A/N: Yay, here's another chapter! Also, I felt like I should acknowledge this, as I'm aware some of you don't like the name chosen for the baby. For this fic in particular, I had that first/middle name combination picked out for a girl ages ago. I actually had chosen it long before I started writing this sequel. I chose it partly because I find it to be a beautiful name, but also because one of my most favorite characters ever from Degrassi (Fiona Coyne, anyone?) had that name. I feel like it fits perfectly with this story, and I truly envisioned Chris and Stephanie calling their (imaginary) daughter by that name, so I hope that gives a little more insight as to why I selected it. I know the name isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'm really happy with it even still, so I hope some of you will warm up to the name. *fingers crossed*
Phew, okay, now that I got all that out, onto the next chapter. If you still absolutely detest the name Fiona even after my long-winded explanation, picture another girls' name in its place as you read. (I kid, I kid.) Honestly, though, you guys are the best readers ever, and I appreciate all of your honesty. Thanks for the reads and reviews, and read on if you want to be entertained. :P
Come Wednesday morning, Stephanie lay cocooned inside a maze of thick blankets and fluffy pillows, all expertly placed for her comfort. Fiona's wails bled straight through the baby monitor before the sun had risen over the trees and Chris, acting as the kindhearted husband he was, hurried out of bed to grab her before Stephanie woke. He had intended on feeding Fiona in the living room so Stephanie could sleep in, but she had called him back into their bedroom before he reached the peak of the stairs, requesting that he bring the warm bottle up to her so she could feed their daughter her first meal of the morning herself. Running on pure adrenaline, sleep no longer came easy to Stephanie.
She was enthralled with her daughter to the point that all she ever wanted to do was feed, hug, hold, or kiss her, and she couldn't ever seem to get enough. After the trip downstairs to make a bottle, Chris climbed into bed with his girls while Fiona received her breakfast, and the darkened skies gradually morphed into light over the course of her liquid meal. Before they knew it, Graham was rubbing the sleep from his eyes vigorously and stumbling into their bedroom, wanting to greet his sister and brag about his final day as a fifth grader. By the time he shuffled along, Fiona had already been burped and fallen back into a deep slumber, but she remained nestled in Stephanie's arms, so Graham went up on his mommy's side of the bed, dropping his hands from his face.
"Well, good morning, baby," Stephanie greeted. She caught Graham's right hand in her left and ran her thumb over his knuckles. "How does it feel to almost be finished with elementary school? You've gotten so big since we first met each other. I can't believe you're on your final day of fifth grade."
"I'm excited 'bout that, but, um," he paused to cover his mouth with his free hand and yawn, "I wanna say hi to Fifi and see if I could hold her again, like I did before."
"Of course you can. She fell asleep a little while ago, but as long as we're gentle, I can hand her over to you without waking her," Stephanie deduced.
She released Graham's hand and patted the free spot beside her, all the while Chris sinking into the mattress and grinning as he watched their heartwarming exchange. He was still bare-chested, not having bothered to slip a shirt over his head since he had so hastily gone downstairs to prepare Fiona's bottle. The bed dipped as Graham climbed in next to his mommy, and he pulled the blankets over his legs and bare feet, pressing his back into the headboard. Stephanie handed him a puffy pillow to slip behind his back for added support, and he positioned it between his shoulder blades, assuming the proper position by holding his arms out.
Once she lined Fiona's body up just right with Graham's extended arms, Stephanie relinquished her hold, and Graham took full control of his little sister. He immediately hunched forward, pressing a smacking kiss to her forehead. Since the day she had been born, Graham loved to give her kisses and talk to her about everything under the sun: including, but not limited to, conversations about their pets, their family, and his friends at school. He had even been the person to introduce their pets to Fiona. Freddy hadn't displayed much of a reaction aside from the odd purr, but Brownie took great pride in sniffing the top of Fiona's head and hands, even licking her fingers on occasion.
"Hi, Fifi," Graham whispered. Chris and Stephanie shared starry-eyed smiles over his head. "Guess what? I'm a fifth grader, and today's my last day of school. Then I get to be on summer vacation, and I'm helpin' Mommy and Daddy take care of you all the time. It's 'cause I'm your big brother," he explained, following that by shaking his head and laughing. "That's not the only reason. It's also 'cause I love you."
"That's very sweet, Grammy. You're the best big brother Fiona could possibly have," Stephanie praised, running her fingers through his hair. She pulled him close and rained kisses on the crown of his head. "Love you, honeybee."
