“Hunter?”
“Yeah, Kitty Kat?” My husband pops out of the kitchen, hurrying to my side. “What do you need? Water? Pee break? Snack? Foot rub?”
I smile, despite the nonstop annoyance and discomfort that is the end of pregnancy. Especially pregnancy in the heat of summer. I’m hot and sweaty, with swollen feet, a constantly aching back, and never-ending heartburn.
“I’m fine. I just wanted to ask if you had heard back from Leo about your request for paternity leave.”
His face dissolves into relief. He’s been working so hard with his therapist on his anxiety, and for the most part, has done well. But as our due date gets closer, his hovering gets more intense. It’s sweet, and I know it’s coming from a place of love, but it’s also hard to stay patient all the time.
“Oh, yeah, I got the email this morning while you were napping. I’ll have two weeks off, starting whenever we choose. I just need to give them a couple day’s notice if possible.”
“Perks of being related to the chief,” I tease.
Hunter chuckles, sitting down on the other end of the couch and lifting my swollen feet into his lap. He starts to massage them, and I bite back my groan at how good it feels.
“Yeah, being married to his cousin helps, but they would do the same for any of the guys on the force. I’m nothing special.”
“You’re special to me, and to our little one.”
Hunter’s cheeks turn pink, as he shifts forward to kiss my giant stomach, resting his cheek on it after. “That’s all that matters.”
Our baby takes that opportunity to kick out, hitting Hunter’s cheek. “Damn, kid, chill out. I’m allowed to snuggle your mama. You’ll be hogging all her time soon enough,” He chides, rubbing my belly.
I grimace again, as a rippling contraction goes through me. Hunter freezes. “What was that?”
“Braxton Hicks.” I roll onto my side, Hunter moving down to crouch on the floor in front of me, rubbing my arm. “They suck.”
“You’re so incredible, Kat. So strong and brave, and just… damn. I understand why women bear children not men. We’re far too weak to go through this.”
I laugh, then gasp when I feel damp between my legs. “Oh, my god you just made me pee a little.”
My gorgeous husband frowns, glancing down. “You sure it was pee?”
“I think so,” I frown. “Help me up.” I lift my arms, and he gently assists me into a seated position. Only for another wave of moisture to leak. A much bigger wave this time. “Oh, shit.”
“Oh, shit?” Hunter’s eyes grow wide. “Babe, don’t say oh shit. Oh, shit is not good. Oh, shit is bad.”
I give him what feels like a grimace but is meant to be a smile. “Or, oh shit is good because it means this kid is coming.”
***
I don’t know how the hell Kat stays so calm. She’s in fucking labour. She’s about to deliver our baby. And yet she’s slowly and methodically going through the motions of pulling out clean clothes and getting changed, timing her contractions, instructing me on what to put in the baby bag that we should’ve packed a week ago, and writing a list of who I need to call or text.
“Hunter?”
I startle, realizing I had zoned right out into overwhelm, while she was trying to tell me something. Damnit, I’m useless right now, and that must change. She needs me.
“Sorry. What?”
My beautiful wife gives me a soft smile. “I asked if you could grab the bag of labour snacks I put together yesterday.”
“You bet.” I jog out of the bedroom, grab the snacks and jog back to find her leaning against our dresser, swaying back and forth. “Fuck, what can I do?”
She shakes her head, sways for a few more minutes then stops and slowly looks at me. “That was a short one, but it seriously hurts, and they’re close together. We need to go.”
I white knuckle the entire drive to the hospital while Kat does her breathing exercises in the passenger seat, clutching my free hand. “That’s it Kitty Kat, squeeze and breathe babe. You’ve got this.”
Something changes the second I pull up in front of the hospital in Westport and see our midwife Shannon waiting for us. I exhale, and the anxiety, and overwhelm I’d been fighting for weeks disappears. My mind has one singular focus and it’s the woman beside me and our unborn child.
“Go with Shannon. I’ll check you in and meet you upstairs.” I lean over and kiss her, before Shannon helps her out of the car and into the hospital. As quickly as I can, I park, and dash inside to the admitting desk to sign Kat in.
