She took him in, all of him. Breathing is his scent, and his essence. Just
having him hold her filled some hole in her that she didn't even know
existed. She had never known how much he meant to her, how much she needed
him. He rocked her gently, trying to sooth her with his words. He told her
she was safe, and that he loved her, and that he would never let go of her
again. And it was that moment that she finally let go. She stopped forcing
her self to be strong, stopped holding the entire world on her shoulders.
He loved her, and she loved him. That was enough. That was everything. With
his love, and their son her world was complete.
"Vaughn," She said pulling away from him slightly. "What time is it?" He leaned over to look at the clock.
"It's almost four." He paused, sensing her worry. "And don't worry I picked Ryan up from school." He said as he kissed her hair.
"You did that while I was asleep? Thanks." She said as she pulled away and sat up.
"Yeah, it was really hard." He said rolling his eyes. "I called Kendall. I told him I needed to take a leave of absence. I though maybe I could stay here with you for a while; get to know Ryan a little bit."
"I'd really like that. I think Ryan would too. I don't think I even have to ask this but, you do want to be a part of Ryan's life, right?" She looked down at her hands, and fidgeted with the blanket.
"Of course Sydney, I want to be a big part of his life, and yours too, if that's okay with you." He smiled and grabbed her hands.
She nodded. "I'm not really sure how to explain all this to him."
"He's young, I'm sure to him it'll be like 'Hey great, now I have a mom and a dad.'" He said chuckling a little.
Sydney reached put her other hand on top of his and squeezed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you a long time ago. I'm sorry about everything."
"I'm not Sydney. I've been sorry about too many things, for too long. I want us to be happy now, no more sorry." He said as he pulled her into a tight embrace.
"That sounds wonderful." She said pulling him tighter.
When they released from their hug Vaughn let his face linger near hers for just a moment. Her hand found its way up to his neck and she pulled him closer and kissed him. It started off as a gentle kiss, and then slowly turned more passionate. They might have kissed for a lot longer if they hadn't been interrupted.
"Mommy, are you waked up?" Ryan's little voice called from the hall. Vaughn and Sydney quickly let go of each other, both smiling big goofy smiles.
"Yes Sweetie, come here." Sydney called looking out at the hallway. A moment later Ryan appeared dragging his stuffed elephant with him.
"Mommy, I brought my ele-pent for you to sleep with." He said running toward the bed. After some struggle he pulled himself up onto the bed and sat in between Vaughn and Sydney.
"What happened to your movie, big guy?" Vaughn questioned rubbing the boy's hair.
"I don't like the part with that mean girl. Here mommy." He said handing her his elephant.
"Thank you sweetie," She said accepting the animal. "Ryan, sweetheart there's something Michael and I want to tell you." She looked to Vaughn then pulled Ryan into her lap. "Did you remember at school when sometimes Evan's daddy comes to pick him up."
"Uh huh." Ryan nodded.
"Do you remember asking me where your daddy was?"
"Uh huh." He looked at his mother and then at Vaughn.
"Well Ryan." She paused and took a deep breath. "This is.Michael is your daddy." She said trying to hold back the tears. Ryan up at looked at Sydney again, and then back at Vaughn.
"You're my daddy." He said with a sort of disbelieve in his tone. Then, after apparently thinking it over, he smiled. "Are you sure?" He said coyly, as he reached for Vaughn's hand.
"Yeah, big guy, I'm sure." He let his son take his hand and study it. Vaughn looked at Sydney with tears in his eyes, and then back at his son. Ryan was examining his hand. After a thorough investigation he held his own hand up next to Vaughn's and compared the two. Vaughn again looked at Sydney, but this time with a look of questioning. Sydney nodded that this was normal and then leaned down to observe what Ryan was looking at.
"Well, sweetie. What do you think?" She said kissing his ear.
"I think ... I want your hand too Mommy." He said not taking his eyes off of his own hand. Sydney offered her hand and he thoroughly investigated hers as well. Sydney looked up at Vaughn and smiled. Vaughn was still very unsure of the whole experience. After a moment Ryan looked up at Vaughn and smiled.
"My hand is like yours." He squealed excitedly. He stood up on the bed with shaky legs, turned around and sat in Vaughn's lap. Vaughn looked at Sydney, very surprised. Ryan reached over again and grabbed Sydney's hand. He laid it out on the bed, along with Vaughn's and put his own hand on top of theirs. "Look, mommy's hand, daddy's hand, and my hand." Ryan squealed. Vaughn looked at Sydney. This time neither of them could suppress the tears. Vaughn closed his hand around Sydney's and Ryan's and squeezed them all together.
