The Flood

“Robyn!” Shayla and I screeched in unison as our friend walked through into the terminal from her flight. Both of us ran (well I waddled more than anything) over and bombarded her with hugs. It was April and had been two months since we’d seen Robyn and she’d grown quite a bit.

“You’re huge!” I said pulling back. “Like you can talk!” she said patting my stomach. “What no hug for me?” Craig asked and for the first time I noticed him standing beside Robyn. “I’m sorry Craig.” I said hugging him and kissing him on the cheek. “It’s okay, I forgive you. I know how muddled a pregnant woman’s mind can be-OW!” he said as both Robyn and I smacked him on the back of the head. “What I meant is that your hormones-Okay! I’ll shut up just don’t hit me again!” he said ducking as we both raised our hands to do just that.

“I’m getting away from both of you before you do serious damage. Good to see that you’re still in tact Maxy, Robert.” Craig said walking over to his. “Yeah… see I don’t have this problem called Foot-In-Mouth-Syndrome.” Max said giving Craig a hug. “And I don’t have the problem of knocking up my girlfriend. Thank god.” Robert added. “We heard that!” Robyn and I said in unison.

Shayla reached over and hit her boyfriend on the arm, “You need to watch what you say in front of my friends.” she said. “Really Shayla? Really?” he said and with that he picked her up and started running around the terminal with her screeching and pounding her fists playfully on his back.

“You guys we’ve gotta stop playing around, Eden’s plane lands in ten minuets and it’s at the other end of the fucking world from here.” I called to my goof-ball friends. “Well what are we waiting for?” Robert said and with Shayla still slung over his shoulder took off for the other end of the airport. “Are those two ever going to grow up?” Robyn asked. “No.” Craig and Max said in unison and we headed to pick up Eden.

“Loran watch what the hell you’re doing! Your 9 months pregnant!” Max said as I climbed up to stand on a chair. I felt him grasp my hips to keep me steady, “It’s not my fault that there are entirely far too may people here.” I said.

“Dudewhere is Eden?” Shayla asked as she and Robyn joined me on the chairs. “Uh…I found her.” Robyn said her mouth hanging open. “What? Where? I don’t see her!” I said but Robyn had already hopped down from the chair and was rushing over to a blond girl. I took a second glance and realized that that blond chick was EDEN!

I ran waddled over to her, “Fuck a duck! Your blond!” I said giving her a hug. “Yeah, do you like it?” she asked fiddling with one of the two braids that her hair was separated into. “It looks good on you.” Shayla said looking past her at a man who was standing a couple steps behind Eden looking lost.

“Ooh…I want you to meet someone.” Eden said and grabbed his hand pulling him forward. I immediately recognized him as none other than Avenged Sevenfold’s left handed guitarist Zacky Vengeance. “Zacky this is Loran, Robyn and Shayla. Guys this is my boyfriend Zacky.” she said with a huge smile. “Nice to meet you, welcome to the madness.” I said.

“Thanks. Oh and congratulations on the babies.” he said looking to Robyn and I. “Thank you. Now c’mon and let’s get to the house, my feet are killing me.” Robyn said. We got everyone’s bags and headed out to our separate cars. Robyn and Craig were going to ride back to Max and I’s house with us while Eden and Zacky rode with Robert and Shayla.

“So Loran how’re you feeling?” Craig asked as we drove. “Uh….like I want this kid out of me now?” I replied. Robyn laughed from the backseat, “That’s right you laugh back there you just remember that you have five more months of this and I only have a few days.” I replied.

A few minuets later we pulled into our driveway. In the two months that Max and I had been in Vegas we had spend it getting the house together. Before then Max hadn’t been home in months and the house was stuffy and in disarray. Now it was clean and inhabitable again.

“So what do you think?” I asked as we walked into the house. “It’s beautiful.” Eden said as she, Robyn, Shayla and I walked in the door. The guys had shooed us into the house while they grabbed the bags, “So, where is Bryan?” Eden asked as we walked into the kitchen. I smiled, even though she and Bryan had had awkwardness after their one time thing and Bryan had lusted after her they had developed a close friendship with him.

“He is at the studio working on something or another for the label, he’ll be here after while.” I said. “Great! Holy shit Loran how many boxes of Chocolate Fudge Pop-Tarts do you need?” Eden asked pulling one out of the six boxes in the cabinet she’d been looking in for a snack. “What can I say? I’ve had craving for them.” I said reaching out and taking the box from her, popping it open and taking out one of the three silver packages.

“Ah…more Pop-Tarts?” Max asked coming into the kitchen. “Mhmm.” I said and broke off a piece of the cold toaster pastry and feeding it to him. “At least it’s not grape juice.” Craig said earning him a smack from Robyn. “So how’s the nursery coming?” Robyn asked turning from her boyfriend back to me. “It’s done do you want to see it?” I asked excitedly. “No I just asked for fun.” Robyn replied sarcastically.

I stuck my tongue out at her and motioned for them to fallow me. We walked upstairs and into the baby’s room. Max and Robert had painted the walls a pretty lavender while Shayla and I had found the most adorable Hello Kitty bedding. I had insisted that I didn’t want pink for my little girl’s room so nothing in here was pink.

“Ooh! I almost forgot Zacky and I got little Zacharie a gift! Haha! They have the same name!” Eden said and ran from the room. I turned to Zacky, “Did she drink coffee or have any sort of chocolate on the plane?” I asked. He nodded, “Yeah, she had a latte and some chocolate she brought with her.”