It’s been barely ten minutes but I’m rushing through the halls of the hospital, desperate to get back to my wife. I don’t want her to go through any of this without me by her side.
“Sir? Can I help you?” A nurse calls out as I come to a slightly breathless stop at the nursing station on the maternity ward.
“Kat…Callaghan. Wife. Baby.”
I barely register her chuckle. I’m guessing I’m not the first panicked father to arrive after their wife.
“She’s in room six getting settled. It’s right down the hall on your left.” She gestures in the right direction.
With a nod of thanks, I take off, at a slightly less rushed pace. I’m here, and we’re about to meet our baby.
Holy crap.
When I walk in the room, Kat and Shannon are standing by the window. My incredible wife is rocking back and forth while Shannon provides counterpressure on her hips, talking in a low voice. I dump our bags on the chair before moving to Kat’s side, brushing her hair back and kissing her forehead.
“Hey Kitty Kat, how we doing?”
The moan she gives me in response has me looking to Shannon with raised eyebrows.
“Things are progressing really well,” she replies with an encouraging smile, “but quickly. I think we’ll be meeting your little one soon.”
“Hell yeah we will, hear that baby? You’re doing great!” I try to temper my excitement, given the expression on Kat’s face when she looks at me. She’s scared, and hurting, and every protective instinct in me rears up, wanting to take it all away from her.
But I can’t. We’ve talked about this in prenatal classes with our midwives. What I can do to support Kat. No amount of classes could ever prepare me for the reality of seeing my brave, confident wife look at me with fear in her eyes.
“Hey, I love you, and I’m right here with you,” I whisper, bringing my forehead to meet hers as she leans against me. “Breathe.”
She takes in a slow yet shaky breath with me, and we exhale together, slowly swaying from side to side.
“I’m scared, Hunter.”
“I know. But we’ve got this. You’ve got this. And whatever you need, I’m here for. Yell at me, swear at me, break my hand, I can take it. You want ice chips, a massage, anything.”
That earns me a tiny laugh until her knees almost buckle as another contraction hits. “Oh god.”
I look to Shannon, who moves in behind Kat and goes back to providing pressure. “That’s it, Kat, you’re doing great. Breathe in and moan it out. There you go.”
It seems to take forever for the contraction to pass and I’m sure it feels even longer for Kat. Even so, I’m surprised when Shannon starts to guide us to the bed. “Do you think you can lay down so I can check your cervix? I suspect we’re moving along quickly. If you’d rather, we can do it standing up.”
“I want to lie down,” Kat says immediately, and I move to her side to help her get to the bed. She’s no sooner laid down when another contraction hits, and she’s grabbing my hand tightly.
“I was joking about the hand breaking,” I tease, but my girl is too far gone to appreciate the attempt at humour. Instead, all I can do is watch her face scrunch up as she rides it out.
As soon as it’s over, Shannon’s there, checking her before looking up at us with a grin. “As I suspected, you’re already fully dilated, Kat. This baby is coming, right now. Ready to meet them?”
***
“I can’t believe we made that.” Hunter’s voice is full of just as much awe as it was the first time he said it, looking down at our baby boy who just an hour ago was in my stomach.
“I know,” I murmur, stroking my finger over the soft knit hat covering his head. “He’s here.”
Hunter is squeezed into the hospital bed with me, and here in his arms I can almost forget the fear and pain that consumed me for the last several hours. Our son made his entrance swiftly and early, but with ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes, he’s everything I could have dreamed of.
“Do you have any idea how amazing you are?” Hunter’s lips press to the side of my head. “You just gave me the greatest gift. I thought I loved you with my entire heart and soul before this, but now, somehow you made me fall even more in love with you.”
I carefully lift a hand to brush away tears as I lean my head down on his shoulder. “Hunter,” I murmur, unable to say anything more.
“Every second of every day for the rest of my life, is going to be dedicated to you and our family.”
“I love you, so much,” I manage to say around more happy tears, tilting my head up to look at him.
Our lips meet in a soft kiss as our precious baby boy sleeps away, safe in my embrace.
Then there’s a soft knock on the door. It opens slowly, and my mother’s head peers around the corner. “Can we come in?”