"Love you, Mom," he responded.
"And it never gets old hearing that. Okay, time to start the morning," she declared, clapping her hands and rising gingerly from the bed. She was generally mobile again, but still had sensitivity near the incision site, which Dr. Reid explained would disappear the more she made it a point to practice walking and stretching throughout the day. She was also forbidden from lifting objects or children for a while, aside from Fiona. Rays of sunlight filtered in through the curtains, so she drew them back and cracked the blinds to allow some natural light in. On her way out of the bedroom, she turned the light switch off. "I'm going to get some breakfast on. We've already got dinner covered, thanks to the frozen meals Mom and Marissa made, so that's good."
"Do you want my help?" Chris offered, already starting to rise.
Stephanie halted in the doorway. "Actually, sweetie, can you stay with Grams and Fiona, just to make sure they're supervised? Or if you really want to come down with me, we can just move the kids down there with us."
"Nah, we'll stay up here until Graham has to get ready for school," Chris said, waving her on. "Go ahead and we'll catch up with you in a bit." She spun around and started for the kitchen, and Chris thought to whistle at her, but his whistles were infamous for their ear-piercing abilities, and he didn't care to wake his daughter. She needed her sleep, so he settled for a soft catcall, lowering his tone enough to reach the beginning stages of a creepy, leering jackass. "Yeah, looking good, hottie," he growled. "Especially from the back."
Stephanie came to an abrupt stop and tossed her head back, cackling at his awkward attempt to flirt. Hearing that laughter brought a smile to his own face, and even Graham seemed to find it funny, as he stifled a giggle or two. When she gathered herself, Stephanie pivoted to face him. "You were way more smooth back when you brought those gorgeous purple roses to work for me. Way more smooth, or else I never would have agreed to date you in the first place," she quipped.
"And what a sad life that would be. Would we ever want to go without Mommy, Graham?"
"No," he moaned, jutting his bottom lip out. "If we didn't have Mom, we wouldn't have her or Fifi, and that's sad. We need Mom and Fifi, Daddy."
"You're telling me," Chris replied, ruffling his son's hair. "I can't argue with anything you've said."
All Stephanie had to offer was a shrug. "All right, boys, I'm headed down. Meet me in the kitchen when you're ready to eat. And, Graham, please don't wait until the last minute to put your sister down and take a bath. We need to be out the door on time today."
"I just wanna talk to her for a little longer while she's, like, sleepin' and stuff. Then I'll go take a bath and get my backpack and everything," Graham replied. Chris found his response especially cute and was prompted to kiss Graham's cheek, loving that his son always wanted to be with his new sister. He had wondered how Graham would bond with a new baby, and he was proud to see it wasn't an issue at all. The connection was real and effortless.
"That works for me. See you downstairs," she said, slipping right out of sight.
After an indeterminate amount of minutes ticked off the clock, Chris sent Graham to bathe, and he left Fiona tucked away in her crib, swaddled in a pink blanket with yellow shooting stars. He placed a baby monitor alongside her sleeping form, bringing the other downstairs so he and Stephanie could hear her cries if she needed them. He stepped foot in the kitchen and was welcomed by the refreshing aroma of bacon sizzling in a pan. Stephanie was in the middle of cracking eggs at the counter, preparing to scramble a couple for Graham. He was the only one who ate his eggs in that form on the average morning.
"Hey, love. Sunny-side up for you?" she quizzed.
"Sounds good," Chris replied, strolling over to meet her where she stood.
"One or two eggs?"
"Y'know, I really wish you'd let me do this, babe. You're still recovering, and I don't want you to overdo anything."
"I'm not," she stated. "I feel good."
Stephanie went to the appropriate drawer and selected a wire whisk, beating the eggs she had dropped into a mixing bowl. She paused to snatch the salt and pepper shakers from the dining room table, adding a small amount and continuing to mix. A pair of solid, muscular arms wrapped around her from behind, hands finding their final resting places on either of her hips. He reached up to push her ponytail over her left shoulder, replacing his hand on her body and pressing several tiny kisses to the back of her neck.
Finding it impossible to complete her task with his lips traveling across her body, Stephanie released the whisk from her grip and slipped her hands over the top of his. Snaking his tongue out, Chris painted a warm trail from her hairline to the back of her earlobe, and a pleasureful shudder ripped through her body. She moaned much louder than intended, covering her mouth with her hand as each of her cheeks flushed scarlet. When he picked his head up to peek at her face and found a rosy blush awaiting him, Chris dropped his chin onto her shoulder and shook against her body with laughter.
