Epilogue pt. 1: Earth side

K A I S O N

"Kai!"

I jerked up at the call, feeling a little disoriented.

"Livvy?" I sat up, feeling for her hand and fumbling for the bedside lamp.

It had been two years since we got married and I still felt the same joy when I saw her beside me as my wife. Yes, I finally got on one knee, just like I promised I would. It was on our first anniversary. Well, the one in August. We had another one in February and though we celebrated it and it was important to us, the date of our reunion was more dear to us. It was the day we got the fresh start we needed. It was the day I got the love of my life back. It was the day that pushed our lives in the right direction again.

"I think my water just broke," she panted out. Her forehead was shining with sweat and her blue eyes were wary. I was awake instantly.

"Are you sure?" I panicked, throwing the comforter off. "You still have two weeks to go."

"I don't know, Kai. Why don't you take a whiff of the liquid soaking my comforter and make sure it's not just pee?" She asked sarcastically.

Is this her freaking out?

"Are you having contractions?" I asked as I went through our overnight hospital bag, trying to calm her by being calm myself and being as casual as I could.

It's not like our kid is coming right now.

"Yeah, sorta," she replied, placing a hand on her protruding belly.

I racked my brains to remember what questions I was supposed to ask.

"How far apart?" I questioned, placing our phones into the bag and getting out a pair of comfortable clothes for her from the closet.

"Umm, maybe every twenty minutes or so?" She answered uncertainly.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I groaned as I helped her sit and then stand. "Easy," I cautioned when she grimaced.

"I was afraid you'd lose your shit and run around like a headless chicken," she admitted when it passed.

"Seriously?" I deadpanned, leading her to the bathroom slowly.

"Umm-hmm . . . Ah!" She winced, pausing.

"There's no hurry. Relax," I coaxed her.

She chuckled weakly. "She's coming out now and that's what you have to say?"

"What else can I say?" I reluctantly let go of her hands and worked to help her get changed.

She sighed. "Good point."

"Olivia, how far are the contractions?" I asked when she was dressed.

"I don't know, I stopped keeping track," she said meekly. I nodded.

"Was that a contraction just now?" I questioned when she grimaced.

"Not really, I'm actually just uncomfortable," she complained. "And my back fucking hurts."

"It'll all be over soon."

She rolled her eyes. "I know. Let's go."

I took a deep breath.

"Let's go," I echoed.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

She had been only four centimeters dilated when we had rushed to the hospital. Although the place didn't admit patients till they were at least five centimeters, they had let Livvy in because her water had broken.

It had started fine. She was trying to bear as much pain as she could and be strong. I was watching helplessly as waves and waves of pain threatened to drown her in them.

When I'd asked her if I could help, all she had done was smile weakly and told me to hold her hand. I had done that, and every time she would have a contraction, she would clench her hand around mine tightly.

She was in so much excruciating pain, that she had begun sobbing. She had wanted to sleep but the agony had not let her. Seeing her condition, the doctor administered her an epidural. I hated how she cried herself to sleep. I was worried about her. I knew she did not deal well with pain. It was frustrating to watch her suffer right in front of my eyes and not to be able to help.

I had called all of our close family and friends to tell them that she was in labor. Samantha, Joshua, Griffin, and George had come in a while ago. We were all sitting in Livvy's room while she got some rest. They were talking amongst themselves while I was brooding in silence. My mom and hers were on their way as well.

"Relax, Kaison." Samantha laughed, breaking me out of my thoughts. I shifted my gaze from Livvy's sleeping figure to her short, eccentric best friend.

"I'm fine," I told her.

She rolled her eyes. "Like wife, like husband."

"That's not even a saying," I scoffed.

"She is not dying. Stop looking so haunted." Griffin chuckled.

"Easy for you to say. You won't ever have to go through this," I said petulantly. I realized a moment later how mean it sounded. I opened my mouth to apologize, but he shook his head with another chuckle good-naturedly. "Sorry," I mumbled nonetheless.

"It's fine," he stated, hugging his boyfriend who grinned like a fool. "And I'm happy. We are planning to adopt."

My eyebrows shot up in pleasant surprise. "Damn! Congrats!"

"Thanks!" They beamed. Sam matched their energy and that made me think she already knew about that. A beat later, she sobered up as if she remembered something.

"This is hypocrisy, you know?" She addressed me.

