

What? I decide this midwife needs a new career, fuck her promotion and award.

Before I can voice my objection to leaving my one-day-old baby boy here alone, Alexis does it for me. “What? That is absurd. I am not leaving my son here alone. That is not even an option. If he stays, I stay. If I go, he goes. End of fucking story.”

“Alexis! Language,” Maryann scolds.

Jen nudges her mother out of the room. “Mum, stay out of it.”

“I’ll wait outside,” Rick adds. Good idea, you do that.

“Ms. Blaxlo, I didn’t mean you would have to leave him. The hospital has a hotel for mothers who are well enough not to need a hospital bed. Because your son is four weeks premature, he will more than likely need monitoring by a nurse. We need to be sure that he is feeding well and putting on weight before he can go home with you. That being said, Dr. Rainer will have to assess him again tomorrow before a final decision is made. ”

“I don’t want to stay in the hospital hotel. I don’t even want to be in a different room from him.” Alexis looks toward me with an anxious expression on her face.

“The hospital hotel is lovely and is only one building awa—“

“That’s not necessary,” I interrupt.

Noticing Alexis’ heightened distress, I step in to calm the situation down. “Hunny, don’t worry. We are not leaving Brayden. I’ll sort something out, I promise.”

She nods and glares at the midwife who quickly prepares Brayden’s bath and then leaves the room.

* * *

Later that night as I lay propped up on my side, Alexis on her side and Brayden fast asleep on the bed in between us, I couldn’t possibly be happier. Well...I could, Alexis is yet to become my wife.

“Shit! I almost forgot,” I proclaim, rolling off the bed and reaching for the baby bag.

Alexis straightens and cranes her neck. “What? What did you forget?

“Yours and Brayden’s presents,” I answer, holding the two gifts behind my back.

“Presents?”

“Yes. It is Brayden’s birthday is it not.”

“It is. So what did you get him?” Alexis asks, trying to peek around my back.

I reveal one arm and place the soft knitted guitar next to Brayden, a huge proud grin covering my face.

Alexis giggles. “Awww, you got him his first guitar, how adorable.”

“Guitar’s aren’t adorable, Hunny. They are cool as shit. Brayden is now the coolest baby in this hospital.”

Laughing, Alexis kisses his forehead. “Did you hear that, baby boy? You are cool as shit!”

He doesn’t respond. He’s too cool to respond.

“So, you said presents, as in plural. That means you have something else behind your back.”

Raising my eyebrow at her, I nod.

“Is it for me?” she asks with an excited smile.

“It is.”

“Are you going to give it to me?”

“I am.”

Drawing out the suspense for her—because I know she hates surprises—I slowly reveal my hand, only to put it back out of sight, fooling her. The next second, I have a corky to my bicep.

“Alright, alright, here,” I laugh, rubbing my arm and producing the velvet box.

Opening it up for her to see, I watch with anticipation as she goes to put her hand in then quickly pulls it back.

“I’m not falling for that anymore. The box, hand it over,” she demands with a smile.

I laugh and hand her the box. She knows me too well.

Alexis opens the box and takes out the gold, engraved, heart pendant and chain. “Bryce, it’s beautiful,” she whispers as she reads the inscription of all her children’s names. A lone tear falls from her eye when she looks up and meets my stare. “You even had Bianca’s name engraved on it.”

I lean forward and wipe the stray tear from her jaw. “Of course I did.”

“It’s perfect, thank you. But I didn’t give you anything.”

She tenderly strokes Brayden’s face with her finger and gazes adoringly at our son, and I realise it’s the single most peaceful and amazing moment in my life thus far.

“Do you really know how much I love you?” I sincerely ask her.

She looks up and smiles. “Yes.”

“No, I mean do you really know how much I love you?”

Her smile softens a little, and she blushes ever so slightly. “Well, yeah...I think so.”

“I don’t think that you do,” I explain, as I push a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Today, my life changed and that’s all because of you. Today, I received the most precious thing imaginable and again...that’s all because of you. Today, my heart grew beyond all proportions, and you are the reason why. You, Alexis. You have given me something no one else has and ever will. You have given me the best present possible.”

She lifts herself up and over Brayden, then smiles mischievously at me before leaning in to kiss my lips.

 “It’s what I do, Mr. Clark.”

CHAPTER NINE

In the morning that followed, Dr. Rainer decided to keep both Alexis and Brayden in an extra day for observation, but then authorised their release the following day after I explained that we were more than happy to have a live-in nurse at the apartment for as long as was needed.

She agreed, but felt a midwife need only make a few house calls for the week ahead. She was happy that Brayden was already doing exceptionally well, especially now that Alexis’ breast milk was—in the words of the Emperor of the Galactic Empire—“Fully operational”.

Thrilled to finally be taking Brayden home, we make our way out to the underground car park. Not seeing where our car is parked and forgetting to ask Chelsea when she handed me the keys, I lift the remote and click the