Chapter 22: Aaron Cole Evans

Everything was going well for the couple. They were expecting their first baby. Merrick had moved Catalina and Merril to Turtle Cove wanting to be near his friends. Wes and Jen had promised to be there when the baby was born along with the rest of their friends. Sadly, their friends in the future couldn't make it to the baby's birth. However, they promised to keep in contact right before the baby was born and after the baby was born.

They had finished the nursery. They had painted it blue, because Cole insisted that the baby was going to be a boy. They had white tiger and lion stuffed animals all over the nursery. They had a white tiger, lion, bison, shark, wolf, and eagle mobile above the crib. Merrick had made it himself and gave it to them as a gift. On each animal had their names carved into the sides. Now, all they were waiting for was for the baby to be born.

Alyssa was sitting on the couch after putting the stuffed animals in the order she wanted them to be. She wanted everything to be perfect when the baby was born. She placed a hand on her stomach and felt the baby kick. Her precious angel that she loved so much even though the baby wasn't born yet. "Alyssa, I'm home," he announced.

"I'm right here, Cole," she informed.

He sat next to her and pulled her into his arms. "How were things at the shelter?" She asked.

"You know that dog, Duke?" He asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Well, I finally had somebody adopt him."

"Oh, Cole, that's wonderful. I was worried that he was going to be put down."

"I don't do that in my shelter, Lyssa. I just keep them there until they get adopted or die on their own."

Alyssa nodded knowing that her husband could never put an animal down. She propped her feet up on the couch and fell asleep against him. Cole held his wife close and placed a hand on her stomach. "Soon, very soon, our son will be here," he whispered. Then he fell asleep while holding her.

(10:30 P. M.)

Alyssa jumped when she felt pain go through her stomach. She tried to ignore it, but then it happened again. She sat up and then she felt a wet solution go down her leg. "Oh, no!" She gasped. She shook Cole awake.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Cole, it's time," she replied.

He helped her off the couch and got her into the car.

(11:00 P.M.)

Cole sat next to Alyssa and held her hand. "How are you feeling?" He asked. Alyssa lied there with a sigh.

"I'd be better once this baby is out," she replied.

Cole nodded and kissed the side of her head. "Are our friends here?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're still missing Wes and Jen," he replied.

Alyssa nodded and gasped in pain. "This hurts really bad," she whimpered. He kissed the top of her hand and let her squeeze his hand as tight as she could. "This baby is just as stubborn as you are," she commented.

"Well, if he has my genes, of course he will," he teased.

Alyssa tried to laugh, but it hurt. "Please, don't make me laugh," she insisted.

"Sorry," he apologized.

She gave him a kiss and lied back on her bed.

(12:00 A.M.: September 3, 2005)

"It's a boy, Mr. and Mrs. Evans," the doctor announced. Alyssa sat up with Cole's help and the little boy was placed into her arms.

"Hey, precious," she whispered.

Tears fell down her face as she looked at her son. "He's so tiny," he murmured. He touched his son's hand with a smile. Cole kissed Alyssa's forehead and placed a kiss on the top of his son's head.

"So, what're you going to name him?" Max asked.

They looked up at their friends. "We were thinking about naming him Aaron," Alyssa replied.

"Aaron, that's a good strong name for a strong boy," Merrick commented.

Alyssa looked at Merrick's wife, Catalina, with a smile.

She had shoulder-length black hair, brown eyes, she was wearing sneakers, blue jeans, a pink t-shirt, a handmade shawl, and her hair was pulled back in a braid.

Merrick wrapped his arm around his wife with a smile. Danny's son, Drake, walked over and looked at the infant. "Can I play with him?" Drake asked. Danny chuckled at his son and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"When he's older," Kendall replied.

Danny wrapped an arm around his wife with a grin. In her arms was their second son, Derek. "So, Danny, is there a little girl coming along soon?" Max asked.

"Not for another year," Kendall replied.

"Same here, I'll be able to wait for another baby in a year," Alyssa agreed.

They looked over at Eric and Taylor. "What about you two? Are we going to be expecting little Myers soon?" Cole asked. Eric wrapped his arm around Taylor.

"Not right now," Taylor replied.

They looked over at Wes and Jen. "We might have another kid soon," Wes replied.

"Sooner than you think," Jen stated.

They congratulated them before the nurse came in. "Okay everyone, it's time to go," she announced. She escorted them out of the room and looked over at Cole and Alyssa. "I congratulate you on your newborn son. What's his name?" She asked.

"Aaron Cole Evans," Alyssa replied.

Cole kissed the side of her head and nodded to the nurse. They had a son and they were finally together. That's all that mattered.

A few months later, Wes and Jen welcomed their son, Wyatt, to the world. A year later, Eric and Taylor welcomed their daughter, Tara. Danny and Kendall had a daughter they named Danielle. When Aaron was two, his sister, Courtney, was born. Max met a girl and he had a son of his own, Mitchell. Everything went well for them and that's all that mattered. Cole and Alyssa had a rough start, but everything turned out to be good at the end.