Then There Was You

Five weeks. That's how long it had been since Bryson had been born. The first few days had been good, but then she ended up getting an infection and getting checked back into the hospital. Ryan had been great with helping her when she needed it. When they first brought Bryson home, Ryan's family had been a huge help and for that she was so thankful. Now it was just the three of them and things were hard and when Bryson would wake up in the middle of the night, there were times that he would let her sleep a bit longer and go to Bryson. She had become an expert on knowing each cry Bryson released, but she wasn't the only one. Ryan knew exactly what he wanted and he didn't get short tempered when Bryson wouldn't co-operate with him. He was a saint.

Rolling over in bed, Sofia reached out and felt for Ryan, but came up with a cold sheet. Opening her tired eyes, she looked at the clock. Six-thirty in the morning and Ryan wasn't in bed. Getting out of bed, she grabbed her light blue robe and put it on and walked over to the bassinet where she had placed Bryson before she and Ryan had gone to bed. Peering inside, her eyes widened in shock and worry.

“Look, Bryson, your mommy is up.” Ryan said as he walked into the bedroom.

Turning around, Sofia let out a sigh. “You scared me. I didn't hear him start to cry and I saw the time and I looked-”

“He was only fussing and you were too tired so I got up with him,” Ryan told her. “We were hanging out in our pajamas, waiting for you to join our party.”

“Did you feed him yet?” Sofia questioned him as he handed Bryson to her.

“No,” he shook his head. “I figured that you'd want to save the bottles for when we go out this afternoon.”

“We aren't going out that long,” Sofia said. “All we are doing is getting his shot and then coming home. Just like every day.”

“Actually we aren't,” Ryan smiled. “With the week long break, we are going on a trip. The three of us. Three days and then we'll spend the rest of the time at home.”

“Thanks for asking me if I want to go on some trip,”Sofia told him as she walked out of the room with Bryson snuggled into her. “Lately I wonder if the only reason you include me in things is because of Bryson.”

“Sofia, what's going on?” Ryan asked her as he followed her to the main room of their apartment. “You've been acting weird all week.”

“Nothing is going on,” Sofia told him as she sat down on the couch and looked up at him while he watched her. “What?”

“You are acting really weird.” he reiterated.

“I'm not acting like anything,” she said as her son fed from her breast. “I just don't see why you didn't tell me about these plans for a trip, I mean seriously, what if I had plans?”

“I love you Sofia and I know you are looking for a fight, but you won't get it from me.”

“It isn't the only thing I won't get from you.” she muttered to herself.

“Is this about what I think it is?” Ryan asked. “This is about how the doctor told you, sex was okay and I haven't agreed to it.”

“No this isn't about that,” Sofia glared at him. “This is about the fact that in the past week and a half, I haven't had any physical contact with you and that was the first time you told me you loved me in two weeks! I know I'm not exactly something you want to look at, but maybe you should be honest. Ever since I had Bryson, you haven't looked at me the same way. I haven't lost the weight and I know it bothers you.”

“Sofia...”

“Please, don't,” Sofia said letting the tear fall from her eyes. “Just don't.”

“C'mon Angel,” Ryan said as he sat on the arm of the couch and brushed some of her hair out of her face. “You know I love you.”

“Don't touch me,” Sofia said as she moved her head away from him. “Just leave me alone.”

“I didn't leave you alone when you told me to take a hike in college, now what makes you think I'm gonna start now?”

“Because.”

“Good come back,” he smiled and leaned over and went to kiss her, but ended up getting nothing but her cheek. “Don't get mad at me Angel.”

Handing Bryson over to Ryan she tossed the burp rag at him before covering herself up and leaving the living room. Walking into their bedroom, she went straight into the bathroom and sat in the tub. Knowing Ryan as well as she did, she knew it wouldn't be long before he followed her into the bathroom. She heard talk to Bryson before he appeared in the bathroom. Sofia looked up as she felt his hand on the side of her face. “Angel, you need to tell what is going through that head of yours.”

“Nothing is going on,” Sofia told him. “Why do you think anything is going on?”

“You aren't acting yourself,” Ryan told her. “What did I do? What's got you acting all weird?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.” Sofia said wiping the tears from her eyes as she stood up in the tub and made her way out of it. With one leg over the side of it, she felt Ryan grab onto her hips and pull her into him. She just sighed let her head rest on his chest.

“Now you wanna tell me what has been bugging you?”

“After your game the other day, I saw how those girls were looking at you and when I really looked at them I guess it hit me. I haven't been able to lose the baby weight and I try to look pretty for you, but you don't notice and you barely touch me lately and I just feel like you no longer love me the way you did when I was pregnant.”

“Sofia, those women have nothing on you. You gave birth to our son and then you had to be hospitalized and you put up with Drew and my parents for awhile. And now you are here alone most of the day because you are taking care of our little boy.”

“And yet this is the most you've touched me lately, even after the doctor cleared us for sex.”

“So you thought that...”

“I figured that you were no longer attracted to me.”

“I've only been saying I want to marry you for how long and you thought I wasn't attracted to you?”

“I don't look the same as I did when we first met or even a year into dating.”

“I wouldn't change you, I love you and you don't need to doll up for me. You know I like you best in sweats and my shirt with Bryson with you. I love coming home to you. I have a feeling we'll be staying in Buffalo for awhile.”

“How do you know all the right things to say?”

“I don't,” he smile as he kissed the side of her neck. “But since this was kinda a fight we can have make-up sex.”

