Chapter 49:
Janet was the first one to wake in the morning – mostly because the nurse had come in again to check her out. Janet was completely unprepared for the "after effects" of giving birth to a child. Apparently that part of the Lamaze class she wasn't paying attention to or something because she was unaware that the nurses literally came into her room approximately 4 – 5 times throughout the night to "knead" her stomach to make sure her uterus was returning to its former glory. She was so exhausted she barely remembered the first few times but the last few were definitely in her memory. The last time the nurse came in she just decided to get up. She attempted to move a bit but her body felt literally like she had been hit by something very large. She felt somewhat fortunate that she didn't have any of the medications because she didn't have to deal with not feeling her legs or any of those after affects that happen when you get the epidural. But none the less she still felt like her whole body had embarked on a marathon that she had not trained for. She looked around the room briefly to check out what was happening and she saw Eddie sleeping on this cot type bed that clearly was too small for his large frame. She noticed however that he still had the biggest smile on his face that seemed to be permanently stuck there from yesterday. She couldn't help herself from smiling at the sight. She then realized that she wanted to see her son in the worst way.
Janet reached around to find the call button to call for the nurse to get Aiden from the nursery however before she found it she heard a light tap on her door. She said, "Yeah."
The nurse walked in just then and said, "Just checking to see if you were awake…someone seemed to be hungry." With a big smile she walked through the door pushing the small portable bassinet that held Aiden in it wrapped up like a burrito and squirming around trying his hardest to free his hands and feet.
Janet just smiled and said, "you read my mind" just then the nurse placed a very wiggly baby in Janet's arms.
"So were you planning to breast feed?" the nurse asked
"Well I am going to try but this is all a bit new." She said looking somewhat concerned
"Ok well let me help you." The nurse helped put the baby in the position he needed to be in and helped Janet adjust herself for Aiden while explaining verbally everything she was doing so Janet knew what to do the next time.
"Don't worry if it takes a couple of tries because sometimes babies don't latch on…." Before the nurse could finish her speak Aiden was already sucking and drinking anything that was coming out.
Janet sat there and was staring both at the nurse and then at Aiden. She never felt anything like this but just then she started to laugh.
"What are ya thinking?" the nurse said looking at Janet a bit puzzled.
"Of course Aiden would be good at this…just like his father." She sort of chuckled to herself.
"Of course he is…that's my boy." Eddie said just having gotten up as the nurse was explaining things to Janet and was watching the whole time. Now he was walking towards his family feeling quite proud and in awe all at the same time.
"I didn't know you had woken up." Janet said smiling at Eddie
Eddie leaned down and kissed his wife gently on the lips and looked at his little boy and just touched his head gently and then sat down in the rocking chair next to Janet's bed.
"Look at him…man he must have been hungry…I'm a little jealous." Eddie said laughing
Janet just looks at Eddie, "you did not just say that." She said with a smile.
"Well I am going to leave you two alone with your son…just make sure you burp him in between each breast." With that said the nurse left there room
Janet could not take her eyes off her son. She never thought two years ago or even a year ago she would be sitting here looking at her son breast feeding with Eddie sitting just a step away looking at her the way he was. She could not think of a time in her life when she felt such happiness.
"You know you look so amazingly beautiful right now." Eddie said just admiring the scene in front of him
"I don't feel very beautiful but thank you." Janet said just looking briefly at Eddie and then back to Aiden.
"I don't think I have ever seen you more beautiful than right now Janet." Eddie said so lovingly
Janet just looked at him and they shared this brief eye lock moment.
Janet decided now would be a good time to burp Aiden and adjust him to the other side. He really didn't want to let go but she was able to make it happen and just as she raised him up to her shoulder to burp him he let out this huge burp for a little baby. Janet looks at him and Eddie bursts out laughing. "Yep definitely my kid." He said still laughing.
