Delayed Penalty (Empire State Hockey #5)

Chapter 30 – Avery

Chapter Thirty

Avery

T oday was not supposed to be like this. Today was supposed to be relaxing, we were supposed to come support our friends with their new baby, and then go home and finish putting away all of the baby clothes that we finally finished washing.

That is not at all how the day has actually gone.

Instead, I’m in a room with my husband, our new baby boy, and our parents in the hallways right outside the room. It’s not at all what I expected, but I’m so thankful to be here—safe and healthy.

When they told me I was going to be delivering early, I was terrified. Even less than a week ago when they mentioned this was a possibility, I was nervous. At the same time, I was also thankful they were monitoring everything, and that they had been proactive with the steroid shots.

Now? Seeing my beautiful baby boy in the arms of his father, healthy and happy and not needing any supports? I feel really fucking blessed.

I will forever be thankful for Gwen and her persistence when it came to my health. If it weren’t for her, today might not have gone as smoothly as it had, and that’s saying something, considering the fact that I just had major surgery. After it was determined I would be delivering within the next hour, everything happened in rapid fire to the point where I didn’t even get to process anything before we were moving on to the next thing.

Prepping, cleaning up, getting Harris ready to head back as well, all while my parents were asking questions and trying to figure out what was happening. It was a lot. It felt like I was floating above watching everything happen, until suddenly we were in the middle of surgery and I’m hearing the sound of a newborn baby cry.

My newborn baby was crying.

My eyes immediately well with tears, Harris pressing soft kisses to my forehead, continuously telling me how proud he is of me, how strong I am. We did it. We brought this life into the world because of our love. He kept me safe and as healthy as he could throughout this entire pregnancy because of his love for me.

When I thought I was all alone, when I left Peter and my family didn’t support me, Harris did. Harris wrapped me in his love, bringing his family and friends along until I felt like I was home. Like I’m where I belong, with people who care. And it all started the night I left Peter.

Who would have thought that getting pregnant by your ex would be the best mistake I ever made? Even if getting to this point was a little bit of a journey, a lot of living in the moment before finally getting to see it all fall in place.

“Are you ready for them to come in?” Gwen asks quietly as she slips back into the room, coming to help me adjust the bed so I can sit up. She may not be working in this department, but it’s so nice having a friend who works here who can check in from time to time.

“Yeah, are they calmer now?” I ask with a laugh, remembering how they were from yelling at each other and then immediately into mom and dad mode the second the realized the severity.

It also helped that they realized their friends actually kind of suck and that maybe I wasn’t the one they should have been shutting out. They didn’t actually say any of this, but I made my assumptions.

“Yeah, they’ve just been checking in on you. Your sister was able to calm your parents down once she got here. But she let them have it first when she found out they brought Peter,” Gwen says with a chuckle.

“Are you ready, Daddy?” I ask with a smile, loving the way Harris’s face lights up at my words.

“I am,” he says before bringing me our son to come rest in my arms.

“Are you ready to meet the rest of your family?” I coo down at the little bundle of joy.

James Michael Danielson, the most perfect little baby in the entire world and I can’t believe I get to be his mom.

Once our families are in the room it feels chaotic, but in the best way. Between my mom and Harris’s mom oohing and aahing over the baby, or my father who has barely left my side from the moment he stepped into the room. He had to come check on his baby, as he put it. All of the grandparents took turns holding the baby until finally, Kelly demanded it was her turn and stole him.

“I’m proud of you,” my dad says, squeezing my hand in his own and I feel a tear fall down my cheeks. As a little girl it’s hard not to want your parents approval, it’s something that’s never truly gone away for me, so hearing my dad tell me he’s proud of me? It’s everything.

“I know this is going to take time to repair, and I know that job is on your mother and I. Trust me, we’re going to have a lot of difficult conversations these next few days about what has transpired over the last year. Actually, it sounds like it started when you first started dating that rat,” he says, anger on his face but I can’t help but laugh at the insult.

Suits Peter perfectly.

“Well, since I don’t exactly have a job and will just be home changing diapers and soaking up newborn snuggles, I think we’ll have some time to work it all out. As long as that’s what everyone wants to do,” I say nervously, because what if my mom’s not on the same page.

“Avery, I may be stupid sometimes, but that will never change how much I love you,” my mom says with tears in her eyes as she stands there next to my dad, eyes bouncing between me and her grandson. “You’ve done so well, my sweet girl. I just only wish I hadn’t been so stupid and could’ve been there for you these last few months.”

Her eyes are glassy, clearly fighting the tears threatening to fall from her eyes, but in that moment I see the truth. She was blinded by lies and believed a false narrative just like Harris and I years ago. We let it destroy us all those years ago, and while it’s going to be hard to move past this, I want to believe that we can do it. I want to believe we are capable of moving past the drama so that I can watch my parents become grandparents again.

I loved seeing their relationships growing with my niece and nephew, but I’ve always wanted to experience what it would be like to watch them with my kids.

“You’re here now,” I finally croak out, Harris coming to my side and resting his hand on my shoulder. “That’s what matters. You came when I needed you, and you stayed when it got hard. That’s what I will remember ten years from now—not the fighting, not the drama. That you came when we called.”

She nods again, wiping the tears away before turning to face Harris who hasn’t left my side.

“I owe you an apology as well. You haven’t deserved our hate, and you certainly did not deserve for us to bring additional stress to your lives today. I’m sorry, and I hope that I have the chance to show you both that I care. I will forever be in your debt for you taking care of my little girl when we didn’t. Thank you for loving her and protecting her. As a mom, knowing she found a love like this is all I can ever dream of.”

Moving away from me, Harris surprises me when he pulls my mom into a hug, his parents watching with tears in their eyes as they see what was once a huge broken family slowly working to mend the pieces, hopefully creating one big family.

“You being here for this, for you daughter and for our family, that’s all the thanks we need,” Harris says, and my mom sobs in his arms. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my dad wiping a tear away as well.

Although this has been healing, it’s also emotional, especially considering I just gave birth, although I wouldn’t trade having my entire family here for this for anything in the whole world.

We spend the next little while letting everyone get more snuggles from little James before Gwen eventually kicks everyone out so that we can get some rest. We have one more night here since I had surgery, so tomorrow they’ll start double checking James to make sure he’s still doing well, and if all goes as planned we will be home and resting in two days.

Fingers crossed because while most of our family is here in this room, I’ve got a sweet little puppy waiting at home that I can’t wait to let see her new baby brother.