Mama Don't Mess Around

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Follows After: 

There's a tldr summary of the story below~ 
     
    Hurry up and wait.
    Nine months to hurry up and wait. Every day slowly crept by. Months felt like years. Even with a wedding to look forward to, after it was all said and done, all that was left to do was keep waiting. If Tequila had any choice in it, her baby would be in her arms the very day those “fancy science doctors” found him with their “machines and TVs”. Oh, how she spent her days dreaming of him, the kind of boy he would grow into, what kind of man he would be. Her heart tickled in her chest as she sang to her son - any day now.
    Of the two of them, Tequila was much more prepared going into it, despite being one that wasn’t actually a parent yet. William had his daughter, Georgie, but that family dynamic was far from “normal” being shrouded in secrecy for twenty years. He didn’t get to experience any of the parental duties or the milestones. He certainly didn’t get to celebrate them openly when she took her first steps or started talking, lost her first tooth, and so on. He had a genuine opportunity to be a part of his son’s life in the way a father should be: present and supportive; a protector. To guide him through tough times and through life’s pleasures. Everything would be different.
    There was worry. And justly so. After what had happened to Georgie’s mother, Ana, deep scars were left in her absence. As much as Tequila sympathized and nurtured him for his loss of her, she’d never really understand what it was like to know she had been taken from him in the cruelest manners. How could he not worry for Tequila and his son when the man that had ordered Ana to be “removed” was still around and too close?
    With the marriage finalized between them, that did lay some of those worries to rest. His father wouldn’t want to strike up too much fire within the family name now. But that didn’t mean William wasn’t also worried about actually being a father. As much money and success he had as a businessman, it couldn’t replace the feeling of holding his son in his arms when he would cry, consoling an infant, and knowing he would be so fragile and precious.
    But there was still time to hurry up and wait. He had months to prepare. But when it wasn’t time to wait anymore, time seemed to accelerate at light speed.

    They all knew she was due any day. She assured them she wanted to wait until Nick was ready. She didn’t want them poking and prodding around to make him come along. She had been a part of so many childbirths back at home - the body knew when it was time. So they let her wait it out. Day after day, any second.
    It had been two days after their predicted due date but Tequila assured them she still wanted to wait. The doctors strongly urged otherwise but they’d let her have the time so long as he was still healthy. From the stories her sister-in-laws had shared, somehow Tequila knew Nick was coming very soon. She felt it as turned over in bed to curl up closer to William after he had finished up his work for the night. She didn’t tell him that she could feel her body start to readjust. Nah, she knew he would just get all worried. She wanted him to get some sleep and she knew this was probably their last night of peace for a very long time.

     June 18th
    William probably knew something was up by morning when Tequila was up before he was - something that never happens. She was walking around the room in circles, humming a little tune. “Don’t worry, baby. It’s not time yet,” she assured William. “I’ll let you know.” Her eyes filled to the brim with tears of excitement, smiling warmly, “He was just a lil’ shy, is all. He let me know he’s on his way. Soon.”
    That day might have been the single day where time stood still and then went into warp speed. The morning dragged on and on. Now, Tequila never did care where she was giving birth. She’d pop him out on the floor of a barn for all she cared. But she knew William had it in his head that maybe something would go wrong and he wanted them all prepared for that. But Tequila wasn’t going anywhere until her water broke. She didn’t see any sense in being cooped up in a damn hospital room for hours if she wasn’t in labor.
    It was just past noon when Tequila grabbed William’s shoulder while he sat at his desk, looking over his reports - he had moved all calls to another day so he was ready at any time. “Will,” Tequila said with a little tremble in her voice. She leaned on him, hunching over with discomfort. She nodded, “It’s time, baby. Let’s go.”
    The trip to the hospital happened in a blink of an eye. Ode to the fertile Brannon family genes that passed along natural baby makers whether they were men or women. By the time Tequila and William got into their private room, the nurses confirmed she was moments away from the real rodeo of this event.
    Now, Tequila was already experiencing contractions and was very uncomfortable. It wasn’t the first time the nurses caught venom from a distressed woman lashing out but Tequila snapped at them just to make it very clear, “Yea, no shit! That’s why we’re fuckin’ here!”
    From then on, everyone in the room understood Mama wasn’t in the mood to mess around. So no one should have been surprised when they asked if she would like to get her epidural to which she responded, “What the fuck is wrong with you? Can you wait ‘til after I have my baby to ask if I want to get high? I’m fuckin’ busy!”
    All natural, it was.
    Whatever worries anyone had, Tequila quickly snuffed out. It was hard for the nurses to believe this was her first child. It was like her body wrote the book on how to deliver a baby. She knocked out childbirth like it was an afternoon chore getting in her way of what she was really wanting to do and that was to hold and love on her baby.

