*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
Natalia's recovery began the moment she was out of surgery. Dean and I did not leave her side the whole time she was in the PICU and by the end of the afternoon and early evening Natalia was doing well enough to move to another room in the children's hospital. She is definitely a warrior. Her heart is repaired and as they removed her breathing tube the morning after her surgery so she could breathe on her own instantly it was smooth and even unlike before where she struggled to breathe and it was labored. The next couple days that she stayed in the hospital they were monitoring her closely keeping an eye on her heart and keeping an eye on her breathing. By the third day in the hospital it was like she hadn't even had surgery. She was smiling and happy like she always has been. On the third day they released her from the hospital just in time for Dean's 18th birthday. Before they released her they checked her once more and gave us the care instructions on how to care for the wound from the incision and how to hold her so she is comfortable. It's a lot to take on but we're up for the challenge. I am just glad Dean was able to be with me through the hardest couple days of my life and Natalia's life.
"Happy Birthday," I say to Dean as I wake him up with a soft kiss on his neck. He lets out a soft groan as he stirs. "Wake up, Birthday Boy," I say with a smile before I kiss his lips softly before he lets out another soft groan.
I smile at him as his blue eyes flicker open in the morning sun. "Hey," he says with a smile.
"Hey," I say with a smile. "Happy 18th Birthday," I say as he wraps his arm around my waist and rests his hand on the small of my back.
"Thank-you," he says in his deep raspy voice. "You're such a beautiful sight to wake up to."
"So are you," I say as I take my hand over his jaw rubbing his stubble. "I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of waking up to your sexiness."
"Right back at you," he says with a smile before he kisses my lips softly.
"It's your 18th birthday, how do you want to start your special day?" I ask running my fingers through his strawberry blonde hair.
"I have an idea," he says with a smile as I feel his erection growing between us.
"Hmm, trying to tell me something, Baby?" I ask with a smile.
"I can tell you or I can show you," he says before he kisses my lips softly.
"Show me," I say with a smile before he rolls over onto his back pulling me with him causing me to giggle. He smiles up at me with his blue eyes burning with sexual intensity, his hands rubbing my thighs softly. "I love you so much, you know that?"
"I love you too," he says with a smile. "You're so beautiful," he says pushing a piece of my dark hair behind my ear. "I'll never know how I got this lucky but I am the luckiest man in the world right now."
"I think I'm pretty lucky too," I say with a smile before I lean down and kiss his lips softly as his arms circle around my waist as we share a soft passionate kiss before we start his birthday morning off by making sweet passionate love to each other taking our time, touching, caressing and kissing every inch of each other's bodies. Our bodies moving in the perfect rhythm reaching our climaxes together at least 3 times crying out in pleasure together each time. It's a great way to start our morning with each other and I leave him satisfied and happy as he leaves me sore and satisfied. It's like we can never get enough of each other but it was 5 months away from one another a lot of time to make up for.
"I love when our mornings start off this way," he says as he holds me in his arms after our third round of making love to each other. His fingertips caressing my arms softly as my finger traces his firm chest circling in his chest hair.
"Me too," I say with a smile as his lips brush against my forehead. "Was that satisfying enough for your birthday?"
"More than satisfying," he says with a soft smile and a light chuckle. "You know how to give the best presents."
"I try," I say with a smile. "So we have the whole day ahead of us. What do you want to do?"
"Hmm," he says, "I would love to do that a few more times but I know Natalia will be waking up any time now so I'm down for a family day just the three of us and I'm looking forward to my cake. What kind of cake are you making me?"
"What kind of cake do you want me to bake for you?" I ask with a smile.
"I'm pretty partial to chocolate cake," he says with a smile. "Chocolate cake with vanilla frosting sprinkled with coconut," he says.
"I think I can do that," I say with a smile. "I might have to run to the store to get some coconut but I can do that for you. Anything special you want for dinner?"
"It doesn't matter maybe spaghetti and meatballs. I don't care what you cook. I will eat anything you cook me."
"All right, I'll pick something up from the store later," I say. "I just want you to have the best birthday ever."
"Ana, I'm spending it with you and Natalia, it can't get any better than this."
