19. Stay Wild My Ocean Child
Chapter 19
Stay Wild My Ocean Child
Darcy || 25 weeks pregnant, November
A fter my mental breakdown over us not being prepared to welcome our baby boy home, Tatum and I spent an afternoon curating an online cart of everything we need and want for both nurseries. Over time, packages slowly started showing up and now everything is here. We’ve been getting to know each other better, going on more dates, binge-watching Gilmore Girls and I’m a quarter of the way through my first draft of my debut novel.
Dom, Harley, Mav, and Kodi should be here any minute to help us put everything together, we got lucky that they are playing at home for Thanksgiving week. Last weekend, Nik and Collins came and painted with Tatum. They wouldn’t let me step foot in the room until it aired out but now I stand here taking in the cream walls with the one accented in the shade “blue grotto” envisioning what the room will look like once it’s put together.
“Mama, everyone is here.” Tatum softly says from the doorway, catching me off guard.
I turn to him and he graces me with a soft smile that I return. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“You seemed pretty deep in thought.” He steps into the room and I meet him there, wrapping my arms around his neck, and letting my forehead rest on his.
“Just admiring the handiwork I wasn’t allowed to witness last weekend.”
“We had to protect you D, you know that.”
“I do, but you know I like to be doing things.”
“Well, now you can do one of your favorite things, tell people what to do.” He winks at me then places a soft kiss on my lips, I don’t want it to end and it seems like Tatum doesn’t either so we stand in the middle of our son's room kissing until someone clears their throat from the entryway. We separate, Tatum's cheeks and I’m sure mine tinted pink as we turn to our friends.
“Besties!” I squeal as Kodi and Harley push their way past Maverick with ease which is surprising considering he has, at minimum, a foot on each of them. Bella follows behind them.
“Besties!” I hear Dom mock our squeals as he enters the room opening his arms to Maverick and Tatum who surprisingly join him as they jump and spin together in a little circle.
“We love these guys?” Kodi chuckles in my ear.
“We do Mama,” Bella screams up at us causing me to chuckle.
“You love one of them, I’m falling for the other, and then there’s Dom,” I whisper so only she and Harley can hear me.
“Holy shit. Did you just admit that?” Harley gasps, pulling back, grabbing my head, and turning it back and forth as if she is checking for injuries.
“I did, now let’s get to work, hoes. I’ve got a kid to prepare for.”
“Where can we start?” Maverick asks.
“The men are on furniture duty. Everything that needs to be put together is on that side of the room,” I gesture to the opposite wall, “Once it’s together Tatum knows where we want them to go. Ladies, we are going to start putting away what we can until things are put together or ready to be hung.”
“Alright everyone bring it in.” Dom pipes up.
“Bring it in?” Tatum quirks a brow at him.
“Yeah, we have to put our hands in the middle and break,” Dom says—like it’s an obvious thing for us to do.
“Um okay, I guess.” Harley heads towards the center with Dom and then we all file in, our hands piled in the center.
“On three… Baby Reed.” Maverick says, scooping Bella up so she can be part of our circle.
“One… Two… Three.” Then in unison, we chant “Baby Reed” and get to work.
”Bella, what movie do you want to watch?” Maverick asks Bella, but if I know anything about Bella she isn’t going to watch a movie while we work.
“I don’t want to watch a movie, I want to help.” Over the past year and a half, she has gone from speaking in broken sentences to full ones and it still makes me a little teary-eyed watching her grow up.
“How about you help Mama, Auntie Harley, and Auntie D?” Kodi smiles down at her with such adoration, I wonder if this will be how Tatum and I are when our little guy arrives.
“I’ll help Auntie D with baby’s stuffs.” Bella beams at me.
“That sounds so fun, Bella Bear. I can’t wait to show you all the outfits we’ve picked out for your new friend.” I can’t help but grin at her and when I look up Tatum is watching me with what feels like adoration in his eyes.
“Damn it, Dom, hold the leg still so I can screw it.” I hear Maverick growl ten minutes later as the girls and I are oohing and aahing over the cutest set of bamboo pajamas covered in bats and ghosts.
* * *
We spend the rest of the day organizing the nursery before feeding everyone tacos and sending them on their way. Now we are sitting on the floor in the room, Tatum’s arms wrapped around me from behind, and my head rests against his chest as we take in our handiwork.
The closet sits on one side of the room, home to all of his newborn clothes on hangers. The dresser sitting inside beneath his clothes–holds his extra onesies, diapers, and an assortment of other newborn care needs. His crib is pushed against the wall opposite the entryway, sitting next to the sand-colored rocker that I picked out from the furniture store—it’s equipped with a cup holder and phone charger. It even reclines for the nights we have to snuggle him a little longer. The wall across from the closet sits his bookshelf, holding a few of our childhood favorites such as Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. After the shower, it will probably be overflowing as we’ve asked people to bring signed books instead of greeting cards. The changing table is stocked and ready next to it.
“Is it everything you wished for?” Tatum asks timidly, almost as if he’s worried that I hate it.
“Ugh, this turned out perfect.” I sigh happily, squeezing Tatum’s hand that’s resting over mine on my stomach. “You know my favorite part?”
“Tell me.”
“It’s unique to us.” I turn my head to look at him, finding that he is already looking towards me.
“I love that, too.” He kisses me slowly.
“The sign too, it’s so cute above his crib.” I gesture towards the wooden letters that spell out ‘Stay wild my ocean child’ against the blue wall.
“He is going to be an ocean child.”
“Have you met us? Of course, he is.”
“Hey, Mama?”
“Yeah, Daddy?” He growls from behind me at that.
“Before we go to bed, can I read him a story?” He pauses, “Mom says Dad read to her stomach every night so that we would recognize his voice when we were on the outside.”
“I bet he would love that. Can we do Goodnight Moon?”
“Of course we can but first I want to kiss you again.”
“Please do.” I chuckle as Tatum takes my lips again before standing and grabbing Goodnight Moon off the shelf. I move to the chair and Tatum kneels on the floor beside me.
“In the great green room…” Tatum begins, I let myself get lost in the soothing tone of his voice as he reads to our son.
When he’s finished, he places a gentle kiss on my stomach, helping me up and guiding me to bed where exhaustion settles in quickly. Tatum’s warmth and breathing lull me into the best sleep I’ve had in weeks.