Of Love and Deception (38 page)

We!

“My gosh. This is really happening, Daniella. We’re having a baby!” Cruz was ecstatic.

“Yeah, believe me, we really are,” she huffed.

The room turned into a zoo. Daniella’s legs were up in stirrups, ready for delivery. Both family and friends were out in the waiting room, anxious to meet the new baby.

“Sister D!” Lori rushed into the room, against the nurses instructions of course. “Oh, I’m just so excited! And… your brother. Dang. He’s totally phat. Love you, girl!”

“Phat? Really, Lori? How old are you?” Daniella laughed, but quickly sobered with the rise of another contraction.

Lori’s color paled. “Good luck, you two.” She shook her head and walked backward out of the room.

Daniella panicked. “I can’t do this… it hurts… oh God! It burns like hell.”

Cruz slid his arm behind her shoulders and whispered his encouragement. “Yes, baby. You can. You can do this. You’re strong, brave, and… and I don’t deserve you.”

Daniella stopped panting, contraction easing, and let her head fall back on the pillow. Confusion filled her head as she stared into his sad, blue eyes. “What the—why would you say that?”

Pressing his head against her sweaty neck, he mumbled, “I can’t forget. How could I ever have taken her word over yours? How? If things had turned out differently, you might not be… this,” he reached down and touched her hard belly, “could have been lost if you both—”

“Don’t do this. Please don’t ruin this. Bury her… and him, and those awful memories.” She paused, brushed her fingers against the smooth skin of his face, and pulled his head so he was cheek to cheek with her. “I love you so much and I can’t thank God enough for saving us—me, you, and our baby. So please, free yourself to me. Leave her… and him behind with all the guilt they’ve put on not only you, but me as well.”

“You’re absolutely amazing, Daniella. So incredibly amazing.” He stared and a smile crept over his lips, until…

Grasping his shirt with both hands as she began to bear down with another contraction, she yanked him, face to face. She grimaced and held her breath as she pushed. A breath escaped her lips and through gritted teeth, she said, “I’m thinking of her while I’m pushing
our
baby forward, knowing
we
beat her, survived her, and… believing our love will destroy any harm she’s bestowed upon us. We win the prize, Cruz. We win the—” She curled into the peak of the contraction.

“Push, baby, push!” Cruz urged, his face full of joy, as if her words were just what he needed to free himself of any remaining guilt he’d had.

“I’m… pushing!” Daniella’s face flushed, sweat dribbled down her temples. The contraction eased, and she gave Cruz her best, tender smile, though a tired one, as her eyes locked with his.