"What?" I frowned, confused. My find felt fuzzy and it took some effort to concentrate on what she was saying.

"You are the one who did this to her," she said somberly.

I frowned. "Hun?"

"You--" she pointed at me, "--You're the one who put the kid in there. You're doing this to her."

My frown deepened. I was not able to find any flaws in her reasoning. My mind went back to an hour ago, how Livvy was glistening with sweat and crying in pain.

I was broken out of my epiphany by a laugh. A carefree, humorous, and rowdy laugh.

"God, Kai, chill!" Samantha and Griffin laughed together, fist-bumping. "It's okay. Gosh, you look-"

"I think she's waking up," Joshua interrupted, pointing at Livvy.

"Kai?" She called on cue.

I walked over and sat down beside her. "I'm right here."

"Are you okay?" She squinted at me. Look who's talking. "You look pale."

"I'm alright." I nodded. "Sam and the rest are here."

She craned her neck to see them and her face broke into a breathtaking smile when she spotted them.

"Hey, guys!" She glowed in welcome.

"Hey," they chorused back.

"You look horrible," Samantha teased.

"Shut up." I scowled at her while Livvy grinned, her hand stroking her belly fondly. Sam stuck her tongue out at me and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Kai, can you please help me sit up?" Livvy squirmed and I brought my attention back to my love.

"Sure," I replied, assisting her. "How's the pain now?"

"Much better," she said, sounding relieved. "It's almost gone. It's like a small pressure now, that's all."

"Good," I exhaled, "You look tired."

"I feel debilitated," she replied. "When did you guys get here?" She asked our friends.

"A while ago," Griffin answered.

"A little after you went to sleep," I added.

"Oh." She nodded. "How's Noah?"

Noah would be Samanta and Josh's son.

"As good as a three-year-old can be," Sam said with a slight roll of her eyes. "A pain in the ass."

"Sam," Livvy chided. "I know that kid, he's not that bad."

She laughed. "You think that because he sucks up to you! He doesn't listen to a thing I say. Only Josh can get him to obey."

"He's cute," Liv said. "Why didn't you bring him?"

"He's sleeping. We left him at home with mom. He doesn't even know we're here." Sam smiled. "Don't worry, I'll bring him around to meet it. He's very excited at the prospect of a new playmate."

Livvy nodded contently. A moment later, her nurse came in with a chart and kicked everyone but me out.

"She's nine centimeters," she declared. "She should be good to push soon. I'll go get the doctor."

"Thank you," I said and she left. Our friends trickled back in.

"Nine centimeters," Livvy replied to Samantha's unspoken question with a smile.

"It's gonna be here soon!" She exclaimed. "I'll be an aunt!"

"Don't call refer to the baby as it," Livvy reprimanded.

"Well, you won't tell me the gender. What am I supposed to do?" Samantha challenged.

"Call them the baby? Or refer to them as either boy or girl. I don't care," Livvy smarted.

Samantha rolled her eyes, poking her best friend. "That's too long."

Livvy took a calming breath.

"Sleep," I interjected. "You're going to need the energy."

"I just woke up," she replied flatly, successfully distracted.

"I'm hungry," Griffin sighed.

"Me, too." Livvy pouted. "But I'm not allowed to eat anything until after the birth."

"But we can eat. I'm ordering brunch!" George declared.

Livvy glared at him and he laughed.

"Kai," she whined, tugging at my hand.

"Hmm?"

"I'm hungry."

"I know, mon amour," I soothed. She hadn't even eaten her dinner because she had slept early. The last time she had eaten had been last evening around six-thirty. "Would you like me to get you some ice chips?"

"No," she scrunched up her nose in distaste, "They're just so cold and bland."

I sighed. "I'm sorry."

A beat of silence passed as I rubbed soothing circles at the back of her hand with my thumb.

"I'm scared, Kai," she whispered.

I squeezed her hand. "Why?"

"I'm about to pop out our daughter from my vagina, that's why," she answered drily.

I chuckled.

"There's no need to be scared." I kissed her forehead. "We've hired the best doctors in the city and you will have me with you every step along the way."

"Can you push her out for me?" She asked tiredly. "Please?"

I sighed. "Sorry, Livvy, but that's something you have to do alone."

"I feel terrified." She groaned.

