Chapter 92

After two days in hospital Shelby was ready to climb the walls. When the doctor did his checkup on her and little CJ this morning giving them the green light to go home she almost jumped out of her skin. Sending her husband a quick text telling him the good news.

After CJ was born Claire offered to stay at home and help out for a while until Shelby was back on her feet. Since the birth didn't go as planned and she had to have a C-Section she was grateful for all the help she received and accepted her mother in law's help with gratitude. Because simple tasks like walking and getting out of bed was an obstacle and painful.

"Mom, Shelby's coming home today. They're being discharged at 10." Caleb announced proudly and loud enough since he wasn't sure where exactly in the apartment his mom was.

"That's good news. I'll make her a light breakfast, I'm sure she's had enough of hospital food." Claire thought out loud making her way towards the kitchen.

"You've never done something so nice for me." Caleb guilt tripped her but she looked at him, hands pressed on the counter. "That my dear son, is because you decided I'm smothering you with motherly love." Claire justified. "But I still love you as much as I did the day you were born." She smiled ruffling his hair, turning her attention back to the kitchen and what she can cook.

Ryan was sitting at the kitchen counter with his daughter on his lap, feeding her some vegetable mashed up baby food. Or at least that's what he tried to. It was more of a fight between the two of them because Phoebe made it clear she's not interested in it. Refusing to open her mouth or pushing the spoon out of the way as soon as it came into view.

"Come on Pheebs. If you eat veggies it'll make you big and strong." Ryan tried pleading with the wriggly nine month old but none of it worked. After ten minutes of struggling Ryan gave up and Phoebe was all smiles now that her father noticed that she disliked this choice of food.

"This can't really be that bad. Right?" Ryan asked no one in particular as he went ahead and tried some of it, almost spitting it back out as soon as he tasted it. "Geez, now it makes sense why you don't like it." He said and put that container aside, opting for another one with fruits on it. Giving it a try it tasted better than the first one, and he fed it to Phoebe. This time she enjoyed it without fussing like she did previously. In her haste between bites messing some on her little bib, with pink and white bunnies on it.

Alex came downstairs and smiled when she saw the two of them. Waling over to the coffee machine she noticed the still full food container on the counter.

"You didn't feed her this did you?" Alex noted when she picked it.

"She didn't like it. It doesn't taste nice and we were battling just to get it into her mouth. Tell mommy you don't like veggies." Ryan commanded and Phoebe replied in something unintelligible.

"I'm not leaving the two of you alone again during breakfast. You're going to eat veggies whether you like it or not, little miss." Alex kissed her cheeks as she finished the last of her food. Extending her arms towards her mother when Ryan loosened the dirty bib from her neck.

Alex picked her up supporting her as she hobbled around on the kitchen counter. "So, I was thinking." Alex started and Ryan looked over at her to continue.

"Okay, I wasn't really thinking about anything." She admitted. "Your birthday is coming up in a few weeks, is there anything in particular you'd want to do?" She wanted to know because she ran out of ideas on how to surprise him.

"Not really. I haven't thought about it." He said honestly since he was never really big on celebrating his birthday.

"You are so boring Ryan Booth." She told him trying to think out of the box on how she can surprise him. He went out of his way to sit through a two hour ballet concert to please her, and it wasn't even her birthday. She'll come up with an idea, somehow.

Caleb walked into the hospital and through the familiar corridor to Shelby's room. "Hey, you ready to go?" He asked as he entered and saw the bag was packed halfway.

"That's not even a question. I need to get out of here or I'll lose my mind." She smiled kissing him quickly before continuing to pack.

"No I'll finish packing. You can sit down." Caleb suggested and took over packing their clothes and things into the bags while Shelby sat down with CJ until he finished. "Okay, I think that's everything we can get going now." He smiled when he didn't see anything else laying around. The nurse brought the wheelchair and he pushed Shelby out towards the parking lot, where she walked the little way to where he parked the car close to the entrance.

Caleb drove well below the speed limit, annoying the other motorists on the road. Trying to avoid bumps and potholes in the road so Shelby wouldn't have to deal with added pain. She was never so glad to be home when they pulled up in front of the apartment.

Seeing her mother in law's car parked in the driveway made her feel a surge of thankfulness because she didn't know how she would do all of this on her own. Caleb took the car seat out from the backseat and helped her up the few stairs in front, taking one step at a time with a hand pressed against her abdomen.

"Hey! How are you feeling?" Claire greeted when they entered the apartment.

"I've never been more thankful to be at home." She smiled hugging Claire.

"Do you want to go lay down?" Caleb asked when the two of them were alone in the lounge, while grandma took CJ around the apartment showing him different rooms.

"Please no. I've had enough of being in a bed for 24 hours. I need to get back to normal as soon as I can." She looked up at him but Caleb stared at her skeptically.

"As long as you don't overdo things. Your body's been through a lot it'll heal up on its own. You just need to be patient." He reminded her and she nodded understandingly.

Claire came back into the lounge without CJ and informed the parents that she laid him down in the crib since he was sleeping, which gave them some time for themselves. She finished the light meal she was preparing and the three of them ate together on the couch talking about everything Caleb got up to throughout his teenage years, and the grey hairs he gave his parents. Their conversation was interrupted when he got a call from the office asking him to come in for a few hours to help them out on something, leaving the two women alone.

But not before checking to see if CJ is okay. "Caleb can you leave him alone please?" Claire laughed at the overprotective father.

"Thank you so much Claire. For being here, you have no idea how much I appreciate it." Shelby thanked her.

"Trust me, there isn't any other place on earth I'd want to be right now. I've been waiting for a long time for the day I have a grandchild." She smiled sincerely. "How are you doing Shelby?" She asked sensing her daughter in law's behavior change.

The blonde took a breath before she started talking. "I am so extremely happy, and I have everything I've ever wanted. An amazing, loving and supportive husband. A perfect baby boy, and somehow deep down I can't help but wish that my parents were here so I can share this moment with them." She admitted softly.

"I have no idea what I'm doing or how to be a mother. Just, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that things would've turned out the way it did. To the point where we're not even talking anymore." Shelby's voice became shaky and Claire moved over to sit next to her.

"Hey, I may not be your biological mother, but I took you in as my own daughter the day you and Caleb got married. And you're not alone in this. Caleb and I are here to help you through all of this, and then you have your crazy friends who will jump in even if you don't ask them. And I'll stay here for as long as you need me."

"Don't say that because I might never ask you to leave." Shelby laughed as Claire hugged her.

She might not be her biological other but the love this woman has shown her from day one made her feel like she is a part of the family and that she shares a bond with the red head that she lacked in sharing with her own mother.

Some Haas family time for those of you who likes the two blondes. Hope you enjoy. Lovies-S.