Thrive

Come eleven o’clock, I was more rested and ready for visitors.

“I wonder how I look...” I said looking up at him.

“I am not answering that.” Alex said.

“Why not?”

“You know why.”

"Alex-"

He gave me a knowing look.

“Fine. Have you heard from anybody? My mom and Tyler are just leaving the house.”

“My parents are on their way here as in a cab.”

“Awesome.”

“What do you think, Scarlett?” I asked the yawning child in my arms.

“Hope she’s awake when our parents get here.”

“Me too.”

Fifteen minutes later, I heard a knock on the door.

“Come in.” I said.

In came my mom and Tyler. The smile on my face grew as she walked toward me.

“Hi sweetie.”

“Hi Mom.”

“Congratulations you two.”

She hugged Alex and hugged me slightly since Scarlett was in my arms.

“Can I see my granddaughter?”

“Of course.”

I raised and handed my daughter to her.

“Well, aren’t you precious? She looks so much like you. Those eyes are killing me.”

“They are beautiful. Aren’t they?”

“Very much so. Alex’s relieved that she doesn’t have his eyebrows.”

“But any children you guys have will be adorable.”

“That’s true.” I said smiling at him.

“So, what’s her middle name?”

“Aurora.”

“That is beautiful. Who came up with it?”

“I did. The day we moved into our new home, it just came to me.”

“It’s perfect. Her entire name is perfect."

"May I hold her?" Tyler asked.

"Of course. You're family."

He truly and always will be part of my family; my mom is his everything which means he’s gold in my eyes.

“Hey there, cutie.”

He might as well be her grandfather; the sight warmed my heart. Seeing the apparent smile on my face, Alex kissed my cheek which caused me to blush.

“She seems to like her grandfather.”

Scarlett was giggling and looking up at him.

“Same to you, kid.”

While this was happening, I heard another knock on the door.

"Come in!" I repeated.

In came her paternal grandparents. Alex lit up when they walked
into the room.

“Congrats, you two.” his mom said, hugging me before going over to Alex.

“Thank you. It was a little early, but everything’s wonderful.”

“Well, she is beautiful. May I hold her?”

“Of course.”

Just like she’s done with everyone else who wasn’t me or Alex, she cried as I handed her over.

“Oh, it’s okay, baby girl.”

“I know it’s early, but have you come up with a nickname yet?”

“When we were first holding her, Alex called her pumpkin.” I said looking over at him.

“That is adorable, Alexander.”

He was looking at the ground blushing; I kissed his cheek.

“I remember him two Halloweens ago, he couldn’t see himself using cutesy names like that when we started becoming parents. Look at him now.”

We were deciding on what to watch first when I heard a knock on the door. I got up first to answer the door, grabbed the dish and opened to a huge group of kids.

“A lot of cutie pies out there.”

“Cutie pies?”

“You’re gonna have to get used to me talking me like that if I’m gonna be a mom.”

“Well, I can’t imagine me talking like that.”

“You will be. You just don’t realize it.”

“Nope.” he said shaking his head.

I kissed his cheek.

“I’m right and you know it.”

He didn’t know how to respond.

“We’re gonna take turns tonight.”

-knock knock-

“You’re up slugger.” I said patting his thigh.

Hearing him talk to those kids made my heart melt because it wasn’t something I had ever experienced before.

“You’re adorable.” I said as he sat back down.

“It was inevitable. I guess.” he said.

I really wanted to kiss him right at that very moment.

“Of course it was. You’re a father now.” his dad said.

Since he still wasn’t looking at anybody, I grasped his hand in hopes he would look at somebody; it worked as he smiled at me. They must’ve stayed for an hour when I needed to feed Scarlett and was ready for lunch; Alex could hear my stomach growl.

“Hungry?”

“Extremely.”

“I can go get something. Do you have anything in mind?”

“Surprise me. I’ll feed her in the meantime.”

He nodded and kissed my forehead before kissing Scarlett.

“I’ll be back soon.”

He headed to the cafeteria while I heard her cry.

“Daddy will be back. Trust me. He’s getting Mommy something to eat. Now, let’s get you eating. You must be starving.”

I adjusted her as she stopped crying. After burping her, I placed her back into my arms since I simply just wanted to hold her. I heard the door but didn’t bother to look; I was too focused on her than on the person who was likely my husband and her daddy.

