Page 94 of Our Final Encore

FIFTY-SEVEN

Opal

“Are you ready?” Alex picks up the two duffle bags from the floor and looks over at where I’m sitting on the sofa, absent-mindedly rubbing my huge, round belly.

Our apartment is fully decorated for Christmas, blue and white ornaments hang from the small tree in the corner and all three of our stockings are already filled and ready for when we return from the hospital, thanks to Alex. I had to just sit and watch as he did all the decorating, which made me slightly sad, but also so grateful.

Discomfort would be an understatement at this point. I’m so ready for this to be over and to just meet our baby, but at the same time, I’m terrified and wish I had a few more days to prepare. Because of my high blood pressure the doctor decided to schedule a c-section for me at thirty-seven weeks, so at least I don’t have to deal with wondering when I’ll go into labor. But…I’m still scared.

“I guess so,” I close my eyes, taking a deep breath to try and settle my nerves.

His brows crinkle in concern and he drops the bags by his side before walking over to me. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll be right beside you the entire time.” He reaches his hand out for me to grab. “Let’s go meet our baby.”

The surgery isfast and mostly painless. I keep thinking how infinitely grateful I am for modern medicine.

Now we’re sitting in our hospital room, I’m starting to feel some pain in my abdomen, I guess the meds are wearing off. It’s night-time, and I’ve been mostly in and out of sleep since my baby was handed to me.

The magical feeling of meeting him was unlike anything else I’ve experienced. His big, blue-green eyes staring up at me like I’m the only thing in the whole world. He’s perfect, absolutely perfect. He has his daddy’s blonde hair, and I think he might have my nose, but it’s probably too early to tell. Either way, he’s the most beautiful little human I’ve ever seen.

“Is he asleep?” I ask.

Alex nods, the baby’s head tucked against his chest as he sits in the small recliner in the corner of the room.

“I was thinking…we could name him Ezra.” He peeks up at me and stares for a moment before giving me a watery smile. “If you want to, of course.”

He looks back down at him before placing a kiss on his little blonde head. “Yeah, it’s perfect.”

Watching the two of them together makes every part of my body feel warm and fuzzy, and my heart feels so whole. He’s such a good dad. I knew he would be, but I was never able to fully picture what it would be like once Ezra was born.

Alex has been changing diapers, rocking him back to sleep, and singing him lullabies since the minute he was born and placed on my chest.

He crosses the room, a peaceful smile on his lips, and gently hands Ezra to me as I reach out my arms to cradle him.

“You are so beautiful.”

I giggle quietly, trying not to wake up the baby. “There’s no way I look beautiful right now. I could kill for a shower.”

“I can’t imagine anything more beautiful than this scene right here.” He leans down to kiss both of us. “I love both of you so much that it hurts.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

It does hurt, but in a good way. It’s scary loving someone so much, feeling so perfectly happy, but I’ve come to realize that just means you have to soak it in and appreciate every single second for what it is. Otherwise, the best days of your life will fade away without even being noticed.

Epilogue - Opal

Five years later

“Are you excited?”

“Yeah!” Ezra’s big, green eyes stare up at me. He ended up with his dad’s eye color, but his blonde hair darkened into the same mousy brown shade that I have. He’s an absolutely perfect blend of the two of us.

It’s funny how you can go your whole life perceiving your own flaws, but when you see those same features on your child, they’re suddenly beautiful.

“Alright, let’s get your backpack.”

Alex walks through the doorway into our living room. “My boy!” He runs over and lifts Ezra into the air, and his little giggles fill the room.

“Put him down, Dad, he’s gotta go to school.”

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