Protect Me

Epilogue

Epilogue

-Brandon

"Jamie! Get back here right now!" Elena runs past me after our son, who is streaking down the halls. He's 6 years old with dirty blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. He keeps growing and I just know he'll be a tall, strong man one day. If only we could just get him to keep his pants on.

"Daddy, what's Jamie doing?" Our daughter, Addison stands beside me watching her brother run. She's only 3 years old and already as beautiful as her mother. Her long, dark brown hair flows past her shoulders in thick waves. Her dark blue eyes look up at me in wonder.

"He's doing something that's going to get him in trouble with his mother." I lean down beside her and ruffle her hair.

"It looks like fun! Can I do that?" She smiles and I pick her up.

"No, and you'll never do that as long as I'm around, or you'll be in trouble with me." Carrying her, I follow the sounds of her shouting mother.

"Brandon get your son to put his pants on!" She sounds exasperated and irritable.

Leaning over, I kiss her cheek. "Anything for you my love." I set Addison down and make my way over to Jamie.

"No!" He turns to run but I catch him quickly and in one swift movement, I get his pants around his ankles and yank his them up over his behind.

"There, simple as that." I smile and set him down.

"Oh yeah, its always easy for you. He's always been stubborn since the day he was born." Elena sighs, sitting down.

That was one of the scariest, and greatest days of my life.

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"Push baby, you can do it." Clutching my wife's hand, I squeeze it reassuringly.

Exaughsted, pained tears stream down Elena's cheeks. She's been in labor for 22 hours, and she can barely take much more. "I can't do it anymore, please make it stop."

Wiping her tears away, I lean forward to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Its going to be okay, I promise."

"We need to prepare her for an emergency c-section. The baby is stuck, and we can't wait much longer. It has to come out, now." The doctor rushes to gather his needed tools and the nurses roll her out the room.

"No, wait!" I run after her. Panic rises in me, and a feeling of terror begins to overwhelm me. Please be okay. You have to be okay..

"Brandon!" Elena's frightened voice calls to me.

"No, I can't leave her!" Nurses block the entrance to her room. "Its going to be okay, baby! Its going to be okay!"

"Sir, I cannot allow you to proceed any further." The nurses stop me.

I practically growl at her before sitting down.

It feels like an eternity before the doctor emerges from the emergency room. "There was a slight complication," my heart clenches painfully in my chest before he finishes his sentence. I launch to my feet and he continues. "We were able to get the baby out. You have a beautiful son your majesty."

"What about my wife? What complication? Is she alright??" My frantic questions spill from my lips all at once.

"She lost lots of blood but we were able to stabilize her. She was a lucky one. She's going to be alright. You can see her now if you'd like."

Rushing into the room, the first I see is my son. My beautiful, precious son. Tears stream down my face, I can't take much more of the madness this day has held.

Leaning down, I pick him up and cradle him in my arms. I make my way over to Elena, who's sleeping. I lean down and kiss her forehead. My beautiful wife went through all that and gave me this precious being of life. She is truly magnificent.

I sit down in the chair beside her bed and look at my son. "Hi there." I rub my hand over his almost bald head. His big, blue eyes stare up at me in wonder. "I'm your dad. And this," I position him so he see's Elena, "is your beautiful mother." I cradle him against my chest once again. He's so perfect, I think I'm already in love. "I promise to be a good father, and to take care of you. No matter what."

"Now that's a sight I'd love to wake up to every day." Elena's small voice fills the room. Relief fills my heart to see her watching me with our son. "He's so beautiful.." Tears stream down her eyes and she smiles.

I lean over her. "Here," I hand him to her and she cradles him to her chest.

She stares at him with such admiration. "I love him already." I watch her, my heart swelling with love and happiness. She looks at me and smiles. "What?"

My smile soon disappears and I rest my hand on her cheek. "I almost lost you..if anything were to have happened, I don't know what I would have done..I can't do this without you."

"Hey, your not going to lose me. You didn't lose me today, and you wont lose me ever." Leaning over, she kisses my lips. I savor in the taste of her full lips against mine. I can never get used to that.

"I love you..and our beautiful son. Which, by the way, we still have to name. I still like your choice."

"What? Jamie? Are you sure? I know you were kind of hooked on Blake. "

"I can sacrifice this one thing, as long as you can sacrifice something for me."

"Like what?"

"Never scare me like that again..Oh and I'm naming our second child." A small smile forms at my lips and I kiss her forehead.

"Deal." She smiles. And the name pours from her lips softly with such happiness, telling the nurse what to put on his birth certificate. Jamie Nathaniel Reed.

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"You know that was one of the scariest days of my life." I stand behind her and rub my hand over the curve of her belly. Baby number 3 is on its way in about 4 more months.

"Thankfully, Addison was much quicker and easier." She smiles at our children playing together. "You picked a lovely name."

"And I can't wait to pick baby number 3's name." Smiling, I kiss her cheek.

"Then I guess I get to pick baby number 4's name." She smiles.

"Number 4? I thought we were stopping after 3."

She smiles and holds up a small photograph. "Twins."

"Oh God, all these kids are going to be such a handful." I smile down at the picture. I love the thought of twins.

"Yep, our handful." She turns so she's facing me and wraps her arms around my neck.

"I wouldn't dream of it any other way." This woman is extrordinary. She never fails to surprise me. And I love every moment of it.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

***

I hope you enjoyed. If you liked this story, be sure to check out my others, The Experiment, Run or Die, and Fame. Love you guys^-^ xoxo