Chapter 9 #2
The warm water sluiced over her, easing some of the shaking pain that flooded her system. Aiden joined her, hands gentle on her body. Easing the ache in her back, smoothing over the swell of her belly. Cradling their baby even now.
Hours blended and then blurred. Petra paced the small rooms of their suite until exhaustion sent her into quick restless naps that were stolen by pain. Aiden held her, supported her. Prodded her into sipping water and eating small bites of food.
Morning sunlight streamed through the windows when her water broke, and the entire escapade shifted to the hospital. A multi-legged creature made up of family and friends joined them, their voices tangled in Petra’s head.
Then it seemed it was only her and Aiden, his blue eyes holding hers, her fingers crushing his as she breathed through the unending contractions.
“So strong,” he whispered. “Breathe out. Breathe in.”
“Tired,” she complained. “You have the next baby, ’kay?”
He laughed, kissing her knuckles even as her belly clamped down again and tore a gasp from her.
Finally—finally—the order to push came. As satisfying as it was to finally get to work, the sensation of being ripped in two tore one guttural cry after another from her.
“Doctor says one more push,” Aiden encouraged. “Come on, love. You can do it.”
Incredibly, the cloud of pain and confusion enveloping her vanished when the piercing cry of a baby rang through the room.
As the nurse laid their baby boy in her arms, Aiden slipped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. Tears shone in his eyes as he whispered words of love to them both.
“Hello, little guy.” Petra’s cheeks were wet. She wasn’t sure why she was crying because she was so very happy. “He’s beautiful.
“He is.” Aiden sounded as shocked as she felt. “He looks like a perfect Jaden.”
Her throat tight, she nodded, still staring at the wrinkled little face with his fist held tightly to his mouth as his lips moved furiously. “Yup. Now we need to find out what Jinx came up with for his middle name.”
“In a minute.” The nurses finished up, leaving them alone in the room. The three of them, Jaden nuzzling into Petra’s neck like a kitten.
Peaceful. For one sweet moment, it was so peaceful.
It felt odd.
Petra twisted her head and kissed Aiden’s cheek. “Why don’t you let the family in?”
“Already? You sure?” But he was on his feet, obviously eager as well.
“Jinx first, then the horde. Have at ’er.” Petra smiled down at her son. “Jaden’s got a lifetime of family ahead, all of whom want nothing more than to love him.”
Jaden wiggled his fists. His gaze met hers as if to say that was fine by him.
Jake and Tansy took turns holding baby Jaden, then it was Jeffrey’s turn. They propped him up on the hospital bed next to Petra, who helped Jeffrey cradle the baby in his lap.
Jeffrey examined his new cousin carefully, kissing him softly then uncurling the baby’s fingers and letting them wrap around his own little digit. Sweet, quiet. Peaceful.
That lasted all of twenty seconds. Then Jaden farted, and Jeffrey shouted and jumped off the bed. Petra easily caught Jaden before he could be tossed to the floor, but that was the end of cousin cuddle time.
“Does Jaden have any trucks?” Jeffrey asked, looking around the room now that he was safely on his feet.
A soft chuckle escaped Aiden. “He’s pretty tired still from being born. You’ll have to give him a little time to get to be big enough to play fun games with you, okay?”
“Okay.” Jeffrey’s nose crinkled. He turned to Tansy. “Can we go see Grampa now?” he asked. “I like Grampa. He knows how to play trucks.”
She smiled. “Grandpa Mal will be happy to know he’s a great truck player.”
It was time they gave up the room to the rest of the family waiting in the hallway. Petra had a ton of family who’d driven in from Winnipeg for the occasion.
After a kiss for Petra, Jake turned and pounded his brother on the back. “You take care of Petra and Jaden. We’ve got your chores covered for the next while, including the hall meeting tonight.”
“Thanks, bro.” Aiden offered Jake a hug, but he barely pulled his eyes off his family.
Jake got it. Jinx had slipped onto the bed next to Petra and was now cradling her baby brother. Joy shone on both women’s faces.
