Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 80391 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80391 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Kettle chuckled, and then suddenly, everything, every single thing I was feeling was suddenly gone. The pain abruptly vanished, and in its place was the crying squall of an infant cradled against her daddy’s chest.
“Oh, my God,” Baylee breathed. “You had a girl.”
My eyes, which had finally shut in relief, snapped open at that, and I stared in stunned surprise at my little girl smeared with blood and gore curled up against her daddy’s cut.
“She’s getting your vest bloody,” I said absently.
Kettle smiled. He smiled so wide that I forgot about all the embarrassment I would be feeling only momentarily. I forgot about everything but the happiness on my husband’s face, and I was whole.
“What’s her name?” Sebastian asked from some point that I couldn’t see him.
Thank God.
“Saylor.” I said jovially.
Kettle snorted and I glared at him. “What?”
“You knew all along didn’t you? Gave me the hope that I’d get to name him after my favorite National’s player, and then you rip the rug out from under me. Get to use your name even after you assured me we could name him Jason.” He glared back.
“Guess you’ll never know!” I said cheerfully.
***
Three months later
“Your baby’s awake.” Kettle said as he walked into the room.
He was dressed in his uniform, which inevitably meant he’d be leaving me here shortly, and I’d be up all night with our little Saylor again.
“I know. I’m too tired to move, though. Maybe you should feed her.” I said tiredly.
“I don’t have the fun bags that Saylor wants.” He teased.
“I’ve heard that men can produce breast milk with hormone treatments.” I replied wickedly.
He snorted. “Yeah, right. I’d look real good with tits.”
“You were the one who said you wanted a baby.” I said into my pillow.
Kettle smacked my ass. Hard. Then left to retrieve Saylor.
I stayed exactly where I was until Kettle brought our squalling child into the room and settled her down on the bed.
I flipped to my side and stayed still while Kettle unsnapped the buttons on my nursing gown, freeing one of the fun bags in question, and laid Saylor down gently.
She hurriedly latched on, going from wailing like a banshee to her hungry food grunt in point four seconds flat.
Kettle chuckled as he ran his large finger down Saylor’s cheek.
“God, I love you.” He said, moving his eyes from his daughter’s hungry mauling to my eyes.
My mouth tipped up in a grin before my eyes drooped heavily. “I don’t hate you.”
He snorted. “I don’t hate you either.” He replied dryly. “I’ve got to go to work. I’ll see you when I get home. Mom’s coming over later. Don’t forget.”
I restrained the urge to laugh aloud. I wouldn’t forget. That woman became a lifesaver our first few days after bringing Saylor home. Now, at three months old, she came to watch Saylor every Wednesday evening so I could get papers graded, and any household chores done. Or even on the rare occasion, go out on a date with Kettle.
There’d been a lot of adjusting when Saylor arrived in our lives.
At three days old, Saylor was pronounced deaf. She’d failed not only her newborn screening, but also her follow up screening.
I’d scoured the internet for days after she’d been pronounced deaf, but the one thing that kept me from totally freaking out was Viddy.
She explained to me that being deaf wasn’t a death sentence. With the advancement in technology in this day and age, Saylor could live a full and happy life without one single thing holding her back.
As I looked down at my perfect little girl, I knew that was true.
She was a very special little girl, and she was absolutely adored by everyone.
Most assuredly her daddy, whom she had totally wrapped around her little finger
Which was why when he came back into the room five minutes later to place one last kiss on his daughter’s cheek, I wasn’t in the least bit surprised.
“Bye baby.” He said as he left for the second time.
I smiled and closed my eyes. Perfect indeed.
***
Kettle
7 months later
“Can she hear me?” I asked the audiologist, Kathy, who’d just put the transmitter on to my baby girl.
Saylor was ten months now and the light of my life.
She was so chubby that she had to waddle when I held onto her fingers when we practiced walking. Her black hair matched her mama’s, but unlike Adeline, she had ringlets. They covered her head from the tips of her roots to the bottom of her hair.
I was never one that liked curly hair too much, but on my little girl, it was the cutest fucking thing I’d ever seen.
“Yes, sir. As soon as I turn them on she should hear you.” Kathy said with a smile.
Saylor had her cochlear implants put in six weeks ago and today they’d be turned on for the first time.
Adeline, who was holding Saylor in her lap, reached out and clutched my hand, tears already dripping down her face.
When we’d learned in the hospital that Saylor was deaf, it was a huge blow.
Surprisingly, the one to snap me out of the dread I was feeling was Dixie. The man who always had a laugh on the tip of his tongue.
What’d he say that made me realize that Saylor being deaf wasn’t the end of the world? Something so simple, yet exactly what I needed to hear.
She’s freakin’ perfect.
And she was.
Now we were sitting here, moments away from turning the implants on, and my baby girl hearing for the first time.
“Okay, I’m turning one on in three, two, one...” Kathy smiled and pointed at Adeline.
“Saylor, I love you.” Adeline said softly.
Immediately Saylor turned to the sound of her mother’s voice...and screamed bloody murder.
Adeline was smiling, I was smiling, and Kathy was beaming.
“Saylor Rae, why are you crying?” I asked my little girl.
Saylor turned her watery, big brown eyes that could melt my heart, towards me and smiled. Instantly the tears dried, and swear to Christ, I dropped a tear or two for the first time in my life.
As we were driving home later that day, we finally got the chance to play Saylor’s favorite movie’s soundtrack on the radio, and even I got into the act, singing and dancing at the top of my lungs.
A badass biker belting out Disney songs at the top of my lungs, and not a care in the world as to who would hear.
By the time we arrived home, I knew one thing for sure.
Our life was beyond perfect. I couldn’t ask for anything more.