Little Dude

An Eckes, a Hurley, a Chianelli, a Ferri, a Barakat, a Merrick, a Dawson, a Pope, two Gaskarth’s and two Jardine’s anxiously tapped their feet in a private St Francis’ waiting room. The bright white walls and tiled floor caused them to squint, and the occasional wail of a baby would catch their attention.
Mrs Gaskarth sighed impatiently and bobbed over to sit with her husband, who was being encouraged to put on a new Glamour Kills t-shirt by a bouncy Jack. She quickly took it away, not wanting her husband to be dressed in a top displaying the word ‘DICK’ as he walked around a hospital.
Rian and Cassadee were cuddled in one chair to escape the cold room and soon, when he was instantly bored again, they were joined by Jack. This made the couple laugh loudly, earning them a few dirty looks through the glass window from passing nurses.
“So, where was Molly?” Mrs Jardine asked, attempting small talk.
“Away with family.” Cameron replied, owling on the arm of a chair. Tay’s mother nodded slowly, remembering that she had been told not half an hour ago.
Jordan and Zack both stood suddenly; Jordan began to pace and the bassist began fiddling aimlessly with his fingers.
“Mike? I bet you a dollar it’s a girl.” Rob offered from his chair.
“You’re on.” Mike leant across Sam Jardine, to slap hands with his band-mate.
The only sound in the room after that, was Mr Gaskarth’s tapping on his knees and Sam’s tuneless humming.
Suddenly, the heavy white door swung open with no effort at all and a panting Alex burst in. His hair was sticking up and sweaty, and his cheeks were bright red; but a huge smile was stretched across his face and his brown eyes were sparkling. He was wearing a hospital shirt over his work clothes; dark trousers and a blue top; and it was baggy and creased, like someone had been pulling on it. Hard.
As soon as he shot into the room, all twelve residents jumped to their feet.
“Oh, Alex! Is she okay?” Mrs Jardine squealed, her face buried in her hands.
Alex hesitated, grinning and getting his breath back.
“Yes. Yeah!” Alex laughed again, still out of breath, and threw himself into his mother’s arms. She pulled him back and kissed him sloppily on the forehead.
Tay’s mother grabbed him and squeezed him tight. “Thank you. Thank you.” She said, crying.
“What is it?” Sam squeaked, hands clasped, and the room fell silent. Alex chuckled and scratched the back of his head.
“It’s… a boy. I have a son.” Shouts and cries erupted and Alex felt like his limbs were being torn in different directions. Rob grumbled to himself from across the room and, as he hopped over to join his ecstatic friend, slipped a dollar into Mike’s hand. Mike chuckled, as Rob cursed quietly.
“Alex!” Cass cried. “What does he look like?”
“He’s quite small. Tay’s eyes, big and chocolatey.” Alex chuckled. “He held my finger twice, tight grip.” He waved a crimson index finger at them. “Dark spiky hair.”
“Spiky?” Cameron laughed.
“Yeah, about as long as my finger and sky high.”
Alex’s father smacked his gently on the shoulder and ruffled his hair, smiling proudly and Alex grinned at him.
The door creaked and a brunette nurse peeked in.
“Mr Gaskarth?” Two heads looked over at her.
“Alex.” She giggled. “She’s asking for you.” Alex turned to his family.
“I’d better go. I just wanted to tell you lot.” He smiled.
“Tell Tay, ‘well done’ for us!” Mrs Jardine called.
“Tell her we love her.” Jordan.
“Say, ‘congratulations on the hair’!”Zack.
“Say, let’s hope Baby’s not too much like Dad’.”
Alex glared at Jack, and then chuckled, unable to be angry.
He jogged out of the waiting room and followed the nurse back down the long corridor to the maternity ward. When they reached the room, she opened the locked door for him.
Tay was lying in the angled bed with her eyes closed, dressed in a pair of long grey pyjamas. A thin blue blanket was tucked around her waist. Her wavy brown hair splayed over the pillow around her tired, red face and her eyelashes fluttered as Alex closed the door.
He had padded silently over to her beside and sunk into the low chair, squeezing her hand, until he noticed the small, mobile crib at the foot of the bed.
“Hi.” Tay croaked.
