Chapter Sixteen
Sheridan
MY DAYS HAVE become routine and I do the same thing each and every one.
I get up early, shower, get ready, and have breakfast Axel makes me.
He always makes sure it’s balanced and full of nutrients and everything I need while breastfeeding.
Axel gets up just before me and gets in a workout in the gym he has here at the house.
It’s nothing like the one at the clubhouse or the gym the club owns and Knuckles runs.
It’s enough for him to get a simple workout in though without him leaving.
Once we’re done eating breakfast, I gather up the milk I’ve pumped overnight and we head to the hospital.
I’ve packed a diaper bag and it goes with us each day.
That’s what we use to take care of our son now.
I don’t want to take supplies away from other babies who don’t have family members to visit them daily or have the resources to buy things and bring them in when we do.
Axel and I have even been allowed to dress Leo in clothes we bring from home.
It’s mainly onesies and pajamas, but it makes it seem as if we’re that much closer to bringing him home.
At least that’s what I tell myself every single day because it’s the only way I can get through each one without breaking more than I already do.
The doctors are optimistic we’ll be able to bring Leo home sooner than they originally thought.
It’s already been weeks and weeks of him being in the NICU and his oxygen levels are finally starting to remain stable throughout the night.
He’s steadily gaining weight as well. My boy eats like a little piglet and I love sitting there nursing him as Axel watches on and makes sure I have water and a snack for when I’m done feeding our son.
Thinking of Axel, I can’t help but smile.
He’s been so good. Not just with Leo, but with me as well.
Every single night he holds me close and lets me cry for as long as I need to.
There isn’t a single second he complains or treats me like shit because I’m so damn emotional about Leo not being home with us.
There have been a few times he’s cried with me when we’re all alone in our room at night.
We’ve both let down our walls and become our most vulnerable in those moments as we hold one another and whisper words of reassurance.
Each of us blame ourselves for Leo not being home where he belongs.
He’s once again my biggest support and the strength I need when I finally get home and can relax without a ton of eyes on me.
My dad has been to the house daily to help Axel and the guys put the finishing touches on the nursery once visiting hours are over.
They finally finished it last night and I’m truly amazed with how it turned out.
There’s a mural painted on the wall of motorcycles and teddy bears.
The crib sits between two windows and the rocking chair is in the corner right near the crib.
On the opposite wall is the changing table.
Leo’s closet and dresser are already filled with a ton of clothes.
Marie, Janessa, Jolene, and the rest of the ol’ ladies truly went overboard with their shopping.
Plus, I’ve gotten more than a few packages shipped to me from Shelly.
Leo definitely won’t have to worry about running out of clothing any time soon.
I’ve loved washing them all and taking care of them.
Our boy is spoiled already and I have a feeling it’s only going to get worse as he gets older and develops interests of his own.
“We gotta stop at the clubhouse on our way home,” Axel informs me on our way back to the house after spending the day with Leo. “Mom wants to see us for a second.”
“Okay. I don’t want to stay there very long though. I’m exhausted and about ready for bed already,” I tell him, stifling a yawn as I lean my head on Axel’s shoulder.
When we go to the hospital each day, we take Axel’s truck.
I’m not cleared to ride on his bike yet after the accident and cesarean section.
Axel doesn’t ever complain he’s not on his bike.
When I asked him about it, he simply said instead of me being wrapped around him on the bike, I get to sit right next to him in the truck so he still gets to feel me up against his body.
Honestly, I can’t wait until Axel and I can go for a ride on his bike.
I’ve missed it over the years and Axel is the only one I’ve ever been on a bike with.
We talked about it last night when we were in bed.
Apparently he’s got a list of places he wants to take me on the bike when we aren’t home with Leo.
It helped keep my mind off the fact that our son wasn’t home with us and distracted me just enough to fall asleep easier than I have in a very long time.
“We won’t. I’m not sure what’s goin’ on, but Mom was pretty insistent about us showin’ up,” Axel says as we pull up to the gate and the Prospect opens it for us.
“Has Brick found anything on my mom yet?” I ask, wondering what’s going on with the search for the evil bitch.
Yes, Axel told me he was going to talk to his dad, Rooster, and Brick about the situation so we can have protection plans in place with the help of the club. I wasn’t about to say no when it comes to our son.
“Not yet. He’s had a few leads but they quickly turn into dead ends.
We know she’s still close at this point.
She really can’t afford to go too far away since she wants to get her hands on your money.
That’s what makes the entire situation so hard.
We know she’s close but she’s gotten good at coverin’ her tracks so no one can find her.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s got help we know nothin’ about at this point.
Plus, we can’t rule out the fact that there’s a real possibility Jess is workin’ with her.
Not that Jess knows anythin’. I haven’t been to the strip club in weeks so I haven’t seen her,” Axel says, reminding me that he’s the manager of the club’s strip club.
I hate it, but it’s his job and I do trust Axel to remain faithful to me.
The main reason I hate it is because of Jess being there.
She’s going to do nothing but stir up trouble and be a complete bitch about things.
Axel parks the truck close to the door so I don’t have to walk too far.
He still doesn’t want me to do a lot to exert myself until I get cleared from Dr. Matthews.
I’ve seen him overprotective more than a handful of times over the years when it comes to me, but this is crazy as hell.
If I’d let him carry me everywhere I go, Axel would be happier but that’s not happening.
So, I hold his hand as we make our way to the clubhouse door and he opens it for me.
The second I step inside, the common room is filled with so much blue.
There are balloons, ribbons, streamers, plates, cups, a giant cake with blue flowers, motorcycles, and bears on it, and a table loaded with gifts wrapped in varying shades of blue and green.
Another section has several tables loaded full of food the ol’ ladies are fussy over as we step inside.
“Sheridan!” Jolene hollers as she looks at us and rushes to our side. She pulls me into a tight hug as my dad and Janessa make their way over to us.
“What’s goin’ on?” Axel asks, confusion filling his voice as he looks around.
“Well, we know our little Leo isn’t home yet, but Sheridan needs a reason to be happy. She didn’t have a baby shower so this is a party to celebrate Leo’s birth. This is small compared to what we’ll do when he finally comes home,” Jolene answers as she moves so my dad can pull me into a hug.
“You guys really didn’t have to do this,” I say, feeling the blush cover my cheeks because I hate being the center of attention.
“Of course we did. We tried to get Shelly home for the party but she has a few more finals to take before she can come home. She was upset,” my dad says as he lets me go and allows Axel to pull me into his arms.
“Come in and get somethin’ to eat,” Hammer says walking up to us as he gives Axel one of those man hug things. “We’ve all been waitin’ on you and I’m starvin’.”
I can’t help but laugh at that because the food smells amazing and Hammer is always hungry.
It’s one of the many things Axel and him have in common.
They eat like crazy and each of their portions is enough for two or three grown ass men instead of the one person they are.
I used to laugh when Axel would eat because for every bite I would take, he’d take two or three huge bites.
The guy is a pig and I have a feeling it will be passed down to our son based on how he nurses already.
Axel and I head for the tables loaded down with food and he fills a plate for me along with two for himself.
There’s so much food I’m not sure what to take and which to leave behind.
Axel loads me up with a little bit of each food he knows I love.
When I ask what things are, he adds a little bit to my plate so I can try.
I know he won’t steer me wrong and choose foods I won’t like.
Once our plates are loaded with food, he leads me to a table that’s been decorated with a baby themed tablecloth and has blue ribbons tied to the chairs.
Hammer, my dad, Knuckles, and Janessa are already sitting at the same table with the kids.
Axel pulls out my seat and helps me get close to the table before taking his own seat next to me.