Janet adjusted him on the other side and repeated the process. She could tell when Aiden was beginning to get satisfied because his eyes started to flutter between open and closed. He didn't spend nearly as much time on the other side and his burp was very quiet and tiny and soon he was again sound asleep. Janet just looked at him in amazement that she was able to do this for him. Perhaps for the first time in this whole process Janet felt like a mom.
Janet looked at Eddie who was sitting in the rocking chair just staring at Aiden and she decided to let daddy have some time. "Hey do you want to hold him for a bit…I think I am going to try and take a shower." She said knowing he really wanted to hold his son too.
"Are you sure you are ok to take a shower alone." He said sounding concerned.
"Yeah I am sore for sure but I think I can stand by myself for a little while." She said moving to hand Aiden to Eddie.
Eddie opened his arms and took Aiden and two boys spent some quality time rocking in the chair.
An hour later Janet was showered and changed into the clothes she brought with her. She felt good to be in regular clothes and not in a gown for a change. She knew it wouldn't be long before the gang would surface and everyone would want to see the newest addition to the Latekka family. She no longer sat down on the bed and adjusted the back so she was sitting there was a knock on the door.
"Hey I hear there is a new baby in this room" a very excited Hannah said as she began to open the door.
"Come on in Hannah." Janet said smiling.
Hannah walked in with the biggest array of balloons that Janet had ever seen along with some presents for Aiden and Sam following close behind her.
"Hey buddy" Janet said to Sam as he walked up to Janet and gave her a big hug.
Eddie still had Aiden in his arms and they were rocking and watching the sports highlights on ESPN.
"Ok, Ok you had him enough now it is time for Auntie Hannah" Hannah said as she was practically pulling Aiden out of Eddie's grasp.
Aiden was still sleeping and was unaware of all the fuss that was going on in his regard. Sam then walked over and sat next to Eddie on the couch since Hannah kicked him out of the rocking chair as well.
Hannah sat there and looked at Aiden and began to talk to him as if he was able to understand everything that she had to say. Eddie decided to take this opportunity to go over to his wife and properly say good morning even though morning was long gone.
Eddie walked over and said to Janet, "move over I want to lay down a bit."
Janet looked at him like "what are you talking about…don't you tell me to move." Eddie knew she would react that way but when she moved he laid down and adjusted himself so he could take his wife in his arms and kissed her like he had not seen her in months.
Janet was taken a back a little not expecting that was what Eddie was up to and completely forgot that Hannah and Sam were even in the room. She loved the feeling of closeness that existed between her and Eddie now. Something changed between them and they felt so connected to each other…she wasn't sure if it was the baby or him watching her feed their son…whatever it was the way he looked at her and the feelings she felt when he did she could not help but wish they were alone but she knew even if they were her body was in no condition to even entertain the thought.
Eddie whispered in her ear when he released his lips from hers, "I can not even begin to tell you how much I love you and our son and happy I am right now…the gift you have given me Janet is more than I had hoped for and I am so thankful that I have you and Aiden…thank you for my family Janet." He had tears begin to form in his eyes but he didn't move until they had subsided.
Janet sat there and took in his words. She felt like he had given her the gift…their son but she knew he meant giving birth and carrying him and surviving through that horrible truck accident. She always knew in her heart that it belonged to Eddie even when she was with Dwayne but right now she knew that he would have it forever just as Aiden had it from the minute she found out she was pregnant. She finally felt as though she was a part of a family moreso then when she was only with Eddie. She never realized that this is what her heart longed for until it happened. She knew right then that Eddie was right when they talked about working and all the possibilities…Eddie knew she would want to stay home and be with Aiden and right now she knew that there was no where she wanted to be more than home with her son.
She leaned back and once again they locked eyes with each other – no more words were uttered. They leaned into each other and shared another heart stopping kiss only to be interrupted by the rest of Eddie's gang of friends now loudly making their entrance into the room.