“Oh! Daniella! The head… I can see the head… and there’s hair! And… Push, push! You’re almost there!” Cruz’s eyes, his excitement and shock amazed Daniella, though she was in too much pain to comment and certain the head was going to split her in half.

~~~

An hour and a half later, Daniella was determined to get this baby out. As another contraction came, she heaved and pushed with every bit of strength left in her.

“Aaaaaaaaahhh!” She let out a shrill cry of pure pain, and then she felt extreme tightness, and panted.

“The head is out! Oh, sweetheart, you’re almost there, almost there.” Cruz squeezed her hand, leaned down, kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear, “I love you, baby. You’re so strong, so strong. Just a little more—”

Squeezing his hand as another contraction racked her body, Daniella pushed and cried out as the shoulders finally popped out.

“You did it, love! The baby is out… and… and it’s a boy… and he’s finally here,” Cruz cried and swept the wet strands of hair away from Daniella’s sticky forehead. “Look at him… God, he’s perfect. And look, he’s got brown hair… like me!”

Finally!
Daniella let her head fall back against the pillow, exhausted from laboring and nearly two hours of pushing. She gave a loving smile when the doctor placed their baby on her abdomen and vigorously wiped him off. He did have a nice sprinkle of brown hair on his head and she reached down to touch it.

Though she wanted to hold him and feel him in her arms, she knew she wouldn’t be able to just yet. Her entire body felt like a limp noodle. She caressed his tiny cheek and warmth spread throughout her entire body when his little lips puckered in the shape of an ‘o’ and his big eyes stared, so full of wonder and maybe even amazement.

“Would you like to cut the cord?” The doctor glanced at Cruz.

Cruz looked into Daniella’s eyes, arching an eyebrow in question. She gave a light chuckle and said, “You don’t need my permission. Go ahead and do it.”

The nurse handed him a pair of scissors.

“Wow. It’s like cutting gristle,” he said as he severed the cord.

Only seconds after Cruz cut the cord, the entire room turned into a discorded mess. A nurse rubbed the baby, suctioned his nose and mouth and appeared to panic as she slipped her hands under his tiny body, lifting him from his position on Daniella’s abdomen, and then whisked him off to a warming table, where nurses and doctors hovered over him.

His skin had a bluish hue, Daniella noticed as she watched in a panic, unable to speak. A flurry of tears cascaded down her cheeks.

“What’s wrong… is he okay?” Cruz asked as he released Daniella’s hand and left her side, rushing over to their son to find out what was happening.

“He’s fine, Daniella. Just some mucous in his throat making it difficult for him to breath. They’ve cleared it out by suctioning him.” The doctor reassured her and patted her leg. “You did an excellent job, and without any cursing. I’m impressed.” He grinned, shed his bloody gloves, and threw away his surgical gown.

Daniella nodded at the doctor and turned toward the incubator. Exhausted, she closed her eyes a few times.

About ten minutes later, the nurses called, “Baby boy Canton, official time of birth is 6:30 a.m., APGAR: 2, 2, 1, 2, 1. Total APGAR: 8. Weight is 6 pounds 3 ounces, height is eighteen inches, head circumference, 13 inches.”

Daniella’s eyes fluttered open. Cruz, who flashed a full megawatt smile, as he walked her way with their little bundle wrapped in a blanket, a blue cap covering his tiny head, pleasantly greeted her. Their baby looked so tiny in Cruz’s big arm as he rested against his daddy’s chest.

“Look at our new baby boy.” Cruz grinned and held him next to her.

“Oh. He’s so tiny… oh baby… oh, hello you handsome little man,” Daniella marveled. He stared at her and she couldn’t help the tears of happiness pooling in her eyes.

Crouching down next to her, she noticed the tears tumbling down Cruz’s cheeks as he kissed and brushed away her tears. “He’s beautiful, babe. You did awesome,” he murmured softly.

“Cruz, I know we kind of discussed names, and since Ryan will be his middle name, after you, what do you think about Bryson for a first name? It means nobleman.” She batted her eyelashes at him.

“Hmm. Ryan means little king, so if we name him Bryson Ryan, we will have a nobleman who is a little king. I think we have a winner, babe. I like it. I like it a lot.”

~~~

The rest of their day was filled with family and friends bearing gifts and admiring the new addition to their family. By nightfall, Daniella could barely hold her head up, let alone her eyelids.

Two days later, Daniella and Cruz were happy to finally take their bundle of love home and begin their new life as a family.

All of Daniella and Cruz’s stress and terrors they’d suffered were replaced with the sweet bliss of the tiny life belonging to only the two of them. There were no more doubts—this precious little human was the seed of Daniella and Cruz. All DNA proved it to be. And at this very moment, Bryson Ryan Canton smiled as if he’d known all along.

“Why of course you knew. You were there before even I knew, before your daddy knew.” Daniella drew him to her lips and kissed the soft downy skin of his forehead. She rubbed her cheek against his and inhaled his sweet scent. He was pure, innocent, and remarkably beautiful. It was hard to tell who he looked like with a sprinkling of dark brown hair covering his head and dark blue eyes. Some would say Cruz, while others would say Daniella, but everyone agreed that he was a handsome little thing. And he was proving to be a very good baby. So far. But at only one week old, it was probably too soon to tell.

After breastfeeding him, Daniella placed him high on her shoulder, buried her nose in the downy soft skin of his neck and whispered, “Little man, you’ve touched my heart in places I never even knew,” while gently patting his back.

She continued to speak to him softly while she nursed him on the opposite breast. “When I look at you, you’re so much more than I’d dreamed you’d be. You won’t be alone. Your daddy and I will love you forever.”

Cruz kicked the sheets off his feet and sat up. Caressing Bryson’s cheek, “Listen to your mommy, my little noble king,” he whispered into Bryson’s ear and kissed his head.

Stretching an arm along Daniella’s shoulders, he gave her a look of adoration. “You are a fantastic mom, Mrs. Canton. I can’t even tell you how much I love you, and love watching you with our son.”

