One More Day

Chapter 17

"Daddy can you buckle my shoes?"

Gary looked up to see his daughter, looking every bit like a live doll, walk into the living room.

"Come here sweatpea." He said patting his leg.

She was wore a navy velvet dress with a white lace collar, the skirt full with crinolins underneath. He lifted her onto his lap and she handed him her mary jane slippers which he put on her feet and buckled. Her hair was the color of her mothers and was as silky smooth.

"How do I look daddy?" She asked as she hopped down and twirled around.

"You're pretty as a picture, hon."

"What about me?" Bailey asked as she walked into the room, wearing a black lace dress. Her hair piled on her head.

She took his breath away.

"You're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." He stated, closing the distance between them. He kissed her softly.

He felt a tug on his pants leg.

"Prettier than me daddy?"

Gary bent and picked up his daughter. "You are by far the prettiest little girl I've ever seen, sweetie."

"Gary, honey. It's time to go." Bailey said.

"Gary....Gary...Honey, it's time. Wake up."

"Huh? What!" Gary sat up in bed. His hair sticking up as straight as he was sitting.

"What is it?" He asked, looking at his wife sitting calmly on the edge of the bed.

He inhaled the fresh scent of her. Her face was scrubbed clean and her hair was pulled back off her face in a ponytail. He rubbed his eyes. Was he still dreaming?

"Gary, come on, get up. You need to get ready to go to the hospital."

The word hospital snapped him out of his stupor.

"Hospital? Is it time?"

He threw off the covers and stood up and literally ran across the bed. He jumped off the bed and hit the floor running.

"Gary, calm down.....Gary!" She repeated more sternly.

"Huh. What?"

"Go take a shower. I'll get your clothes ready and go wake up your parents." She informed him.

"But?"

"We have time. Just be quick about it. Now go on." Bailey instructed.

Gary grabbed her and quickly kissed her.

"I love you." He said.

"Hurry!" She laughed.

She picked out items of clothing for him to wear and laid them across the bed.

Another contraction hit and she sat down on the bed and began breathing and timing.

This one was longer than the last and closer together. When it eased off, she got up and made her way to the guest room where Bernie and Lois had stayed since her accident.

She tapped lightly on the door. "Lois?"

The door opened quickly. "Is it time?"

Bailey nodded.

"Bernie, get up. It's time to go." Lois called out.

"What time is it?" He grumbled and rolled over.

"It's 3:30 in the morning. Your grandchild is ready to come into this world. Now get you hind end out of bed this minute." Lois replied impatiently.

"Huh? What? Oh!"

Bernie got up and ran across the bed just as Gary had done. Bailey couldn't help but laugh.

"Bernie, calm down." Lois soothed.

"How far apart are your contractions?" Lois asked, retunring her attention to Bailey.

"They've been about seven minutes apart but the last one came at 6 minutes." Bailey informed her.

"Why didn't you wake us up sooner?"

"I didn't see any point in waking everybody up to wait. It's just been the last 30 minutes that the contractions have started coming closer." Bailey explained.

"Honey you go sit down. We'll be ready in a minute."

Bailey walked back to her bedroom. Another pain hit her as she sat down. This one harder.

"Owwww!" She cried out.

"Bailey?" Gary said as he entered the room wearing a towel.

He sat down next to her. Concern etched on his face.

Bailey was trying her hardest to remember how to breath. The pain was so intense.

Gary took hold of her hand and stroked her hair.

As it started to ease off she said. "Maybe you better hurry now."

Gary got up and quickly changed. He picked up Bailey's bag and helped her downstairs. Lois and Bernie joined them.

"Dad can you bring the Jeep around?" Gary asked holding out the keys.

Another contraction hit Bailey and she doubled over.

"Hurry, Bernie." Lois ordered.

"Oh God, Gary. I don't want to do this any more." Bailey cried.

He laughed nervously. "It's a little late to decide that now, don'tcha think?"

Chapter 18
 

Gary yelled out loud.

"Mr. Hobson?" The nurse questioned.

Tears of pain escaped his eyes. He extracted his hand from Bailey's grip when the contraction ended. He shook his hand. Hoping the pain would subside.

"You hurt me." He accused.

She looked up at him and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"You want to trade places?" She snapped.

Another contraction started. Gary gave Bailey his other hand.

"Okay Bailey. This is it. Give me one good push." The doctor instructed.

Gary helped Bailey sit up. As she pushed he gritted his teeth and strained with her. He didn't know how she did this. He was wore out.

Bailey screamed out and Gary heard the baby cry.

"Congratulations! You have a son!" The doctor announced.