"It's been far too long, hasn't it?" he goaded.
"Well, yeah, I mean, it's been months since we were able to be together and actually fully hug one another without a big belly being in the way. I can't wait until this next six weeks are up and my doctor gives us the green light to finally have sex again, because, lemme tell ya, we're going to be having lots of crazy sex," she surmised, lips falling into a smirk.
"Ya damn right," Chris agreed. He kissed her neck one last time and went to the stove, picking up the metal tongs Stephanie had set off to the side and flipping the bacon. The strips popped a few times, and he backed away, so as not to be made a target for hot grease. When Stephanie came up on the side of him with her well beaten eggs, he took the bowl from her, kissing her lips briefly. "I'll do it, hon. Go have a seat."
"If you insist. I certainly won't fight you on it," she relented. Stephanie moved to the other side of the counter and eased onto a bar stool, propping chin in hand as she watched Chris cook the rest of their breakfast. No more than two minutes of uninterrupted sitting took place before Graham called her name from what sounded like a spot near the top of the stairs.
Chris turned his head mid-stir. "You want me to go check on him?"
"No, that's okay. I can see what he needs," Stephanie answered. She pushed off the stool, using the edge of the counter for additional support. When she crossed the living room, she found Graham at the top of the staircase, fully dressed and waving her cell phone in the air. "What's up?"
"Someone was callin' your phone, and it said 'Amanda' on the screen, so does that mean it was Caylie's mommy?"
"It probably does," Stephanie deduced. She had been in close contact with Amanda ever since her move to Montana, especially in the weeks leading up to giving birth to her own child, and Amanda was eager to come and visit the baby, so she probably wanted to set up an arrival date. Since Stephanie couldn't imagine trudging all the way up the winding set of stairs she had just come down from, she waved Graham toward her. "I know you're busy and trying to get ready for school, but will you please be a sweetheart and bring my phone down to me?"
"Yep," Graham replied. He came down and handed the device off to her, receiving a smacking kiss on the nose for his efforts. He rushed back up the stairs and she returned the missed call, receiving an answer after only two rings.
"Hi, Steph, sorry to call you so early. Hope I didn't wake you," Amanda said, cutting right to the chase. Caylie's classic baby talk could be heard in the background, along with her infectious laughter, and Stephanie briefly wondered if Tanner was there playing with her.
"Not at all, honey. It's so good hearing from you," Stephanie replied. She leaned against the edge of the bannister, propping her left foot on the first stair. "How are things going over there? Is Tanner being nice?"
"Oh yeah, he's been great. We're starting to work things out, and we're officially back together and all that, so it's nice to be with Caylie's dad. I think it's best for her if we can all be a family," Amanda explained. Her voice became muffled for a moment, as she seemingly slipped her hand over the receiver and excused herself from the room she had been in. When she next spoke, she was in a spot markedly more quiet. "Sorry, you still there?"
"I'm here," Stephanie acknowledged. "Just so glad you're doing well. As you heard, we've got precious cargo here."
"Aww," she sighed dreamily. "She's absolutely beautiful. She looked so much like you in that picture you sent me. I can't wait to meet her in person, and, actually, I'm still bummed out I didn't get the chance to be there in person. It would have been nice to be part of your support system at the hospital and stuff, but you have a great family, so I'm sure they were more than enough."
"Oh, they were incredible," Stephanie said, smiling and tipping her head as she thought back to that momentous occasion. "I only had my parents and Chris in the delivery room for the birth, and it set me more at ease to only have a few people in there. After I gave birth, everyone came back, Chris's family included, and everyone was just really sweet and positive. It was such a happy time for me and an overall amazing experience. I can't wait to get pregnant in another year or two and live it all over again."
"And how's luscious Fiona?" Amanda inquired.
Stephanie laughed heartily at that, asking, "Luscious?"
"Well, those chubby cheeks sure look luscious. I could just eat her up, she's so adorable," she complimented.
"Why, thank you," Stephanie said, nearly tempted to take a bow, as if she had done all the work in making Fiona so irresistible. "She's a sweet, gorgeous, precious baby and I can't wait for you to come and meet her. Tell me when you're ready and I'll send you the plane tickets. If you want to invite Tanner to come with you and he's able to get some time off from work, just let me know and I can buy him a ticket, too. I really want you guys up here soon."
"Actually, it would be really nice if he could come along," Amanda supplied, "so I'll definitely take you up on that offer. I'll have to see when he can take his vacation days."
