Once Flynn helped Cassandra with getting her 'baby delivery bag' that was back in the annex, getting her a water bottle, and then going up to the front desk at the hospital, he was very exhausted. He believed the worst was over and it was only a matter of time before Eve or Jacob would be barreling through the doors letting him off the hook of helping the scary pregnant lady.
"Wait, what floor do we go on?" Flynn asked cautiously as he helped the waddling woman into the elevator. "Are you sure you don't need a wheelchair?"
"I'm fine!" Cassandra snapped as she pushed the buttons on the elevator wall. "I know where I'm going. Once I get there then I'll get a wheelchair. Ok?"
Flynn nodded, waiting for the ding of the elevator to go off. His head was pounding as the doors opened for him to usher the pregnant lady out.
Once he talked to the delivery wing of the hospital, he realized he was wrong. The worst part of the day was not over.
Getting the paperwork seemed to be the most stressful thing out of all the things being needed to have a baby in the hospital. Cassandra was panicking and moaning while trying to fill out her forms and yelling at Flynn to stop breathing near her. She somehow knew he had tacos today and she loathed the smell.
"What's my date of birth?" She panicked, clenching the marble desktop. But once the contractions seemed to be over she starting to think properly. "Oh, wait, I know that," she chuckled. "Silly me."
Flynn had to constantly tell everyone that he was not the father and that they were not dating or had ever been intimate.
"I think they get it," Cassie hissed as she sat down to wait for her turn.
"Why do you have to wait? You're in labor and your water broke. In some cultures-"
"If you open your mouth one more time I will vomit on you!"
"Hormonal, in labor Cassandra is disgusting and not nice. Noted," Flynn said, sinking lower into his seat.
Before Cassandra could make a comeback, a contraction hit her hard and a cry left her lips.
"Oh, look, they're bringing a wheelchair over here!"
"Miss Cillian, we are so sorry about the wait. Your doctor was just notified and is on his way. He was at his child's ballet recital."
"Oh, that's nice," Cassandra purred out once the pain started to slowly fade. "I'm sure it was lovely."
Flynn gawked at the redhead sitting next to him. Having babies was something Flynn could never understand and Flynn wanted to try and understand everything.
"Are you ready to go back there and have yourself a baby?" the nurse asked.
"Um, well, you see the father of my child isn't here yet and he told me he'd be here no matter what, so could we please-" Cassandra stopped mid sentence to scream in agony.
"Ma'am your contractions are less than five minutes apart. We need to get you back there as soon as possible."
Right before Cassandra could protest they heard a loud bang at the entrance doors.
"Dammit," a familiar voice wailed as he tried to peel himself away from the door.
"We told you to slow down, mate," Ezekiel laughed as he watched his friend ignore him and run inside.
"Cassandra!" Jacob yelled, looking all around to find her.
"Oh, yes," she cried as he looked toward her and knelt to her side.
"Is it really time?" he whispered, dazed.
"My contractions are less than five-" She cried out.
"We need to get her to a delivery room, now!" the nurse ordered, helping Cassandra off the chair and into the wheelchair.
Everything seemed like a blur once Cassandra went into the delivery room. All she really remembered was screaming, crying, and yelling that Jacob Stone was a heartless man while seeing bright lights.
She could have remembered more, but once she heard a sharp cry come from a little infant and the doctor telling her that it was a boy, everything else didn't matter. Something inside of her shifted as she saw the nurses take her baby and clean him up.
"That's my little human?" she asked, poking her partner who was standing, staring starry-eyed at the nurses as he waited to see his child.
"Yeah," he whispered, "that's your little human."
"Well," she said sheepishly, "he's your little human too."
Jacob turned his head and beamed at Cassie. There was so much emotion going through his face she didn't know if she could handle it. She didn't know a person could even feel that much emotion, but this was Jacob Stone..
Looking at him always came with several emotions attached to her thoughts. She could never figure him out, but she could always know what made him feel and what made him tick. Especially now with the baby fiasco, she truly knew who Jacob Stone was, he was a paradox.
Her paradox.
The nurse came over with a little bundle of blankets, but Cassie knew there was a little person wrapped in those blankets. She looked over to Jake who couldn't seem to speak, he was so captivated by what was in the nurse's hands.
"You hold him first," Cassandra whispered.
That got Jacob's attention. He looked at her with concern, but she answered him before he could speak "I just held him for nine months. It's your turn."
He didn't say anything as the baby was put gently in his arms.
Cassandra watched as her partner's world shifted into something beautiful. Jacob got teary-eyed as he whispered, "Hiya."
She didn't realize she was crying until she felt a tear fall off her face. After being pregnant for so long, and after crying for so long, she never noticed anymore.
"I'm your father," Jacob whispered, "and I'm gonna be with you all the time, so much so that you're gonna hate me." He chuckled. "I'm never gonna stop being there for you. Always."
Jake turned his head slowly toward Cassandra and tried to take her hand. "Thank you so much, Cassie. You were amazing. He's amazing."
