Portraits

James Studman never forgot the day that his sister and Ryan Wolfe had to part for college. For almost an hour after he drove away, Emily was in a fetal position on the living room floor, sobbing for all she was worth. This was more than puppy love ending; James knew that his sister felt like she had lost a part of herself. She and Ryan belonged together. James didn't waver from the opinion that if Emily didn't marry Ryan, she wouldn't marry anyone.

Bella was lucky to have parents who had a bond that ran so deep.

James was clueless on how to hold a newborn baby. He held Bella like she were a cantaloupe, supporting her head and bottom, holding her away from him.

"She's not something you picked up at the produce section!" His mother scolded. Bella didn't like to be held this way and beginning to fuss. She liked to snuggle into a person's shoulder. "Here, sweetheart," she said to Bella, showing James how to correctly hold the baby.

Haley and James were staying at their parents apartment and returned there after a brief visit to meet the newest family member. Haley thought it was worth a picture when she was leaving, seeing Ryan and Emily laying down on their bed with Bella between them. As tired as they were getting with her waking faithfully every two hours to eat and for a diaper change, the new parents couldn't bare to be away from Bella. Haley and James had volunteered to go the grocery store and get the couple some groceries since they were going to the deli and bringing back dinner for the couple anyway. Haley laughed, she was guessed Emily would ask for Pepsi Max, something she had been "deprived" of during her pregnancy and some chocolate. She wasn't a coffee drinker like Ryan, no doubt she needed the shot of energy.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Haley said, taking a photo out of her purse. It was a 4x6 photo of Emily and Ryan with their arms wrapped around each other in a bear hug, grins on their faces. They were four-years-old. "I found this. Thought you might want to enlarge it and put it in Bella's room."

Emily smiled at the photo and handed it to Ryan.

"Definitely," she said.

Her parents' wedding portrait was already on the wall of Bella's nursery. It would be perfect to have this one framed under it. There was also color and black and white portraits Emily's pregnant belly, separate childhood pictures of Ryan and Emily on the wall. From the background both remembered it from a preschool sports day. The duo had just won a three-legged race.

"I got ribbed for this photo. For a week, I was told I had cooties 'cause I let a girl hug me," Ryan said.

After a week exhaustion was setting in for the new parents. They asked Vanessa to come over and take care of Bella simply so they could get some sleep. She may have been the most amazing human being in the world but caring for Bella was tiring. Vanessa decided to pass the time with her grandchild by looking through one of many of the photo albums of pictures her daughter had of her and Ryan's childhoods together. Even though Ryan was her in-law it made Vanessa smile at just how much Bella looked like Ryan.

"I always wanted your mommy and daddy to end up together. Somehow, even when college got them separated, I knew somehow things would work out. Even though it took so long. I know both mommy and daddy were so sad apart. Mommy cried for weeks when daddy moved away. She wasn't the same for months. She eventually got better but I knew every day she thought about daddy. It was a long time and she met other people who she seemed to like but I knew that none of those guys made her happy the way your dad did. She never smiled the same. For a little bit, mom and dad were able to stay in touch, even though mom was in North Carolina and Dad was here in Miami but then they lost contact.

"I couldn't see her face but when mom told me and said she had met up with daddy again but I knew the biggest smile had to be on her face. This time nothing was going to separate them. Poppy and I would have been happy for you to be conceived that very night."

Emily and Ryan were solid asleep practically the second they hit the bed. By the time they woke up Bella knew all about how her parents had held hands on field trips, sat together during snack time, shared animal crackers and laid next to each other during nap time. Vanessa had Bella fed, changed and dressed for bed at seven when her parents woke up but the baby girl fussed and refused to sleep. However, the moment Emily took her in her arms Bella started to blink.

"I guess she just wanted mom," Vanessa smiled.