"Aww you're so sweet," I say with a smile before I kiss his lips softly. "So sweet you're giving me a toothache."
"Shut up," he says with a small laugh. "You're such a dork."
"I may be but I'm your dork."
"Yes you are MY dork," he says wrapping me tighter into his arms. "Hopefully forever."
"I'm not going anywhere," I say before we share another kiss before Natalia starts to cry. "I guess I better go get her to feed her."
"No," he says kissing my lips softly but quickly. "I'll get her," he says flashing me a smile.
"All right you go ahead and I'll make us some breakfast."
"Sounds like a plan," he says with a smile before we reluctantly separate ourselves from each other. I grab one of his t-shirts from the dresser and throw it on before throwing my hair up into a messy bun while he puts on a pair of sweatpants before running his hand through his hair before he goes to get Natalia from the nursery. I make my way to the kitchen with the baby monitor to start making breakfast. My heart melts as I hear him singing to Natalia as he changes her diaper before he comes out into the kitchen to make her bottle.
I make us a good breakfast of eggs, turkey bacon and turkey sausage with freshly squeezed orange juice. After we finish breakfast that Dean enjoyed to its fullest he goes to get himself dressed and then takes Natalia to her nursery to get dressed while I clean up the kitchen before I sit down to work on school work for a little bit before I have to get dressed and head to the grocery store to pick up some things for dinner and the stuff that I need for Dean's cake. I call my dad to make sure he is dropping Dean's birthday present off at the apartment for me and when he tells me he is I cross that off my list. I finish up my grocery shopping and then head back home.
I smile when I walk into the apartment carrying a couple bags of groceries and see Dean lying on the couch wearing nothing but his sweatpants holding Natalia as she sleeps on his bare chest. She looks like she's in a deep sleep. "She looks comfortable," I say with a smile as I start to unpack the bags in the kitchen.
"She's very comfortable," he says with a smile.
"I bet because when my head is on your chest is when I am most comfortable." I say with a smile. "I picked her up some more formula while I was at the store. I saw we were getting low."
"Why don't you just get WIC and they can help you get that so you're not paying so much for formula."
"Because I am all right buying it," I say, "we have the money so why not."
"I guess," he says, "You know I love her strawberry hair," he says taking his hand over Natalia's head. "It's so soft and it's a beautiful color."
"It is beautiful she has you to thank for that. Dean, that girl has nothing of mine she is yours 100%."
"I know," he says with a smile. "And her breathing sounds so much better."
"It really does," I say, "so I'm going to bake your cake then I'm going to start dinner. Your other birthday present should be here by dinner time."
"You got me another present?" he asks.
"Yeah, I got you a present well my dad and I got you a present. He helped me get it for you."
"You didn't really have to get me anything," he says. "I told you I have everything I need with you and Natalia."
"Yeah but it's your birthday. You deserve a little present here and there," I say.
"I never got presents when I was younger. I was lucky if my mom even remembered my birthday."
"Well, we didn't forget," I say with a smile. "I'll never forget."
I spend a majority of the afternoon baking Dean's cake the way he requested it a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting sprinkled with coconut. Once I finish with the cake I write Happy Birthday Dean on it before I put it into the fridge so I can get started on our dinner. I chose to make him lasagna another one of his favorite meals. I just want to make this day special for him to know that he's loved and cared for. It sounds like he never really got to have a birthday party while growing up so I want to give him the best.
"It smells good in here," he says as he washes out one of Natalia's bottles. "What are you cooking?"
"It's a surprise," I say with a smile. "You'll find out soon enough."
"It smells like lasagna. You know how much I love lasagna."
"I can't tell you it will ruin the surprise."
"I might have to tickle it out of you," he says with a smile.
"You wouldn't," I say.
"I would and I will," he says as he makes his way over to me giving me warning he's about to tickle me. He takes his fingers and start to tickle me. I start to laugh uncontrollably. He knows I'm ticklish and he uses it to his advantage. I wish he was ticklish too so I could return the favor. "want to tell me yet?"
"Never," I say through my laughs.
"I can keep this up all day," he says.
"I can keep a secret better than anyone," I laugh.
"All right," he says, "I give up. You're stubborn you know that?"