It was early evening and all the visitors have come and gone. Janet's room was so full of balloons she felt like she was in a party store. There were flowers on every surface in the room and presents all collected in the corner of the couch. Janet looked around and just took in the scene of how much Aiden was loved by the family and friends. She thought back to when Aiden was placed in the arms of her grandma and the conversation that they shared…Aiden opened his eyes for the first time that day when his great grandma was speaking to him and it looked as if he understood everything that she said. Janet wasn't able to hear everything that was said with all the commotion going on in the room but she knew what ever Grands said to Aiden it was important to her to say. She also thought back to watching Eddie talking and laughing with his friends and showing off his baby boy. Eddie looked so happy and proud… a look she thought she had seen before but nothing compared to what she saw today. It was a very good day. The nurses came to get Aiden just after Janet fed him his "supper" because he needed to have his hearing checked and all the other stuff they needed to do to get him ready to go home the following day. It was just Janet sitting in the midst of her room enjoying the moment of peace and quiet. She was getting tired but knew that once they were back home sleep would not be as easy as the nurses made it in the hospital so she decided to just briefly close her eyes and wait for Eddie to return.
Eddie had taken Janet's grandparents back to their hotel when they were tired. He just didn't feel right sending them home in a cab. He knew that Aiden would be going back to the nursery and this way he thought it would be the perfect time to stop and get something for Janet to commemorate the day. He made his way back to the house as he remembered when Edith had given him the ring from Mrs. Edwardson that had all the colors of her garden in it from her late husband. He knew that this would be the perfect time to give it to her.
Eddie returned to the hospital and found Janet with the TV on but she was asleep. He was a bit disappointed because he really wanted to give her the ring in the peace of the night but he knew he would have time so he settled into the rocking chair and grabbed the remote and began to change the channel to something he wanted to watch. Suddenly he heard, "if you think you are just going to change the channel when I was watching that show you got another thing coming mister." Janet said opening her eyes with a big smile.
Eddie just chuckled and said, "oh I'm sorry I was unaware that you could watch TV with those things getting in your way" motioning to her eyes pointing at her eye lids since they were closed.
"I have many talents Eddie…you should catch up on knowing what they are." She said smiling and chuckling herself.
Eddie stood up and went to sit next to his wife, "trust me when I tell you I know exactly what your talents are…how do you think Aiden came along?" He said with a mischievous smile.
They shared a kiss and Eddie placed a small wrapped box in her hands. "What's this?" Janet said
"Just a little something for you." Eddie said waiting to see her expression
Janet slowly opened the box and just stared at the beautiful ring inside of it. It was a cocktail type of style ring but with all this color. It looked old and she began to wonder where he could have gotten such a beautiful ring.
Eddie looked at Janet and knew exactly what she was thinking so he began to share with her what Edith had said to him, "When I went to see your grandma before I came to Hope to find you she gave me this ring. It was Mrs. Edwardson's ring. She got it from her husband for their anniversary. The colors symbolized all the colors of the flowers in her garden that he had given her over the years and she made grow so beautifully. When he passed away while you were taking care of their home, Mrs. Edwardson gave it to your grandma with strict instructions to give to you because without you taking care of their home and garden she would not have been able to come home to the beautiful flowers that he had given to her. For that she wanted you to have this. I have been trying to find the perfect time to give it to you and now seemed like the right time because you gave me the best gift I have ever been given and that is my son Aiden and a family. Some day Janet I am going to make sure you have a beautiful garden of your own so you have a reminder of how much I love you but until I can do that I hope when you look at this ring you feel how much I love you and our family. "
Janet was so overwhelmed by the story and the ring and all the things that Eddie was saying. She just looked at him as if through new eyes. She leaned in and placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him as passionately as she could so he could feel how much this meant to her. When they finished kissing, they both settled back on the bed and Janet put the ring on her finger. There was no need to use any more words, they just settled in for the night and snuggled into each other. Soon both were asleep in each others arms. The nurse came in and saw the sight in front of her and she thought to herself, "you know what this can wait until tomorrow."
