A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, and for staying with this story! Second to the last chapter here!
Chapter 40: On Ties Less Tenuous
It is a whole hour more before Eponine and Ian can be wheeled to their accommodations, while Enjolras ends up leaving by the wrong door. The instant he steps out of the delivery room complex he ends up mobbed by a crowd of enthusiastic family and friends. "Congratulations!" Combeferre greets as he clasps Enjolras' arm. "How are Eponine and the baby doing?"
"Very well," Enjolras replies with a smile. He's sure that he'll hear soon enough how these recent events have suddenly rendered him so laconic, but at this point that hardly matters. "They're being brought upstairs to the room right now."
Courfeyrac grins with relief. "That was really quick; faster than when Alex was born."
"So you guys really got a son, right?" Gavroche jokes. "I heard from Navet that sometimes the kid gets tricky on ultrasound and it's the parents who get confused."
Enjolras smirks while everyone else bursts out into laughter. "You definitely have a nephew-all seven pounds of him," he deadpans. "We're sticking with the name Ian."
"Ian...Adrian...it's just like our grandfather's name," Azelma comments. "Good man there."
"What did he do?" Feuilly asks curiously.
"He was known as the king of bail-outs. That's a long story," Azelma drawls. She grins as she checks her phone. "The Blakeneys send their regards, so do those friends of yours-de Chagny? And there are lots of other people liking Courf's status message."
"What did you write?" Enjolras asks, but the way that Courfeyrac is chortling has him deciding to save this inquiry for later. He checks his phone and sees even more status messages from the Fauchelevents, as well as Tess, Cecily, Ffoulkes, Mabeuf, and even his old friend from Port Town, Clopin. "Are you all going upstairs to visit?"
"Not for long. Visiting hours are almost up," Combeferre says, glancing up at the clock which shows the time to be nearly nine in the evening. "Anyway we can simply drop by again tomorrow."
Enjolras nods gratefully, knowing that this arrangement would allow some time for his family to get a little rest. 'This too is something new,' he muses as he heads upstairs ahead of the rest of the group. Suddenly these familiar corridors have a whole new light to them, now that he is here for something other than fighting for a life. It is something more than relief, elation, or even bliss; in fact if he dares to put a word to it, joy is the only one that even comes close.
When he quietly enters the hospital room he finds Eponine sitting up in bed, adjusting the neckline of her hospital gown. "I managed to get him to nurse a bit," she whispers, glancing down to where Ian is safely snuggled in the crook of her elbow. "He caught on pretty quickly."
"Of course he did," Enjolras remarks proudly as he sits next to her and slips an arm around her waist. He smiles at Ian, who merely yawns before looking up at him with unfocused eyes. "Don't tell your sister or Courf, but I think that our son is the most beautiful baby in the world," he tells Eponine in a conspiratorial tone.
"Where do you think he got his looks?" Eponine quips as she lets Ian grab one of her fingers. "So who's already here to visit?"
"Your siblings, as well as Courfeyrac, Prouvaire, Grantaire, Feuilly, Bahorel, Bossuet, Joly, Florence, and Karen. You can guess that Cosette, Marius, and Combeferre have been here all this while," Enjolras replies. It takes him a moment to realize that his mother wasn't with this group but he decides to let that observation slide for now. "They should be here in a few minutes."
"I ought to freshen up then," Eponine sighs. "Could you hold Ian for a while then?"
"Are you sure? What if I drop him?" Enjolras asks incredulously.
"You won't drop him," Eponine insists as she carefully places Ian in his arms and shows him how to support the baby's head. "You'd be the last person I'd expect to do that."
"I'm thankful that you trust me, but he is still rather small," Enjolras mutters as he moves to let Eponine get her hairbrush from the bedside. All sorts of words come to mind now: vulnerable, delicate, and even fragile. However he only has to look at their son again to be reminded that this very same child has withstood all the terrors of the past few months, even before seeing the light of day. "You're definitely a little fighter, Ian. Not that it's entirely surprising," he whispers as he adjusts the tiny knitted white bonnet covering the baby's golden hair. To Enjolras' surprise, Ian looks at him again, wrinkling his nose and narrowing his eyes in an expression that could almost be taken for one of recognition. "He can't really see very much yet, I think," Enjolras comments.
"Supposedly things are still a blur for newborns," Eponine replies as she brushes out her tangled hair. "You know something though? He hasn't stopped watching me, or you. He definitely recognizes us, our voices most especially."
"So it would seem," Enjolras says, remembering now the night after he had learned that his firstborn would be a boy. 'I meant every word I said then, and more so today,' he thinks. The more pragmatic side of his mind of course warns against such promises, but he is not about to let that dissuade him from doing everything within his power and more to protect and care for his child.
Eponine turns at the sound of urgent knocking on the door. "I don't look that hideous, I hope?" she asks worriedly as she smoothes out her hair and her clothing.
"Far from it," he reassures her before handing back Ian just a moment before the door slams open to admit Grantaire, who makes a beeline for the washroom. "It would seem that boundaries have been forgotten today?" Enjolras asks as the rest of their guests all pile into the room.
"It's nature. No one can argue with it, especially today," Prouvaire quips. He grins at Ian. "Good evening there, young man!" he greets before stepping aside to let everyone else ooh and ah over the child.
Gavroche groans when he peeks at his nephew. "Now that's unfair. He's Enjolras all over again, but all tiny and scrunched up!"
"I was about to say he looked like a little cherub but I guess you're also right," Cosette concurs. She smiles delightedly as she grabs Marius' arm. "He's so precious, don't you think?"
Marius nods before motioning to Grantaire, who is just leaving the bathroom. "Come here and say hello to Ian," he urges.