Cassandra had to look away. Seeing Jake's world finally be complete was something that overwhelmed her more than she could say. All these emotions that she never felt before came bubbling up to the surface, making her feel like wanting to throw up.
How could she help someone look so happy? All she had done was squeeze a small person out of her, so what? Many women did that everyday. But, for some odd reason, this certain woman giving birth to this certain baby had made Jacob's world come alive.
Cassandra never knew someone could love her that much. She never knew she could feel this much towards a person. She truly loved Jacob Stone.
It was either that or her hormones going crazy. She just had a baby, after all.
She looked back up and grinned at him, squeezing his hand. She truly couldn't speak.
Jake moved his attention back toward the baby in his arms. "What's his name?"
Cassandra thought about it and asked him to hand her the baby.
Loving, nurturing emotions started coursing through her veins when she looked at him. The little boy started to yawn, making his tiny hands turn into fists moving all around as he stretched in his blankets.
Cassandra still hated babies, but definitely not this one. She loved him more than she thought was ever possible.
"Noah."
Jacob looked at her funny as he tried to figure out why she chose that name. He knew it had nothing to do with the Bible.
She chuckled as she watched him try to figure out her answer.
"Your mother called me a few months ago asking for our address. She wanted to send some baby things before the little guy was born. She then started telling me about you and how you behaved as a child."
Jacob cringed as he bashfully looked down at his son.
"Your mother said she would never forget taking you to Philadelphia to visit your uncle when you were six years old. She took you to the art museum there where you found a picture of Noah's Ark."
"By Edward Hicks," Jacob smiled.
"Your mother believed that was when you realized you loved art. She said the way yours eyes lit up at all the animals made you want to draw." She grinned while looking down at her son. "She just wished you would have told her about it. You broke her heart when she had to hear about your accomplishments from your father and not you."
Jacob shook his and cleared his throat. Today was already an emotional day for him, but her naming their son after one of the paintings he cherished the most? He tried his hardest to hide the tears in his eyes because his mother was right - that painting had gotten him excited about art.
"I let her know that little Noah was born. She's on a plane and headed here as we speak."
Cassandra and Jake grinned while looking down at their son. Noah. It suited the little baby in the redhead's arms.
"So, how about that ring now?" Cassie asked casually.
"What ring?"
"The engagement ring, silly. I want to marry you!"
Jacob's mouth practically hit the floor. He didn't know what to say. She finally wanted to get engaged now? Why now, cause the baby was born? Jacob couldn't figure out what to say. All he could do was stare.
"Oh, I think the little guy is hungry," Cassandra said as her son started to squirm around.
The nurse quickly came to her side, trying to help her breastfeed her son. Noah instantly started to eat once the nurse showed her how to properly feed her child. He was a quick learner, even minutes after being born. This boy was going to do great things.
She chuckled as she watched her son, not even looking at the man who was standing next to the bed. It wasn't until she heard him clear his throat that she looked up.
This time it was her turn to have her mouth open in shock.
Jake had fumbled around his pants pockets until he found the correct one that held a simple gold band with a small round diamond in the center. The ring was beautiful in Cassandra's eyes. It wasn't flashy, but it was enough elegance to make her heart warm.
"My grandmother always wanted me to have her engagement ring. She told me to give it to the special sweetheart that would love this ring as much as she did." He smiled.
"I always thought you could. Like this ring, you're old fashioned, yet beautiful. An endless style that never goes out of fashion." He sighed as he finally went on one knee, but Cassandra was too busy crying to notice his movements at all.
"My grandparents couldn't afford a lot when they got married. Everything was precious to them, whether it was food or a new pair of shoes. They always said living life together was what made their lives a grand adventure and I want to have the grand adventure with you." Jacob started to shift from one foot to the other, feeling antsy.
"Yes, we kind of rushed things, but I wouldn't have had it any other way because," he smiled, grabbing her hand, "because I was with you."
"Okay, yes!" Cassandra squealed. "I'll do it, now come over here and kiss me!"
She stopped for a moment and realized she was still feeding their son. "Right," she said nodding her head slowly, "give me one minute."
Jacob laughed as he watched what would be his new reality. He loved it all, every aspect of it. He might have gotten a few steps backwards but it was all worth it in the end.
Once Noah finally stopped eating, Cassie kindly gave him to the nurse to let him sleep in the nursery for the night. The redhead was exhausted and wanted one night to be with her fiancé before she had to deal with a screaming baby every couple of hours.
Her fiancé. She really did like the sound of that.
Jacob put the ring on her finger and beamed as he saw the way it looked on her.
Cassandra squealed as she took Jake's face in both of her hands and kissed him with all her might.
"Do you think Noah Cillian-Stone will like the fact that his parents are getting married?"
"I don't think he would care as long as his parents were happy and I am a very happy parent."
Cassie sighed as she gazed up at her loving partner. "Me too."
"Ha!" an Australian voice said from far away. "I told you they would be engaged by the end of the day. You owe me fifty bucks. Now pay up!"