CHAPTER 12
Mick
It’s been two days since Mikayla was born.
Two days since I kissed my wife and was able to see her smile.
Doctor’s say all the tests show she’s doing well, but she hasn’t woken up.
More than forty-eight hours since I’ve heard her voice.
Madison, please come back to me.
I’m here baby.
Madison
What the hell is all that beeping? I’m trying to sleep, damn it.
Finally after a few minutes of trying to ignore it, I open my eyes.
Where the hell am I? This ain’t my bedroom.
I see to the left of me, there are a couple machines, and that’s what was making the noise.
I move my hands.
“Where’s my baby?”
What’s going on? I hear movement and look over to my right and see Mick asleep with his head resting on my leg.
He’s sitting in a chair and leaning over the bed in a position that can’t be comfortable.
I shake his arm. “Mick!”
Where’s our baby ? He jolts awake.
“Where’s our baby?”
He looks at me with wide eyes.
“Baby, you’re awake!”
He stands up and hugs me and kisses my forehead over and over again.
“What’s going on?”
He moves back to his chair, but puts my hands in his.
“Baby you’ve been out for almost three days.
Do you remember what happened at your doctor’s appointment?”
I try to think and it all comes rushing back to me.
I can’t help the tears.
“Our baby?”
Mick smiles at me.
“She’s beautiful, just like her mama.
She’s in the NICU since she’s a preemie, but she’s doing well.
I haven’t gotten to hold her in my arms, but every time I’ve gone and seen her I can touch her and she wraps her hand around my finger.
Today we’re supposed to be able to hold her for a little bit for some skin to skin time.
Let me push the button for the nurse so they can come check you out and we can get you over to meet Mikayla as soon as possible.”
Through my tears of relief and joy I ask him to tell me everything that happened.
He squeezes my hand and tells me everything including what they had to do to save me.
As much as it hurts that I’m not going to be able to be pregnant ever again, I know there are lots of kids out there who need parents and there are other options as well.
I let myself have a good cry on Mick’s shoulder for a few minutes to mourn what might have been, but I know I’m luckier than a lot of women as I was able to enjoy a pregnancy once and I have the love of a man who would do anything for me.
I lean back from Mick’s shoulders and wipe my eyes.
I look at my amazing husband.
“Go tell them I’m awake.
I need to go see our girl.”
Time to focus on Mikayla and our family.
Epilogue One
One week later
Him
These do-gooders don’t get it.
They haven’t brought the box or what was inside of it and I’ve given them extra time.
This means war, and war means the long game.
Time to let them think they won then we’ll swoop in and take everything that means something to them.
I don’t have any respect for fucking law abiding so-called bikers, especially those that welcomed our rejects.
Sure we told them they were “retired”, but that’s ‘cause they couldn’t handle the new business ventures we were diving into.
Time to retire them permanently.
This war is going to be fun.
Epilogue Two
Three months later
Mick
I wake up and roll over and feel the other side of the bed is empty.
I get up and do my morning routine before going out to find some coffee.
Today’s gonna be a big day.
It’s a family day at the clubhouse, but it’s gonna be Mikayla’s first one she’s going to.
She’s been home from the hospital for almost a month and her doctor said she would be alright to go.
It’s also going to be the first family day that Jason’s kids are going to attend.
Kids, they’re close to my age.
We’ve had a few dinners together and I think they’re like me, they are just happy that our parents both seem to be really happy together.
We may never be super close, but we seem to get along so that’s something.
I walk into the kitchen and grab a cup of coffee.
The house is very quiet, almost too quiet.
I walk over to Mikayla’s room and lean against the door jamb as I see my girl holding our little princess, both passed out in the rocking chair.
This is what matters.
I enjoy watching them sleep for a few minutes.
I manage to get to drink half my cup of coffee before Mikayla decides it’s time to be wide awake.
Time to get this day started.
*********
I pull the SUV into the parking lot and I can tell we’re one of the last to arrive.
Madison grabs her drink and purse and reaches for the diaper bag and another bag she insisted we needed to bring though I couldn’t tell you what’s in it.
She looks over at me and gives me one of her gorgeous smiles that are just for me.
“You got our girl in her car seat?”
I reach in and unbuckle the car seat.
“I’ve got our princess.”
I grab the car seat with our girl who’s wide awake.
“Let’s get inside ‘cause you’ve got a lot of family that can’t wait to see you little girl.”
We’re all sitting around the tables with the twins and Grace playing in an area where they’ve got a baby fence around soft mats on the floor.
The babies are all being passed around often.
Mom, Ma and Anna made food for all of us and I think half the guys are nearing a food coma.
Saxon, ever the shit stirrer, is sitting next to me, still pouting that Mom just came and took Mikayla from him.
He must be looking for someone to rib next.
I can tell the second he finds a victim as he gets a shit-eating grin and points his beer bottle toward Erik, who’s walking back to the table from the bar.
“Now that your divorce is final, are you going to start dating? Oh we should put you on some of those dating apps!”
I think Erik actually blushes.
“Oh I don’t think that’s necessary at all.”
Juan, Ry, Jeremiah and Samson all agree with Saxon.
Ry, the man who never knows when to be quiet, pulls his phone out.
“I’m sure we could get you a date for next Friday even, what do you say? Let’s do it.”
I look out of the corner of my eye and I can tell Kinsley, who’s back from college, is seeing the same thing I am.
She’s always been so much more observant than her older brothers.
Juan adds his two cents to the conversation.
“Come on Uncle Erik, you were miserable for so many years with the Celeste-rcist, time to find you someone good.”
A loud deep growl comes from the bar area, and I look and see Grant slam down his beer and start stomping across the room with the destination being Erik.
“He ain’t getting dates with fucking anyone.”
He makes it across the room in three, maybe four steps.
He grabs Erik by the neck and pulls him into him, kissing him like his life depends on it.
I look over and Kinsley is smiling like she’s known for a while.
Same with every single one of the older generation.
Shane looks like he’s kinda been thinking it like me.
The jaws that are on the floor the most are Samson, Saxon, Jeremiah and Leif.
Grant breaks the kiss and looks at Erik who smiles bigger than I think I’ve ever seen him.
Grant speaks up with authority.
“He ain’t fucking dating anyone else, ever but me.”
Erik leans back into him and kisses him again.
I notice they’ve joined hands and turned toward everyone.
Pa breaks the tension.
“About fucking time.”
Things are never dull around here, that’s for fucking sure.
I look over at my bride and see she’s smiling with tears in her eyes.
She walks over to me.
“No one is ever too old to find their one true love.
I’m just lucky you found me when I hadn’t even found myself.”
I pull her down into my lap and kiss her.
“We found each other.
Like I said all those months ago, you were made for me and the gods knew the right time for us to figure out our shit together.
I’m thinking it’s the same for them.”
She looks at me with love in her eyes.
“Timing really is everything.”
THE END