Hi all: my apologies…I'm doing a major time jump again because I want to get to writing the super fun chapters that I have had planned for a while! Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 22

As Jay sipped his first coffee of the day in their new apartment which, after a couple of months, looked awesome in his opinion, Jay's eye caught on the small calendar hanging on the wall.

Today was October 24th.

Erin's due date was a week away.

They had already taken care of all the necessary purchases and placed the baby's car seat and a duffel full of supplies and clothes in the closet by the front door so it was ready to go when Erin went into labor. While both Erin and Jay were extremely nervous, the doctor had warned that the baby could come any day now, and that made Jay even more nervous.

He picked up his phone, keys, and jacket to go out, but not before checking on Erin one last time. She was fast asleep on their bed, having been kept up most of the previous night by their baby boy kicking. Jay hoped that while Erin wasn't enjoying all of the kicking that it meant their little boy would be a very active, energetic one.

He wrote a short note for Erin and taped it to the bedroom door handle. Going out to have lunch with Antonio. Will be back by two. Love you. –J

About twenty minutes later, Jay walked into a small-scale Mexican restaurant that Antonio had picked, and joined his good friend at one of the tables next to the window. There were already two beers on the table, and Jay took a big sip after saying thanks.

Antonio, not wanting to waste any time, asked, "So…how are you feeling? One week until the due date, right?"

"Yep," Jay replied nervously, "Dude, I'm so nervous."

"About what?"

"About…becoming a father, mainly. But I'm also freaked out because I want everything to go okay when Erin does go into labor."

"Being nervous about becoming a parent is totally normal," Antonio admitted, "I remember how I was totally scared before Eva was born. But that passes, trust me. And in terms of the baby being born…I'm going to be honest when I say that Erin's going to be in a lot of pain. And you're going to have to be the man that you are and act as a calming force."

Jay almost choked on the sip of beer he had just put in his mouth. Sometimes he didn't really consider himself a true gentleman, but what scared him more was that he wouldn't be able to hold his calm when he saw Erin in pain. He hated to see her upset or in pain to begin with. "Seriously?" was the only response that he could get out of his mouth.

"Seriously," Antonio repeated back. "But once it's over, holding your kid for the first time gives you the best feeling you've ever felt. I still remember when I held Eva for the first time and I felt so happy I could have cried my eyes out. Becoming a father changes you. It certainly changed me.

"But back to actual advice," Antonio continued, stopping his digression, "Bring alcohol to the hospital."

"What?" Jay asked, surprised.

"I'm dead serious. After staying sober for eight months, Erin is going to want to consume some alcohol. Trust me. One of the first things I did after Eva was born was break open a bottle of champagne."

"Thanks, I will definitely get that sorted," Jay said, thankful that he had agreed to meet Antonio. He had huge respect for the guy, and knew that he had a lot to learn from him. "Your kids are amazing," Jay continued, "What were some of the hardest things about raising them?"

Antonio sighed, then said, "Trying to find the balance between restricting their freedom and giving them freedom. There is no manual for parenting, and everyone raises their kids differently, but…I've learned that as kids grow older, they become more independent and you can't always protect them anymore. But you don't have a teenager, you're going to have a baby. So, I guess my one warning to you is that you won't sleep for at least the first month. And give Erin some rest time and make sure you're there for her."

"I will be. And I guess I'll try to sleep when I can," Jay said, "How long does it take for babies to start sleeping through the night?"

"Depends," Antonio replied, "Eva started after two months, Diego took three years."

Jay almost spat out his beer again. "Great," he replied.

"That's what I mean. Sleep while you can," Antonio said, smirking. "I'm really happy for you and Erin, and I wish you the best of luck with this. But please know that if you ever need anything, Laura and I are more than happy to help."

"Thank man, I really appreciate that," Jay said meaningfully as he stood up to give Antonio a hug. "One last thing, man," Jay said quietly. Antonio nodded, and Jay said, "Do you know a good place to shop for engagement rings?"

Just before 2pm, Erin woke up to her unborn baby boy kicking. Again. She groaned a little as she made her way to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As she glanced at the date on her phone, she smiled at the imminent reality of not being pregnant anymore.

And being able to consume alcohol.

"Hey, you're up," Jay said enthusiastically as he gave Erin a kiss, having just returned home.

"Yep, he was kicking again," Erin said, sighing. "Actually, I was just thinking about something before you came in."

"Yeah?"

"Can you bring some beer or something to the hospital? I can't wait to have my first alcoholic drink in eight months."

Jay, pushing away his urge to laugh, said, "Of course…you feeling okay?"

"If you are trying to ask if anything has happened yet, no, nothing has happened," Erin snapped, walking to the sofa. "I'm so nervous…I don't know when I'm going to go into labor. I could in five minutes or in five days."

Jay sat down next to Erin and said, "Everything is going to be fine. Regardless of when he's born. I just don't want his birthday on Halloween, for his sake."

Erin laughed. "I totally agree with you." An awkward silence filled the room as Erin's head became filled with thoughts about how their lives would never be the same again after their baby boy arrived. "I still can't believe that we're going to be parents. Everything is going to change."

"I know," Jay replied, "Antonio said that we should sleep while we can."

"Please, I don't even want to think about how many times I'm going to get woken up in the night," Erin said. "And there will be three of us. Crazy, right?"

"Crazy indeed," Jay replied, "But can you promise me something?"

"What?" Erin asked.

"The second you go into labor, you call me, okay? I don't want you having our baby without me there to support you."

Erin gave Jay a sweet kiss. "I promise. And thank you, I appreciate knowing that you'll be there with me." Erin paused, remembering something that they hadn't talked about since that one day in their car many months ago.

"Jay…I have a friend who's a private investigator…do you want to try and find your sister?"

Jay sighed, then responded, "Frankly, I don't know what I would say to her. She didn't tell me she was leaving, she just…left. I have gotten through over half of my life without her, and if the universe believes that we are meant to meet again, then so be it. But I'm not going to go looking for her. Sorry if I sound mean, but I just don't know if I could have her back in my life."

Surprised at his quick and honest response, Erin said, "Okay. I'm sorry if you're mad for me bringing it up again, I just wanted to offer."

"I understand, and I appreciate it," Jay acknowledged. He sighed as he looked back at Erin and put a hand on her belly. "Hey little guy," he said, "Could you give any sort of warning for when you're coming?"

Erin laughed before replying, "He was unexpected in the first place, so I have a sneaking suspicion that his arrival is going to be unexpected too."