June 6th, 1991
Soft, warm sunlight spilled through the hospital window, slipping between the curtains - the color of which, the blonde woman in bed had deemed 'hospital pink'. In the bed, covered from the waist down by a thin, slightly papery sheet was a beautiful woman with golden corkscrew curls, playful baby blue eyes framed by golden lashes. A wide grin spoke of her immense joy and crinkled the corners of her playful yet tired eyes. In her arms she held a cute baby boy with red, slightly ruddy cheeks and a head full of golden brown curls, swaddled in a baby blue receiving blanket.
"Cody," Cindy LeAnne Jackson breathed, looking down into the bright baby blue eyes of her newborn son, who yawned dramatically showing his dark pink toothless gums making his mother giggle. "Cody Richard Jackson."
The dark eyes of her husband lit up and a smile pulled at his lips as he combed his fingers through her corkscrew curls and kissed the side of her head tenderly. A tender nod of agreement and the sound of her husband, Johnny's voice gave her all the assurance she needed to know that she had indeed made the right choice.
"It's perfect, baby."
She let her fingers slip through the soft, unruly blonde curls of her son's hair and smiled at the little bright-eyed bundle in her arms. She looked up at her husband and found him just as entranced with their newborn son. His warm brown eyes were intently focused on the bright-eyed newborn as he gently ran a finger down the side of his son's face.
"He just made the twelve hours of labor completely worth it." Cindy smiled up at her husband, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry, by the way."
"You gave me a son," Johnny whispered tenderly, brushing a tear from her cheek. "Totally worth the obscenities you shouted at me; the likes of which, I'm sure no one has ever heard before."
"No probably not." Cindy conceded with a giggle and a sweet kiss planted on her husband's cheek.
The heavy door to the hospital opened and the soft pad of shoes against the tile made them both look over at the door. Cindy smiled as her eyes fell upon her pregnant best friend, Sandra Michaela Wu. Her soft black hair was pulled away from her face and she was dressed comfortably in a white spaghetti strapped maternity dress with a pair of sunshine yellow flip-flops. Behind her, dressed comfortably in jeans and a polo shirt, with a supporting hand on his wife's back was a grinning Evan Wu.
"Sandy!" Cindy gasped in delight, "Girl, I just went through twelve hours of back labor. You, my friend, are a gift from the Gods!"
"Hey!" Johnny faked offense, looking down at his wife; playfulness sparkling in his brown eyes.
"I love you, honey but I spent twelve hours looking at your face." Cindy smiled sweetly at her husband.
Evan chucked under his breath; only sobering when Johnny glared at him playfully and grinned wryly. "Give it time, Evan, you'll be in this position soon."
"Oh I know!" Evan grinned, "Believe me, I'm reminded everytime the baby kicks."
Sandy waddled over to her best friend's bed and smiled at the bright-eyed bundle happily snuggled in his mother's arms, "He's so cute, Cindy."
"A few more months and you'll have a little bundle of joy." Cindy smiled at her best friend, motioning to her protruding stomach. "Come October, you'll be in my position."
"I know." Sandy grinned, instinctively rubbing her stomach.
"Would you like to hold my little bundle of joy?" Cindy asked her sweetly.
"I'm afraid I can't, not with this tummy." Sandy giggled, rubbing her stomach. "I wouldn't be able to hold him properly."
Cindy giggled and looked up at her husband, who nodded and reached for his son. Sandy watched the two of them basically hold an entire conversation without ever saying anything. Ten years of being best friends had led to a happy marriage for Johnny and Cindy, who knew each other better than anyone.
"Ooh!" Sandy gasped as she felt her baby kick, "Mentioning bundle of joy, I'm positive I have a soccer player in here."
Cindy giggled, "Maybe."
Sandy laughed as she rubbed her stomach, "I think I better go, this little bundle of joy is getting impatient and is waiting for Mommy to feed her."
Evan groaned playfully all the while grinning affectionately at his wife, "Oh boy."
