The Next Stage - 37. Here We Are

Waiting for Jasper to come home was always the most exciting part of Jasper being away, but today Ryan has not been able to sit still for even a second. He hasn’t sat still since Jasper casually announced he was bringing them home a son. What a start to a day that had been. He went from looking forward to not going to bed alone, to setting up a cot in their bedroom so they could be right there to comfort their new child through the adjustment. He’d gotten very few details about this little boy from Jasper. Only a scanned form to fill out accepting the temporary adoption of an 11-month-old boy named Elijah.

Jasmyn had no idea what ‘you’re going to be a big sister’ meant. But thankfully Grace came through with all the child-proofing stuff she no longer needed. Seems like she’d given up and just accepted her kids were going to demolish her house. Apparently, Atticus could Houdini his way through any lock, anyway. A trait Flynn proudly said he must have inherited from him.

Jasmyn absolutely couldn’t care less. Ryan took her upstairs and showed her the cot, trying to explain a baby was coming to sleep in it, but she just wanted to get in and then screamed when he wouldn’t let her. Going from one kid to two was going to be an experience for all of them, that’s for sure.

But any time Ryan wondered if spontaneously adopting a child was really something they could just handle, he looks at the photo of Jasper holding the little boy, and his heart melts enough that he’s pretty confident they can just make it work.

As the hours ticked away slowly, Ryan finds himself impatiently waiting at the window with Jasmyn on his hip.

Leo’s car finally pulls up in the driveway, and Jasmyn starts wriggling to get down, knowing her daddy is in that car. Ryan puts her down, and she power crawls for the door, while Ryan watches, instantly teary eye-d to see Jasper get out of the backseat of the car, softly smiling as he reaches in to retrieve the new addition to the family. Jasper places the little boy against his shoulder and leaves Leo to bring in all his luggage. It’s Ryan’s turn to race for the door, opening it and grinning at his husband, who looks absolutely adorable, with a little one in his arms. They still saw Jasmyn as a baby, but she suddenly looks like a proper child compared to this little guy.

“Hey sweetpea~” Jasper calls out in an excited whisper as he sees Jasmyn. Her face falls, and she crawls behind Ryan’s legs like she’s shy or nervous. “Sorry to dump a baby on you, but I need to cuddle my girl,” Jasper says as he gets to Ryan, giving him a swift kiss on the lips.

“Oh please, dump a baby on me anytime.” Ryan grins, surprised at how light this little one is compared to Jasmyn. He can’t even remember Jazzy being this little, and that wasn’t all that long ago for her. The baby boy gives a pout and makes a sleepy sooky noise, but Ryan instinctively begins rocking, shushing, and gently patting him back to sleep.

Jasper crouches and puts his arms out for Jazzy, who grips Ryan’s pants and pulls herself up to stand, then with unsteady feet and one hand still gripping Ryan’s pants, she steps around and flops herself forward into Jasper’s arms.

“Hey baby girl. I missed you so much,” Jasper says, sitting back and hugging her tight, covering her face in kisses.

Leo steps in past Jasper with his bags and takes them straight up to their bedroom. When he comes back down, he gives the couple a smile and asks if they’d like him to take a photo of the four of them before he goes home. Jasper stands up with Jasmyn on his hip and Ryan slips an arm around Jasper’s waist. They share a gentle kiss while Leo snaps a bunch of photos for them.

“Good luck with the night. Let me know if you guys need anything.” Leo says, passing Jasper back his phone.

“Thank you so much, Leo. You’ve done plenty. Go home and rest,” Jasper grins.

“I’ve got to watch Kevin’s second episode. I doubt I’ll be over here watching it any time soon,” Leo winks.

“Probably not,” Ryan answers quickly and Jasper has to suppress a laugh, though Leo seems equally amused.

As soon as Leo is out the door, Jasper and Ryan just turn to each other and grin.

“So... Normal people get a keyring or a postcard as a souvenir,” Ryan jokes.

“You didn’t marry a normal person. You married a spiraling nightmare.”

“I prefer this to spontaneous tattoos, piercings, surgeries...”

“Surprise adoption is okay?”

“I’m pretty sure I can live with a surprise adoption. Though I would like more than 26 hours-notice in the future.”

“I’ll try to remember that, but I promise nothing.”

Ryan smiles and steps forward, pulling Jasper in for another sweet kiss. “I love you,” he whispers once their lips part.

“I love you, too.” Jasper sighs, missing Ryan’s lips the moment they leave his. “Does Jazzy need anything right now? He’s likely to sleep for a while, and I desperately need a shower and a cup of tea. He was awake and screaming the entire flight home. My head feels like it’s going to explode.”

“Go have a shower. I think I can cope,” Ryan says.