Gary peered over to see the baby. He was crying loudly and protesting the handling he was getting.

"Can you see him? Is he okay?" Bailey asked.

Gary turned to look at her with a smile that lit up his whole face.

"He's perfect." He laughed. "Thank you! We have a son. We have a son!"

He leaned over and kissed her, both of them laughing through tears of joy.

The nurse wrapped the baby and handed him to Bailey.

"He's so beautiful." She said proudly. "Oh, Gary look at him." Words could not describe the happiness she felt.

The nurse took the baby from Bailey and handed him to Gary.

"Come with me Mr. Hobson. We need to get your son cleaned up." The nurse stated.
"But.." He said looking back at Bailey, who had started having another contraction.

"Your job is done. The doctor will take it from here."

He quickly kissed Bailey's forehead. "I love you."

Gary looked up as he entered the nursery to see his parents, Marissa, Emmit, Chuck and Emily standing at the window waiting impatiently. He held up his son for them to see.

"We've got a son." He mouthed.

Gary had never seen his dad cry but Bernie was wiping tears from his face. Gary looked down at his son who had his eyes wide open.

"That's your grandma and grandpa out there." He said pointing to his parents. The baby cooed.

"Mr. Hobson. May I have the baby?" A nurse asked.

"Oh, sure." He replied, handing the baby to the her.

He took off his scrubs and made his way to the waiting room.

His mother grabbed him the second he walked in.

"Mom, you're squishing me." He laughed.

Bernie shook his hand then pulled him into a hug also.

"Marissa." Gary said softly as he pulled her to him.

If it hadn't been for all of Marissa's support and sometimes not so gentle prodding he wouldn't be having this moment, he thought.

"You're welcome." Marissa whispered.

Gary pulled back. "How do you do that?"

She smiled and shrugged.

"Well, Gar. You're a dad. How does it feel?" Chuck asked, shaking Gary's hand.

"It's the best feeling in the world, Chuck. The best feeling in the world."

"How's Bailey?" Emily asked.

"She's fine. I don't know how she did it. I don't know how any woman does it." Gary replied scratching his head. "My poor hand will never be the same." He said holding out his bruised hand for inspection.

"Well at least you got to witness it. I had to sit in a waiting room pacing back and forth wondering what the heck was going on in the delivery room." Bernie complained.

"You would have never made it in the delivery room with me Bernie. You get queazy if you cut your finger." Lois teased.

"Well, you won't find me in the delivery room when my wife has kids. No sir. That elevator was the closest I ever want to be to child birth." Chuck stated.

"You were passed out through it all." Gary stated dryly.

"And what was wrong with that? I'm telling you there is too much fluid with child birth. And your kid better not ever throw up on me Gary." Chuck warned.

"So you are saying you don't want to have kids?" Emily asked.

"Oh, I don't mind having kids. I just don't want them drooling, wetting and spitting up on me." Chuck shivered.

"I'll wager that's all about to change, Chuck" Marissa laughed.

"This will be the baby's first Thanksgiving. I'll have to make something special." Lois realized.

"The baby can't eat yet, Lo." Bernie stated.

She slapped his arm. "I know that silly. I meant for all of us. This will be a wonderful Thanksgiving." She sighed.

"Yes, it will. Bailey and the baby are fine. And we have you." Gary said, hugging his mother.

"Have you given the baby a name?" Emmit asked.

"Gene Travis Hobson." Gary said proudly.

"Mr. Hobson. Your wife is in her room if you all would like to see her." A nurse informed them.

They all headed down the hall to Bailey's room. Gary held back for a minute to look through the window of the nursery.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see his dad standing next to him.

"Quite a feeling, isn't it son?" Bernie asked.

"Oh yeah."

"I remember the first time I laid eyes on you. I thought my chest would explode."

Gary looked over at his dad and saw him through new eyes. He no longer saw him as the goofy guy who always seemed to be interfering in his life. Now he saw a man who had worked, saved, and scrimped to give Gary the things Bernie had never had. Bernie had always been there for him no matter what. Just as Gary was going to be there for his son.

"Thanks, Dad."

Surprised, Bernie asked. "For what?"

"For everything."

"You're welcome, son." He patted Gary on his back. "I hope Gene there makes you as proud of him as I have been of you."

He turned and walked down the hall to Bailey's room.

Gary sighed and leaned his head against the nursery window and looked at his son. A small smile played across his face.

Chapter Nineteen

 
One more day
One more time
One more sunset
maybe I'd be satisfied
But then again
I know what it would do
Leave me wishing still
For one more day with you
*Diamond Rio*
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Gary was propped up on his elbow. His head resting on his hand, watching Bailey sleep.

