Cursed

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Shit!

I don’t realize how badly I’m pacing and biting away at my nails until I feel Finn grabbing me, pulling me back into the chair beside him. I frown because sadly, I can’t sit in his lap because Shailey’s parents are here. They’re still watching Finn and I now. You’d think they’d have some heart and let him calm me down because right now I feel as if I’m going to explode.

I don’t even want to think about how mom is feeling. She must be scared. I, like her, don’t want to lose another baby. I want to meet him-it is a boy-and hold him and tell him how much I love him because I’m his big brother and I’ll take care of him no matter what.

“It’s going to be ok,” Finn whispers to me beneath my ear, his lips barely brushing the skin. It’s crazy how easily I relax with his arms around me. He squeezes my shoulder and presses me a little harder into his side.

Shailey leans over from my other side, holding me and kissing my cheek. “I’m sure she and the baby will be fine, Kieran.”

“Are you hungry, sweetie?” Kendra asks, standing up with her purse. “Or thirsty? I’m going to go get something so if you need anything…”

“Candy would be nice.” It really would be. Kendra smiles, nods and heads off with Dana to get herself and the rest of us something to snack on until it’s time.

Finn is rubbing my shoulder, soothingly but my heart is still racing a mile a minute. There’s shouting from somewhere nearby and I can only assume it’s my mothers. It feels like years have gone by before my dad appears with a tear stained face and a smile brighter than the sun. He runs over to me, grabbing my hands and tugging me along behind him back to moms room.

When he pushes open the door the first thing I see is mom, lying in bed completely exhausted but still smiling from ear to ear with a small, baby boy wrapped in a blue blanket in her arms. She doesn’t even take her eyes off him until I appear at her side, leaning down so I can get a better look at the new family member.

“His name is Caleb,” mom says, looking up at me with teary eyes. Not that I’m any better. I can already feel the water droplets rolling down my cheeks. I bite my lip and open my arms, silently asking for permission to hold him. Mom carefully hands him over, allowing me to finally see my little brother up close.

“Hey Caleb,” I call, running my thumb over his soft fist and almost instantly he grabs onto my finger, holding it as tightly as he can in his small grasp. I press a soft kiss to the infants head and hand him back to mom and I smile at the sight of her so happy, giggling and smiling along with my dad. We’ve been waiting for this day and now that it’s finally here, I couldn’t be any happier.

~

“He’s so cute,” Shailey coo’s after my parents come back from picking up Caleb from the hospital. This is his first day home and he’s already being spoiled. Dana and Kendra brought over bags of clothes while the husbands worked on setting up the new crib along with some toys. I can see that my little brother is going to grow up with many things…

Especially if I have my way. He’s going to get as many toys and games as he wants! I am going to be the best big brother, ever!

“Can I hold him?” Shailey giggles when mom passes Caleb over. Shailey and I both look down at him with wide eyes, like he’s the most amazing thing we’ve ever seen. He’s so cute…

“I want one,” I whisper, looking at Finn from the corner of my eye. It’s so funny how his face lights up like a Christmas tree. Of course we can’t have one of our own but he best be believing that we’re going to adopt!

Finn scratches nervously at the back of his head and mumbles, “Is that so?”

“Yep!” I squeak and look around for any sign of Shailey’s parents. They’re no where in sight so I plant a rather demanding kiss to Finn’s lips. He reacts immediately, diving his tongue past my lips to explode the expanse of my mouth. Our tongues mingle together momentarily but Shailey nudges us to get us to finally pull apart, panting.

I hum happily to myself and Shailey returns Caleb to my mother, who takes him upstairs, leaving the three of us alone. From here, we can hear our parents upstairs talking.

“How does it feel to be a big brother?” Shailey asks, grinning. “I’ve tried talking my parents into having another baby but they said one is enough.”

I laugh. “It feels great, especially since I am going to make sure to be the best big brother, ever! I am going to spoil him so much it’ll be almost sickening!”

Both Shailey and Finn shake their heads at me. It will happen.

Finn grabs my hand, running his thumb over the back. “I’m glad everything turned out ok.”

“Me too,” I sigh and lean my head against his shoulder. “Thanks for coming to the hospital with me…if you weren’t there I probably would have gone mad.”

“You’re already mad.”

“Now that wasn’t necessary.” I pout cutely, puckering my lips so he knows the only way I will forgive him is if he kisses me. Finn chuckles and leans in for a kiss, which escalates into a make out session that Shailey has to stop because we were getting too into it.

“As hot as that was,” she says, laughing. “My parents are right upstairs.”

“They can watch too.” I wiggle my brows, looking between the flushing Finn and grinning Shailey. “I bet it’d give your dad a hard on.”

“That is so gross! Ew, Kieran!”