"I know." I broke my gaze away from hers. "I'm sorry for doing this to you."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" She asked, gently placing her hand on my face and bringing my gaze back to her.

"Samantha is right. I should've been more careful-" I rambled.

"Shh," she shushed me. "That's bullshit. I don't regret anything. And fuck Sam. I will kill her later. She was just messing with you."

"But she was right," I mumbled. "You're in pain."

"Trust me when I say this, Kai," she looked at me intently, "This is the best kind of pain any woman can ever go through. You have no idea how special this is. Thank you."

"You were crying," I deadpanned.

"Because it hurt. But that doesn't mean that I would change anything," she told me firmly. "I wouldn't change anything, get it?"

I nodded numbly, holding her hand to my face.

I kissed her gently. "I love you."

"I love you more," she replied. "Besides," she said, "The epidural numbs most of the pain so the joke's on Sam."

She winked at me as she said that and I couldn't help but laugh. 

Samantha was going to hear from me later.

* * * * *

Olivia burst into tears as soon as they handed our daughter to her. She cried like never before, and it was beautiful because they were tears of happiness. She was glowing with delight even when the little bundle of joy in her hands was wailing. The smile was stuck to Livvy's face and seeing her happy and satisfied made me want to explode with my own happiness.

We named her Crystal Adalyn Jennings.

Our beautiful baby daughter was born at two thirty-eight in the afternoon. She weighed nine pounds and two ounces and was twenty-two inches tall when they measured her. She was the best gift God had given me after her mother. She had brown eyes, meaning she took them from me. Her lips were the cutest Cupid's bow just like her mother's.

"She looks so much like Olivia." Mom chuckled, looking down adorably at Crystal.

"How can you even tell?" I asked her. "I could only place her eyes and lips."

"It's a grandmother's intuition," she replied. Her eyes were wide with awe, "I'm finally a grandmother!" She cheered and Livvy chuckled hoarsely.

We were the only ones in the room. Our friends had started going back home an hour ago when the doctors declared that everything was normal and that both Livvy and Crystal were perfectly healthy. They had promised to come back soon, and this time with Noah.

"She's so tiny," mom cooed at our daughter. She had flown in just in time for the birth. Livvy's mom was on the way to the hospital. Her flight had just landed. "She's beautiful, Olivia."

"Thanks, mom." Livvy smiled at her through her fatigue. It was almost five in the evening and she hadn't slept much in the last twenty-four hours.

"You should sleep," I told her. "You have dark circles under your eyes."

"I'll sleep once mom is here," she said.

"Mon amour, you know NYC traffic." I raised an eyebrow to emphasize my point. "At least have a quick nap. I'll wake you up when she's here."

"Promise?" She asked, a yawn escaping her.

"I promise." I gently ran my hand through her hair. "Sleep."

"Um-hmm." She closed her eyes, already drifting off.

I kissed her eyelids but she was already under. "Sweet dreams," I whispered nonetheless.

"How long was the labor?" Mom asked quietly after a while.

"Close to nine hours," I answered in the same volume. "We came here around five in the morning."

Mom winced. "My labor with you took barely two hours."

"Lucky you," I murmured.

"Stop fretting, Kai," mom chuckled, "She's perfectly fine."

"She looks so frail," I mumbled. "Frailer than usual."

"That's because she just gave birth." She rolled her eyes.

"You didn't see her cry, ma," I continued to gently run my hands through her hair. Her breathing was regular and even. "I almost cried myself. She was in so much distress."

I heard mom sigh heavily.

"When was the last time you slept?" She questioned.

I racked my brains but came up short. "Been a while," I answered vaguely. "Why?"

"Because you don't usually act this lovesick even though you so clearly are," she said flatly. I looked at her to see her eyes twinkle with mirth and affection. "Sleep, boy."

"I'm not sleepy," I replied petulantly.

"Kaison," she chided. "Sleep. Both Olivia and Crystal are asleep. I'll wake you up if any of them do. I'm here."

"But her mo-"

"New York City traffic," she reminded me almost mockingly. "Rest."

"Okay," I gave in, carefully extracting my hand out of Livvy's hair. I laid my head beside her arm, threading my fingers through hers.

The last thing I heard before losing consciousness was the click of a camera.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A/N: Cause I'm feeling good today ;)

QOTD: Do you ever want to have kids? How many?

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All my love,
xoxo.