I swat his arm. “Don’t you dare,” I warn sternly.
“Oh baby, I’m gonna do more than dare. I’m gonna enjoy the fuck out of it.”
I snap out of the memory with a grin, only to realize Lyra has escaped me. She isrunning down the aisle toward the stage. The audience laughs as she climbs the steps, making a beeline for the guys.
“I think she just stole the show,” Cami laughs next to me.
“I think you’re right,” I grin.
The guys accept the award,each thanking all the appropriate people. But it’s Jake, I listen to as he holds Lyra. “I want to thank my wife for making it possible for me to get back to my band and my dream. I love you, baby.”
Yeah, that’s right.We’re married.
Three weeks after he proposed, they played a show in Vegas. We didn’t want to wait. We’ve done everything in this relationship in fast forward,so why not this too.We both know there is no one else for us, so why wait.
“That man is gone for you,” Cami tells me.
“I kind of like him too,” I grin as he returns to our seats.
He grabs my hand, pulling me out of the row. “Let’s get out of here,” he tells me.
“What about the rest of the show?”
“I could care less about the show. I just want tobe with my girls.”
“I like the sound of that,” I tell him as we leave behind the crowd of people, the glamor, and the glitz to our own little corner of the world.
Jake
“Come on, baby,” I encourage as I wipe the sweat from Cara’sexhausted face. “One more, and you’ll be done.”
Tears run down her faceas she cries out in pain. It is absolutely killing me to see her like this.And I am helpless to do anything but hold her hand.
“I can’t, Jake. I’m so tired,”she tells me breathlessly.
She has been in labor fornearly twenty-four hours. The last four have been the most grueling, and I’m not sure how much more she can take.
They tried giving her an epidural. For whatever reason,it hasn’t affected her. She has felt every second of this, and if it isn’t over soon, I might go crazy. But I’m trying to maintain my composure for her.
“Come on, Cara. One more big push, and you’ll be there,” the doctor tells her.“On the next contraction, give me everything.”
“Ready?” I ask her, brushing her hair from her face.
Determination fills her eyes. She gives me a nod. I hold her hand on one side while the nurse is on the other.She gives it everything she has left, then collapses back into the bed.
Cries fill the room, and the biggest fucking smilespreads across my face.“Want to cut the cord, Dad?” the doctor asks.
No hesitation on my part. Ifollow the instructions the doctor gives me with pride. Then they hand me my son.
Brown hair covers his little headwhile eyes dark as coal looks up at me.
“Is he okay, Jake?” Cara asks me, worrying lining her face.
“He’s perfect, baby,” I reassure her.
“Let us have him for just a second, then we’ll give him right back,” the pediatric nurse tells me.
I hand my beautiful boy to the nurse then return to my wife.My exhausted and so fucking beautiful wife. “You did so damn good, baby.”I kiss the top of her head affectionately
