Trish was born six months after me and Vanessa wedding, luckily, we were finish with finals and it was winter break. We were sleeping when Vanessa woke me up in a panic “Honey, wake up.”

Being drowsy as hell I sat up and look around with my eyes barely opened, replying to her “huh, what’s going on?”

She gave me a slap on my back and answer “Wake up now, I think my water broke.”

With the added force from her slap and new revelation I jolted up and said “Ok, ok we got this you can go clean yourself up. I will go pack everything up we need.” Rushing out of the room bringing her travel bag and mine. I ready the car and look around to see if there was anything else we need. “Oh, right our toothbrush and whatnot, also the car seat definitely can’t forget the car seat.” I thought to myself as I made my walk back into the house and preparing everything. I even brought some snack in case she was felt hungry. Then I went back to drop everything in the car, before I started the car, I forgot something crucial; the car’s key. Of course they were in my hand one moment and gone the other. Rushing back in I had left them on the counter, so I grab them and went back into the car and then drove off to the hospital. Driving for five minute I see my phone ringing; I check to see that it was Vanessa calling me.

Weird I wonder as I pick up, “Why are you calling me?”

“Did you forget anything?” she said calmly.

“Hmmmmm thinking about it, I don’t think so. I prepare everything so far.” I said keeping my eyes on the road to ensure maximum safety.

“Oh now really, did you. How about your very much in labor wife.” She said with her still calm voice, that I can now since a bit of rage in.

I took a big breath in and let it out and slapping myself in the face; before busting the biggest U-turn ever in my life. “Oh, hi my dear husband. Must be nice not being in pain because of a baby in your stomach,” she greeted me with. I just look down like a puppy who knew it did something wrong as I walked to open the door for her. She slightly slaps me on the back of my head and waddles into the car “Hurry up now, I don’t want to birth the baby in the car,” she said motion me to get in.

I hastily got back in the car and drove to the hospital. She saw my red cheek’s “Oh baby, next time let me do that for you,” as she jokingly patted me on my red cheek. “Will do babe,” I jokingly answer. “No, but for next time, you don’t need to slap yourself like this ok?” She said rubbing my cheeks.

Arriving to the hospital, I escorted her inside, we got her checked in and I called my parents. I was inside the room with her waiting for our doctor to come in. I was stress eating with her as we wait. I gave her some warm water and we waited. She held onto my hand asking, “What if I poop during labor.”

“So what babe, it is a natural thing that happen when you are pushing.” I said rubbing her hand. She went on with her unnecessary concerns that might make me unlove her and I listen and reaffirm her that nothing can make me unlove her. I reply “Sorry babe, it seems like your stuck with me for the rest of our lives together,” before there was a knock at the door.

It was the doctor, he gave her a checkup and we were readying to induce labor. There was a nurse here who has done this many time before and the doctor has been my family primary doctor for years now. As Vanessa started to push, she grabbed my hard and clinch it tight. I felt the pain through her hands, as she was yelling and cursing all bad words to me. “You motherf-, you did this to me. You assh-, if you were not always in the mood, I wouldn’t be in this pain. Ahhhhhhh I am going to kick you in the balls later just so that you feel my pain. No even better I am going to kick them 10 times just so you can’t inflict upon me this pain.”

I sat there looking, feeling very scared of my wife right now, and fear for the safety of my balls; but I was giving her words of encouragement, while my heart wept. After the long hours of labor, Trish was finally brought into this world. She was beautiful and so small. I let Vanessa hold her first, she started to cry a bit which made me tear up. Seeing these two together I knew then this is what I needed to protect in life.

Vanessa was embracing our newborn and saying, “Mommy finally gets to see my special little princess.” She saw me with my eyes glistening and asked, “Do you want to see your daddy,” I heard her ask and I automatically opened my arms while Vanessa handed me my precious daughter. Instantly I knew what to say “You are so lovely Trish. Daddy going to love and protect you from now on ok.”

We spent a day there getting checkups and waiting for the anesthesia to wear off. We went home and when we got there, we lay Trish to nap and I let Vanessa go sleep in the room. I was well rested, so I cook some lunch for Vanessa nothing to strong since her body is still recovering. After a while my parents came over and then Tyreese and Ashly. The last person to come today was Jason.

As they all came into the nursery, all of them quietly whisper and talk about how cute Trish was. I just embrace Vanessa from the back and said, “Thank you.”

“For?” She said rubbing my arm. “For being safe through all this and giving me my precious daughter.” I said pecking her on the back of her head. My gosh do I kiss this lovely woman a lot, well I cannot help it I just love her so much.