Shayla, Robyn and I groaned and did a group face palm. “What?” he asked. “Okay look if you’re going to date our little Knarf, it’s a nickname from high school,” I said when he gave me a weird look. “Anyhow if you’re going to be with her you need to learn now, under no circumstances are you to give her extremely strong coffee or chocolate or you get the result you’re seeing now.” I said.

He opened his mouth to respond when Eden bounded back into the room with a silver wrapped package. I looked to Zacky who just nodded to tell me he understood what I’d been saying to him. “Open it!” Eden squealed. “I am! Breathe honey!” I said and pulled on the silver wrapping. Inside was a white clothing box. I sat it down on the changing table and opened it.

Inside were two onesies. The first had a little skull and crossbones with a tiny pink bow and a pink tutu attached. The second one was Avenged Sevenfold with a few letters turned backward and it different colors and the death bat sketchily drawn. “Aw…thank you! I love it!” I said and hugged both her and Zacky.

“C’mon lets go get something to-OW!” I said as a sharp pain shot though my lower back. Max was suddenly at my side. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “I-think-ow-that-I-might-be-in-labor!” I said through gritted teeth. “Oooh shit. Oh fuck. It’s time, the baby’s coming now. Uh…uh…what do I do?” Max asked. “Maxy you need to breathe okay?” I said. He did as I told him, “Now think.” I said.

“I need to get your bag and put it in the car.” Max said and hurried out of the Nursery Robert disappearing with him to get the car started. “C’mon you need to get downstairs. Zacky can you help me?” Craig asked. The next moment I was walking toward the stairs, Zacky on one side and Craig on the other holding me up. “Oh fuck!” I said as another contraction hit me, causing me to pause on the step until it passed.

A few minuets later we were downstairs and sitting in the car. They helped me into the car with Max in the backseat. Robert was driving and Robyn got in the front seat and we took off. Max took my hand, “Okay babe just breathe okay? In…out…” he said. “C-Can you put music on?” I asked. “Yeah, what do you want?” Robyn asked. “I don’t care! Just something to get my mind off of this!” I said.

“Fine! You don’t have to be snappy.” she said and put disc in the player. A few moments later ‘We Won’t Back Down’ began to play and I smiled.

Soon we were at the hospital and I was being wheeled into the maternity ward. They got me settled into the room and gave me an epidural before they let my friends in. “Oh my god you’re having a baby!” Eden said coming into the room and giving me a hug. “Yeah I just hope it goes fast.” I said. The doctors let my friends linger until it was time to push.

I had everyone pushed out but Max, Robyn and Eden. Shayla declared that she didn’t want to stick around to see all of the gore. “Alright Loran let’s push now.” the doctor said. Eden and Robyn took their places above me, Robyn with the camcorder in her hand while Max stood on my other side holding my hand and cheering me on.

A few minuets and quite a few pushes later Zacharie Fawn Green made her way into the world. “Oh my god she’s beautiful!” Eden gushed as they laid her on my chest. Max leaned down and kissed me, “Thank you so much.” he whispered in my ear.

A few hours later I sat up in bed with Max beside me holding our new baby girl, singing softly. “Knock knock!” Craig said poking his head in the door. “Craigafer!” I said. The door opened and everyone piled into the room. “Hey there Mama.” Robert said walking over and giving me a hug and looking down at Zacharie. “Hey, Max you’re in luck, she looks nothing like you.” He said with a laugh. “Shut up you asshole.” Max replied good naturedly.

“Hey what did I miss?” Bryan asked coming in behind the others. “Monte!” Eden cried as he walked in and she threw her arms around his neck. He gave Eden a quick hug and gave Zacky a quick greeting before making his way over to us. “Sorry I missed the insanity. Here these are for little Zacharie.” he said and sat down a vase of pink Roses.

“Thank you Monte, they are gorgeous.” I said. We let everyone pass around Zacharie for a while before deciding to make our announcement. “So Max and I have been talking lately about god parents.” I said. “Yeah and we’ve been trying to decide who they would be and we’ve come to a decision.” Max said. “Really who is it?” Eden asked. “Well we want all of you to be Zacharie’s god parents. I mean there was no way at all to choose which one of you would be best.” I said. “So what do you guys say?” Max asked. “I think it’s a hell of an idea.” Craig said. “I agree I’ll be a godmother.” Robyn said.

The others quickly agreed all except Zacky who stood off to the back, “Zacky? What do you say?” I asked. He looked up at me, “You want me to be a godfather?” he asked. “Yeah why not?” I replied. “Well you haven’t known me that long and-” but I cut him off,

“If you’re with Eden your part of this family that’s all there is to it. Now do you want to be a godfather or not?” I asked. “Sure, I’d love to. Thank you.” he said and gave me a hug. Zacharie began to fuss and I smiled at my daughter, “That means she’s hungry.” I said and took her from Max. “Do you want us to leave?” Craig asked. “No, It’s fine, you guys can stay. I have this.” I said and held up a blanket that the nurses had brought in for privacy since I was breast feeding.

Max helped me arrange Zacharie and everything so that I could feed her. “I bet you can’t wait for all this can you Robyn?” I asked. Robyn smiled, “Nope. I can’t.” she said and patted her stomach. That night as Max lay sleeping a chair with one hand in the bed the nurses had put Zacharie in I smiled at them and realized just how lucky I was to have them and my friends.