“Of course,” I say, and Hunter eases off the bed to go and greet my family. Yes, family, because filing in behind Mom comes my father and all four of my brothers, plus their significant others.
The quiet hospital room is filled with Donnellys, all of whom crowd around the bed.
“Oh Kat,” Mom says as I lift my son up to meet his grandmother. “He’s perfect.”
“How are you feeling, honey?” Dad sits down in the chair that my brother Max brings over for him, reaching his hand out to pat mine.
“Pretty good, all things considered,” I smile at him. “I guess he didn’t want to wait any longer to meet all of his aunts and uncles.”
“Nah, just me,” Sawyer says, pushing past our brother Jude to reach my side. He leans down and gives me a hug. “His favourite uncle.”
“Don’t start,” Jude grumbles, but my best friend–and his fiancée–Lily, nudges him.
“You’re okay though?” Heidi, Max’s wife, asks from the foot of the bed. The two of them are doctors working on the pediatric floor right here in this hospital. I know her question is more loaded than anyone else.
“We’re both fine. Just tired.” I look over at Hunter who’s doing his best not to be obvious with his hovering over my mother and our baby. “I couldn’t have done any of it without Hunter. He was incredible.”
Sawyer snorts. “I mean, that kinda goes without saying, sis.”
Jude is still next to him and lifts his hand as if to cuff him around the head, stopping only when Lily gives him a pointed stare. She’s got my broody older brother wrapped around her little finger. I fight back my own smile, used to Sawyer’s antics.
“So, what’s his name?” Cam, another one of my sisters-in-law asks. My brother Beckett has his arms around her, but I see him stealing glances over at the baby. He’s such a softie. I know he’s probably eager to hold his new nephew.
“We haven’t decided yet,” I answer honestly, picking up the big water bottle Hunter set on the table for me. “I never realized how much pressure it would be picking a name.”
“Sawyer Junior. Easy.”
This time, Jude doesn’t hold back and does cuff Sawyer’s head.
“As much as I love you, that will not be his name,” I reply drily. Mom hands off the baby to Beckett, who stares down at his nephew, open-mouthed. She comes to perch on the side of my bed, leaning down to give me a gentle hug.
“Whatever you choose, it’ll be perfect.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
My family stays a little while longer until my yawns and the baby’s hungry cries signal it’s time to leave. Once it’s just the three of us again, and baby boy is back asleep after nursing, Hunter strokes my leg from his seat at the end of my bed.
“We do need to decide a name.”
I let out a sigh. “I know. I really didn’t expect it to be this hard.”
“At least we know the middle name,” he says helpfully, and that brings a smile to my face.
“Yeah, I’m glad you agreed to using my dad’s name for that. But what should his first name be?”
Hunter goes to unlock his phone. “Let’s take a look at our top choices again.”
“No.” My head is already shaking back and forth. “None of those are right.” I stare down at my son’s downy head. “What about Parker?” I ask softly.
“Parker?” Hunter says, and I can see him turning it over in his mind. “Parker. I like it. Where’d you come up with that one?”
I chuckle, then wince as the movement makes my weary stomach muscles ache. “I have no idea. It just came to me.”
Moving up the bed, Hunter stretches out beside me carefully. “Parker Dennis Callaghan. Welcome to the world little guy.”
***
“Honey, I’m home,” I call out my usual greeting softly. For the last week, Parker has been napping right around this time, and I’ll be damned if I wake either him or his mama up if they’re sleeping. Newborns are a hell of a lot of work, and even now–six and a half weeks into this parenting gig–I’m constantly fighting exhaustion and being overwhelmed. Thankfully, the limitless love and joy I feel any time I think of my little family does a good job at counteracting both.
I lock up my duty belt, then go straight to the bathroom to wash up before tiptoeing down the hall to the nursery. We’ve just started getting him to nap in there, and sure enough he’s wrapped up in his baby burrito as I call it, fast asleep.
Goddamn he’s cute.
Carefully closing the nursery door, I next go to the bedroom.
And come to an immediate halt.
“Holy shit,” I breathe, as my gaze greedily drinks in the sight of my gorgeous wife, with her sexy curves barely covered in a satin nightgown, laying on the bed smiling at me.