The winter was filled with no sleep days as parents for the both of us. I was working part time and so was she, which she was on a maternity leave from. This was great since she wasn’t going to take a break from school at all and doing both will do her health no good. Still I made sure she lightened her load from school just in case. The sooner we finish the sooner we can straighten our life and be able to truly raise Trish, but it will be no good if our health diminishes before that.

After the winter break was over, we sadly left Trish at my parent’s house. We brought many of the necessity over there, and we could come visit anytime we miss her, but still it was so hard to do. When we got home, Vanessa started to cry, and I wipe away her tears and said “It will be fine darling. This just means we must focus on school more and finish faster so our family can be whole again.” She nodded to me through all her tears as I embraced her.

As we school started it was easy to go see Trish as often as possible but as the semester went, we had less and less time to go see her. Then soon Vanessa had to go back to work and it gave her less time to go see Trish. Vanessa had taken this harder than I had, and I did my best to comfort her and remind her we need to do our best for her.

She was tough and did her best not to show it but one day it gotten bad and we both had papers due in a few days, plus testes, projects the whole college experience. It was all too much and the time to go see Trish was so little she was crying nonstop, so I suggested “How about today we go sleep over at my parent’s house? We can bring our laptops and finish everything there?”

“Really?” she said wiping her tears. I kiss her forehead and reply “Of course, they won’t mind, and it will clear our head for a bit. I will drive us back early tomorrow.” Something so simple that could remedy this I was just too blind to see it. “Ok, I will go pack up then.” She said excitedly. When we got there I already had called my mom and told her what happen. She was happy for the visit and had fix the guest room for us already. Getting into the house I brought our things and I said, “Go ahead first honey, I will come after I bring everything to the room.”

Laying everything on the bed, I hastily rush to my firstborn. She was in the hands of Vanessa who was mothering her a lot. “Mommy misses you so much my little princess.” She said kissing our daughter nonstop. I went next to them and started kissing her other side and said, “Daddy also miss you very much my sweet darling.”

We spent that night taking turn taking care of her and writing our paper. This was a much-needed recuperation for the both of us to see our sweet angel.

After the semester ended, we brought Trish back home with us for the summer. I would be working nightshifts so that Vanessa could watch her at night and vice versa. It was tiring but we love our daughter enough to do so. She was such a precious child who doesn’t cry as much as other babies. Jason would come visits once and a while to see his first niece always bringing way to many presents, but it meant a lot since it showed he was doting on our daughter for Vanessa side of the family.

The summer was filled with joy but sooner or later it had to come to an end. School was starting again, and we had to bring her back to my parents. Even though they came to see her often at our place, they were ecstatic to have her back with them.

We both were so using to having her in our life for the summer that the void during the winter was nothing compared to this one. Still this went on for another year until next summer when Trish was a year and a half. She already learns how to walk and was quite picky of the people she would want to be with now.

Sadly, we were part of that category, she will only stay with us if my parents were with us. My parents were the one who taken care of her the most, so she loves them and thinks they are her parents, it was going to be an uphill battle even more so now to get her to trust us.

Vanessa was heartbroken, but it gave her more resolve to finish school so that she can be with our daughter more. We had around 2 semester or so left and we were both eager to finish.

We spent that whole summer coming and going to my parent’s house trying to get Trish to accept us. It worked a little but when school started, we had less time for her. Still we were hit with a surprise, Vanessa was pregnant again. She found out in October, and we gave the news to my parents.

“Mom, Vanessa pregnant again,” I told her through phone. She excitedly screams and then said, “that is good news son, why are you sounding so stress over this?”

“I was wondering if you guys are able to take care of another child?” I ask hesitantly.

She quickly answers “Of course we can honey, you two are almost finish with school, that means we will barely be taking care of this new one and Trish soon. This will just give me more time to spend with my precious ones.”

“Thanks mom, you’re the best.” I said with some of the guilt eating at me going away. “Of course, I am, I raise you, didn’t I?” She said jokingly. “Yes, you did mom.” I answer back.

In March during midterms Vanessa gave birth, she had finished her testes early because she knew her due date was coming so plan accordingly. After giving birth we didn’t have time to be sad about leaving Kennon at my parents for the time being. Our last semester was almost done, we are close to getting our children back into our life soon. I supported Vanessa as she rested at home and I told her to take a lax semester knowing that her due date would hit during this time. But she was stubborn to the end and in not wanting to waste anymore time. So I made sure to work more shifts while I study late at night, barely getting the right amount of sleep so that she wouldn’t had to work. It was crazy and driving me a bit nuts, but when I see her sleeping face when I come home, I am full of vigor again. When May came me and Vanessa rejoice as we finish and got our degrees.

As we walk for graduation, we both look back in the past two years and knew we came a long way. Without the help of my parents we wouldn’t had gotten this far and we can’t thank them enough. That night we both cried like babies knowing we can finally bring back our babies home.