“I love you in the morning and in the afternoon. I love you in the evening and underneath the moon.” I sung.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” I said finally looking up.

“Hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

“No. No, you didn’t.” I said whispering.

Scarlett was beginning to shut her eyes.

“Could you take her please?”

“Of course.”

He took her and placed her in the tray that she slept in when no one was holding her.

“Thank you.” I said, taking a bite of my sandwich.

“You’re welcome. How’s it?”

“Not as good as anything I can make, but pretty good.”

Alex laughed.

“You have high standards.”

“Well, I’m allowed to. I do cook for a living after all.”

“That’s true.”

“How’s yours?”

“Pretty decent. Rather have anything you cook.”

I nodded and smiled.

“I heard you sing.”

“Did I sound good?”

“Absolutely. Did that get her to sleep?”

“Yes. I wasn’t even trying to sing her to sleep, though. It just happened.”

“You have a gift.”

I blushed.

“You’re too sweet.”

I put my sandwich down and leaned over to kiss him; luckily, he did the same and went in for a kiss.

“I love you.” he said.

“I love you, too.”

I heard my phone vibrate and I immediately assumed it was Miranda. I smiled as I read the message.

Should be there any minute now. Can’t wait to see that bundle of joy.

“What’d she say?”

I just handed it over to Alex.

“Is it ridiculous how excited I am to see them?” I said.

“Not at all.”

I smiled again before digging back into my lunch. I was ready to jump out of bed when I heard a knock on the door, but he wouldn’t let me; I pouted. Instead, he went to answer it. He greeted them before I could even do so; I wasn’t a happy camper which is something he noticed.

“Abby!” she said, rushing over to hug me.

“Hey Miranda.”

“How’s it feel to be a mom?”

“Absolutely wonderful. There’s no feeling like it.”

Then, Jack came over and hugged me.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“Is she sleeping?” Miranda asked.

“Yeah. I got her to sleep ten minutes ago.”

“How’d you do that? It’s hard to do that with Luca.”

I looked at the wide awake child in his stroller.

“It was actually unintentional. I just felt singing to her and it happened.”

“What’d you sing to her?”

“Remember the sign we saw that Sunday when we went out shopping?”

“Of course. I love that sign.”

“What was written on it.”

“OMG. That is adorable.”

“Could I hold my nephew by any chance?”

I may have my newborn daughter beside me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wanna hold my nephew.

“Absolutely.”

“Hey buddy.”

“So, Scarlett decided to come early.”

“Sent me into a panic. There’s more of a risk going into labor a month early. Luckily, I had Alex to keep me grounded.”

“Someone needed to, might’ve as well been me.”

“All that matters is that she’s healthy and beautiful.” I said.

“She came into this world, wailing.” he said laughing.

Everyone laughed.

“That’s when I knew she had to be healthy.”

“Ok. What’s her middle name?” Miranda asked.

“Aurora.”

“Sleeping Beauty.”

“She might as well be a princess, knowing her entire name.”

“Princess Scarlett. I love it.”

I went on to tell them the reasoning behind her regal middle name.

I got more comfortable and smiled. A random thought popped up, but it was a relevant one.

“What?” Alex asked.

“I have a middle name. I’d like your opinion.”

“Shoot.”

“Aurora.”

I turned slightly to see his reaction.

“I love it. Scarlett Aurora Gaskarth.”

“It has a beautiful ring to it, doesn’t it?”

“Definitely.”

“And it sounds very regal like your name.”

He started to laugh.

“What? It does! Alexander William Gaskarth.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I am. So, it’s perfect. A family of royals. You can’t forget that I’m 62% Scottish/Irish, too.”

“I love you, Abigail Gaskarth.”

“I love you, too.”

“I agree with you on that one.” Miranda said.

After a half hour of talking, Scarlett woke up.

“She’s awake.” I said as I saw her move.

“May I?” Miranda asked.

“Of course.”

“Hi baby girl. Well, aren’t you precious?”

She cooed and reached for her aunt’s hair; she had a look of frustration when she couldn’t get it.

“Now, where have I seen that look before?” Alex asked directing his attention over to me.

I laughed.

“It’s not enough that she looks like me. She has to act like me as well.”

It ended up a long day as we had visits from the rest of our friends and a moody child, but it was one that I wouldn’t soon forget.

Notes