Page 145 of Everything After

CHAPTER 75

ALFIE

Part of me was dreading taking Lily and Charlie home. Lily had been coping so well as a mom, plus I liked having my wife and my son to myself.

Arriving home would change that because we both knew there was a houseful of people waiting for us to get there. In the previous months before our baby was born there had been a lot of changes.

Elle had given birth to Drew and Elle’s third child—a baby boy they’d called Owen. Lily’s mom, Roslyn had taken retirement, and her parents had moved from London, which put our original plan to hire some nannies before the birth on hold. But about a week ago we’d hired one young, well-qualified nanny, Vicky from Illinois, who moved into our home.

Roslyn and Charlie had bought a property on Star Island three months ago, which had delighted us both. Having her parents nearby had given both Lily and me more confidence. It was a new, domestic experience for Lily and me, as my parents were long deceased.

When Oscar arrived at the hospital to take us home, I was in two minds whether I wanted to go. Of course, I wanted to show off my son, but I feared too many faces may overwhelm the confidence of my wife.

“All set,” she remarked after touching up her lipstick in the bathroom mirror. “I can’t wait to get home and get settled before Charlie needs to breastfeed again.”

“We best get moving then. I think that little guy is taking advantage of the goodies stashed in those,” I said, nodding at her engorged breasts.

“You’re just jealous,” Lily stated as she sat in the wheelchair, grinning.

I picked up the car seat with our baby tucked safely inside and we made our way to the elevator.

“Do I know you from somewhere?” the senior volunteer asked, pushing Lily’s wheelchair into the elevator car.

I slapped a hand on my chest and glanced toward Oscar, who smirked. “Me?”

“No, him. Are you famous?” he asked Oscar. The porter didn’t wait for him to answer before he spoke again. “Wait. Didn’t you used to play football?”

Oscar glanced toward me then back to the porter. “Yes, sir.”

“Forty-niners?” he asked.

“Yup,” Oscar stated, glancing anywhere except toward me.

“Damn, you were on fire during that last game. Knee injury got you canceled out, right?”

Before Oscar replied, the elevator glided to a halt and the doors opened in the loading bay, where Oscar had the car waiting. We were leaving at the rear of the building, but with the addition of our precious cargo onboard.

“Excuse me,” Oscar said, sweeping by the porter to ensure our pathway was clear of bystanders, paparazzi and fans. “Allclear,” he called out. He opened the back door, took the car seat from me and I helped Lily onto her feet.

“Thanks, man,” I said, handing the porter a hundred-dollar bill.

“Hey, I’m a volunteer, you don’t need to—” Oscar closed the door before the old man had finished talking.

“I’ll be glad to get home. No one realizes how tiring being in the hospital is.”

“Says she who just pushed a seven-pound baby out her vagina yesterday,” I stated sarcastically.

Lily laughed, and my heart warmed at how relaxed she was since the baby had arrived. If I’m honest, I’d expected more than a little hesitancy, but she’d surprised me. My thoughts were that even though it was early days, Lily would prove to be what my gut had always suspected she’d be, a natural mother.

On arrival home, our house was crowded, which was exactly the opposite from the welcome I’d wanted for the mother of my child and our newborn son. An overwhelming wave of responsibility shook me at how fiercely protective I felt toward them both.

For the first hour my chest felt tight while I watched our guests play pass-the-parcel with Charlie. It was interesting to watch how each person claimed their stake in his life. Seeing the smiles on the curious faces of the adults that would feature in his life grounded me. Like the saying goes ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ these people would be part of ‘Charlie’s village’, and the love in the room for him felt almost palpable.

If my anxiety was raised, our son showed none of that. He slept through all the adoration for him like a boss—until he woke up hungry, which allowed him and his mom a chance to escape all the celebratory coos and cuddles.

“And where do you think you’re going?” I asked Jack when I saw him heading upstairs toward our bedroom.

“Where else? To spend some quiet time with Lily.”