Page 31 of Fighting Our Forever

Chapter Twenty

Paul

I’ve been lying awake for the last hour while Calliope and Ryan sleep restlessly, tossing and turning. While I mean everything I said, Rush is ours, I’m still in fucking shock. Who the fuck keeps the birth of a child a secret from the father? First thing in the morning I’m going to have our lawyer look at the paperwork and make sure everything is legit and then I’m going to make sure that Calliope and I are granted guardianship over the child as well. I’m going to make damn sure that the bitch that is Ryan’s ex has no way of taking this child away from us. I could see it in her face, my kind-hearted love is completely attached and gone all momma bear on the kid.

I always planned on being a father, but I thought we had some time to get used to the idea and figure some shit out before we had one of our own. I guess that isn’t happening and I need to get on board fast because there’s no stopping parenthood now.

Rush begins to fuss, and I sit up about to get out of bed when I feel Calliope stir beside me. When her eyes open, I lean down and kiss her softly. “I got it, love, go back to sleep.” She closes her eyes and snuggles up to Ryan.

Getting out of bed I grab Rush from his pack and play and realize immediately what the problem is. I grab his blanket and walk downstairs to the living room where his diaper bag is. “It’s okay little man. Papa Paul is going to make it all better.” I tell him as I lay him down on the couch, one hand on his belly, and grab a diaper and wipes from the bag.

I make quick work of changing his diaper, but he’s still fussing. I walk to the kitchen and make him a bottle quickly. Thank God Calliope made the bottles already and showed me how much water to add. I think I’d be lost if it weren’t for her instructions. Bottle made, I sit down in the recliner to feed him, and he knows exactly what to do. Rush is fucking adorable making grunting noises while he eats. I move my hand away from the bottle because he seems like he’s got it, as soon as I go to move, he grabs my hand and puts it back, holding his hand over mine while we hold the bottle together. I end up putting on one of my favorite shows, Doomsday Preppers.

Once Rush has finished his bottle and burps, I end up rocking him for a little bit until he settles down enough to go back to sleep. I grab a blanket and pull it over us as Rush falls asleep on my shoulder, his little fist clenching his blankie. We fall asleep together, and my last thought is that I won’t ever let that bitch Brenna take my son from me.

∞∞∞

I wake up immediately when I feel Rush being pulled off my chest. I grab the arm of the man grabbing Rush, ready to kill whoever dared to take my son. I finally release it when I realize it’s Ryan. “I got him, man. Why don’t you go crawl back in bed with our woman?” Ryan says.

I stand up and walk over to where Ryan has just sat with a sleeping Rush in his arms. I sit beside him on the couch, staring down at this little man who just transformed our world. “I know I said this yesterday, but just so you know, Rush is a part of our family, he’s my son now too. I will do anything to keep him safe.”

Ryan claps me on the shoulder, and nothing else needs to be said. I have been by this man’s side for the better part of fifteen years, and I’ll stay by his side, protecting our family.

I’m about to walk to bed when a sleepy Callie walks downstairs and walks over to us, climbing into my lap and cuddling up. We all stare at this baby until he peaks his eyes open and yawns the biggest yawn he’s probably ever had. He sits up and stares at all three of us looking back and forth and then around the room.

When he looks back, he holds out his arms to Callie who sits there stunned.

“You want momma little man?” Ryan asks, and Rush starts to whine leaning toward Calliope with his arms up.

Our woman reaches for him and holds him close, rocking him in her arms. “I got you, baby, momma’s here.” She tells him, and he smiles against her shoulder staring at us.

“There’s so much we need to get done today. We need to buy him a crib, and bedding. He’s going to need clothes and a high chair. Of course, we need to get toys, and he’s going to need-”

“We’ve got it baby, one thing at a time. How about you get ready and then we’ll get started with this list you’ve got growing in that beautiful brain of yours.” Ryan soothes her.

“Come on my sweet boy, let’s go get ready while your daddies sit here and talk about man stuff.” She gets up from my lap and carries Rush with her up the stairs.

When she’s moving around in the bedroom, I turn to Ryan. “Is Brenna going to do anything stupid and try to take him back?”

Ryan stands and walks into the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee. “Ryan?” I ask again.

“How the fuck do I know man? She just told me yesterday that I had a kid I knew nothing about. As far as I can tell she wants nothing to do with Rush and if the paperwork is legitimate than she won’t have custody of him for much longer.”

I slam my fists on the counter, pissed about the unknown. I’m not used to this, I’m always in control of my world. “This is fucking bullshit!”

“I hear ya’ man, but at least we’ve got him now. The only thing we can do is talk to our lawyer and do whatever needs to be done to make sure he’s ours and stays ours.”

“That’s a good idea man, I already planned on calling him this morning to see if he can see us this afternoon. I don’t want to take any chances when it comes to Rush.”

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