"It's settled, then," she cemented. A flash of movement caught her periphery and she glanced up the stairs to find Graham heading down, a single strap of his backpack slung over his shoulder. He sent her a cheeky smile coming down the stairs.
"Is my lunch for today already made, Mommy?"
"We're not doing lunch from home today," Stephanie said. "I'll give you money when we get in the car, and you can buy your lunch at school today, okay? You told me you guys get a bunch of good treats on the last day of school anyway, so you can find something you like there, right?"
"Yay!" he cheered, passing her on the stairs and hopping onto the living room floor with a dull thud. "I'm gettin' chicken nuggets, milk, and cookies!"
"Remind me to give you money in the car, lovey."
"I will," he announced. Graham pumped his fist excitedly and dropped his bag at the entryway of the kitchen, on the hunt to see what his daddy had made him for breakfast. For a second, she watched him go and forgot she was in the middle of a phone conversation at all. It wasn't until Amanda's voice washed over the line that she remember herself, nearly jumping out of her own skin when her dear friend spoke.
"You still there, Steph?" Amanda quizzed.
"Oh, sorry, yeah. I got distracted by Graham," she said. Before she could offer the remainder of her explanation, Fiona's cries sounded over the baby monitor Chris had brought into the kitchen, so she whizzed through and poked her head in the room. "I've got her, Chris," she solidified, rushing off toward the stairs. "Listen, I'm really sorry, Manda, but this is such a hectic morning. It's Graham's last day of fifth grade and we're about to bring him to school, and now Fiona's crying. Is there any way I can call you back later and we can work out the details of this?"
"Sure, no problem. I'm actually about to run out the door with Caylie, too," Amanda replied. "Can we talk this evening, maybe around 6 PM your time?"
"How many hours behind us are you?"
"Two."
"Okay, just curious. Yeah, I'll call you then, and we'll catch up," Stephanie promised. Fiona's cries grew clearer as she closed in on the nursery, and when she opened the door, her daughter's sobs drowned out nearly every other sound on the top floor of the home. Brownie stopped outside the nursery room door with his head cocked to the side. "All right, talk to you later, Manda. Have a good day, honey."
"Thanks, you too, and kiss that pretty baby for me."
"I will," Stephanie said, ending the call abruptly and placing her phone down in the corner of the changing table.
Less than a full week of mothering an infant taught Stephanie lessons she had never expected to learn so quickly. One of those lessons was the deciphering of Fiona's distinct cries. There was one for hunger, one for a soiled diaper, another for not feeling well, and even one for wanting to simply be held by her mommy, daddy, or big brother. The particular cry filling her ears at the moment signaled changing time, and all it took was a single bend to pick Fiona up from her crib before she caught a whiff of the evidence, and it wasn't pleasant.
"Oh, is that a yucky diaper I smell?" Stephanie asked, speaking over Fiona's cries. She rocked her from left to right for a little while, only long enough to pacify her, then placed her down on the changing table and opened up her dirty diaper, cringing at the smell that hit her nostrils. "Oh no, that is a very dirty diaper. Mommy's gotta get you all cleaned up, doesn't she, baby? Yes, she does," she answered herself, pressing a kiss to each of Fiona's deliciously rounded cheeks. "One kiss from me and another from Auntie Manda."
By way of pure luck or magic, possibly even a combination of the two, they made it out the door on time. As promised, Stephanie rummaged through her purse and pulled out a sufficient amount of bills to pay for Graham's school lunch. Plans had been set in stone a couple days prior for Chris's and Stephanie's families to come over for a cookout in their backyard that afternoon, and Stephanie hyped the event up, reminding Graham that when he returned home from school, he would have everybody waiting to celebrate with him. Little did he know, his mommy and daddy had tricks up their sleeves and were planning on presenting him with a magical gift in the backyard that he could enjoy for ages, even with Fiona and any future siblings.
Fiona rested comfortably in her rear-facing car seat, glancing all around at the sights and sounds in the car, as she usually did during rides to and fro. Like most newborns, she found ways to amuse herself, but Graham had different plans. When Stephanie checked on the pair, she spied Graham holding his sister's hands and singing softly. She signaled to Chris to quiet down mid-sentence in his discussion about the art of rock n' roll, and she gradually turned the radio down to make out which song Graham was serenading his sister with, which turned out to be You Are My Sunshine. Each time he got to the final line of the song, he took a breath and repeated it over again, continuing the tune until Chris pulled into the elementary school parking lot.