“Thank you. I’ll be quick,” Jasper promises.

“No, have a long, hot shower. There’s no need to rush.”

The moment Jasper leaves the room, Ryan looks down at the baby in his arms, then at Jasmyn on the floor staring up at him, confused.

“I’ve got this.” Ryan says to himself, feeling a little worried that he hasn’t at all ‘got this’.

**** 

Jasper feels guilty the moment he hears the high-pitched screaming coming from downstairs. He’d spent a good 10 minutes in the shower, the last few he’d just been standing with her head against the glass, letting the warm water massage his back. He’d have been down much sooner if he’d known Ryan was dealing with this. But still, he rushes himself downstairs to help out the minute he’s dressed. He expects a stressed look on Ryan’s face, and chaos unfolding, but what he finds is Ryan preparing a bottle like an absolute natural while Elijah screams bloody murder on his hip and Jasmyn grabs at his legs, trying to get his attention. There’s not even a hint of stress. In fact, when Ryan sees Jasper, he just flashes a confident smile his way.

“He’s got a strong set of lungs, doesn’t he?” Ryan asks. “No wonder you have a headache.” Ryan nods in the direction of a steaming cup of tea with a side of panadol sitting ready for him on the bench and Jasper thinks he’s falling in love all over again.

“There is something very hot about you handling two kids screaming at you like this.” Jasper says, popping the painkillers in his mouth and washing them down with a sip of tea that is just perfect.

“Am I nailing the hot father of two, thing?” Ryan asks, moving Elijah into a cradle position and holding the bottle for him.

“I hope these two go to sleep at the same time for us, so I can be nailing the hot father of two,” Jasper winks.

Ryan laughs, but even after a couple of years of marriage, having Jasper hit on him never stops, making him feel incredible. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s never going to happen again now. It was difficult enough to find time with one kid.”

“I didn’t spend all that time in the shower to not find time later.” Jasper says, grabbing Jasmyn from around Ryan’s legs so Ryan can move.

Ryan walks over to the lounge and sits down with a comfortable sigh. Jasper sits beside him and leans his head on Ryan’s shoulder, a hand on his thigh. Jasmyn crawls over and pulls herself up on the edge of the lounge, coasting along Jasper’s knees until she gets to Ryan’s. Jasper looks down at her with a smile as she stares up at the baby. Then Jasmyn looks back at her dad’s knee and lets go, walking casually to the edge of the couch before holding on and coasting along the armrest.

“Ry.” Jasper stares at her, shocked.

“Mm?” Ryan asks, his full attention on the soft features of his new son’s face.

“Jazzy just let go step around you because you’re holding another baby.” Jasper can’t help but laugh as he says it.

“She what?” Ryan looks up.

“Do not tell me she just took her first steps to avoid her new brother.” Jasper’s laugh makes Jasmyn smile, and she starts coasting back towards him, stops at Ryan’s knees and looks up at Elijah. Jasper and Ryan watch in silence. She lets go, and walks around Ryan’s legs, holding onto Jasper’s knees and coasting along.

“Oh, my god. She walked around me. Like I was in the way.” Ryan says in disbelief.

“Honestly, power move.” Jasper grins. “Pass me the baby. I wanna see if she’ll walk around me now.” Jasper orders.

Ryan passes Elijah to him and slips his arm around Jasper’s shoulders, placing a kiss on his cheek and watching Jasmyn re-calculate her moves now. She lets go of the edge of the couch, walks past Jasper and places her hands on Ryan’s knees as she coasts back to the other end of the couch. Jasper and Ryan share and amused smile.

“She gets the spite from your genes.” Ryan comments.

“She gets the ‘avoid new people at all costs’ from your genes.” Jasper teases back, watching his daughter step around him again. “Do you think she’s even noticed she’s walked like 8 steps now, without holding onto anything?” he asks.

“I should be getting this on video.” Ryan takes out his phone and opens the camera, waiting for Jasmyn to do it again. She pauses at Jasper’s legs, looking up at him and Elijah, then sinks to the floor and crawls off to play with something else.

“Of course.”

“Every time there’s a camera on her.” Ryan rolls his eyes and puts his phone away, looking back at Jasper and Elijah.

“I hope she gets over having a sibling.”

“She will. They’ll be best friends, eventually.”

“Then they will team up against us,” Jasper grins.

“I can’t believe you just brought a baby home with you.” Ryan sighs with a smile on his face.

“Yeah. Oops.” Jasper laughs.

Ryan shakes his head at Jasper. “’Oops’ is not exactly how I planned us having more kids.”

“Neither. But here we are,” Jasper shrugs.

Ryan turns Jasper’s head and kisses him lovingly before whispering, “here we are. The four of us,” and kissing him again.