"Bye Cinde, Johnny! Congratulations." Sandy smiled as she stepped out of the room with her husband.
"Bye Sandy, bye Evan." Cindy laughed as she watched them leave.
xxx
October 11th, 1991
The coolness of her hospital room was a welcome relief from the slick sweat that had coated her body during her ten hours of labor. Her dark curls were piled high atop her head with a few stray tendrils clinging to her neck. Swaddled in a pink receiving blanket and cradled comfortably against her mother's chest was a beautiful olive skinned baby with almond shaped dark eyes, black corkscrew curls that were silky smooth and softer than silk between her fingers.
"Melissa," Sandy smiled down at her daughter, caressing her head with a gentleness that only a mother could possess. "Melissa Brielle-Renae Wu."
"Sounds perfect." Evan agreed, wrapping one of his daughter's thick black curls around his finger, letting the silky hair slip from his finger and watching in fascination as the curl sprang back into place. "My goodness, she's gorgeous."
"She is." Sandy agreed tenderly.
"Just like her mother." Evan whispered into her hair as he pressed a kiss on the top of his wife's head.
"Well," Cindy smiled as she stepped into the hospital roomwith Johnny, who was carrying a now four-month old Cody in his carseat. "How are the new parents and their little girl doing?"
"Wonderful!" Sandy smiled up at her best friend, "It was just like you said."
"What did I say, exactly?" Cindy joked, giggling as she added. "I went through twelve hours of back labor, spent another forty-eight hours in a hospital bed and I've been at home with a newborn for four months. Do refresh my memory for me?"
"I screamed obscenities at my husband and sobbed incessantly for eighteen hours." Sandy sighed softly, looking down at her daughter affectionately. "But it was all worth it."
"I told you it would be." Cindy smiled, smoothing her best friend's unruly hair.
"You two were cut from the same mold, I'm telling you." Evan laughed at Cindy, "She screamed words, the likes of which, shocked even the doctors."
Sandy laughed as she threaded her hands in her daughter's silky black hair, "She has brown eyes."
"She's beautiful, Sandy!" Johnny told his wife's best friend. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you, Johnny." Sandy smiled up her best friend's husband before looking around the room. "Now, who wants to hold her first?"
"I think we should let Daddy hold her first." Cindy smiled.
Evan smiled gratefully as he took his daughter and cradled her against his chest. The newborn little girl yawned before settling contentedly against her father's chest and resuming her nap. All three laughed as Evan let himself become completely entranced by his little girl. Cindy smiled as she sat down on the bed beside her best friend's leg and affectionately squeezed Sandy's hand, careful of the IV that was taped in place.
"What do you think?" Cindy smiled as she looked over at her husband, seated in a chair with the carseat at his feet, his brown eyes watching his son sleep peacefully. "Will they be best friends?"
"I think they will." Sandy grinned slyly at her best friend.
"Dear God!" Evan exclaimed, looking at his wife and her best friend before turning to his own best friend. "You realize what this means right?"
"We're in for a world of trouble." Johnny grinned wryly at his best friend.
"Loads."
While Sandy and Cindy giggled like school-girls on the bed, Johnny and Evan hung their heads in a silent prayer for mercy from the powers that be. The world of trouble that would be their kids if they grew up best friends was nothing compared to how much amusement their mother's would be getting from the experience. Despite that, both sets of parents could only hope that their kids could rely on each other like their parents had come to rely on each other.
Regardless of the trouble they might get into along the way.
So this is chapter one, the edited version. The previous chapter one seemed to be missing something so I settled in with some good music and a cold drink to edit and give this thing the face-lift it needed. I like this version much better. Still the same premise but the chapters will be getting a face-lift. I'm hoping this won't slow down the updates but if it does you know why. I'll try not to let it but I make no promises. So Melissa's birthday and middle name are completely different. I realize that there are places later in the story where I'll have to change it. Give me time to get to those chapters. I can't edit everything at once. Anyway, leave me some love, Dolls :)
Love you,
RobertDowneyJrLove