Part 3:
With The Sunrise
*FOUR
YEARS LATER*
“A
boy!” Kris rubbed a hand over her bulging belly a huge grin on her face.
“Really it’s a boy!” The ultrasound tech laughed as she pointed out the obvious
sign that it was a boy on the screen.
“I’d
say it’s a boy Mrs. Richardson.” She said as the ultrasound pictures spilled
out the machine one by one.
“Kevin
it’s a boy.” Kris beamed up a Kevin who was silently staring at the screen a
slight smile on his face.
“I
know Baby, I can see that.” He said as she tweaked his nose. “How does
everything look?” The ultrasound tech wiped the jelly off of Kris’s stomach as
Kevin helped her off of the table.
“Everything
looks perfect Mr. and Mrs. Richardson. From what I can see he appears to be a
healthy baby boy.”
*
* *
Kevin
and Kris walked hand and hand out of the doctor’s office, the pictures of their
son gripped tightly in Kris's hand.
“Wait
till I show my Mom, she’s going to flip. She was just sure it was going to be a
girl.” She exclaimed as Kevin helped her into the car. “Aren’t you excited
Babe?”
“Huh?”
He pulled the seatbelt around her expanding waistline clicking it into place.
“Kevin,
where are you?” Tossing the ultrasound photos to the dashboard she settled back
into her seat a concerned look on her face.
“I’m
right here Kris.” He pulled her hand into his smiling at her with a faraway
look in his eyes.
“Are
you?” Leaning into him she let her forehead rest against his, his strong arms
enveloping her, protecting her in ways she never thought possible.
“I’ll
be here always.” He whispered in her ear sending a shiver down her spine.
“Always.”
*
* *
Kevin
drove in silence the rest of the way home as Kris babbled on excitedly about
baby boy names, colors for the nursery and of course a mandatory-shopping spree
at Baby Gap.
When
they arrived home they each went their separate ways, Kris to the kitchen for a
snack and Kevin upstairs to change clothes for a basketball game with Nick and
A.J. at 2:00.
Coming
down the stairs Kevin found Kris in the living room, feet up on the coffee
table a big bowl of popcorn balanced on her belly as she flipped through the
t.v. stations looking for her favorite Spanish soap opera.
“I’ll
be back later.” Kevin blew her a kiss as he walked out the front door but she
was too wrapped up in the latest tales of treachery between Raul and Anya to
even notice that he was gone.
*
* *
Nick
threw up shot after shot, some coming close before bouncing off of the rim but
most of them ending up pathetic air balls.
“You’ve
been playing basketball for like fifteen years and you still fucking suck
Carter.” A.J. lay on his back on the sidelines watching Nick make a fool out of
himself.
“I’m
not that bad. Check this move out.” Nick carefully dribbled the ball between
his legs, advancing forward with a smile on his face, the ball bouncing off of
his right calf tripping him so that he fell forward landing on the ball before
it popped out from under him rolling across the court.
“Yeah
man, check you out!” A.J. rolled his eyes.
“Hater.”
Nick yelled pushing himself up to his feet as he ran across the court in the
direction of where the ball had rolled.
“Hey
guys.” Kevin walked across the court scooping up Nick’s ball and tossing it in
his direction before depositing his gym bag next to A.J.’s on the ground.
“Hey
man, how’d the ultrasound thingy go?” A.J. sat up rifling through Kevin’s bag
looking for snacks.
“Good,”
Nick tossed Kevin the ball. “It’s a boy.” Charging forward Kevin threw up a
shot that swirled around the rim before swishing through the net.
“Two
points.” Nick called out grabbing the ball and stepping out of bounds. “A boy,
man that’s great. How weird is it that you would have another boy…..” The words
were out of his mouth before he could stop them. A.J. only sighed as he tore
open a bag of pretzels that he’d found tucked in the side pocket of Kevin’s
bag.
“I’m
sorry Kev, I didn’t mean to bring that up man.” Kevin just shook his head,
signaling for Nick to continue the game.
“It’s
okay, it’s not like I don’t think about it too you know.”
“You
think about it…. I mean about the other baby?” Nick attempted a pump fake that
Kevin didn’t fall for as he swatted the ball out of Nick’s hands and ran in for
an easy lay-up.
“Of
course I think about it moron.” You can’t have a baby, lose that baby and not
think about it.” Tossing Nick the ball Kevin stepped out of bounds again
calling out the score.
“Well,
it’s just that you never talk about it……you never talk about her. I guess I
just thought that you forgot or something?” Pushing his bangs out of his eyes
Nick tried for a fancy move that ended up backfiring as Kevin stole the ball.
“You
move on Nick, but you never forget.”
