Arrangements

Hazel didn't make a peep after she was cleaned up and we got to hold her. Gerard couldn't keep his eyes and hands off of her, you could see the love and happiness in his eyes. I had made Mikey take a picture of Gerard holding Hazel, and it is definitely one I will have framed.

The Ways arrived a few hours after she was born and held her as well, and compared her looks to that of Mikey's and Gerard's when they were babies. Hazel has Gerard's eyes, his funny, pouty lips and frown. She has my nose, the slender bridge, and, as Gerard says, my rosy, pudgy cheeks. She has sandy brown hair, like I had when I was young, but there isn't much of it. Overall, she looks exactly, I say, just like Gerard; I hope she has his funny little smile.

"She's the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on." Gerard had murmured; he placed her in her bassinet so the nurse could take her to the nursery.

"She's amazing." I told him, "I can't wait until she can walk and talk; I wonder if she'll shy or daring..." I wondered and thought aloud.

Gerard sat beside me, his hand brushed strands of hair behind my ear, "How are you?" He asked softly.

I looked at him, "I'm great. I'm happy." I told him.

"Me, too." He leaned over and kissed my lips, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Gee." I brought my hand to his cheek, my fingers trailed down it, and I pulled him to me to kiss his lips.

I couldn't have been happier.


We got Hazel settled at home a week later, Gerard and I spent a lot of time in her nursery with her. She cried a lot, but we didn't mind, we loved to hear it, because she was alive. She was here now, she's real, she's our baby.

Gerard didn't ever want to put her down. He's butter in her hands, he loves her to death. I love watching him hold her, it made every little bad thing in life seem minimal.

Gerard sang to her, swayed with her and rocked her. I watched, not wanting to disrupt the sight. Gerard would look at me and offer Hazel and I would shake my head, and let him continue.

"Stormy, can I tell you something?" He and I sat on the floor, Hazel was feeding, and in my arms now.

"Yeah, sure, Gee." Hazel suckled on her bottle then stopped; I removed it and placed her gently on my shoulder to burp her.

"I'm glad you never left me."

I looked at him and saw this look of sadness and despair on his face, "What do you mean?" I asked him.

"When...my ex was pregnant, she always left me. Like, she would disappear for days at a time, she never really loved me, y'know..." he rubbed his neck, "she never let me tag along to the appointments, or any of that stuff." 

I frowned, "I wouldn't ever cut you out of our baby's life."

He nodded, "Thanks for that. I'm so happy I got to experience everything...I got to see her inside of you, I got to hear her heart beat and see her birth." He sighed happily, "Thank you, Stormy."

"You're welcome."

He scooted closer to me, "The first time I heard her heart beat, and whenever I felt her kick, it all felt real. I was happy, still am happy, that I'm a dad." 

I smiled, "I'm happy, too, Gee. I'm happy with you, happy with everything." I pecked his cheek, "I couldn't ask for anything more..."

Gerard wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my jaw quickly. He gave a soft sigh and looked Hazel over again; "I hope you don't mind I named her after one of my characters."

I raised my brow, "Hazel?" I tried to remember from what I read, but I couldn't pick it up.

"Well, I'm writing the character right now...he's not a good guy."

I laughed, "I'm sure when Hazel is older, she's gonna resent that."

"It'll be even better if she's a good girl."

I shook my head, "Oh, I bet."


I had gotten the hang of having Danny and Hazel; Frank had kept him for a while, he wanted to take Danny full time, but since the band was recording again, he wouldn't be able. He promised that he would keep Danny once things were settled again. Until then, I was taking care of both kids.

Danny was pretty settled and he didn't fuss. He was quiet, while Hazel cried a lot and was fussy. Danny could walk, almost steadily, and I didn't really have to keep too much of an eye on him. He was trying to talk, too, and he loved playing around with Hazel. The one word he could actually say was Boo, and that's what he called Hazel; he tried to play peek-a-boo with her, like Frank and I did with him.

It was pretty easy taking care of them both. I had some help from Gerard, Allie, Mikey, and the Ways. The kids were the only things that made us come closer together, we didn't lose our heads, and we thought before any of us got mad. Our lives changed for the better when we had kids, it got better, we were happier.

The one person that didn't look any happier was Frank. I felt for him, because he and I had been close when Gerard and I began our crazy relationship. He was married to my sister, and I'm sure he still had some feelings for her. 

When he had come over to see Danny, I had sat beside him. He watched Danny play with his toys on the floor, while I bounced Hazel. "Frank, how are you?"

He looked at me, "I'm cool." He didn't seem to understand what I meant.

"No, I mean, how are you coping with all of this?"

He shrugged, then looked back at Danny, "Dealing."

I put my hand in his shoulder, "I'm here for you Frank. Whatever you need."

He nodded, "I know...I just wish it was Astrid."

I tugged at my bottom lip, "I'm sorry she is the way she is. I've never expected her to act the way this way."

"Me either. I loved her so much," he looked back at me, "I told her so, and you know what she told me?" I shook my head, "She said that she never meant it when she would say it. How could she--" he stopped himself, his anger was getting the better of him.

"Astrid is going to hate herself later on. I know it may seem like a stretch, but she will regret putting you two through this...you'll be happy, and she'll be miserable."

He swallowed, turning away from me, "I only want her...still. How pathetic."

I put my arm around him, Hazel quieted down, her eyes shutting as she sucked her pacifier; "You aren't pathetic, you're in love. You still have feelings for her, I understand."

Frank combed his hair back with his hand, "I don't get her. I don't get what she gains from leaving...I guess I was being too much of a dick...I was stressed."

"I know Frank, I understand. Don't beat yourself up, no matter how much you wish you could go back and then stress over how you could have done something different, you won't be able to move on. You need to move on, for Danny, and for yourself."

He licked his lips, then looked at me, "Thanks, Stormy."

I nodded, "No problem, Frank."

"As soon as things slow down, I'll bring Danny home with me, I promise. You won't have to worry about--"

I stopped him, "Frank, you don't worry. I love having Danny, he can stay with me as long as he needs to."

He smiled, "You're a saint."

I rolled my eyes playfully, "I sure am."