“Hey, Jinx?” Jake waited until she glanced his way to offer her a thumbs up. “I like your choice for his middle name. Seems a good fit for your family.”
She grinned wide. “Jaden Loki Skye. And Jinx Lórien Skye. People will know we’re siblings.”
“Absolutely.”
Outside, Tansy and Jake held Jeffrey between them, and he chattered about all the things he and Jaden would do someday.
“That one will take a little longer,” Jake told Jeffrey as he snapped him into the car seat. “Babies don’t ride horses, just big boys like you.”
Jeffrey sighed with extreme sadness. “Okay.”
Jake closed the door and exchanged a smile with Tansy. Before she could climb in herself, he pulled her against him. “You okay?”
She smiled brightly. “Hell, yeah.”
He waited.
Her smile turned to a glare. “Jake Skye, I’m fine.
I’m excited as anything that Jaden is here safely.
And yes, I know we’ve been trying to get pregnant, and yes, I know that Rose announced she’s expecting in October, but I really am okay.
It’ll happen when it happens.” She lifted her chin.
“In the meantime, we have a wonderful son who we’ll have to work hard to convince it’s not time to teach Jaden how to ride a bike. ”
“The Jeffster is going to be very high needs for a while, isn’t he?”
“Yup.” Tansy lifted up on her toes and kissed Jake sweetly. “Let’s go drop kiddo with Grandpa Truckdriver Supreme, then you and I can sneak away to practice our baby making skills.”
This day got better and better.
Jake slipped away for a couple hours in the afternoon to meet with the hall committee on Aiden’s behalf.
He parked outside Buns and Roses, then paused to get ready. The old bomber jacket he’d found at the thrift shop had gone light grey with age, but it was the matching bonnet with new bright yellow flowers on the brim—courtesy of Tansy’s sister Rose—that made the outfit.
Suitably attired, and with nothing serious on the agenda to discuss, Jake stepped into the café.
He made eye contact with Lisa, Maddy, and the others, then grinned. “I’m pleased to announce the safe arrival of Jaden Loki Skye. Mom and baby are doing great. Both father and big sister are giddy.”
Cheers went up from the entire room.
He sat at the table, heart full and head full.
On paper it seemed the Skye family had been in Heart Falls for such a short time, and yet…
There was something. Something big about the way he felt inside.
When Jake returned to the warmth of High Water a short time later, that thread of a thought still tickled softly.
Familiar comfort enveloped him as he walked in the door.
Tansy stood at the counter with Sydney, little Jeffrey on a step stool between them.
Petra’s mom was setting the table, while Zachary Senior had something electrical pulled apart on the coffee table.
Beside him, Jinx and Logan watched carefully as Zachary pointed to bits and pieces then guided them in replacing the parts properly.
At the hospital still, Petra and Aiden would be savouring the first moments with their son.
Declan stepped beside Jake, passing him a beer. “You’ve got a thinking expression on your face.”
“It’s really home.” The words burst out, but it was what he’d been feeling all day, Jake realized. “We came to Heart Falls and built High Water to make a home for those who needed it and—"
“And we made a home for ourselves in the process,” Declan finished. He nodded, a small smile curling his lips. “Nice it turned out that way.”
“Lots of work and a bunch of luck,” Jake offered.
Declan looked thoughtful for a moment. “Yup. Work and luck for sure, but I think Jeff would have told us it needed one more thing to really work. And we got that part, too.”
Jake considered as he looked around the room. Family, gathered together in heart if not bodies. Yup, their stepdad, Jeff, had been a wonderful father, and he’d taught them exactly what it took to get ahead in this world. “Love, right?”
“Yup.”
Good thought, Jake decided. “Jeff would have approved.”
“Jeff does approve. And so does Mom, and Sarah, and all those who have gone before us. Love doesn’t leave when they die. It keeps on going in us.” Declan nodded, then a snort escaped him. “Lord, I’m waxing poetic. Don’t tell Aiden.”
Amusement welled up. “Deal.”
Family. Home.
It worked.