    Time stood still again, hearing Nick’s first cry. Tequila was already trying to sit up and reach for him. Even as tough as she had been, perhaps the pain had made her a little delirious as she tugged at Will’s arm, “Go get my baby. That’s our baby-” Ya know, like he hadn’t just witnessed the whole thing.
    She didn’t have to wait long before they had him cleaned and handed him back to Tequila. No dam in the world could stop her tears from streaming down her cheeks. It felt like she had just been born too and her life was just starting with him. “Will,” she sobbed happily, “This is our baby. Our baby is here. We have a baby.” This was her dream come true. Too much suffering and too many babies were lost before Nick. Miscarriage after miscarriage had made her feel so empty and unworthy. All of those feelings seem to fade away and were replaced with the warmth of this tiny little soul resting in her arms.

    Maybe the early days felt like an eternity as sleepless nights were upon them both as they had to readjust to their new lives. Tequila still refused help from a wet nurse when it came to taking care of Nick (now she did take him up on cleaners to pick up after her, hell yea, she didn’t want to do any of that). William could give that woman anything she wanted in the world that money could buy but she didn’t want to replace a single moment away from Nick. So he had to learn too. How to hold him, how to feed him, how to burp him, how kisses on his forehead made him smile, how he loved to hang onto his fingers and giggle, how he’d wake up and cry for his mother and want to be held by his father, how to feel so needed and wanted by this tiny human.
    Nicholas William Darcy. Though, he hadn’t been planned, many miracles are surprises. From two people that happened to catch each others’ eye by chance, now united by family. They never knew how much they needed each other until they both understood the holes in their lives. Tequila longed to be a mother and William was so sure he could never love another woman like he had Ana.
    Tequila glommed onto William’s arm, watching over Nick drifting off to peaceful sleep. The first rule of infants: when baby sleeps, you grab as much sleep as you possibly can. Which Tequila didn’t find hard at all as she felt her eyelids instinctively get heavy. Before she was ready to slide into bed for a nap she leaned her head on William’s shoulder a moment longer. “I know you’ve been a daddy for a long time now but you never really got to be a daddy for real. So maybe it’s a lil’ silly to say but Nick and I want to wish you a very happy Father’s Day, Will. We love you.”


(1587 wordcount)


tldr;
--Tequila had her baby (finally <''3) 
--William gets to be a daddy all over again and have a real go at it, no secrecy, no separation 
--Welcome Nicholas William Darcy to the land of HARPG <3 

Previous: Love Now and Forever || Next: TBA

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Hey, look, she had her baby finally lmao Only three and a half years later... jfc. A lot of shit had to happen first, okay x'''D 
ANYWHO. 
I wasn't going to draw a gross slimy newborn -shudder- So I thought maybe something a little more symbolic until he gets a little cuter xD A little project further down the road when he's old enough to "help" color something for Daddy dearest <3 A collaboration from Mama and Nick placed ever so nicely onto his big desk of BUSINESS to brighten up his morning. They'll leave little surprises for him because even though he's Mr. Business to everyone else, he is their favorite Daddy <''3 

Dave weeping somewhere in the distance also recalling when Chris was born and how fuckin' proud he was to become Mr. Dad. >:"") 


Tequila/Nick/Art © Drasayer 
William Darcy/Georgie Darcy © decors 

No specific ref for ponio~
Businessman papers were created by decors 
Desk resource: www.freepik.com/free-psd/aeria…


Procreate/Photoshop CS6