He reluctantly let go of Fiona's hands and gathered his supplies. Stephanie couldn't let him go without acknowledging how kind he had been, so she broke the silence. "That was beautiful, Graham. I'm sure Fiona loves when you sing to her."
"I love singing to her," Graham admitted. He slung one strap of his backpack over his shoulder and leaned into the car seat, kissing Fiona's cheek. She babbled when his kiss connected, and Graham laughed at the funny noise she had made. He did a half-stand and leaned into the front seat, kissing his mommy first, then his daddy.
"Have a good last day of school. Daddy and I have a big present to give you when you get home," she supplied, much to Chris's chagrin.
"Don't tell him that right before class starts, babe," Chris said, although the act was already done. "He'll be in suspense all day at school now."
"I'll be all right," Graham corrected. "This day will go fast, then I'll be home and I could get my present from you. Bye, Daddy. Bye, Mom."
"Bye-bye," Stephanie replied.
"See ya, kiddo," Chris followed up. Graham climbed out of the car and said another goodbye to his Fifi, shutting the door and giving a final wave before jogging off to meet Nathan, who always waited for him near a tree every morning. When Graham and Nathan began the walk into school together, Chris pulled away from the curb and left the parking lot behind. "What a great kid, huh?"
"I swear I almost got emotional hearing him sing that song to Fiona. The word 'sweet' doesn't even begin to describe that," she said. "I guess a part of me always wondered how well Graham would bond with a new baby when we had one, and to see him taking so well to Fiona and being such a good big brother to her makes my heart melt. He developed such an instant love for her, and I know she'll feel the same about him when she gets old enough to be aware of her brother. I love that they're close, and I hope they always stay that way."
"I'm sure they will. They're both good kids."
"The best," she agreed, gazing out the window at the passing trees. "Dan starts coming to our house in another two weeks. He's gonna whip my butt back into shape so I can get this baby weight off. I'm looking forward to getting back into regular workouts with him, because he really did help me a lot."
"He helped me, too, so I'll start up again with you guys. I've been keeping up with my own workouts, but I wouldn't mind some extra guidance from Dan," Chris said, changing lanes to pass a particularly slow Buick that had cut in front of him. When he was safely back in front, he continued. "I don't really want to be too muscular. I just like to maintain the muscle I've already got."
"You're lookin' good, stud," Stephanie flirted. She grabbed onto his nearest bicep and gave it a squeeze, and he puckered his lips at her, teasing right back. "I love your body. All of your body."
"That's good to hear. I love your body, too," he confessed. Stephanie dropped her hand from his arm, but he reached over and recaptured it with his right one, intertwining their fingers. "If you want to lose weight, that can be a positive thing, but I want you to do it for you, and not because you feel pressured. You're always sexy to me, whether you have less weight, extra weight, or whatever. I love your curves."
"Thanks, honey, but I'm definitely doing this for me. It would make me feel better to get back down to my pre-baby weight," she admitted. Stephanie took a moment to face the backseat and check on Fiona, and when satisfied her little girl was okay, she faced the windshield once more. "Besides, I want to go shopping for new stuff, and if I'm a little slimmer, my clothes will fit better. I want to do this safely and for all the right reasons, so that's why I'm consulting Dan for his help."
"That's a good thing, then, and I support you."
"You always do," she said, bringing his hand to her mouth and pressing a kiss to his tender skin. She lowered their hands back into her lap, a light bulb flicking on in her head. "Chris?"
"Yeah?"
"Have you noticed Graham has been alternating between calling me 'Mommy' and 'Mom'?"
"Yep, I've noticed. He does the same with me," Chris noted, clearing his throat with a cough. "He calls me 'Daddy' sometimes and 'Dad' other times."
"So it doesn't mean anything, um...bad, right?"
Chris couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head at her inquiry. "No, Steph, it's nothing bad at all. It's not anything either of us is doing wrong. He's just getting older, and he's probably at that in between stage of sometimes feeling too old to call us 'Mommy and Daddy', but still too young to always call us just 'Mom and Dad'. He's at that weird age," he finished. "We'll start noticing lots of changes in Graham, especially in a few years when he becomes a teenager."
"Oh God, is it bad that I'm not looking forward to his 13th birthday at all?" Stephanie teased. "I wish I could just keep him little forever. Him and Fiona."
"Just enjoy them while they're still young," he advised. "All we have is time, so we'd better make the best of it."
"You're right," Stephanie nodded. "So true."
She settled into her seat and closed her eyes, tuning out everything except Fiona's light babbling.
Because even the little things were extraordinary.