Chapter 18

With the fiasco finally behind him, the criminals behind bars, and the news stories finally dwindled, Enrique began the process. The process to start again. His memory was still not fully recovered, but he felt at peace with most things.

He opened a new office, much smaller than the one he had. The people knew him, so it was only a matter of time before his business would be back to what it once was. “Slowly ... one day at a time,” he said to himself as he sat at his desk in his new office space. He looked at a picture of Taylor and smiled. It was March 24th, any day now, he thought. His cellphone sounded, “Enrique, it’s me, the baby—”

“Right now? As in right now?”

“Yes. Yes. We’re headed to the hospital.”

The call ended. Excited and nervous he looked around for his keys, he spotted them on his desk, ran out the door, and shouted to his receptionist, “Cancel my patients for the rest of the day.”

He drove like a mad man and ran into the hospital. He saw Raul with his mother, and his sisters and parents, “Where is she?”

The doctor appeared, “alright dad?”

Enrique smiled and lifted his hand, “We’re about to start,” the doctor said.

Enrique looked at Raul, “Are you coming?”

He smiled, “sure.” They followed the doctor into the delivery room.

Taylor cried out, “Oh my God. I can’t do this.” They reached for her hands and held on both sides.

“Look at me babe, you can do this, remember to breathe,” said Raul as he looked down at his fiancé. She nodded.

After several hours, finally, he emerged from her womb, this fair-skinned, dark-haired child with hazel eyes. He looked just like Enrique. The nurses did their job and later handed the baby to Taylor. She cried, “Oh my god, you’re finally here.”

Enrique looked at his son, “He’s perfect. What will you name him?”

“Lorenzo Cristian Enrique Salazar.”

He smiled, “My grandfather’s name. May I?” she handed him the baby.

Raul kissed the top of her head, “You did great babe.”

“Thank you for being here.”

He smiled, “I’m here ‘til the end.”

The nurse came in, I need to take the baby for some tests, we’ll be back.” She left with the baby, placed him in the buggy, and rolled out. Enrique looked at Raul, “that was so, intense.”

“It was ... you would think with all the surgeries we’ve performed; we would have been ready to see...” He motioned with his hands to show how wide Taylor’s vagina opened when the baby emerged.

Enrique chuckled. Taylor interjected, “Okay, can we not discuss how wide my vagina got while I was busy pushing a life from my body?”

They laughed. Enrique reached out his hand to Raul, “Thanks. I’ll catch up with you both later so we can discuss our new parenting arrangements.”

“Of course.”

He waved at Taylor and left the room. Raul kissed Taylor, “So, now, we can start planning our wedding.”

She nodded, “Yes. I was thinking of August. I can get my waist snatched by then.”

He laughed, “I’m a plastic surgeon. I can have your waist snatched before August.”

“I know, but I want to do it the natural way. We have time.” She touched his face.

“I’m going to get out of here and get some rest, I’ll be back first thing in the morning to pick you both up.”

“Okay, babe.”

After a nice nap Taylor sat up with her baby, breastfeeding, the door creaked open, she looked up, and Enrique smiled.

“Hey, I thought you left with your parents earlier,” said Taylor as she adjusted herself and the baby.

“I stayed, I wanted to see him one more time.” He walked over and watched as his son fed, “He’s precious. It’s amazing how you can love someone so much after only meeting them one time.”

She smiled, “I know.”

He looked into her eyes, “I felt that way about you the day I first saw you.”

She was quiet. She thought about it, that spark she first had when she met Enrique.

“I wish I had just told you the truth. Maybe things would have been different for us.”

“Yeah. It’s important to trust the people you love with the truth.”

He nodded, “Do you still love me?”

She stared at her baby as she touched his hair, how to respond? Still, love him? She never really stopped, but that was an answer that could lead her down a sticky path. He smiled, “You don’t have to respond. I have my answer.” She looked up into his eyes. He leaned over, kissed the baby, and left.

In Springtime, the air was fresh and filled with lively singing birds, and the flowers were in full bloom. The water in the Bay was still a tad bit cool from the winter that had just passed. Taylor stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, checking out her figure, the snatch back was on schedule. Tummy was down, the boobs still plump, Raul stepped out of the shower and smiled, “Looking, good babe.”

“Thank you.” She smiled.

He kissed her neck, “So, six-week checkup today?” his eyes shined.

She smiled at him through the mirror. “Are you dying?”

“Hell yeah, aren’t you.”

She smiled, “I am. But I’ve been doing that other thing for you, so—”

“I know, but,” he turned her around, “I still love being inside.” He kissed her, “Tonight.”

“Okay, well, let me hurry, so I can be on time and I’ll see you tonight when you get home.”

Taylor headed to her appointment, on the way, she received a picture text from Enrique with the baby, “Hi mami.”

She smiled and called, “Hey, how is he?”

“Doing awesome. Was a little fussy, but I finally got him to eat. I think he likes it better from you.”

She laughed, “yeah, he loves the breast milk.” She pulled up to the doctor’s office, “I’ll see you later, I’m headed to the doctor.”

“Okay.”

She went inside and checked in. After her exam was over, her doctor smiled, “everything looks great. You are cleared to start all normal activities.” Her face shined, “My husband will be glad to hear that.”

“I bet.”

“I am too, it feels like forever.”

“Well, what are you planning for birth control. I know you said you wanted more children, but how soon?”

“Oh, I do, but we are going to wait until the baby turns a year. I’ll just get some condoms for now.”

“The nurse can give you some of those and I’ll do a prescription for the pill. Take care.”

With all the happiness in her heart, she drove. Headed to Enrique’s to see the baby before going home. She pulled up to the beach house and went to the door, she waited, and it opened, “come in.” Enrique stepped aside. He wore an apron over his shirt and shorts.