"Vaughn," She said pulling away from him slightly. "What time is it?" He leaned over to look at the clock.
"It's almost four." He paused, sensing her worry. "And don't worry I picked Ryan up from school." He said as he kissed her hair.
"You did that while I was asleep? Thanks." She said as she pulled away and sat up.
"Yeah, it was really hard." He said rolling his eyes. "I called Kendall. I told him I needed to take a leave of absence. I though maybe I could stay here with you for a while; get to know Ryan a little bit."
"I'd really like that. I think Ryan would too. I don't think I even have to ask this but, you do want to be a part of Ryan's life, right?" She looked down at her hands, and fidgeted with the blanket.
"Of course Sydney, I want to be a big part of his life, and yours too, if that's okay with you." He smiled and grabbed her hands.
She nodded. "I'm not really sure how to explain all this to him."
"He's young, I'm sure to him it'll be like 'Hey great, now I have a mom and a dad.'" He said chuckling a little.
Sydney reached put her other hand on top of his and squeezed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you a long time ago. I'm sorry about everything."
"I'm not Sydney. I've been sorry about too many things, for too long. I want us to be happy now, no more sorry." He said as he pulled her into a tight embrace.
"That sounds wonderful." She said pulling him tighter.
When they released from their hug Vaughn let his face linger near hers for just a moment. Her hand found its way up to his neck and she pulled him closer and kissed him. It started off as a gentle kiss, and then slowly turned more passionate. They might have kissed for a lot longer if they hadn't been interrupted.
"Mommy, are you waked up?" Ryan's little voice called from the hall. Vaughn and Sydney quickly let go of each other, both smiling big goofy smiles.
"Yes Sweetie, come here." Sydney called looking out at the hallway. A moment later Ryan appeared dragging his stuffed elephant with him.
"Mommy, I brought my ele-pent for you to sleep with." He said running toward the bed. After some struggle he pulled himself up onto the bed and sat in between Vaughn and Sydney.
"What happened to your movie, big guy?" Vaughn questioned rubbing the boy's hair.
"I don't like the part with that mean girl. Here mommy." He said handing her his elephant.
"Thank you sweetie," She said accepting the animal. "Ryan, sweetheart there's something Michael and I want to tell you." She looked to Vaughn then pulled Ryan into her lap. "Did you remember at school when sometimes Evan's daddy comes to pick him up."
"Uh huh." Ryan nodded.
"Do you remember asking me where your daddy was?"
"Uh huh." He looked at his mother and then at Vaughn.
"Well Ryan." She paused and took a deep breath. "This is.Michael is your daddy." She said trying to hold back the tears. Ryan up at looked at Sydney again, and then back at Vaughn.
"You're my daddy." He said with a sort of disbelieve in his tone. Then, after apparently thinking it over, he smiled. "Are you sure?" He said coyly, as he reached for Vaughn's hand.
"Yeah, big guy, I'm sure." He let his son take his hand and study it. Vaughn looked at Sydney with tears in his eyes, and then back at his son. Ryan was examining his hand. After a thorough investigation he held his own hand up next to Vaughn's and compared the two. Vaughn again looked at Sydney, but this time with a look of questioning. Sydney nodded that this was normal and then leaned down to observe what Ryan was looking at.
"Well, sweetie. What do you think?" She said kissing his ear.
"I think ... I want your hand too Mommy." He said not taking his eyes off of his own hand. Sydney offered her hand and he thoroughly investigated hers as well. Sydney looked up at Vaughn and smiled. Vaughn was still very unsure of the whole experience. After a moment Ryan looked up at Vaughn and smiled.
"My hand is like yours." He squealed excitedly. He stood up on the bed with shaky legs, turned around and sat in Vaughn's lap. Vaughn looked at Sydney, very surprised. Ryan reached over again and grabbed Sydney's hand. He laid it out on the bed, along with Vaughn's and put his own hand on top of theirs. "Look, mommy's hand, daddy's hand, and my hand." Ryan squealed. Vaughn looked at Sydney. This time neither of them could suppress the tears. Vaughn closed his hand around Sydney's and Ryan's and squeezed them all together.