“Hi,” she says, and it’s easy to pick up on her nervous excitement. “I saw the midwife today.”
My eyes widen as my brain immediately registers what she means by that.
“Shit. It’s been six weeks.”
She nods. It’s hard not to trip over my own damn feet in my hurry to get out of my uniform. Kat’s giggling doesn’t help, and as I’m fighting with the buttons on my shirt, I shoot her a glare.
“Listen. Don’t laugh at me, woman, I know you want this as much as I do.”
She rises up onto her knees and makes her way to the end of the bed, getting hold of my belt and tugging me towards her. “Darn right I do.”
My hands fall away as she takes over, swiftly opening my shirt and pushing it off my shoulder. Pushing my fingers into her long brown hair, I lower my head and meet her for a kiss. “Kitty Kat,” I breathe in her smell, soft and floral and mine. “I love you. So fucking much.”
“Hunter, I love you too. You know this.” She pulls back and fixes me with a glare. “But if you don’t get naked and make love to me in the next two minutes, I’m going to be really upset.”
It’s my turn to laugh as I finish stripping off my clothes, hopping around on one foot then the other to get my socks off. “Babe, it’s been two months. Trust me, two minutes will be a miracle.”
Finally free of clothing, I climb up on the bed, and slowly drag my hands up the soft skin of her legs, lowering my head so I can kiss and suck and nibble my way. I know damn well once I slide into her, I won’t last long. Which means I’m gonna make this part last a while.
But Kat’s got other ideas, judging by the needy whine she lets out as she grabs me by my shoulders, curling up towards me. One strap of her nightgown falls down, baring the swell of her breasts. “Hunter. Please.”
That’s all it takes. I surge upward, taking the satin hem in my hand and pulling it off her. She falls back against the pillows, and I follow, holding myself over her with one hand while the other finds her breast, squeezing and kneading it gently. They’re sensitive, and not always in a good way thanks to our son being a voracious eater. But I can’t help it. I love her tits.
I kiss her, again and again, and she manages to squeeze my ass, pulling my hips down to meet hers. The second my rock-hard dick nestles between her legs, I moan against her lips.
“Fuck.”
“Yes please,” she teases, grinding up into me.
I lift my head, and reluctantly move my hand from her breast, downward, to tease the damp, hot curls. “I want this to be good for you, baby. You have to tell me if anything hurts. Okay?”
She nods, her gaze melting with so much love, it still to this day overwhelms me. I don’t know how I got so fucking lucky, but not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for Kat Donnelly.
My lips find the skin of her jawline, and slowly I trail kisses down the column of her neck, over the swell of her breasts, pausing to lightly suck her nipples for just a second before she squirms. Then I keep moving. Down over the soft slope of her stomach, taking the time to kiss every single stretch mark, all of them proof of the gift she gave me of our son.
“I love you.” I wait until her eyes flutter open and she catches me looking at her. And I pour everything I can into saying those three words again. “I. Love. You.”
I kiss her navel again, then slowly, gently, lift her legs up and over my shoulders. Keeping my gaze trained on her, so she can see exactly how tasting her makes me feel, I lick up the folds of her pussy. Kat gasps, her hips lifting off the bed.
“Oh, my god!”
“Sensitive?” I tease, before doing it again. Kat lets out a keening sound, then claps her hand over her mouth. I chuckle. “Hush, Kitty Kat. Don’t wake him up until I’m done with you.”
I swirl my tongue around her clit a couple of times before winking up at her. “Wait, I’ll never be done with you.” And that’s the last thing I say for a while, as I turn my focus to wracking every drop of pleasure out of my wife with my tongue and my fingers.
When she finally stops spasming around my fingers, I slowly slide them free, lifting them to my mouth and sucking off her juices.
“That was incredible,” she sighs, raking her fingers through my hair. I shift up the bed so I can stretch out beside her, trailing my fingers over her flushed skin as I dip down and kiss her forehead.
“Two months without the taste of you was too long.”
Her giggle as she turns her head into the crook of my neck is the sweetest sound. But then her hand somehow finds its way to wrap around my dick, and now I’m the one groaning.