He found himself doing this a lot lately. After she would drift off to sleep he would lie awake and watch her. Afraid she might disappear. He had come closer to losing her than he ever wanted to be again.

He thought back to how empty his life had been before he met her. Sure, he had some of the best friends a guy could ever ask for. Wonderful parents, a thriving business and tomorrow's newspaper and a cat. But he hadn't been complete till Bailey walked, actually fell, into his life.

All those years he had grumbled about the paper, not wanting it, and wishing it would go away. But because of the paper and whoever sent it, he had this beautiful woman sleeping beside him and a new baby just across the hall.

Gary heard a small cry come through the monitor. He quietly got up and put his robe on and made his way to the nursery.

Gary turned on the lamp and walked over to the crib and looked down at his small son.

"Hey buddy." Gary said as he picked Gene up.

"Are you having trouble sleeping? Come here. Daddy will rock you and see if he can get you back to sleep."

Gary settled into the rocker and positioned the baby in the crook of his arm.

Baby Gene made little cooing and squeaking noises.

He took the baby's tiny hand in his.

Bailey slowly opened her eyes and realized Gary wasn't in bed with her.

"Are you hungry or did you just want some company?" She heard Gary say over the baby monitor.

She got up and put on her robe and quietly made her way across the hall.

"That's okay. I don't mind keeping you company." He whispered to his son.

The baby grasped hold of Gary's finger and looked up at him.

This was his son. He finally had what he had longed for most of his life.

"Would you like to hear a story? Hmm, how about I tell you how I met your mom? It happened one night when she had got herself into a little fix and she was in dire need of a hero. This is where I come in. See, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time." Gary chuckled softly.

"Your mom was taking pictures on the Lake St. Bridge and ended up hanging on for dear life. I pulled her back on solid ground and when she finally let go of me, she did hold on quite a while......."

Bailey stood in the doorway and couldn't help but smile as she watched her husband with their son.

"......I thought she was quite possibly the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. But, I didn't fall in love with her till the night on the ferris wheel at Navy Pier. I tell you son, I've never felt anything like what I felt that night. I knew then and there she would own my heart forever. Of course, I wasn't so sure I could win her's but fate shined on me. I just hope one day you are as lucky as I was."

The baby's eyes closed, lulled to sleep by the soothing sound of his fathers voice, his breathing became softer.

"Do you know how much I love you, little guy? And how much I love your mommy? And how very grateful I am to have you both?"

Gary leaned down and kissed the baby's forehead.

He ran his thumb over the baby's fingers, that were still wrapped tightly around his forefinger.

Bailey shifted her position and Gary looked up to see her leaning against the door frame. His heart sped up at the sight of her. He was such a lucky man.

"How long have you been standing there?" He asked.

"Oh, a little while." She smiled. "You never told me that."

"Told you what?"

"That you fell in love with me on the ferris wheel."

"I, I, I just thought you knew."

"No, I didn't. Why then?" She asked softly.

"Because, you didn't really want to ride it and you did anyway. You rode it because I wanted to. I don't know. It's silly." He blushed.

"No it isn't."

"Well, when did you fall in love with me?" He wondered.

"When did I fall in love with you? Actually it was when you pulled me up from the bridge railing. When I, finally, let go of you and looked into your eyes, I saw something there I had never seen in a man before. I just wanted to get lost there forever. I was so flustered all I could think of to say was here call me, I'll take your picture for free. That was just the stupidest thing to say." Bailey confessed.

"It wasn't stupid. You were really flustered?" He asked, flattered.

"Yes, I was. But I'm glad I got past it." She said, smiling at him.

He looked back down at the baby in his arms.

"Look's like he's asleep." He whispered as he stood and put him back in the crib.

Bailey walked up next to Gary and peered in at her sleeping son.

Gary wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head.

"I'm sorry if we woke you." Gary stated.

"Don't be sorry. I'm glad I woke up. I love watching you with our son." She replied softly.

"Everyday, I think I love you as much as I possibly can and then the next day. I love you more." He proclaimed.

Bailey turned in his arms and sighed. She leaned her head against his chest.

Gary stroked her hair.

"When you were in the hospital. I prayed for one more day with you. But a million more days isn't going to be enough time with you."

She raised her head and looked at him. Her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I promised you I'd never leave you."

"I'm going to hold you to that promise." He put his hand gently under her chin. Her looked at her intently.

All the love he felt for her reflected in her eyes. He tilted her face to his and he kissed her softly.

Series continued with A Christmas for Eve