"Emmalin!" I heard Mrs. Sherwood shout from the living room.
"What?" I answered.
"Do you have everything ready?" she asked coming into the foyer where I was hanging a 'Welcome Home Michael' banner in the hallway. This was not a new occurrence in my house since Mom and I hung a banner every time Dad came home from deployment. It was different to know that it was not for my Dad, but for my baby brother, Michael Holden Jr, born on June 18, 2011.
"Yes, and before you ask, I have the video camera ready too," I chuckled. My Mom was ever the perfectionist and always wanted everything perfect, especially for her babies, "Have they even left the hospital yet?"
"Your father called about ten minutes ago and said that Michael had passed his car seat test and they were on their way. So they should be here soon."
I heard the keys in the front door so I quickly grabbed the camera to film my brother's grand entrance, only to find Dad with a bunch of bags, "Hey you're not the Michael Mom wants filmed," I joked.
"Relax Kiddo, they're behind me," Dad said. I looked up to find Mom carrying a bundle of blankets. I assumed Michael was amongst them.
"Welcome home Michael James Holden Jr.," she said to him as she walked into the door. I smiled at the tiny bundle in Mom's arms. With his dirty blond hair and bright, blue eyes, my brother was the spitting image of his Daddy. I put down the camera and followed my parents and Mrs. Sherwood into the living room.
"Can I hold him?" asked Mrs. Sherwood excitedly.
"No. I've made you the godmother so you could never hold him," Mom chuckled passing him off to her.
"Reminds me when Jeremy was born," Mrs. Sherwood said. I gazed at my brother still amazed at the tiny human that had been inside of my mother for the past nine months. Michael began to cry, which was a sound that I knew I'd have to get used to very quickly.
"Okay, someone wants Mommy," said Mrs. Sherwood as Mom took my brother back.
"More accurately, someone wants a certain part of Mommy," Dad chuckled. I just shook my head. Seriously, men.
"Oh Michael behave," Mom said swatting him playfully as she unbuttoned her blouse. I turned around but I knew it would be rare if I didn't see my brother breastfeeding at least several times in the next year. I walked Mrs. Sherwood to the door instead.
"Well I guess Mrs. Leblanc, Mrs. Moran, and Dr. Burton will be here soon?" I asked.
"I can pretty much guarantee it," Mrs. Sherwood laughed, "Aren't your grandparents coming soon too?"
"In a couple weeks after the baby gets settled," I said.
"Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow or the next day then," she said embracing me.
"You too," I said.
Later that Night…
I heard crying coming out the baby's room. It was the fourth time that night. Or maybe the fifth time. I've lost count. I hear someone walk into the room and then Dad's voice trying to sooth Michael, "Hush little man. You're okay." I got up out of bed and walked into the nursery where Mom was in the rocking chair and Dad was at the changing table. Both of them looked like zombies at this point but I knew that was how they were going to look for a while.
"Sweetheart what are you doing up?" asked Mom. I nodded towards the infant now in Dad's arms. Mom chuckled, "Kiddo, he's not your responsibility. You don't need to help take care of him unless we can't."
"I know but I want to Mom," I said as she took him and helped Michael get settled to nurse. I had given up on the not watching him nurse vow I had taken to after creating it myself and I think Mom and Dad had given up on me not watching too. I looked down sheepishly and said, "Actually I've been thinking ever since Sara Elizabeth was born and now with Michael, I want to do something with children. Like as a career."
Mom looked up from the suckling infant and smiled at me, "But have you been really thinking about it since I told you I was expecting?" I nodded apprehensively, "Well from what I've seen of you and the Leblanc, Moran, and Burton kids, I think you'd be pretty good at it."
"Really?" I asked.
Mom nodded and started to burp the baby, "We can talk about it more but not when it's three in the morning." I laughed a little when I heard the adorable sound that was my brother's burp.
"Mom can I put him in his crib?"
She nodded and gave him to me, "Just rock him in the chair until he falls asleep. It shouldn't take too long. When he's asleep just put him in his crib and turn the mobile on."
"Okay," I said as Mom kissed Michael's temple and left the room. I sat down in the rocking chair and looked down at the little bundle of joy Mom and Dad had created together. It still made me wonder how an act I never wanted to think about suddenly produced a big part of my life. I looked at him thinking about his innocence: he didn't have to go through Amanda's death; he didn't have to go through the time when Mom was diagnosed with diabetes, and he hasn't had to go through one of Dad's deployments yet. All he wanted was to be fed, changed, and given attention. And that was simple enough for me, my family, and everyone else to do. When Michael was asleep, I kissed him on his forehead, placed him in his crib, and turned his mobile on. Before I left the room turned back around and said, "I love you Michael."
The Next Morning…
The next morning, I was trying to decide whether or not to stay at home or not, since I knew Mom's friends would be over to see baby Michael. But since Dad had to go to work, I decided to stay and help Mom with the baby. I hear a knock at the door and know everyone's arrived.
"Em, could you get the door! I'm busy getting the baby ready!" shouted Mom from upstairs.
"Yeah," I answered while I ran to answer the door. Sure enough, Mrs. Sherwood, Mrs. Leblanc, Mrs. Moran, and Dr. Burton were on the other side with handfuls of flowers, teddy bears, and various 'It's a Boy' items, "Hi everyone."
"How you doing Kiddo?" asked Mrs. Sherwood coming in with everyone behind her.
"Okay. Tired," I answered.
"I'll bet," said Mrs. Moran, "It's been awhile but I can clearly remember what it's like with newborns in the house." I chuckled and nodded.
"So where is your Mom and the little bundle of joy?" asked Mrs. Leblanc.
"Right here Rox," said Mom coming down the stairs with my brother all wrapped up in a blanket, "Michael, meet your Auntie Roxy, Auntie Pamela, and Uncle Roland," she cooed at him while he let out a yawn.
"Can I hold him?" asked Mrs. Leblanc.
"Of course," Mom chuckled, "You'll all get to hold him." Mom passed Michael off to Mrs. Leblanc and then sat down on the couch wincing in a little pain.
"You alright Claudia Joy?" asked Dr. Burton.
"Yeah, still a little sore. Some discomfort since I still have contractions when I feed him. But other than that I'm fine," she answered.
"If you need any help, we can always watch him for a little bit while you rest," said Mrs. Sherwood.
"Yeah we've all given birth," said Mrs. Moran, "Well all of us except Roland and Emmalin."
"I'll leave that to Joan," said Dr. Burton.
"And I don't plan on having kids for a while," I said, "I think a baby brother is more than enough. Plus I just witnessed what giving birth involves." The group laughed just as Dad walked in the door.
"Oh Lucy I'm home!" he shouted and then realized we had company, "Oh, hi everyone."
"Hi honey," Mom laughed as he came over and kissed her.
"Sorry for the line, I don't really call her Lucy," Dad said embarrassed.
"We didn't think you did General," laughed Mrs. Moran as Michael started to cry in her arms.
"I think he's hungry," Mom said. Everyone else took that as their cue to leave.
"Well, see you as soon as I can," said Mrs. Sherwood.
"He's adorable!" shouted Mrs. Leblanc on her way out the door. Dr. Burton and Mrs. Moran nodded in confirmation as they left.
Dad sauntered over to where Mom was on the couch while I headed upstairs to work on homework. I glanced back one more time at Mom and Dad with Michael knowing the gap that had been missing since Amanda had died was now back in our lives. Not that Michael replaced Amanda but he brought something very important back to our family: pure happiness.