"I've been told," I say with a smile, "so I was thinking that in January we could go visit my mom in Phoenix."
"About that," he says, "are you really sure you want to go see your mom in Phoenix. I mean it's been a really long time."
"I know but I want to see her. I love my mom regardless of what my dad wants. I still think he sent her away."
"But what if he didn't? What if she just left on her own?"
"My mom wouldn't do that, Dean, she loved us. I think my dad pushed her out and made her leave. I still feel like he paid her to stay away. My mom wouldn't just leave."
"Sometimes people surprise you," he says giving me a strange look.
"What's going on, Dean? Before you were on board with going to see my mom in Phoenix now all of a sudden you don't want to go see her. What's going on?"
"Nothing," he says, "it's just if your dad is telling the truth that she left I don't' want to see you get hurt. I never want to see you get hurt."
"I'm not going to get hurt. My mom would never hurt me."
"Okay," he says, "I can't stop you from going to Phoenix. If that's what you want to do I'm going to go with you."
"Thank-you," I say, "it's funny because all these years I have thought about what I would say if I ever saw my mom again none of them involved mom this is my boyfriend and our daughter and now I have no idea what to say to her. What do you plan to say to your dad when you see him?"
"I don't know," he says. "I honestly don't know. It all depends on how I feel when I see him. He is pretty much scum to me. I don't even know why I want to see him but I feel like I need to see him just get some closure you know?"
"Yeah," I say, "I think that's what it is with my mom. It would be great to have a relationship with her again but I wouldn't be heartbroken if we didn't. I just want her to see what all she's missed out on in my life. She's missed a lot. She missed the birth of her granddaughter. She wasn't there for me," I say with tears in my eyes. "She just wasn't there for much of anything. I don't understand it, Dean, how can someone just walk away from their kids and never look back? I look at Natalia every day and I thank God that I have her in my life. It may not be how I planned it but she's here and I'm a mom. I have a little girl that depends on me and looks up to me for everything. I love her more than words could ever say and I could never walk away from her. I could never abandon her even if I was forced to leave her I would never be able to leave her behind. I love her way too much. Maybe my mom didn't love me as much as I thought. I don't know. Maybe she didn't love me at all. For years I blamed myself for her leaving feeling like maybe I did something wrong. I still feel like I did something wrong. Was I not good enough for her? How could she just walk away? As a mom your number one possession are your kids why would you leave them? It hurts, Dean," I say as I break down into tears before he wraps his arms around me.
"You did nothing wrong to make your mom leave. I know it hurts. I was 3 when my dad walked out on me. I was a little kid. I thought he was coming back. I waited by the window for him all day. I wanted to play with him. I had my G.I. Joe's ready to play and my legos ready. I waited for him all day looking out that window," he says with tears in his eyes. "I never even remember my mom crying on the couch as I waited for my dad to come back. I was 3 years old. He never even hugged me goodbye. He just left. I waited by that window, Ana. I watched the day sky turn into the night sky and fell asleep by that window. I woke up and he still wasn't home. My mom was passed out drunk on the couch and I was alone I realized that he wasn't coming back. I have never felt so much hurt in my life. I blame myself too. If I wasn't there and I wasn't born maybe my mom and him would have been happier. I don't know. I know the guilt and I know the blame, Ana. I get it. I have the same pain. I waited for him all day," he says before he breaks down as we break down together. "But I'm going to promise you and I mean this Ana, I love you more than anything in this world. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. You're the mother of my daughter and I love you so much. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you or Natalia. I'm here to stay. I will never disappoint you or Natalia. You will never make me leave. I am going to support you and take care of you the rest of my life. I will never leave you."
"Dean," I say as I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his lips softly. "I love you. I'm not leaving either. I like our family. I love our family. I don't' care if it's just the three of us the rest of our lives but I'm not going anywhere."
"Me either," he says before he kisses my lips again just before the oven beeps letting me know that dinner is ready.