“And you are a mighty fine father, Mr. Canton. I love you more than you’ll ever know, and I love this little gift you gave me. He’s simply precious. You two are my everything.”

They leaned their heads together and embraced the beautiful life they had created and now shared.

E
pilogue

The bittersweet past now a symphony buried far below the earth’s surface, Cruz and Daniella were free to breathe, to regain the time they’d lost, and more importantly, to see this beautiful little baby grow every day knowing he was pieces of him and pieces of her all bundled in one perfect little package.

They needed each other and the blessings life had brought them. Their love had grown. Each night was a first, every day a beginning. Taking turns staring at each other, at Bryson, and back to each other, they understood just how much this little person painted his love all over their hearts.

~~~

Bryson Ryan Canton’s first birthday theme was none other than Ice Age, Dawn of the Dinosaur.

It was a small party with Cruz and Daniella’s family, Jill, Lori, and Falcon.

It took a whole lot of Lori to persuade Falcon to come. Their invitation hadn’t been enough. Something was definitely up with that and Daniella vowed to find out. Falcon still had feelings of guilt over the past ordeal, but he was slowly coming around and believing that maybe, just maybe he couldn’t possibly be accountable for Meg’s actions and her psychosis.

Lori thought she was a sly one, but when she thought nobody was looking, Daniella observed, catching every crack of Lori’s smile, every wink Falcon threw back at her, and Lori’s sneaky fingers pinching Falcon’s butt.

“Oh, Sista D! I did no such thing,” Lori cried, her wide eyes and devilish grin totally giving her away.

“You’re such a terrible liar, Lori.”

“No—” Lori glanced toward the sliding glass door where Cruz carried a tuckered out, sleeping little Bryson cradled in his arms. Falcon came in right behind him and his eyes locked with Lori’s.

Daniella covered the remainder of the dinosaur cake, licked the icing off her fingers and followed Cruz up the steps into Bryson’s room. After he lay him down, he turned and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Leaning into her, he pressed his lips against her ear and whispered, “So, when do we want to make another one?” His fingers trailed along the lining of her shorts.

“Mm. Not for at least another year or two, but we can practice tonight.” She raised up on her toes and kissed him.

“We need lots of practice, lots and lots of practice,” he grunted and stepped back. “What’s up with Lori and Falcon?”

“I was going to ask you the same question. Something is definitely up and I’ll find out one way or another.”

~~~

The following morning, Daniella decided to pay a visit to Designers, Inc. She stepped in to her old office to find a nice bouquet of white roses sitting on the counter. She perched her elbows on the counter and cradled her cheeks.

“A-hem!” Lori ripped the card from Daniella’s fingers and placed it back into the fork.

She shot Lori a familiar grin as she observed Lori’s measured steps. She rounded the desk and sat down carefully.

“What’s wrong with you? You walk like you were riding a horse all weekend,” Daniella teased.

It was obvious Lori was trying to keep a straight face, but Daniella made sure to make it a difficult task with her eyes beaming and prodding for the truth.

“Maybe I was. Or possibly I strained the muscles in my thighs working out.”

“Liar.”

“What?”

Daniella dropped her hands and pulled herself up on the counter top. “You heard me. If you were riding a horse, it wasn’t the kind with four legs.”

Lori stood. “What. Are. You. Doing?”

“Oh, just getting comfortable.” Daniella rolled on her side, stretched her legs and propped her head on a half-bent elbow. “Do tell. I’m not leaving until you tell me a good bedtime story.”

“Daniella! It’s not bedtime and you’re—”

“Well? When are you going to tell me?” Daniella scooted up, stuck her nose in the flowers, and inhaled. “They sure smell purdy. Must be from a handsome chap.”

“You know who they’re from,” Lori said, feigning irritation. Daniella wasn’t about to budge until her inquiring mind was satisfied.

Daniella beamed. “Must have been some weekend. Four dozen white roses. Pretty. You must have ridden that buck all night long, filled his loins with the fruit of your loom.”

“Whaa? That makes no sense.”

“Doesn’t matter. You sucked the cream out of the john. Just admit it, you lucky dick.”

“I was lucky, alright. Ugh! If you must know, then listen up.” She drew her hands to her face.

“He was damn good. Best I ever had.”

Memories flooded Daniella.

They sucked a finger into their mouths and pulled it out. “Mmm. And he was tasty!” They said in unison, and laughed.