“No we can't,” Sofia said. “You need to get ready for the appointment, I need to get ready for it. Bryson needs to be changed and bag packed before we go as well as bottles.”

“Don't think I'll forget about this.” Ryan told her as he let her go.

“Whatever you say.”

Walking back into the bedroom, Sofia looked into the bassinet and smiled down at the sleeping baby inside. “He's fed and had a diaper change and so that gives us about an hour until he wakes up and an hour and a half before the appointment.”

Feeling his lips behind her ear and his arms wrapped around her waist. Letting out a content sigh she leaned back into him. “Are you doing this because you want to go on your little secret trip?”

“We are going to have our first family vacation and it will be one to remember.”

“What are you planning?” Sofia asked as she turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“You'll find out when we get home,” Ryan smiled as he placed one hand on the side of her face and leaned down to kiss her. Eager, her eyes fluttered shut in anticipation before his lips touched her. His kiss didn't surprise her, not at all, in fact it was something she had been wanting for awhile now. Not wanting to stop the soft and tender kiss, she used her hands that were already behind his neck and kept him in place. With their mouths fused together, Sofia let out a soft moan and she felt Ryan's lips turn up into a grin. “So did that convince you?”

“It convinced me that you and I need to get things together or there isn't any way we will make it to the appointment on time.” Sofia grinned as she kissed the side of his mouth and walking away.

“Hey,” Ryan called to her. When she turned to look at him, he gave her a smile. “Thank you.”

“Your welcome?” she said, unsure what she was being thanked for exactly.

He let out a laugh before walking over to her and placing his arms around her shoulders and kissing her neck softly. “You have given me something that I don't know how to repay you for. Giving me a family, means more than you know.”

“Ryan, I didn't give you everything, I just gave us an early start to our family. And who knows, maybe one day when we can afford it we can have a dream house with more kids and even some pets.”

“I promise when I'm established in the NHL, we will have that dream home. If its here or in Chicago or some other city, then as long as I have you with me, that's all that matters.”

“I'll be with you for as long as you'll have me.”

“So I guess that means we are stuck with one another for awhile.”

“We really need to get going, Ryan.” Sofia said moving away from him and to her dresser.

When they finally got to the doctors, Bryson had woken up and Ryan had calmed him down and held onto him while they walked into the doctor's office to wait for whoever would be giving Bryson his shot. Sofia knew that as soon as the shot came, Bryson would be screaming his lungs off. It was just one of those things she knew would happen. Ryan continued to hold Bryson when the shot was being administered to their son, but Sofia couldn't look. Once she heard her son's wailing, she looked up to see Ryan trying his best to sooth him, but he wasn't having any of that. Gesturing to Ryan to hand him to her, he did so. It took her a few minutes, but Bryson calmed down enough to let Ryan ask the doctor a few questions without hearing the screams of their son.

“Mommy has a way with the boy,” Ryan said as they walked out to the car. “You two are gonna be close, I know it.”

“He just knows when its mommy holding him.” Sofia said as she smiled and watched Ryan put the carseat in the back of the car and shut the door.

“Come on, we have to get going,” Ryan said with a smile. “Or we won't make the flight.”

“So Bryson is going on his first flight?” Sofia asked, feeling the tears in her eyes.

“Angel, come here.” Ryan said opening his arms or her.

Sofia walked into them and burried her head into his chest. “Everything is happening so fast.”

“Do you want to wait then?” Ryan whispered as he rubbed her back.

“No, you have something planned and I don't want to ruin it,” Sofia sighed. “Just promise me that it will be worth it?”

“I promise that it is worth it and that it will be two days you won't forget.”

“But you can't tell me where we are going?” Sofia asked. “So that I know what to pack for me and for Bryson.”

“I've taken care of everything so you don't need to worry about it.”

With a sigh, Sofia released the breath she had been holding. Looking up into his eyes she placed a soft kiss on his lips before walking to the other side of the car and getting inside.

“Trust me?” Ryan asked before putting the key into the ignition, but not turning the engine on.

“Yeah, I do.”

With a smile to one another, Ryan leaned over and gave her a sweet kiss before tugging on the top of his seat belt and buckling it before starting the car and backing out of the parking space and heading back home. “So I'm just going to grab the bags and we are going to head to the airport.”

“You have everything?” Sofia asked.

“Anything we don't have, we can pick up there.”

“Well can you make sure you get both of his blankets?” she asked. “And his pacifier? Where is he going to sleep?”

“I've got it all taken care of so don't worry about it.”

“Like that will ever happen,” Sofia rolled her eyes. “Are you going to tell me where we are going and why?”

“I hadn't planned on it until we got there.”

“Well you do realize that when we go on the plan they will say where the destination is so I will find out before we get there, so can you please tell me?”

“You hate being left in the dark, don't you?”

“That's not the point and don't avoid the question.”

With a smile, he pulled into the parking lot of the apartment.

“It was supposed to be a surprise.”

“Ryan, I just want to know where we are going.”

“We are going to Vegas and the day after we get there we are getting married.”

“Excuse me?”

“I know you want your friends and my family there, but this is just for us. Later on, we'll have that wedding, but for now, let's just do this, just our little family.”

“No Elvis?”

“No Elvis.” Ryan confirmed.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” he asked, a grin creeping onto this features.

“I love you and I know we both want to get married, so maybe this is the right time.”

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. I love you Sofia.” Ryan said as he leaned over and kissed her lips before getting out of the car and up to the apartment to get the bags.