I wipe my tears away as Dean does the same. He sets the table while I pull the lasagna out of the oven. My heart can't even take the picture of Dean sitting by a window as a little boy waiting for his dad to come home with those beautiful blue eyes. I can't imagine how bad he felt waiting by that window all day and all night for his daddy to come home. I waited too. I waited for my mom to come home but she never did. I always wondered how Dean and I got along so well, why we were so connected but it makes sense now. We know the same pain and that's what makes us so connected. I cut the lasagna up and place it on to our plates as we sit down to enjoy a dinner together while Natalia sits in her bouncer watching us eat.
When dinner is over I clear the table and put the dishes into the sink before I say, "Dean, Natalia and I have something for you."
"Okay," he says as he sits on the couch in the living room with a smile.
I hand him a wrapped present as I hold Natalia. "Say Happy Birthday Daddy!"
"Thank-you, Talli," he says with a smile as he takes the present. I smile as he tears the blue wrapping paper away. "Wow," he says with a smile. "This is beautiful, Ana." He looks at the picture collage of Natalia from the first few weeks of her life most of the times he missed because he was in juvenile detention and in the middle it says I love you Daddy. "I love it."
"I figured you would," I say with a smile.
"Thank-you," he says with a smile.
"You're welcome," I say with a smile before he kisses my lips and then kisses Natalia's forehead. "And there is one more gift for you but you have to come outside."
"Outside?" he asks.
"Yeah," I say. "I think you'll like it."
"All right," he says giving me a funny look but he stands up with me. I put my jacket on as he does the same as I wrap Natalia up in a blanket.
We walk out the door of our apartment and walk to the parking lot. In the space next to mine that is usually empty sits a black Escalade. "Happy Birthday!" I say.
"You got me an Escalade?" he asks in shock.
"My dad and I did. We figured that with you working that you needed a car to drive to get there and back. What do you think?"
"I don't even know what to say," he says with a smile as he goes to look at the car. "Damn," he says with a smile. "This is a nice car."
"You deserve something nice," I say with a smile. "You are doing good and you've come a long way."
"Thank-you," he says with a smile as toss him the keys. "I fucking love this! You're the best girlfriend ever."
"I try," I say with a shrug.
"Really," he says as he opens the driver's door, "thank-you."
"You're welcome," I say with a smile. I love to see him so happy. "You can take it for a test drive if you want."
"Okay," he says, "do you want to come with me?"
"No, I'm going to stay here and get your cake ready. Have fun, Baby."
"Thank-you," he says with a smile before he gets into the Escalade and starts the engine before pulling out of the parking space to go for a test drive.
"Your daddy is such a goofball but I love him," I say with a smile to Natalia as she smiles back at me. "See you agree but he loves you so much you have no idea," I say as we make our way back inside so that his cake is ready for when he gets back from driving his new toy.
When Dean gets back Natalia and I sing happy birthday to him before I cut the cake giving him a piece of cake before I give Natalia a bottle and put her to bed. "Ana," he says as I sit down next to him on the couch with my own piece of cake. "You're amazing you know that right?"
"I don't know," I say with a smile before I take a bite of my cake. "Did you like your cake?"
"I loved it. I loved my entire day. Thank-you for making it special it was the best birthday I ever had. I never really had a birthday before but what you did today," he says with a smile. "was awesome and I got to spend it with my two favorite girls just the way I would want to. I loved the pictures of Natalia and I loved the car. Thank-you so much."
"You're welcome," I say with a smile. "You deserved a good birthday. I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"I loved every minute of it. Thank-you," he says with a smile before I kiss his soft lips.
"Happy Birthday," I say once more before I give him a bite of my cake before he kisses my lips softly. He smiles at me and picks me up from the couch. "What are you doing?" I ask.
"We're going to celebrate my birthday a little more," he says with a smile. "You won't need this," he says taking the cake from my hand and placing it down on the coffee table before he carries me back to our bedroom where we spend the rest of the night celebrating his 18th birthday.
*A/N:What did you think of the birthday that Ana gave Dean? Do you think it showed how much she loves and cares about him? What did you think of Dean not telling her what her dad said about her mom? Is it a good idea for them to go to Phoenix? Why do you think it is so important for them to see the parents that abandoned them? Do you think it is the pain they feel that keeps them so connected or is it something else? What did you think of Ana getting Dean a car for his birthday? Please review and thank-you for reading.