(I apologize for the horrendous delay in between this update and the last, this is truly difficult to write for for me lately, so bear with me please Comments are always appreciated! Enjoy!)
"Your mother did great, it was just- Cheyenne he's so adorable six pounds exactly! He's like cradling a little football!" Brock gushed, smiling from ear to ear.
"It took a little longer than I thought it would have… Dad, Brian's here."
Brock's smile held, but his eyes revealed his true contempt for the situation.
"Well where is he? I should congratulate him! After all he does have a son!" he said with a false sense of reconciliation ringing in his tone.
"He went outside; as soon as they updated us when Mom had to be rushed into surgery- so do I get to see her?" Cheyenne pointed in the direction of the doors her father had exited.
"I don't know honey, she's exhausted, it wasn't a pretty sight…" He looked around nervously for Brian, but managed to make eye contact with Cheyenne, seeing the gnawing hope in her eyes that sent him back to when she was just a little girl to all of those times she asked for a quarter for the gum ball machine, "But I'll see what I can do." He smiled, kissing the top of her forehead, "Where's Kyra?"
"With Jake, Van and BJ in the cafeteria… Like I said, it took longer than expected."
Brock fiddled with the surgical mask in his sweaty palms, unaware of the messy state his hair was in. He took his sweet time to step outside into the orange evening in Texas, letting the very slight breeze stop the sweat dribbling down his forehead in its tracks.
"Brian?" He called, searching the front perimeter of the hospital and in the parking lot.
"Yeah?" He asked, wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye.
"Were you cryin?" Brock asked, clearing his throat to make his voice deeper than usual.
"Uhh, no, it's dry, the wind blew, dust got in my eye…" he lied, "Everything all right?" he asked after a slight pause.
"Yeah, everyone's fine… The baby too…It's a boy." Brock admitted.
"Huh… Well, I prolly woulda known that sooner if I had decided to stick around, now wouldn't I have?" he looked down, the shame showing in his face.
"Well… I should get back to my wife, because you know, that's what she is again, my wife and I intend for it to stay that way. And Brian, my wife, can't really handle you right now, ya hear? So you best be keepin' your distance, unless you want the Hart- Montgomery family houndin' you again." Brock added for good measure.
As Brock started to leave, Brian cleared his throat,
"I ran away. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve to share a baby with a family like yours, I would like a chance though, I really would…." He continued.
Brock turned around quickly, only inches from Brian's face,
"You did run away. And you hurt her… You really hurt her, now I've made my mistakes, and I admit that, but never did I run away from my kids! NEVER! I married a woman so I could be close to my own son… A man, who runs away from their own flesh and blood, deserves no second chances. I will not have my family all discombobulated because you want to be a father part time, whether you intend to be here for this baby's life or not, my name is already on the birth certificate. This child will be raised as a Hart. Now I think somebody should leave, and there is no question about who it should be." Brock stated, venom practically dripping down his chin.
"Point taken." Brian replied, his arms rose. "But you haven't seen the last of me.." he added, the crunching of his boots becoming less and less as he made his way further into the parking lot, out of Brock's sight.
In partial triumph, Brock made his way back into the hospital, the smell of bleach hitting him in the face as he reached the maternity ward.
"Hey guys…" he grinned again, taking a hold of Jake, Kyra and Henry in a hug, "Well I am happy to report that you three now have an adorable little brother to spoil- isn't that great?" Of course Henry had no response, Kyra half nodded and Jake responded, although outgrowing this answer a little, "COOL!"
"And Elizabeth, You have a new Uncle, how's about that beautiful?" Brock ran his fingers through her curls.
"I get to play with another baby?" she asked, her tiny voice piercing the quiet of the waiting room in delight.
"Yes doll, you got another baby to dress up!" He winked.
"Mr.H?" Van interrupted.
"What?" he asked thoughtfully.
"I don't think I've ever seen Mrs. H in that much pain before…" he stated, fear bubbling in his throat.
"I know Van, but you know Reba, she's tough. And she's fine! I mean she'll have a wicked scar, but if only you could see him Van, you'd know it was worth it!"
"Okay, Cheyenne went to go see her, give her these for me…" Van held out some flowers,
"Alright Van, but you are aware she's not dying- she gave birth, she'll be up and nagging you in a couple weeks…" Brock chuckled taking the flowers, "You know what? Why don't you give em to her yourself, lemme prove to you your mother in law is alive, come with me…"
"They only said immediate family was allowed to-
"And you are family buddy!" Brock answered, shoving Van in his shoulder blades in the direction of Reba's room.
When the door came into view, Brock was more nervous than his son in law, who seemed to be shaking from his toes.
"Calm down Van." He reminded as he opened the door to reveal Reba, half sitting, half lying, stiff from the neck down.
"Well hey thereeee, look at thiss! A little less than half of the handsome men in my life standing right before me! Come on over here Van! Come see im', now I got a very important question to ask you and Cheyenne!" Reba took to her words whimsically, as if she hadn't been this happy before in her life, but the tiredness and events of this day were showing heavy in her tone.
Cheyenne held the little boy,
"Mom, he's so beautiful… I don't remember my first time holding Jake very well anymore, but I do remember bein scared Kyra was gonna throw him…"
"Wow, Mrs. H, good job, look at him all strong, he's just the man we needed, we can make ourselves a baseball team! We'll be like the Von Traps; you know without the singing, or the nuns, and the Nazi's, awww darn it!"
"What's wrong?" Reba questioned, looking for any upset having to do with her newborn son,
"Aww nothin'- Van Replied, "It just doesn't sound so fun anymore without the Nazi-Nun dynamic…" he shook hi head.
"Okay, Well never you mind bout them Nuns- Van, Cheyenne, how's about you two be this little fella's Godparents?"
"Mom we would be honored!" Cheyenne squealed.
"Can I hold him?" Brock asked, advancing in his daughter's direction, eager to hold his son he had only been able to glance at through glass.
"Of course Daddy!" She handed him the curled up little guy,
"Brock, ya know I was thinkin, Marcus is an awfully nice name…"
"Marcus… Marcus Enroll…I could see it, Mark…. Yeah I think I like it!" Brock grinned again-
"Uhh, Brock, there is NO way we are giving our son the middle name of ENROLL, you re-think and you do it quick, because in five seconds the middle names gonna be 'Jesus'!" She joked..
"I like John, that's nice right? My daddy wouldn't mind a handsome little fella sharin' that name with him." He glanced up playfully at Reba
"What do you think, Van, Cheyenne? Can we present, Marcus John Hart to our clan out there?"
"We think it's perfect." Cheyenne smiled, pulling Van into her arms.
"Want me to go give everyone a peek?" Brock asked his wife.
"Yeah, but hurry back! I haven't gotten to play with those little toes of his yet!" Reba called as Brock left the room again. She took her daughter's hand. "I love you kids sooo much…" she let tears fall. "I know startin' over again ain't gonna be easy you two, but you're by my side aintchya?"
"I wouldn't miss this for the world.." Her daughter chuckled.
"What's that sposed ta mean?" Reba questioned defensively.
"This is the first time I'll truly be able to appreciate the way you and Dad handle the good, bad, sticky and the poop covered… Aint no way I'm givin up my front row seat!"