“You sure you feel up to this?” I force myself to check in. Just because she got the all-clear from the midwife doesn’t mean anything more has to happen tonight. “Because I’m good to just keep playing with you, if you need more time.” I can’t hold back my wince, remembering the day she gave birth to Parker. “You pushed our son outta there. It would be understandable if you needed to heal some more.”
Kat doesn’t answer, at least not with words.
Instead, she gives me a sultry smile and pushes up onto her knees. Then she straddles me, grabs my dick, and lines it up with her entrance.
“Hunter.”
I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until she says my name, and my eyes fly up from where she’s poised to take me, to her face.
“Yeah?” I manage to croak.
“I’m ready.”
I grip her hips tightly, as she slowly lowers herself down my length. Twice, she winces, and I want to tell her to stop, but she leans down and kisses me, and the words fade away. Instead, I bring one hand to her clit, strumming it as she continues to move in tiny thrusts, getting lower each time.
And then she exhales, our hips joined, my cock back in its favourite place. Her sweet, perfect pussy.
“Holy shit,” I murmur against her lips. She goes to move, and I grab her ass and hold her still. “Not…not yet. Give me a second.”
I breathe in and out slowly, willing my body to calm the fuck down and not blow instantly. Once I’m fairly confident I can be more than a two-pump-chump, I lighten my grip. Kat immediately starts to squirm.
“Can I move now?” she says cheekily, and I lightly slap her ass as I smirk back at her.
“Yes, you can, my love.”
She lifts her hips, just a little, then lowers them back down. We both groan. Then she does it again, and again, before settling into a rocking motion that has me squeezing my eyes shut and reciting legal code to distract myself.
It doesn’t work.
“Goddamn, Kat,” I say, my voice sounding hoarse. Pushing up on my chest, Kat rises up on her knees, still bouncing away on my dick. Her hair is sticking out every which way, her lips are swollen from my kisses, and every soft, round inch of her post-baby body is the most stunning sight I’ve ever seen.
“I can’t… Fuck, baby.”
“Me too. Hunter, oh god.” Her head falls back as she grabs my hand, moving it clumsily to where our bodies are connected. I’m no fool, and instantly know what she needs.
Pinching her clit lightly has her muffling another shriek with her hand over her mouth. And right when I know I can’t hold back another second, I feel her walls clenching around my dick, squeezing my orgasm out of me as I try not to make too much sound.
My arms wrap around her as she collapses down on my chest. Both of us panting, sticky with sweat, and exhausted.
But happy. So happy.
I stroke her hair, breathing in the silence, the intimacy, everything.
Until that silence is broken, by the unmistakable sound of a baby waking up.
I roll us over, and slowly disengage from Kat’s body. “Stay here, baby. I’ve got him.”
She gives me a sleepy smile, and even though my son’s cries are sounding more and more upset, I can’t resist leaning down to kiss her as I draw the blanket over her. Her hand curls around the back of my head as she kisses me back.
I step back, grab my pajama pants that are on the chair next to our bed and pull them on before quickly going to see to our son.
“Hey buddy,” I murmur softly as I enter his room. His cries tug at my heartstrings, even though I know he just needs a diaper change and some milk. I hate hearing him upset so I go as fast as I can, changing him into a clean diaper and sleeper.
When we return to the bedroom, Kat’s also got on some pajamas. She takes Parker when I hand him to her and quickly gets him nursing. I fill her water bottle, bring it back to her, then settle in beside the two of them, bringing my hand to the top of her thigh.
She kisses the top of Parker’s head, before turning to me, love shining from her expression. But that love turns to amusement as she leans over and kisses me as well.
“At least he waited til we were done to wake up.”
I chuckle. “He’s a smart kid.”
Lifting one hand, Kat cups my cheek, drawing my gaze to her. “Just like his daddy.”
I turn my head to kiss her palm. “He’s perfect. Just like you.”
She is. And so is he. And so is this life. Is it easy? No, but is it worth it? Absolutely yes. I would’ve never expected to have so many amazing things in my life. Until Kat came along and showed me I was worthy of it all and more.
And I’ll never stop loving her for that.
THE END
COPYRIGHT © 2023 | Julia Jarrett