Grantaire grins, making it clear that he's overheard the past conversation. "An angel indeed. I can't say what sort though, there's no Biblical verse for him."
"What sort of angel he's got the temper of-"Eponine begins before Ian starts whimpering in protest. She presses the baby to her chest and makes a shushing sound to try to calm him down. "You were a real guardian angel today, Cosette. I owe you one too."
Joly waves to Musichetta, who is just entering the room. "Chetta! None of this would have been possible without you!"
Musichetta's cheeks are flushed as she steps closer to the group. "I was just doing my best. Any of you would do the same for me if the tables were turned."
"Not as well as you did!" Eponine points out. She glances down at Ian, who has now begun to doze off. "I guess this means we'll see you all in the morning."
Azelma gets to her feet, understanding this cue. "Come on guys. Most of you haven't had to push out a several pound human from a small place." She nods to her brother-in-law. "You'd better start taking shifts with my sister; that's the only way you'll all get through things till Ian sleeps through the night."
"Advice taken," Enjolras says. After a last round of congratulations everyone makes their goodbyes, all promising to come back as soon as they could the next day. As soon as the door shuts Enjolras sees Eponine close her eyes and lay back down on the bed, keeping the baby at her side. "Should I get Ian again?" he asks in a whisper.
"Nope. He'll be warmer here," she murmurs, opening her eyes so she could adjust the blankets swaddling the child. "I think it helps calm him too."
"That makes sense," Enjolras notes even as he starts looking for the remote control to the air conditioner. After setting the temperature to a more comfortable level he pulls up a chair next to the bed. "Do you need anything more?"
Eponine shakes her head. "I'll let you know." She pulls him closer so that they are face to face before planting a kiss on his lips. "I love you, Auguste."
He smiles before kissing her back. "Sleep now." He lightly brushes a finger over Ian's cheek, afraid to wake up the baby, but to his relief Ian hardly stirs and continues to slumber. It takes only a little while before exhaustion also catches up to him, such that he ends up dozing off right in the chair. He only gets disturbed thrice that night: twice by Ian waking up Eponine and crying to be fed, and a third time when he has to change the baby's diaper.
The dawn finds him sleepless but far more alert than he expects to be. 'Which is just as well,' he decides, seeing how soundly both Eponine and Ian are sleeping. He heads downstairs to the convenience store to get a toothbrush, a disposable razor, as well as some cereal and fruit for breakfast. As he walks back to the hospital room, he picks up on the cadence of a certain familiar laugh mingled with the low, raspy sound of Eponine's voice. 'This early?' he wonders as he quickens his steps. His eyes widen with surprise as he sees now who has just come to visit. "Good morning Mother."
"Hello Auguste. I'm sorry I wasn't here yesterday; I was out with some friends," Ari greets from where she is seated by Eponine's bedside. She is as impeccably groomed as ever, although her casual blouse and jeans betray the fact that she has clearly come from a long trip. "Should I have called first?"
"No, it's fine," Enjolras replies, seeing now that it's past eight in the morning. It's been a while since he's slept in this long. "Where did you go?"
"A river cruise. You and Eponine should try it for a daytrip," Ari replies. She smiles as she looks at her grandson, who is starting to stir and open his eyes sleepily. "He looks just like you did when you were born. A full head of hair, such a chubby face-everything except the dimples," she tells her son.
"I take that is a good thing," Enjolras remarks. "I brought some food, but if you'd like anything more I can always order in."
Eponine grins on seeing some cereal in the purchases. "You brought some of my favourite stuff. I'll just go to the bathroom first," she says before gingerly getting out of bed. "This feels weird."
"Don't strain yourself too much, Eponine," Ari warns. "I knew someone who fainted after her delivery, hit her head, and ended up extending her hospital stay."
"Oh of course I'll be careful," Eponine replies, gesturing for Enjolras to stay in his seat instead of getting up to help her. "It's not like I'm doing 12 hour OR time right away!"
Enjolras smirks at this comparison even as he reaches out to pick up Ian. "She's tough. I don't know how she does it," he tells Ari as soon as Eponine has shut the bathroom door.
"A mother has to be," Ari sighs as she puts her hands in her lap. "I wish I'd been that way when you were a baby. Then I wouldn't have lost you."
"Lost me?"
"For so many years, I wasn't much of a mother to you. I left you with nannies, and then you went off to school. I wish I hadn't done that."
It is more of the regret in his mother's voice as opposed to her words that has Enjolras silent for a moment. "Other parents have done that too, for necessity's sake," he points out.
"It wasn't necessary, not for us. It was not as if I had my own career to hold up; I was merely supporting your father in his business ventures. It was a good idea then, but in hindsight I would have done it differently," Ari explains. "I hope you understand that."
Enjolras nods as he looks his mother in the eye. Even after all these months there is still much unsaid and unspoken for, and he figures that perhaps this will always be the case. 'Not everything is set in stone though, which is why she is here,' he reminds himself. "It would be good if you could visit often, or if we could visit often. Maybe make a schedule of sorts," he suggests at length.
"I should, considering I'll probably be the only grandparent your son will get to know at this point," Ari replies. She sighs once again and swallows hard. "I know you haven't informed your father; you're within your rights not to. I'm certain he knows though; word gets around fast on social media. He hasn't said a word to me though. What about to you?"
"Nothing either," Enjolras replies in a level tone. That particular aspect is something he knows is closed, and will be perhaps for good. 'Unless another miracle happens,' he thinks as he checks on Ian again, only to be met by a quizzical look. "Not just yet, Ian. There will be a time for such a word," he whispers, knowing just how long the years can stretch before them.