*
* *
Cole
Nathaniel Richardson, Nate for short, arrived on a beautiful summer morning
with the sunrise.
Weighing
in at a robust 8lbs 5 oz. He had his father’s jet-black hair and startling eyes
and his mother’s nose.
“Kevin
he’s really here.” Kris said in a tired voice as the nurses placed the blue
blanketed bundle in her arms. “Look at the way he’s taking all of this in.”
Pulling down the blanket she revealed a pair of curious eyes scanning the room.
Standing
back Kevin took in the vision before him of his wife and newborn son.
“Baby
don’t you want to hold him?” Kris pulled Nate’s tiny hand from the folds of the
blanket holding it in the palm of her hand. “You should feel how strong he is!”
Willing
himself to move forward Kevin sat on the edge of the bed reaching a trembling
hand out to his son.
“Kris-“
His voice cracked as he stroked the air around Nate’s pink chubby cheeks, tears
spilling from his eyes.
“Touch
him Kevin, let him know you’re here.”
“I
can’t.”
“Why
babe?” Reaching out a hand she cupped it beneath Kevin’s chin pulling his eyes
up to meet her own.
“Because
then he will be real. And it will hurt too much if he is taken away.” Choking
on his words Kevin’s hand hung shaking in the air before his son.
“Make
him real Kevin.” Taking his hand Kris guided it gently towards Nate. Placing it
on the infant’s face.
Gasping
Kevin ached to pull back but found himself unable to move as his son looked up
into his eyes.
“
Oh my God, he’s beautiful.” He whispered his hand exploring the silky wrinkles
of the newborn’s flesh. “My son.”
*
* *
The
first night Kevin had the nurses bring Nate to him in the hospital bassinet,
staying up all night as Kris slept, watching each breath the infant took as he
held his son’s hand in his own.
When
the boy squawked Kevin was quick to scoop him up into his arms, holding him
closely as he sang softly into his ear lulling him back to sleep.
He
took control when the nurses came to feed Nate, maneuvering the bottle in and
out of his pursed lips until he caught onto the rhythm eating like a pro.
He
changed his son’s first diaper, had the nurse show him the burrito wrap that
kept him bundled tightly and chased away his newborn fears with comforting
words.
And
by morning the father son bond had been created and there wasn’t anything or
anyone on earth that could break it.
*
* *
Four
weeks later Kevin and the guys were set to embark on a tour to promote the
latest Backstreet Boys CD. In the meantime Kris was spending her time being a
mother as well as interviewing potential nannies to help with Nate while Kevin
was gone on the grueling six month cross country tour.
Kevin
left early on Friday morning, the tour bus idling loudly at the curb as he
kissed his wife and baby boy goodbye.
“You’re
sure you’ll be okay without me?” He asked planting a kiss on Nate’s soft pink
cheek.
“No,
but we’ll manage.” Kris teased giving him a playful shove. “Now get out of here
mister and go and make us some money!” Kevin pulled her in for a kiss on top of
her wild blonde curly head.
“I
don’t want to go.” Standing back Kevin couldn’t take his eyes from Nate. “What
if—“
“Kevin
please, don’t. Don’t do that to yourself. You’ll call us, I’ll call you, and we
have the new nanny starting today so everything is going to be fine.”
*
* *
The
doorbell rang promptly at 9:00 a.m., the time that Kris and the new nanny had
agreed upon for her arrival. Swinging open the door Kris was visibly distraught
as she bounced a screaming Nathaniel on her hip.
“Oh
Leslie I’m so glad you’re here, I have no idea what to do with him. He’s been
screaming like this for over an hour!”
Swinging
her long blonde braid over her shoulder Leslie Rogers reached out and took the
baby boy from Kris, a calm and pleasant smile on her pretty face.
“It’s
alright Nate, everything is going to be just fine now…..don’t cry Leslie’s
here.”
Leslie
helped Kristin get settled, tucking the frazzled new Mom beneath the big duvet
cover with a cup of tea on the nightstand. Kristin was sound asleep before
Leslie was even out the door.
Making
her way down the long hallway to he nursery she then pushed open the door and
walked inside, inhaling the sweet scent of baby powders and lotions that
permeated the room.
She
could hear the soft breathing of Nathaniel from where he slept in the bassinet
and it made her smile. Looking down at him she marveled over how much he looked
like another baby she had once known a long long time ago.
A
little boy with jet black hair and a simple smile.
A
little boy with his father’s eyes and his mother’s nose.
A
little boy that she had loved with all of her heart.
“I’ll
take good care of you Kayden.” Lily said as she ran a gentle hand down the soft
silky flesh of the sleeping infant’s arm. “I’ll never let you go.”
Finally she would have her son back…...And it
had all been so simple.
***
