The CEO’s New Baby

She could feel her baby kicking, clearly as excited as she was. He had been rather energetic those past few days. Kayla knew the time was near, she was going to give birth any day now, and the mobility of the kid would only intensify.

“Mom!” Emily greeted. She must have been in the living room and was half-running half-dancing her way to the kitchen.

“Good morning, darling. How did you sleep?” She kissed her on the top of her head, the sweet smell of strawberry and honey filled her nostrils.

“Good!”

“Come on, let’s go get breakfast. I think Daddy cooked.” She grabbed onto Emily’s hand, walking by her towards the kitchen.

Christmas carols played in the background, just like every year. Meredith and her mom were a big fan of the holiday season, and they never lost a single day to celebrate it. The decorations were up too, they had decorated the last room two days before.

The theme that year was gold and red. Much to Tanya’s delight. The tree was, however, the jewel of the entire house. It filled the living room with light and good vibes. It was filled with memories from their years together. The star was never changed. It was the last star Kayla’s dad had placed on the tree. And Ryan had agreed she could continue the tradition and use it there as well. It was her home too, after all.

“Good morning, darling! How are you?” She wasn’t as fine as she hoped she would be. But she was done with drama for a day. She needed to listen to Ryan and understand that everything would be over soon, all she had to do was smile and go through it all.

“I am great! It was so good to finally be able to sleep in.”

“Where is Mom?”

“She went to see some friend. Said she will be back by lunch.”

“Well, I don’t think we will be here by lunch. We promised Emily we’ll take her to the park.”

“You are coming with us?” Emily asked Ryan, her large blue eyes looking at her father from beneath her lashes.

“Of course. Wouldn’t miss playing with you in the snow.”

“By the way, I’ve been thinking. What if this year we don’t organize our annual Christmas banquet? I really think we need some quality time as a family. Wouldn’t you agree?” Hearing Meredith suggest that was beyond bizarre. She was never one to miss a party. She was one to go for the extravagant things, to push for more.

“We would love that!” Kayla gushed. “In fact, what if we spend it back at our cottage? The view there is magnificent at this time of the year.” Kayla could already see it all. The lights, the candles, the snow, and carols. She had it all planned. All she needed was Meredith’s approval.

“Well, I guess we have our Christmas plans!”

Usually, Kayla didn’t mind the cold much. She enjoyed a bit of chill, it reminded her of the holidays that were mere days away. But lately, she hadn’t been friends with it. Some said it was because of the treatment, others said it was because of the pregnancy. Well, whatever the reason, she still didn’t like it one bit. She shivered as she took one more step through the snow, trying to keep up with Emily’s hurried step.

“Do you want my jacket?” Ryan asked from beside her. He seemed to have noticed her discomfort. But there was really no need for that, she was going to survive it, it wasn’t like she was dying of hypothermia.

“I’m fine.” She smiled. “Hey, Em, you do you want to build a snowman?” The previous year, they didn’t have the pleasure of having a lot of snow, especially during Christmas. But thankfully, that year, the weather had been promising a white holiday season.

“Yes!”

“Okay, so first we should-“ Kayla began her instructions.

The first person to ever teach her how to make a snowman had been her father. She had been around Emily’s age when she finally properly learned how to do so. She remembered each and every word her dad had used. And she quoted them all to her daughter. Through small gestures such as those, Kayla allowed the memory of her father to live. It was like he was carrying his legacy without even thinking about it. She imagined that one day her daughter would teach her own children, and who knows – maybe she would remember her the same way Kayla remembered her father.

“There, see, we got the base. Now we have to repeat the same steps and create a body.” Emily giggled and went straight to work. She was having a bit of a hard time rolling the snowball through the snow, but she was getting a hold of that.

Kayla was just about to cheer her daughter on when something cold hit her shoulder. Immediately, she turned around to catch Ryan laughing. He seemed to be enjoying her mad and confused look more than he should have.

“This is war!” Her voice was low, threatening, her eyes squinting, looking him straight in the eyes.

Without much thinking, she reached for the ground and created a ball in her left fist, immediately launching it towards Ryan. Through her lashes, she saw Ryan prepare for another blow, a fact that made her squeal and run.

As she hid behind a tree, she threw more snow at him. Emily had joined their little battle too, taking her father’s side. The moment she tried running to another hiding spot, Ryan caught her, wrapping his arms around her, causing them to both lose balance and fall into the cold snow.

Kayla was laughing so hard her side hurt while her cheeks ached. She couldn’t remember the last time she had had so much fun.

“Well, I was cold, and you guys just made it worst.” Kayla laughed as she stood up, trying to get the snow off of her.

“How about we head home? We can cuddle and have some hot chocolate.”

“Can I watch TV in your room?” Emily looked at them with large eyes.

“Yes, Em, you get to-“ A sudden vibration through her lower half made Kayla stop. She felt her lower muscles contracting for a few seconds before letting go. “Guys.“ She looked at Ryan with wide eyes, the sudden feeling of wetness between her legs making her panic. “Change of plans. I think it’s time!”

“Time?” Ryan had no idea what was going on. Foolish as that may sound, it didn’t cross his mind that his wife was going into labor. Right there, in the middle of the park.

“The baby is coming, you fool!”

Whenever Kayla remembered that day, she always mentioned Ryan’s face. The way his jaw fell the moment her heard her. He ran in circles for a few seconds, unsure of what direction to take. Kayla and Emily stood by his side, trying hard not to laugh. He was holding onto his hair the moment he stopped, his face clearly asking for guidance.

Men, Kayla thought. He was acting as if she was going to give birth there and then. At a certain point, she was afraid he would ask for towels and hot water.

“Ryan, breathe. We go that way.”

“That way. Right.”