This Is My Love

Just as I suspected, waiting for us outside of the hospital was a posse of paparazzi, and even more fans. The fans we didn't mind. We loved their support and excitement for our happiness of our new addition to our family. But the paparazzi... Well, you can guess how we feel about them. But, they were shit out of luck if they thought they would receive a large check for getting the first picture of Detty, since we took it upon ourselves the night of her birth day to release one of the many random pictures Tahitti took of us that day to all of our fans on twitter of little Detty, Pete and I; it was the one of Detty in my arms as I laid in my hospital bed as Pete sat beside me on my bed. I thought it was the picture of both of us looking down to Detty, who was in plain sight for all of our fans all around the world to see for free, smiling happily as Detty, with eyes wide open, stared up at me. But it wasn't until after I saw the picture, when Pete put it up on Twitter and Facebook, depriving any magazines of making money off of the first picture of our baby, that I saw that only I was looking down to Detty lovingly. Pete on the other hand, was gazing at me, a large smile on his face and his eyes full of love as his bottom lids held unshed tears. My heart swelled when I saw that was the picture Pete chose to release on Twitter and Facebook, the look on Pete's face as he gazed at me full of love, pride and utter happiness.
As Pete wheeled me out of the front doors of the hospital, I gasped at the immediate snapping of photos and recording of video cameras as the paparazzi, who, along with our fans, were held back by many police officers, yelled out questions to us and struggled to get a picture of Detty as I held her in my arms. I used her blanket to shield her eyes from the flashes and muffle the sounds of their yelling from her ears. Pete wheeled me around the paparazzi and instead headed over to the group of fans, who were a lot more respectful and only used their phones to take videos and refrained from screaming or yelling too much. The police officers made sure none of them charged us, which was easy, since none of them did, as Pete and I approached while Tahitti put my bags in the car and prepared Detty's car seat in the middle of the back seats.
"Hey, guys," I spoke softly as we made it to the front of the crowd, in between two of the many police officers. "Thank you all for your support, well wishes and many gifts. Little Detty here is already spoiled with all of the stuffed animals, clothes, diapers and formula you all sent. It was very sweet of you all, and we're so grateful to you guys. You're by far the greatest fans in the world," I yelled out to them. Pete put the brakes on my wheel chair and walked around to the side of me, placing his hand on my shoulder.
"And we would like to introduce you all personally to the new joy of our lives," Pete hollered out to them before leaning down and carefully letting me transfer Detty into his arms before straightening back out and gently rocking her back and forth to keep her calm. "This is Bernadette Lana Hernandez, or as we have fondly nicknamed her; Detty!"
Pete removed the blanket from around Detty's face, which had shielded her from the paparazzi and shifted her in his arms so she was facing the crowd, her body and head supported carefully by Pete's chest and hand. Detty was awake and her eyes were open as she examined the crowd of our fans, who were now also her fans, in front of her. The crowd began to cheer a bit, but Pete and I both placed our fingers over our mouths in a gesture for them to be as quiet as possible.
"She still has brand new little ears, so please, speak softly," Pete stated. The crowd placed their hands over their mouths and nodded their hands before most of them moved their hands down to their chest, over their hearts, and began to coo and aw as they held up their phones and continued to take video of us.
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Mars," a few of them called out, followed by many more, though they all made sure to keep it quiet. We thanked them before Pete turned around and carefully laced Detty back in my arms. He then turned back around to face the crowd and waved.
"You guys are such loyal fans to us, and we know you'll be loyal fans to Detty here as well. My wife and I want to thank you for being here. Take care!" Pete called out to them with a smile and another wave before turning around and walking back behind my wheel chair and waving to his dad to bring the car over. As our fans waited for our departure, some of them called out some last words of love and encouragement to us, as well as talking amongst themselves.
"We love you Marley!"
"I love you Bruno!"
"Congratulations to the Mars'!"
"She's so beautiful, Marley!"
"She looks just like her dad!"
"She is just as pretty as her mom!"
"Just imagine the talent she's been born with!"
"Yeah! Hey, Bruno, do you think she'll be a performer like her parents?"
Pete and I smiled at each other as Pete Senior pulled the car up behind us.
"With the music that runs through her vines, I wouldn't doubt it," Pete chuckled, mostly to us. I giggled and looked down to Detty, who was calm in my arms, obviously unphased by all the attention. Yep. She definitely had performer in her blood. She was already comfortable with and used to being in front of a crowd who all had their eyes on her.
"Just look at her. She definitely doesn't have stage fright!" I joked to the crowd of fans, who all laughed and giggled and chuckled. I looked down to Detty again and smiled but continued to speak to the crowd. "But her dad and I will support whatever she decides to do with her life. No matter who she becomes."
I looked up to Pete then to see him smiling down at me before nodding his head in agreement. Tahitti walked up beside us from the car and placed her hand on both Pete and I's shoulders.
"Ready?" She asked. Pete and I both nodded our heads before Pete took off the brakes on my wheel chair and beginning to turn it around and push it over to the waiting car, the back door open for us. He and Tahitti helped me up from the wheel chair and over to the car door. Pete took Detty from my arms before Tahitti helped me into the car before Pete handed Detty back to me to put into her car seat. I gently placed her in the seat and buckled her in while Pete shut the door behind me and walked over to the other side to climb in as well. He helped me buckle Detty up the rest of the way, pulling on the restraints to make sure they were locked in and secure, but not too tight, making sure it was all perfect. I smiled at his over protectiveness as Tahitti got into the front passenger's seat of the car. Both Pete Senior and her looked back at us from their seats in front of us and smiled.
"How's my grand baby? All secure for her ride to Grandpa's house?" He asked. Pete and I smiled up to him and nodded.
"All ready. And I have a feeling she's very excited to see where she'll be going to visit her grandpa's in the future," I stated softly. Pete Senior smiled and nodded.
"Which better be often," he spoke through a teasing smile. Pete and I laughed and nodded our heads.
"That's a promise, dad," Pete whispered through a smile. Pete Senior smiled brightly before nodding his head in satisfaction and turning back around the face the front of the car, along with Tahitti before beginning to slowly drive away from the crowds of fans and paparazzi behind us. Pete and I have our fans one last wave before we were finally out of view. After we exited the hospital's parking lot and got onto the main road, I noticed Pete's dad was driving very slowly, probably only going about fifteen miles an hour in a 40 mile an hour zone. I giggled before leaning up in between he and Tahitti's seats and placing my hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, grandpa, you know it's forty miles an hour on this road, right?"
Pete senior chuckled before nodding his head and glancing at me from the review mirror.
"Oh, I know. But I'm not doing more than twenty miles an hour the whole drive home. We've got precious cargo," he informed me. I giggled before leaning back into my seat and looking down to Detty in her car seat between Pete and I. I placed my hand on her little tummy and smiled down to her. Pete placed his hand on top of mine, bringing my eyes up to his. He was smiling lovingly as he stroked his thumb back and forth across the skin of the back of my hand.
"We've got two precious cargos back here, pops," he spoke gently over to his dad but keeping his eyes and smile on me. I bit my lip shyly and adverted my gaze to our hands on top of our baby before bringing it back up to Pete and smiled gently. If I ever had any doubts that after Detty was born, Pete's love would all go to her, and I would no longer be his favorite girl in the world; and believe me, once in a while during my pregnancy and directly after the birth, I did, they were completely and indefinitely erased in that moment.
He still loved me just as much, if not more than before. And he loved our daughter just as much as he loved me. It was clear there was enough of Pete's love to fulfill us both, and that now he just had two favorite girls in the world.