“Hi, honey.” Alex lightly kissed her warm forehead, absentmindedly stroking her fingers. She was still breathing slightly heavily and she sounded like she had a sore throat; he wasn’t surprised.
“How are you feeling?”Alex regretted his words immediately; he knew well how she was feeling. He expected a thrashing, as that was what he had gotten used to over the last nine months, but Tay just chuckled weakly.
“Alright. Just tired. Sore.” She shifted and flinched for effect. Alex grasped her hand tighter.
“Don’t move, Tay.” She gladly accepted, and sunk back down into the pillows.
“Jordan says he loves you, your mom says ‘well done’, Zack says something about the hair,” Alex chuckled. “And Jack… well he’ll probably tell you later.” Tay’s brown eyes bore into his, as she chuckled lightly and shook her head as she laughed.
Alex’s eyes flashed again to the crib at her feet. Tay noticed him.
“That’s why I asked for you to come back.” She smiled, her eyelids drooping. “You haven’t held him properly yet. So, go ahead, while I catch some sleep…” She mumbled the last words and closed her eyes as soon as she did. Alex kissed her palm and stood, placing her arm by her side on the mattress.
He cautiously stepped over to the crib.
He had only seen his son for a minute or so, and had only felt his hand. He wanted to feel him completely; hold his baby boy properly, as Tay had put it.
His breathing hitched as he peered over into the metal cot.
In the exact middle of the long basket, a bundle of think, blue blankets were wrapped around a tiny body like a cocoon. The bottom wiggled as he tried to raise and lower his feet, and he had managed to extract one chubby arm. His little fingers had curled into a fist and he waved it around at the ceiling, as if he were counting the tiles. His shockingly spiky hair seemed to have grown longer since Alex had last seen him and he laughed quietly.
Hearing his happy laugh, the baby’s chocolate eyes flicked over in his direction, searching the sound out. When he spotted him, he opened his mouth and gurgled quietly.
Alex was barely breathing as he reached out and tickled his tight fist with his thumb. His fingers unclenched immediately and he grasped it. He chuckled and slid the other hand under the bundle. He didn’t object, so he lifted him off the mattress a little. He just gurgled again.
In one fluid movement, Alex lifted him out of the crib and into his arms. In the movement, his other arm broke free from the bundle and he poked him gently under the chin, running his thin fingertips over his stubble. With his left hand, Alex squeezed the end of the blankets, feeling each of his toes wiggling about as he got comfortable.
Soon, he had snuggled into him, his hair now curling onto his arm and his fingers closing around a handful of his shirt. Alex exhaled shakily, stroking the blue blankets and his soft cheeks in turn. He smiled in disbelief at his baby boy, and wandered slowly around the room, bouncing gently. He padded over to the window and carefully opened the thin blind with one hand.
“See that, little dude?” He whispered, tilting him towards the glass. His brown eyes flickered back open and he stared wonderingly out of the window. “That’s home. Well not home, but, well, that’s where you’ll be, that’s outside-” He was rambling, and the baby knew it. The boy hit his palm gently across Alex’s stubbled cheek, and he chuckled and bit his lip. “Sorry.” The baby closed his eyes again and Alex continued bouncing rhythmically beside the window.
A sad giggle broke him out of his daydream. He turned around quickly to face Tay, sat up in bed, smiling gently, tears slipping down her face.
“What? What’s wrong?” He shot over the bed and sat down, readjusting the baby and wiping away her tears.
“Nothing’s wrong.” She chuckled, sniffing. He pushed her dark fringe out of her face. “You’re amazing.” She smiled.
Alex scoffed softly. “Me?! You just had a baby, Tay!” He raised the bundle higher to show her the baby boy’s face. She sighed and ran her thumb over his button nose and lips. He smiled and gurgled in his sleep at her touch. Tay laughed quietly and, in awe, covered her mouth with her hand. Alex watched her all the while, watching her stroke her son and laugh and cry and something glittered in her eyes which made him feel fuzzy in his stomach. He had a family; a girlfriend, a son, a great band. Alex beamed at her and leaned down to kiss her forehead, careful not to squish the baby. Tay tilted her head up and her lips met his and she smiled against his mouth.
‘I love you’, he mouthed, their noses touched and Tay kissed him in response. He shuffled closer to her, laying together on the mattress, their baby sleeping between them.